Social Studies Curriculum

Historiography

Approximate Unit Length: 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.

Texts: “History: Unfolding U.S. History 1600-1865 for Grades 5-8” (MindSparks) © 2002

“Document Based Questions in American History” (The DBQ Project) © 2002

A History of US: Sourcebook and Index (Oxford University
Press) © 2002

National Standards for History: Historical Thinking

Standard 1 Chronological Thinking A - G;
Standard 2 Historical Comprehension A - G;
Standard 3 Historical Analysis and Interpretation A - J;
Standard 4 Historical Analysis and Interpretation A - D;
Standard 5 Historical Issues-Analysis and Decision-Making A - F

Alaska Content Standards: History A - D

Enduring Understanding:

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.

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?