How do we find out about the past?

L/O – To explore how historians find out about the past and decide why evidence is so important

Starter – In your books, brainstorm ways in which we can find out about the past

Doing History: Using Evidence• In history it is usually not possible to

question witnesses to find out what happened like detectives do.

• You cannot find any survivors from the battle of Hastings in 1066 to ask them why they thought that the Saxons lost.

• Instead, historians have to collect their information from various sources in order to find things out. The problem is that not all sources tell us what we want to know and it isn’t always clear what happened.

Doing History: Using Evidence• The sources of evidence that

historians use can be divided into two main types, called primary and secondary:

• Primary Sources – something that comes from the time that the historian is studying

• Secondary Source – sources which do not come from the time that the historian is studying.

Primary and Secondary Sources• Are the following sources primary or

secondary?

– Canterbury Cathedral – Britain since 1700 by R.J. Cootes (Oxford,

1999) – Gladiator (film) – Letters from Lord Nelson to Lady Hamilton – The text of a speech by Oliver Cromwell – Weapons found at the site of the Battle of

Hastings – Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott (a historical novel) – The Times, 5th August 1914 (newspaper)

Analysing Sources

Who? Where? When? Why? How?

How do we find out about the past?

• Now complete the worksheet using the words below to help you.

• Extension tasks on sheet if you finish.

Tools, Church Records, Ruins, Fragments, Autobiography, Newspapers, Church Records, Paintings, Pottery, Evidence,

Documents, Letters, Photography, Diaries, Interviews, Memoirs, Television, School Textbooks, Video

Homework1. Visit www.bbc.co.uk/history

2. Write 100-200 words on ‘Who were the Romans and what are they famous for?’

3. Review the website and give it a mark out of 10. Is it useful as a historical source? Is it a primary or secondary source?

Plenary

1. What is a source?2. What is a primary source?

3. What is a secondary source?4. Why is it important that we analyse

sources?5. Name 2 primary and 2 secondary sources

Did we meet our learning objective?L/O – To explore how historians find out about the

past and decide why evidence is so important