Historical Thinking Skills

Determining the historical context, intended audience, purpose, or point of view of a source

• sourcing
• corroboration
• contextualization
• synthesis

Analyzing the time period in which a document was created; helps us to understand the content of the source

• historical context
• intended audience
• purpose
• point of view

The people who were meant to read, listen to, or view the source

• historical context
• intended audience
• purpose
• point of view

Why the source was created

• historical context
• intended audience
• purpose
• point of view

The perspective of the person who created the source; their beliefs and characteristics can affect what they put in the source; NOT 1st person, 2nd person, 3rd person

• historical context
• intended audience
• purpose
• point of view

Analyzing two historical topics to determine similarities and differences

• causation
• comparison
• continuity and change over time
• argumentation

Describing the time period in which a source was created to determine how the time period impacts events

• causation
• contextualization
• continuity and change over time
• argumentation

Determining what led to (cause) and what resulted from (effect) an event

• causation
• contextualization
• continuity and change over time
• argumentation

Analyzing an event to determine what has changed and what has stayed the same (determining impact)

• causation
• contextualization
• continuity and change over time
• argumentation

Organizing history into various time periods (ex: by decades or by theme)

• periodization
• contextualization
• continuity and change over time
• causation