Read like a historian

Read like a Historian

Lunchroom fight Part 1

What is history?

• History is an account of the past.

• Accounts differ depending on one's perspective.

• We rely on evidence to construct accounts of the past

• We must question the reliability of each piece of evidence.

• Any single piece of evidence is insufficient to build a plausible account.

Reading like a historian

• teaches you how to investigate historical questions

• helps you evaluate the trustworthiness of multiple perspectives on historical issues

• how to learn to make historical claims backed by documentary evidence

You will use reading strategies such as:

• sourcing

• contextualizing

• corroboration

• close reading

SOURCING

asks you to consider who wrote a document as well as the circumstances of its creation.

Who write it? Why? When? What is the author's perspective?

CONTEXTUALIZATION

asks you to locate a document in time and place and to understand how these factors shape its content.

When and where was the document created?

What was different or the same then?

CORROBORATION

asks you to consider details across multiple sources to determine points of agreement and disagreement

What do they say? Do they agree? Why or why not?

What documents are the most reliable?

CLOSE READING

helps you evaluate sources and analyze rhetoric, (the art of speaking or writing effectively)

What claims does the author make?

What evidence does the author use?

Open Ended

Why is it important to use these skills when reading about history?

SOURCING

Identify the author's position.

Evaluate the purpose.

Is it trustworthy?

Corroborate

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8X5XUuzJH4

The scenario:

^{Imagine that you are the principal of a school and you just found out that there was a fight in the lunchroom during lunch. You’ve asked many students and teachers who witnessed the fight to write down what they saw and who they think started the fight. Unfortunately, you have received many conflicting accounts that disagree not only as to who started the fight, but also as to who was involved and when the fight even started. It’s important to remember that NO ONE is just plain lying.}

Open Ended

Why would there be different stories of the event if no one is just plain lying?

Open Ended

What are the different types of people who might have seen this fight? (friends of those involved; people who don’t know the kids who were fighting; those who were fighting; teachers; students)

Open Ended

What might make one person’s story more believable or plausible than another person’s?

In your notes, summarize what you learned about reading like a historian.

Write at least 3 sentences!

*A summary is a shortened retelling. Just the main points

Take a picture of your work and upload it in Google Classroom - Lunchroom fight - part 1. (5 points)