WorksheetsWhat Is History Assessment
Total questions: 15
Worksheet time: 8mins
Which of the following is an example of an artifact that a historian might use to reconstruct a Civil War battle?
a modern song written about the battle
an interview with the grandson of one of the soldiers
a modern map of the battlefield site
an unexploded shell found on the battlefield
What is one difference between primary and secondary sources?
Secondary sources usually reflect signs of bias; primary sources do not.
Secondary sources are usually written documents; primary sources are not.
Primary sources are usually eyewitness accounts; secondary sources are not.
What is historical interpretation?
the act of locating the creator of a historical source
the process of assigning meaning to historical events
the process of categorizing historical sources by name
the process of visiting a historical site
Read the quotations from two historians below. Why is it possible for both of these historical interpretations to be correct? “As a master mariner and navigator, Columbus was supreme in his generation.” —Samuel Eliot Morison, Christopher Columbus, Mariner, 1955 “Columbus would never have made it to Asia . . . He would have been doomed by the great expanse of sea. But he was lucky.” —Howard Zinn, A People's History of the United States, 2005
They both discuss how Columbus changed history.
They both focus on the great skills Columbus had as a ship's captain.
They are using different primary sources for their interpretations.
They have chosen to emphasize different facts in their interpretations.
Read the quotation below from a noted historian. Which of the following reasons to study history is referred to in the quotation? “History cannot give us a program for the future, but it can give us a fuller understanding of ourselves, and of our common humanity.” –Robert Penn Warren, "The Legacy of the Civil War," 1961
History is an interesting story.
History helps us become better thinkers.
History makes us better informed about public issues.
History helps us develop empathy for people everywhere.
After historians collect evidence, their next step is to
construct a chronicle, or a simple listing, of what happened year by year.
ask a question they hope to answer based on the evidence they collected.
carefully examine each source of evidence for the creator’s point of view, perspective, or outlook on events.
accept all of their primary sources of evidence as fact.
In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King gave his “I have a dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. What historical connection do you think Dr. King was attempting to underscore by giving his speech at the Lincoln Memorial?
the connection between the oppression of Jews in Eastern Europe and the civil rights movement
the connection between the civil rights movement and President Abraham Lincoln’s efforts to end slavery
the connection between Mahatma Gandhi’s Indian independence movement and the civil rights movement
the connection between the civil rights movement and César Chávez’s movement to unionize migrant farm workers
When studying a historical event, what is the first step in a historian’s process?
coming up with question he or she hopes to answer or the problem he or she wishes to solve
collecting evidence pertaining to the historical subject he or she is studying
a reconstruction and interpretation of the past
a hypothesis that can either be proved or disproved
Why do historians establish a chronology, or sequence of events in time?
They can identify causes and effects among different events by looking at when they happened.
When historians are certain of the correct order of events, they are better able to make connections among them.
They can begin to look for long-range changes and trends that may have developed over many years or even decades.
all of the above
Which of the following is the more challenging part of a historian’s task?
to establish a chronology, or a sequence of events in time
to interpret the past—to produce a story that helps readers draw meaning from history
to collect all the evidence pertaining to a specific historical event
to differentiate between primary sources and secondary sources
Which statement correctly summarizes what happens after historians publish their accounts of a past event?
Other historians may disagree with their work, but this disagreement oftentimes suffocates the academic study of history.
Their work is rigorously tested and proved by other historians, much like a science.
Historians publish their work with the understanding that it will be reviewed, and often criticized, by other historians.
all of the above
How does the study of history help people develop empathy?
History makes us aware of problems, sorrows, joys, and hardships faced by people in other times and places.
The more of the mystery of history we solve, the more alive the past will become for us.
Because, as the Spanish philosopher George Santayana put it, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
all of the above
Why is history worth studying?
The study of history helps develop essential critical thinking skills.
The more we learn today about the errors of the past, the better chance we have of avoiding them in the future.
The study of history can help us develop empathy for others.
all of the above
A secondary source is
very rarely used by historians.
a past record created by someone who was present at the time of the events.
a past record created by someone who was not present at the time of the events.
usually far more valuable than a primary source.
What is important for historians to keep in mind when they are collecting evidence?
that the end goal is to create a chronicle
to consider the points of view and biases of the people who created their sources
to value secondary sources over primary sources
to accept all primary sources as truth
