Modern World History - Historical Thinking

Modern World History

Trees and Panes

How many trees are in this photo? You may guess that the accuracy is strong when I ask students to count trees in an area. The truth is that we often define things we take for granted a little differently. We all know what a tree is, right? Without specific criteria, the definitions are unclear.

When the activity is repeated to find out how many window panes are in a given area, the accuracy is much stronger – nearly perfect.

Sometimes the evidence is very clear, while other times it lacks context or perhaps it contains difficult language.

What do we know?

The knowledge of what happened in the past expands as more evidence is uncovered and the discussions among historians continue to build what is commonly accepted. This process requires analysis for context and point of view to determine the validity of the facts and plausible interpretations.

How do we know it?

One of the first things we have to do is find out how the evidence was created. If it is a written document, the writer, date, and location are all crucial toward understanding why it was written. Then, we need to ask ourselves how valuable or limiting the document is in relation to supporting a specific argument. This is called OPVL – Origin, Purpose, Value, Limitation.

What can we do with the evidence?

Analysis is a fancy word for looking at the parts that make a whole. This might include looking for all of the parts of a document that relate to a specific legal issue you are writing about or perhaps a broader topic like the expansion of suffrage. We often look for evidence of what causes events or the effects that lead to significant impacts on groups of people.

Types of analysis include periodization, comparison, causation, chronology, change, and contextualization. The list could be bigger or smaller, but these types of analysis all relate and overlap in different ways. To define a period, for example, we look for turning points. These are events that we use as markers for major change. In other words, conditions were one way, and now they are significantly different. This analysis requires comparing the before and after to identify the change, as well as the event through which the change occurs.

What is history?

History is a process through which historians analyze evidence related to specific people, places, and events from the past to understand what happened. The work of a historian includes sharing their findings with colleagues to contribute to on-going discussions. It also includes writing narratives that bring together the most accepted and tested theories about what happened in the past.

History and Sources HHS

Background Quiz

"Primary and Secondary Sources"

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