A teacher resource

What is history?

Introducing issues about how we find out about the past

This introductory exercise has been included for teachers who might have the need to help students focus on the particular discipline of ‘history’.

It includes a suggested structure, and related reproducible worksheets.

1	Draw two columns on the board. Do not give these columns any headings yet.
2	Ask students what they know about some recent significant event – such as the destruction of the World Trade Centre towers in 2001. Copy down all the suggestions in the first column. Encourage rather than discourage students whose answers contradict other answers (such as about the number of people killed, who was responsible), and those whose information is speculative (‘wasn’t it some big terrorist?’) and even inaccurate (‘it was Muslims!’).
3	At the end, head the list ‘What happened in history?’.
4	Now ask students to list where they got that information from, how they know what they know (or think they know). List these sources in the second column, and head it ‘How we know about history?’.
5	Students might now copy these tables in their own notes, or one person in a group might keep the record.
6	Hand a copy of the worksheet on the following page to each student. Students individually or in a group try to find at least one example from their list of each of the different types of information or evidence.
7	Now discuss with students the reason why some of their ‘facts’ about the event were inaccurate, or contradictory, or uncertain. This will involve discussing the connection between the information and the nature of the evidence that is the source of that information.
8	A massive event such as the September 11 destruction is clearly a major historical event of our time. Does this mean that ‘history = big events’? To challenge this possible attitude, list a variety of historical events on the board – such as ‘September 11’, ‘Grandma’s memories of the war’, ‘the death of a Prime Minister’, ‘What a house looked like 200 years ago’, ‘the 50th anniversary of the local football club’, or a similar variety. Ask students to decide which were proper subjects for ‘history’. Discussion should raise the idea that different types of ‘history’ may suit different purposes – an encyclopaedia, a local history, a school text book, etc.
9	You might show the introductory section of the Australian History Mysteries video here. As well as introducing the topics that will be explored in greater detail, the video contains a variety of types of evidence. Ask students to give an example of as many different types of evidence as they can on the Activity Page in the appropriate column. This will also start discussion about the nature and purpose of a museum, a theme that can be followed through in individual case studies.
10	Students will now be ready to investigate the topic or topics that the teacher has chosen from the resource.

HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST?

Click on the icon here to find out (you will be downloading a printable PDF file).