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What is history?

Write one paragraph using complete sentences.

What does a historian do?

World History – Lesson 1Unit – What is History?

Herodotus (484 BC - 425 BC) was an ancient Greek historian and is known as "The Father of History"

So what does a historian do?

• A historian is someone who uses clues to study the past. They gather information much like a detective gathers clues• Historians try to be objective.

They cannot make up their own story but must rely on evidence to support their claims

Measuring Time• Historians attempt to put events in the order which they

occurred.• Terms to know:• Decade = 10 years• Century = 100 years• Millennium = 1,000 years

• This class is World History, which covers several thousands years of history.

• To help you better keep track of the sequence of events, we will be using a timeline manager throughout this entire class

B.C. A.D.

3,000 2,000 1,000 1 A.D. 1,000 2,000

A.D. and B.C.• The modern calendar is called the Gregorian calendar and is

named after Pope Gregory XIII• The Gregorian calendar breaks history into two parts, B.C.

(Before Common Era) and A.D. (Anno Domini). The idea was that the birth of Jesus Christ would separate the “old” history from the modern era

B.C. A.D.

3,000 2,000 1,000 1 A.D. 1,000 2,000

Historians use primary and secondary sources to answer many questions including…..

- What happened?- When did it happen?- Why is this event important to understand?

Primary Sources are original material from an event in history.

These can be documents or physical artifacts.

Examples: * A letter written from a soldier at war* A piece of pottery from ancient Greece * Leonardo Davinci’s Mona Lisa

Secondary Sources interpret or analyze primary sources. Secondary sources lack the immediate connection to the event.

Examples: * A biography of Sir Winston Churchill* A summary of the Battle of Gettysburg* Editorial comments of a politicians speech

The U.S. Civil War

Primary vs. Secondary SourcesPrimary Sources Secondary Sources

Written or created at the timeof the event

Written after the event

Eyewitness accounts Author is relying on other information to write about the event

Includes letters, tools, and artifacts Includes textbooks, reference material and editorials

Have the benefit of being a source directly from the event

Has the benefit of having time to understand and analyze the event

How to become a historian

•Historians go through years of formal training.•Historians often specialize on a

specific area, such as American history or the history of ancient cultures•Historians often spend years in

college earning their PhD

What are some other careers for historians?• Archaeologist – They study the past

by looking at what humans have left behind. They look at artifacts such as tools, pottery and jewelry to learn how people lived long ago. • Paleontologist – They study ancient

fossils to learn what happened millions of years ago. They looks at fossils and other remains to learn about the past.• Anthropologist – They look at clues

to determine what people believed, how they lived and how their culture compares to others.

For More Information• Visit the following website:• http://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-scien

ce/historians.htm#tab-2• http://www.libraries.iub.edu/index.php?pageId=1002

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• http://www.princeton.edu/~refdesk/primary2.html • http://www.languagecourse.net/a-list-of-careers-for-

history-majors.php