Social Studies Curriculum

Grade 8 - United States History
Curriculum Guide

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Historiography

Time Frame for Unit:

Please utilize historiography to teach and learn the skills of historical inquiry all year long. It is appropriate to introduce these skills as a discrete unit OR to begin with "Three Worlds Meet" and explore these ideas through that content as well as all year.

Content Standards:

National Standards for History:

Standard 1 - Chronological Thinking:

1. Distinguish between past, present, and future time.
2. Identify in historical narratives the temporal structure of a historical narrative or story.
3. Establish temporal order in constructing historical narratives of his/her own.
4. Measure and calculate calendar time.
5. Interpret data presented in time lines.
6. Reconstruct patterns of historical succession and duration.
7. Compare alternative models for periodization.

Standard 2 - Historical Comprehension:

1. Reconstruct the literal meaning of an historical passage.
2. Identify the central question(s) the historical narrative addresses.
3. Read historical narratives imaginatively.
4. Evidence historical perspectives.
5. Draw upon data in historical maps.
6. Utilize visual and mathematical data presented in charts, tables, pie and bar graphs, flow charts, Venn diagrams, and other graphic organizers.
7. Draw upon visual, literary, and musical sources.

Standard 3 - Historical Analysis and Interpretation

1. Identify the author or source of the historical document or narrative.
2. Compare and contrast differing sets of ideas, values, personalities, behaviors, and institutions.
3. Differentiate between historical facts and historical interpretations.
4. Consider multiple perspectives.
5. Analyze cause-and-effect relationships and multiple causation, including the importance of the individual, the influence of ideas, and the role of chance.
6. Challenge arguments of historical inevitability.
7. Compare competing historical narratives.
8. Hold interpretations of history as tentative.
9. Evaluate major debates among historians.
10. Hypothesize the influence of the past.

Standard 4 - Historical Analysis and Interpretation

1. Formulate historical questions.
2. Obtain historical data.
3. Interrogate historical data.
4. Identify the gaps in the available records, marshal contextual knowledge and perspectives of the time and place, and construct a sound historical interpretation.

Standard 5 - Historical Issues-Analysis and Decision-Making:

1. Identify issues and problems in the past.
2. Marshal evidence of antecedent circumstances and contemporary factors contributing to problems and alternative courses of action.
3. Identify relevant historical antecedents.
4. Evaluate alternative courses of action.
5. Formulate a position or course of action on an issue.
6. Evaluate the implementation of a decision.

Alaska Content Standards: History

1. Understand that history is a record of human experiences that links the past to the present and the future.
2. Understand historical themes through factual knowledge of time, places, ideas, institutions, cultures, people, and events.
3. Develop the skills and processes of historical inquiry.
4. Integrate historical knowledge with historical skill to effectively participate as a citizen and as a lifelong learner.

Brief summary of unit:

Historiography is the use of chronological thinking in conjunction with historical comprehension, historical analysis, and interpretation to conduct historical research for decision-making and the analysis of historical issues. Students will practice the use of historiography.

Enduring Understandings:

The students will understand that:

1. The study of history involves evaluation, analysis, interpretation, and argumentation.
2. Historical perspectives are ways of viewing history from many different points of view based on gender, race, ethnicity, social status, and distance from the historical event.
3. In order to understand contemporary issues and problems confronting people today, we need to take into account their history, culture, and context.
4. To study history we need to examine the perspectives and assumptions of the people who experience the events.

Essential Questions:

1. To what extent are current events influenced by the past?
2. To what extent does everyone have history and culture?
3. How can the study of history help us find our place in the world?
4. How can we use evaluation, analysis, and interpretation to study history?
5. How do primary sources and secondary sources help us interpret history?
6. How are different perspectives for historical events formed and how do they change over time?

Knowledge:

Define and apply the following terms:
historiography, history, primary source, secondary source, authenticity, bias, artifact, archeology, culture, chronology, perspective, interpretation, objective, subjective, inference, facts, opinions, context

Explain the significance of the following historiography concepts:

• the difference between primary and secondary sources
• a person’s view of his/her own life in an historical context
• ways in which current events are influenced by history

Defend or negate the following generalization:

• historical events have multiple perspectives

Skills:

The student will be able to …

• identify, examine, and interpret primary sources and secondary sources
• research documents to increase understanding of events and life in US history
• make connections between the historical past and the present as it relates to the student
• interpret ideas and events from different historical perspectives
• evaluate and discuss issues orally and in writing
• create and explain maps, diagrams, tables, charts, graphs, and political cartoons
• distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information
• review information for accuracy, separating fact from opinion
• select and defend positions in writing, discussion, and debate

Assessment Evidence *

Performance Tasks:

• Select an historical event to research using primary and secondary sources. Allow students to present their findings in a variety of ways.
• Create a timeline of specific historical events and justify the choices of events from a variety of perspectives.
• Conduct an interview that reveals an understanding of the person’s feelings and world view of an historical event.

Other Evidence:

• Oral or written response to one of the Essential Questions.
• Quiz on historiography vocabulary.
• Self-reflection logs.
• Graphic organizers such as flipbooks/foldables.

Learning Plan*

Learning Activities:

1. Begin with an entry question to hook students into considering the effects of history on their lives.
2. Introduce the Essential Questions and discuss the culminating unit tasks.
3. Introduce key vocabulary during the various activities and performance tasks.
4. Students read and discuss relevant sections from the sources to support the learning activities and tasks. (Document Based Questions and/or MindSparks)
5. Choose one of the performance tasks to assess student understanding.
6. Conclude the unit with student self-assessment of their culminating activity.

* These are suggested activities. Other assessments, performance tasks, and learning activities may be implemented.

 

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