IF HISTORY IS HISTORY,

WHY SHOULD I CARE?History is the WORST!

Tell me , dear ones…WHAT IS HISTORY? Come up with your own definition of

History!

Piece of candy to the first person who can name this

guy!

Why I, Miss Weaver, Study History?

“History is full of really good stories. That’s the main reason I got into this racket: I want to make the argument that history is interesting!”

--Sarah Vowell

First of all…what is history? History—the written and other

recorded events of people When did history begin? About 5,000 years ago in Southwest

Asia and Africa Both civilizations began to keep

written records

So what came before that?

Pre-History What we know

about life before written records

How was information passed down during pre-history?

Oral History or “word of mouth”Have you ever

played telephone?

Silly Rabbit…you still haven’t told me why I should want to study history! Any ideas?

It helps us to: Know who we are

as a society Make informed

guesses as to where we’re going

Enjoy the drama and comedy of the tales

“History never looks like history when you’re living through it!” -John W. Gardner

Dwarfs Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

“One who develops future intellectual pursuits by understanding the research and works created by notable thinkers of the past”

-Isaac Newton We build on the

achievements of the past

The Picture of History

Everything that ever

happened

The Picture of History

Happened

Everything that was ever seen

The Picture of History

Happened

Seen

Everything that

someone recorded

The Picture of History

Happened

Seen

Recorded

Every record

that survived

The Picture of History

Happened

Seen

Recorded

Survived

Everything that we’ve found

The Picture of History

Happened

Seen

Recorded

Survived

Found

Bias

Bias “History is the version of the past events that people have decided to agree upon.”

-Napoleon Bonaparte

What are some reasons

for bias? Piece of candy to the first person who can name this

guy!

Ethnocentrism vs. Cultural Relativism Ethnocentrism: The

tendency to view one's own culture as best and to judge the behavior and beliefs of people in other societies by one's own standards.

Cultural relativism:

The idea that one should try to evaluate and understand another culture/society on its own terms and relative to its own values and beliefs.

Wonder where he

got his feather?

Cultural Relativism: Our Approach to the Study of History Beliefs & practices

should be understood in terms of their own culture and time

We will try not to judge by modern, American standards

Why?

A Thought to Keep in Mind…“Human beings of all societies in all periods of history believe that their ideas of the real world are the most secure, and that their ideas on religion, ethics and justice are the most enlightened. Like us, they think that final knowledge is at last within reach. Like us, they pity the people in earlier ages for not knowing the true facts. Unfailingly, human beings pity their ancestors for being ignorant and forget that their descendants will pity them for the same reason.”--Edward HarrisonIn a sentence, summarize this quotation!

With your partner… Come up with at least two (2)

examples of bias in history

For tomorrow: Please complete the essay assignment: History: Yay or Nay?!?