Historical Thinking Concepts

Histories are the stories

Can history ever be true?

We have to look beyond the text

Historical Thinking Concepts

• Historical Significance
• Evidence
• Continuity and Change
• Cause and Consequence
• Historical Perspectives
• The Ethical Dimension

Two To Get Started

Historical Significance

Something is significant if it is relevant to issues

Evidence

primary source evidence.

Historical Significance Guideposts

• it changes history
• it reveals something of value to us today
• it is part of a story about something of interest to many people
• the significance can change over time

Untitled Slide

Are Wayne and Shuster

Questions

• Did they change or influence anything?
• Does their story reveal anything about being Canadian?
• Whose story does Wayne and Shuster tell?
• Should Wayne and Shuster be in your Canadian history textbook?

Guideposts to Evidence

• inference from evidence
• asking questions
• finding bias
• context
• corroboration