point of view in historical interpretation & analysis
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Point of View in Historical Interpretation & Analysis. October 16, 2013. The Civil War . The War of Northern Aggression The War of the Rebellion The Freedom War . POINT OF VIEW/PERSPECTIVE . 1.Definition: point of view Noun: a. A particular attitude or way of considering a matter. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
POINT OF VIEW IN HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION & ANALYSISOctober 16, 2013
The Civil War
The War of Northern Aggression
The War of the Rebellion
The Freedom War
POINT OF VIEW/PERSPECTIVE
1.Definition: point of view Noun:
a. A particular attitude or way of considering a matter.
b. (in fictional writing) The narrator's position in relation to the story being told.
HISTORICAL THINKING SKILLS:
Research, Evidence, and Point of View 1. Students frame questions that can be answered by historical study and research. 2. Students distinguish fact from opinion in historical narratives and stories. 3. Students distinguish relevant from irrelevant information, essential from incidentalinformation, and verifiable from unverifiable information in historical narratives andstories. 4. Students assess the credibility of primary and secondary sources and draw soundconclusions from them. 5. Students detect the different historical points of view on historical events anddetermine the context in which the historical statements were made (the questionsasked, sources used, author’s perspectives).
Common Core Reading 6: Assess how point of view or
purpose shapes the content and style of a text.
Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or ot compare the approaches the authors take.
Interpretation: Perspective in Secondary Sources
“War of Northern Aggression” Slavery according to master Slavery according to slave
Depends on evidence Filtered through lens of the worldview
Often shaped by contemporary interest “God cannot alter the past, but
historians can.”
TYPES OF HISTORY Political History: focuses on the actions of the government, voting patterns, political protest Economic History: looks at production, the social class structure, business types and growth, and trade Labor History: examines the role of workers in US History, especially the fights for better working conditionsConstitutional/Legal History: analyzes the impact of laws and Constitutional decisions and debates on historySocial History: focuses on the actions and interactions of “average” peopleReligious History: looks at the ways belief systems influence the actions of people and governmentsMilitary History: focuses on the impact of wars, battles, military spending, and new military technologiesDiplomatic History: examines the interactions of different nations, with a focus on leadersWomen's History: concentrates on women’s impact on history, from working women to the upper classesAfrican-American History (or Chicano/Latino History, or Asian-American History…): analyzes the importance of racial and ethnic minorities in impacting the course of US historyImmigration History: looks at the lives of immigrants and the ways in which immigration has changed US historyIntellectual History: focuses on the history of ideas, and how ideas can influence peopleCultural History: examines leisure time and entertainment and what people’s choices in these areas say about US history and people’s values Environmental History: focuses on the impact of natural resources (or their lack) and land use on the course of history
Vs. Textbook “Textbooks dominate history
classrooms…are often written “as if their authors did not exist at all, as if they were simply the instruments of heavenly intelligence transcribing official truths.”
Wineberg p.77
U.S. History Textbooks Students see as
“Straightforward” & “Trustworthy” No evidence of
research/interpretation Assertive language:
no “perhaps, might, maybe”
No footnotes
Textbook
How was industrialization both good and bad for the nation?
Consider what perspective (if apparent) is underlying text?
Primaries
Reconsider: How was industrialization both good and bad for the nation?
How does this evidence change/affirm/complicate your answer to question
Consider what perspective (if apparent) is underlying text?
What kind of history might such evidence support?
Teaching Point of View Primary Source Analysis:
Evidence reflects the personal, social, political, or economic points of view of the participants
students bring to the sources their own biases, created by their own personal situations and the social environments in which they live.
Exercise: Have students read same document as different people
6 C’s
Common Misperceptions “Bias”= bad Elusive pursuit of “objectivity” Evaluating reliability of sources
Name Nationality, state
affiliation Social Status, Age Profession Religion Time of writing Language used
LESSON DEVELOPMENT: TEACHING STUDENTS POINT OF VIEW
Complicating Textbook Narratives
Creating Perspective
Assignment A Assign students textbook excerpt
addressing historical event. Ask them to consider “What story does
the textbook tell of this event?”
Provide students three additional excerpted sources (primary or secondary) providing an alternate point of view.
Ask students to consider the following questions: What do these sources add to the textbook story? What story do they tell that is not told by the textbook? Encourage students to back up assertions with evidence
from sources. Ask students to record their observations to
complete the “Opening up the Textbook” worksheet. Ask students to write one paragraph evaluating the
statement “There are multiple stories and perspectives in history.”
Assignment 2: Teaching Perspective through Historical Fiction Historical fictions can engage students to
deeper understanding of historical perspectives.
Writing journals, letters, poetry, debates and scripts from the perspective of historical figures can illuminate how point of view colors our understanding of historical events.
Consult guidelines for “On Writing Historical Fiction” to develop assignment appropriate to subject and grade level.