Learning Historical Learning Historical ThinkingThinking

BackgroundBackground

““To think historically is essentially to be To think historically is essentially to be a critical thinker when it comes to the a critical thinker when it comes to the study of history.”study of history.”

Peter Seixas,Peter Seixas,

University of British ColumbiaUniversity of British Columbia

6 Concepts of Historical Thinking6 Concepts of Historical Thinking

SignificanceSignificance EvidenceEvidence Continuity & ChangeContinuity & Change Cause & ConsequenceCause & Consequence Historical Perspective-takingHistorical Perspective-taking The Moral Dimension (Judgment)The Moral Dimension (Judgment)

SignificanceSignificance

How do we make judgments about what How do we make judgments about what events in history are important? What events in history are important? What criteria is used to judge criteria is used to judge significancesignificance??

This is the work of historians and they This is the work of historians and they must employ historical thinking to must employ historical thinking to determine determine significancesignificance..

Aspects of SignificanceAspects of Significance

Prominence of the Prominence of the eventevent at the time at the time Consequences (resulting in change)Consequences (resulting in change)

Deep consequence Deep consequence for many people over a for many people over a long period of timelong period of time

RevealingRevealing Does the event explain something about Does the event explain something about

later events later events or the present?or the present? Occupies a key place in a meaningful Occupies a key place in a meaningful

narrativenarrative

Aspects of EvidenceAspects of Evidence

Problem: Problem: The past is goneThe past is gone How do we know about the past?How do we know about the past?

Primary & secondary documentsPrimary & secondary documents ((traces & accountstraces & accounts)) How do we decide what to believe about the How do we decide what to believe about the

past? past? Learning to critically analyze accounts from the past is an Learning to critically analyze accounts from the past is an important skill to develop. Ask yourself – is this credible? Does this important skill to develop. Ask yourself – is this credible? Does this person’s account match up with other individuals’ accounts? Is this person’s account match up with other individuals’ accounts? Is this secondary source based in part on primary sources? secondary source based in part on primary sources?

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Continuity and ChangeContinuity and Change

Change and continuity are on-going and Change and continuity are on-going and ever presentever present

Change can occur at different ratesChange can occur at different rates Change and continuity can be both Change and continuity can be both

positive and negative positive and negative (e.g. progress & decline)(e.g. progress & decline)

Comparisons can be made between points Comparisons can be made between points of history and between the past and the of history and between the past and the presentpresent

The IBM 7094, a typical mainframe computer [photo courtesy of IBM]

What is this?What is this?

Continuity or change?Continuity or change?

Cause & ConsequenceCause & Consequence

Events have a myriad of different and Events have a myriad of different and often unappreciated causesoften unappreciated causes

Prior events may have no casual influence Prior events may have no casual influence on subsequent events on subsequent events

Looking for Looking for broad underlying factorsbroad underlying factors is is more important (often) than identifying more important (often) than identifying immediate specific causes of an eventimmediate specific causes of an event

Actions have unintended consequencesActions have unintended consequences Part IIPart II

Columbine

Marilyn Manson

Historical PerspectiveHistorical Perspective

Presentism is the opposite of historical Presentism is the opposite of historical perspective. perspective.

Presentism is when you examine the past Presentism is when you examine the past through through today’stoday’s understandings (values, understandings (values, norms, technological understanding)norms, technological understanding)

The goal, The goal, when thinking when thinking historicallyhistorically, is to , is to avoidavoid presentism presentism. .

Moral JudgmentMoral Judgment

Moral Judgments are a particular kind of Moral Judgments are a particular kind of evaluative (or value) judgmentevaluative (or value) judgment

Moral judgments about the past must be Moral judgments about the past must be sensitive to historical content/contextsensitive to historical content/context

There is value in withholding moral There is value in withholding moral judgments judgments untiluntil adequate information has adequate information has been acquiredbeen acquired

Determining cause is different from Determining cause is different from assigning responsibilityassigning responsibility

What about local history?

What does this photo tell us about schools in NB around 1870?

What kinds of information about schools is not included in the drawing?

What Questions does the drawing raise?

What kinds of sources might provide more information about schools in NB at that time?

Thinking historically …Thinking historically …

Make inferences about life around town at Make inferences about life around town at that timethat time

Consider the societal, economic, & Consider the societal, economic, & technological environmenttechnological environment

Compare with photos of the same place todayCompare with photos of the same place today Identify a list of things that have changed and Identify a list of things that have changed and

stayed the samestayed the same

http://www.histori.ca/benchmarks/http://www.histori.ca/benchmarks/