Snapshot Autobiography (8/31/2015-9/2/2015)

What is history? Many people describe history as the study of the past, a huge collection of names, dates, facts that you are expected to memorize. The goal of this assignment is for you to discover other meanings of history and to recognize why it is important to study history. In this project, you will think about the meaning of history by describing and illustrating several events from your own life, finding a witness to provide another description of one of those events, and thinking about the similarities and differences between the two descriptions.

This is exactly what history is like. History is what happened in the past, just like the events in your life. Our work this year is to figure out how we can gather enough evidence to get the clearest picture possible of what happened in the past.


Snapshot Autobiography Assignment

Unit Plan for Historical Thinking Skills

Historical Thinking Unit Plan

The first step in thinking historically is being able to distinguish between primary and secondary sources.

1. Click this link to access pictures of primary sources.
2. Add page 7 to your notebook Table of Content.
3. Title page 7, "Primary and Secondary Sources."
4. On the front of page 7 write, "Primary Sources."
5. On the back of page 7 write, "Secondary Sources."
6. Cut out the pictures and glue to the proper spots on page 7.

Click here to access the sources.
Next, you need to be able to source a document. Historians that are faced with a primary or secondary source will first as these questions: 

1. What is the title?
2. Who is the author/creator?
3. Where was it created?
4. When was it created?
5. What is the perspective of the creator?

Apply sourcing to a Lunchroom Fight.................click the link here and answer the questions.

Unit 1 Vocabulary - Historical Thinking

In Unit 1, we are exploring how to think historically. What do historians do as they uncover new information, or look for answers to questions? For the next 2 weeks, we will apply historical thinking to our lives, and practice these skills with various sources. 

Complete the vocabulary on page 6 of your notebook. 
Complete the Word Wall assignment on a blank piece of computer paper.

Link for Unit 1 Vocabulary and Word Wall assignment

We have started our new unit on historical thinking. In this unit, students will analyze various sources using sourcing, contextualization, close reading, corroboration.

This unit will begin with a Pre-Assessment:

The Legend of Christopher Columbus (Historical Thinking Pre-Assessment)