Past and Present

Part 1: Numbering the Years

 Our calendar is the Gregorian calendar, modified from the Julian calendar.  The Julian calendar, developed during the time of Julius Caesar, is based on a solar year-365 days- or the time it takes the earth to revolve around the sun. It was later adapted to fit the Christian culture.  “c” in front of a date means “circa”. Used when the actual date is not known.

 Big Bang Big Bang  Time and Date Time and Date  What other calendars exist?  Synthesize the significance of key historical events in societies studied.

 Linear Time  Time measured according to units (hour, day, year…). It is the way that most societies measure time.  Linear-straight line  Linear events do not repeat and can be placed on a time line.  A timeline is a means of showing, in chronological order, the important events.  Cyclical Time  Measuring time according to natural phenomena such as the Earth’s rotation and positions of the sun and moon.  Cyclical-circle  Cyclical events such as the seasons, months, and days recur in regular predictable intervals.

 Decade = 10 years  Century = 100 years  Since there was no year 0, the 1 st century began in the year 1 and ended in the year 100. The 2 nd century began in the year 101 and ended in the year 200.  The same system works for the centuries BCE but in reverse.

Understanding Societies Past and Present

 The past influences:  Place Names (refer to earlier times or people)  Personal Names (reflect family tradition or news/trends when we were born)  Language (alphabet, spelling, pronunciation..)  Values & beliefs  Institutions (government)

 History is a record of what happened in the past. The study of history involves establishing the facts, interpreting them, and explaining their importance.  Oral History is a record of the past passed on by word of mouth rather than writing. People who have no written language keep their history alive through an oral tradition in which stories are retold from generation to generation.  Social History is the way of life of people in the past, including all the aspects of their society such as food, clothing and children’s games. Social history includes information about ordinary people as well as information about the leaders and rulers.  Visual History is information from the past from visual sources such as paintings, photos and artifacts.

History of the World in 15

What do you know about digging in the past?