Thinking Like a Historian Thinking Like a Historian

Thinking Like a Historian

Thinking Like a Historian Make observations from Page 119 in History Alive!

When? • Chronological Order - Dates in order of when the event happened • Timelines – A diagram that shows the order of events within a period of time • Sections evenly spaced • Labels events

Blocks of Time • Periods – a portion of time • Eras – period of time marked by certain characteristic • Decades – 10 years • Century – 100 years

Timelines • We use dates • B. C. = before Christ • A. D. = anno Domini • In Latin – means “the year of the Lord” • To date events that happened BEFORE the birth of Christ (or B. C. ), historians count backward from A. D. 1 (there is no year 0) • To date events after the birth of Christ (or A. D. ), historians count forward, starting at 1 A. D. • B. C. E. and C. E. – Common Era

Timelines • Turn to page 533 in Ancient Civilizations

Timelines • Brainstorm your personal timeline!

Primary Sources What is a PRIMARY SOURCE? • A primary source is direct evidence of an event, idea, period or development. • It is an oral or written account from ACTUAL PARTICIPANTS or OBSERVERS of an event • THEY WERE THERE • Examples: • Official documents • Speeches and interviews • Diaries and letters • Autobiographies • Advertisements and posters • Physical objects (tools, dishes, art, photographs, statues, videos or pictures)

Secondary Sources What is a SECONDARY SOURCE? • A secondary source interprets and analyzes primary sources • The person writing/creating it WAS NOT THERE • They did not witness the event with their own eyes • Examples: • A journal/magazine articles that interpret previous findings • A history textbook

How Do I Tell the Difference? • Primary source: the person had to be there at the time the event happened • Secondary source: studies and interprets the primary source