G6 Lesson 1 : Studying History

What is history?

• the study of the past

• the study of the future

• the study of mathematics

• the study of plants

What kinds of things do historians try to discover about people who lived in the past?

• how they lived and their knowledge, beliefs, customs, and values

• what kind of pets they had

• the exact number of hours they slept each night

• the color of their clothing

What kinds of evidence will historians of the future study to learn about your culture?

• television broadcasts, newspapers, books, films, videos, CDs

• ancient cave paintings and stone tools

• dinosaur fossils and meteorite fragments

• medieval manuscripts and chivalric codes

How does knowing its own history provide a group with a sense of unity?

• It teaches them about the experiences they have been through as a people and about the values they share.

• It makes them forget their past struggles and focus only on the future.

• It encourages them to ignore their traditions and adopt new ones.

• It causes them to compete with other groups for resources.

Explain the meaning of the phrase, “Those who forget their past are doomed to repeat it.”

• Studying history helps people keep from making the same mistakes that people made in the past.

• People should always live in the present and ignore the past.

• Forgetting the past means you will have a happier future.

• Remembering the past prevents you from learning new things.

What is a primary source?

• a firsthand account of an event

• a summary written after the event

• a fictional story about the event

• an analysis by a historian

How did the invention of writing affect the sources on which historians rely?

• It provided them with many more types of records.

• It made historians rely only on oral traditions.

• It reduced the amount of information available to historians.

• It eliminated the need for any other sources.

Could a photograph be considered a primary source? Why or why not?

• yes; shows a firsthand account of an event

• no; it is always edited

• no; it is a secondary source

• no; it cannot show real events

​ (a)   describe any source that come from people who were actually at an event. Whereas ​ (b)   describe any source that come from people who were NOT actually at an event.

• primary sources
• secondary sources

Which of the following sources are primary or secondary (match each source appropriately)

• Primary

• History textbook

• Primary

• A historical book

• Secondary

• Birth Certificate

• Secondary

• Diary entry

• Primary

• Letter