Historians and the Past

What do historians do to understand the past?

• A) They guess about past events.

• B) They only read books.

• C) They identify, select, analyze, and evaluate sources.

• D) They ignore old artifacts.

Which of the following is NOT a form of evidence used by historians?

• A) Art and photographs.

• B) Artifacts.

• C) Oral histories.

• D) Future predictions.

What kind of questions might a historian ask to learn about the past?

• A) What is going to happen tomorrow?

• B) What happened, when did it happen, and who was involved?

• C) What is my favorite color?

• D) How to cook a meal?

What are primary sources?

• Sources that are created by people who experienced the events themselves

• Sources that are created by people who did not see the events

• Sources that are only written documents

• Sources that are only visual materials

Which of the following is an example of a secondary source?

• A diary written by someone who lived through an event

• A textbook about historical events

• A photograph taken by someone at the event

• A letter written by someone involved in the event

Why is it important to analyze sources?

• To find the author's name

• To understand the perspectives and accuracy

• To make the source longer

• To change the source's format

What does it mean if a source is created to entertain?

• It is a primary source

• It is a secondary source

• It is trying to inform

• It is trying to persuade

What was a common activity for children in the 1920s who did not attend school?

• Playing video games

• Working in cotton mills

• Watching television

• Shopping at the mall

What can you infer about schools in the 1920s from the images provided?

• They used modern technology

• Classes were held outdoors

• They had large numbers of students in one classroom

• All students had electronic devices

Based on the images, how did the playtime of children in the 1920s compare to today?

• It was mostly indoors

• It involved modern toys

• It included a lot of outdoor activities

• It was supervised by robots