Monday: Introduction to Historical Thinking

Learn what it means to think like a historian. Discover the five essential skills and practice them with ancient civilizations.

Lesson Details

Time

60 min

Activities

8 items

Reading

16 sections

1 / 9

Essential Question

What does it mean to think like a historian, and why are historical thinking skills important for understanding the past?

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to: • Define the five historical thinking skills • Explain why historians question sources rather than just accepting them • Apply basic sourcing questions to an ancient primary source • Recognize how context shapes historical events

Key Vocabulary

Primary Source: An original document, object, or other source of information created during the time period being studied (examples: letters, diaries, photographs, artifacts) Secondary Source: A source that analyzes, interprets, or summarizes primary sources, created after the events occurred (examples: textbooks, documentaries, biographies) Sourced: Examining who created a source, when, why, and for what audience Contextualization: Placing a source within its broader historical setting to understand what was happening at that time and place Bias: A perspective or prejudice that influences how someone presents information

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