Unit 1: Thinking Like a Historian

Why is it important to examine multiple primary and secondary sources when investigating an event?

• It is important to study multiple points of view so that you have a better picture of what really happened. 
• It is important because without both types of sources the truth would never come out.
• It is important because people always lie.
• It is important because examining facts requires knowing people's opinions. 

Why is it important to investigate the reliability (how reliable or truthful something is) of a source or group of sources?

• When a historian is studying an event, they must know that the sources they are using are valid because otherwise their entire investigation could be compromised. 
• Studying stories about the past requires a historian to look at multiple sources, and those sources must be credible and reliable or else the historian may be misinformed about what really happened. 
• If a historian does not use valid or reliable sources to study the past, their conclusions or findings about an event could be biased.
• All of these answers are reasons why using valid sources is important. 

Why do historians need to have a good understanding of maps and how to read them?

• Historians will often use maps in their study of past events and people.
• Historians need to know about maps because the main topic they study is the geography of the modern world. 
• Historians have to know about maps because that is the only type of source they use to study past events and people. 
• Historians really don't need to know about maps unless they're studying the history of map making. 

When I was at summer camp a few years ago, I found an arrowhead; I did research and found out it has been made by the Cherokee Indians. What is my arrowhead?

• Primary Source
• Secondary Source

A document or record of past events created by people who were present at that time is called ____________.

• Secondary Source

• Primary Source

• Corroboration

• Sourcing

Which word is it? Prejudice in favor for or against something

• Bias

• Construct

• Primary Source

• Interpret

Accounts of events created at a later date and by someone who was not present at the event is called ____________.

• Secondary Source

• Primary Source

• Corroboration

• Sourcing

Secondary Source

• Accounts of events created at a later date and by someone who was not present at the event

• A record of the past

• the writer's position on an issue or problem

• An opinion or perspective belonging to the author of a historical account, is influenced by the author's personal circumstances

Point of view (POV)

• Examining important details in text or language in order to understand the author's claims or point of view

• The gathering and investigation of evidence in order to reach new conclusions

• believable or reliable; trustworthy

• An opinion or perspective belonging to the author of a historical account, is influenced by the author's personal circumstances

Credible

• The gathering and investigation of evidence in order to reach new conclusions

• An opinion or perspective belonging to the author of a historical account, is influenced by the author's personal circumstances

• examining the "who" "what" "when" "where" "why" of a document

• believable or reliable; trustworthy