1. What Does a Historian Do?
Chapter 1
What Does a Historian Do?

2. Lesson 1
Why Study History?

3. Why Study History?
History is the study of the people and events of the past.
How things change and/or stay the same
How cultures change over time
Historian: studies history
Explain why things are the way they are

4. Measuring Time Periods of History Decade: 10 years Century 100 years
Millennium 1000 years
Eras: larger blocks of time
Prehistory (5,500 years ago; before writing)
Ancient History (Ends close to A.D. 500
Middle Ages a.k.a. “Medieval Times” A.D. 500 – A.D. 1400
Modern History A.D – present

5. Measuring Time Calendars Julian Calendar
Developed by Roman leader Julius Caesar
Years counted after founding of Rome
1 year = days
Extra day every 4 years
Not precise

6. Measuring Time Gregorian Calendar Dating Events Pope Gregory XIII
From birth of Jesus Christ
More than three centuries for calendar to be accepted
Dating Events
B.C. or B.C.E “Before the common era”
A.D. Latin for “Anno Domini” which means the year of the Lord
Sometimes referred to C.E. or Common Era

7. Measuring Time Using Timelines Track the passage of time
Show time between ages or eras

8. Digging up the Past Historians use science to study the past
Archaeology: study of the past by looking at what people left behind
Artifacts
Paleontology: look at prehistoric times and use fossils
Anthropology: study of human culture and how it develops over time

9. How Does a Historian Work?
Lesson 2
How Does a Historian Work?

10. What is Evidence? Historians ask questions
To learn answers, they look for evidence
Evidence is proof or indication that something is true
Evidence they find in historical sources

11. What is Evidence? Primary sources Secondary sources Reliable sources
Point of view: general attitude about people or life
Bias: unreasoned, emotional judgement about people and events

12. Writing About History Interpret information from primary sources
Making inferences
Complex
Look both at primary and secondary sources
Become experts in their area or historical subject
Scholarly
Finite- limit their area of study
Conclusion – through reasoning
Some have different interpretations

13. Lesson 3
Researching History

14. Research Choose a topic Develop questions Gather research materials
Nonfiction
Identify fact from opinion
Take Notes

15. Research on the Internet
Authorship
Credentials
Web URLS
.gov : government related
.edu :educational
.org : nonprofit organizations

16. Writing Without Bias Plagiarism: copying someone else’s words
Violates copyright laws
To avoid plagiarism:
Put writing in your own words
If you have an opinion, use text evidence from an article or text you have read and cite
Include a reference sheet