Aim: How do historians use primary and secondary sources?

Do Now: How was history passed down before

writing was invented? How is a historian like a detective?

Understanding History

Aim: How do historians reconstruct the past?Do Now: Compare the device above with what we have today to listen to music.Take out I.S.I.S. paragraph.

Understanding History

How has your life changed from the way it was five years ago? You’re probably playing different games and have long outgrown your old clothes. Your family may have moved to a new home. Your life will continue to change as you grow older. Look around carefully. Ten years from now, everything around you – every object you use, every song you enjoy listening to – will help tell the story of what your life was like today. How will your life change in ten years from now?

Understanding HistoryAim: How are primary sources and secondary sources different?Do Now: How do historians reconstruct the past?

History

History – the story of the past Historians – people who study

history.

History

Oral tradition – passing on history by word of mouth This is how history was passed on before

writing

Learning from Artifacts

Artifact – an object made by someone in the past.

What is an example of an artifact?

Primary Sources

Primary source – materials that were created during the time under study.

Examples: Autobiography Newspapers Diary Artifacts Letters Official documents

Secondary Sources

Secondary source – records of the past that are based on studies of primary sources.

Examples Biography Textbooks Encyclopedias How does information given in a primary

source differ for that of a secondary source? Primary sources are more reliable than

secondary sources because primary sources come from the time under study.

Handout

Go to St. Mary’s homepage and 6th Social Studies

Open “Primary vs. Secondary Sources” under Resources

Complete the worksheet

EXIT SLIP

HOW ARE PRIMARY SOURCES AND SECONDARY SOURCES DIFFERENT?

Aim: How is decision making and evaluating a part of a historian’s job?

Do Now: How does a person make good decisions?

Think about before you make an important decision, what do you think about to make sure it is a good choice.

Take out homework – Primary vs. Secondary Sources worksheet

Decision Making

Decision - to choose from a number of alternatives.

Evaluate – to judge something’s worth.

Historians must study sources and decide how to interpret them.

Why is decision making important for historians when they are researching the past?

Making Decisions

A decision is a choice 1. identify the goal you want to

reach 2. identify the different alternatives

for reaching your goal 3. evaluate each alternative 4. choose the best alternative

Different Viewpoints

Historians can have different ideas of the same historical period.

Further back in history the tougher it is to reconstruct the past.

Aim: How is decision making and evaluating a part of a historian’s job?

Goal – find the city of Troy Use the Iliad as a guide to find where

Troy was located. Studied the geography and landforms

to make a decision Choices

Corfu South of Turkey

Chooses Turkey to start searching for Troy

Main Ideas

Historians are like detectives. Use evidence (sources)

Sometimes the evidence has disappeared over the years. Makes it difficult to reconstruct the past

Historians’ viewpoints shape the way we view history.

Exit Slip/Homework

How is decision making and evaluating a part of a historian’s job?

Homework

Name three specific types of primary sources

Name three specific types of secondary sources