Cornell Note Setup

Title Headings Notes 2 inches from the edge Summary

How does a Historian work?

History helps us understand why we live the way we live. Knowing history allows us to learn from the mistakes of our ancestors Helps us understand the evolution of culture and what makes a civilization unique. Why do we study history?

Fact or Opinion? – a fact can be proved or observed; an opinion is a personal belief or conclusion. Historians must be able to separate facts from opinions and decide if they should trust source Is it relevant? – Historians must be able to select only what applies to the topic Is it important? – What is essential and what is unimportant Asking Questions

What is the evidence? Evidence shows proof that something is true, and historians read sources to interpret what happened in the past Primary Sources: first hand pieces of evidence from people who saw or experienced the event (letters, diaries, literature or art from the time period, interviews, tools and artifacts, photos) Secondary sources: Created after the event by people who were not a part of it (biographies, textbooks)

Point of view is someone’s particular way of considering a matter Sometimes a person’s perspective is biased, which is an unreasoned judgement about people or events. To get a balanced picture, historians should examine multiple perspectives (different viewpoints of an event) Based on historians’ own points of view, they can arrive at different interpretations of the same event: ex. Was Alexander the Great a hero or a villain? Perspective (point of view)

How does a Historian work? Summary: Why is it important to distinguish fact from opinion in historical writing? What types of evidence do historians use to understand the past? (3-5 sentences first trimester)