LESSON LEARNING OUTCOMES At the end of this lesson, the student should be able to: Demonstrate an understanding of history. Explain the significance of history. Exhibit the skills on how to study history.
What is History?
History is the study of the beliefs and desires, practices, and institutions of human beings.
“The English word HISTORY is derived from the Greek noun istoia , meaning learning. As used by the Greek philosopher Aristotle, history meant a systematic account of a set of natural phenomena, whether or not chronological factoring was a factor in the account.
. In the course of time, however, the equivalent Latin word scientia (English, science came to be used more regularly to designate non-chronological systematic account, of natural phenomena; and the word history was reserved usually for accounts of phenomena (especially human affairs) in chronological order.”
Why study History ? An investigation of the past can reveal a lot about how we became how we are now. It entails investigating the origins of modern institutions, ideas, attitude, and issues. Looking back allows us to appreciate the diversity of human perspectives, beliefs, and civilizations by teaching us to perceive the world from a different viewpoint.
Relevance and Importance of History
History Helps us Understand People and Societies First and foremost, history gives a wealth of information on how people and societies behave. Understanding how people and societies operate is difficult, yet many professions strive to do so. If we just used current data, our efforts would be impeded needlessly.
2. History Helps Us Understand Change and how the Society We Live in Came to Be. History is the sole comprehensive source of information about the human condition. It also draws attention to the complexities of social change, as well as the forces that are now generating change.
3. The Importance of History in Our Own Lives. a. History Contributes to Moral Understanding. History is the sole comprehensive source of information about the human condition. It also draws attention to the complexities of social change, as well as the forces that are now generating change.
Understanding diverse perspective Learning form past mistakes Informing ethical debates Developing empathy and compassion
b. History Provides Identity First and foremost, history provides a wealth of knowledge about human behavior and society. Although it is challenging to comprehend how individuals and society function, many professions try do so. Our efforts would be hampered unnecessarily if we just employed current data.
C. Studying History is Essential for Good Citizenship This is the most prevalent reason for history’s inclusion in educational curricula. Citizenship historians may seek to simply foster national identification and allegiance through a history peppered with compelling events and lessons in personal achievement and morality.
However, the value of history for citizenship extends beyond this restricted objective, and can even contradict it at times.
What Skills Does a Student of History Develop? The Ability to Assess Evidence. It gives students practice dealing with and evaluating many types of evidence, which historians employ to create the most accurate portraits of the past possible.
Learning how to analyze former political leaders’ comments – one type of evidence – assist in developing the ability o discern between objective and self-serving statements made by current political leaders. Learning how to mix many types of evidence – public declaration, private records numerical data, and visual materials – improves one’s capacity to construct coherent arguments based on a wide range of facts.
2. The Ability to Assess Conflicting Interpretations. Many other interpretations exist, many of which are contradictory. Understanding how societies work, which is the central goal of historical study, is inherently imprecise, and the same may be said of contemporary events.
History, as an often contested laboratory of human experience, teaches students how to recognize and evaluate competing viewpoints, which is a vital civic ability . In this area, the full benefits of historical study may conflict with the restricted use of the past to construct identity. History does not undermine dedication or commitment; rather, it teaches the importance of assessing arguments and provides opportunities to debate and acquire perspective.
History does not undermine dedication or commitment; rather, it teaches the importance of assessing arguments and provides opportunities to debate and acquire perspective.
3. Experience In Assessing Past Examples of Change. Understanding change in today’s culture necessitates prior experience analyzing historical examples of change, which is a crucial talent in our “ever-changing world,” as we’re taught. Because some changes are more fundamental than other change analysis necessitates the development of some ability for assessing the size and significant of change.
History students can improve this skill by comparing particular changes to important historical events. Our ability to detect the frequently told defines our “ever-changing environment.”
A Spanish philosopher, George Santayana , once states that people who do not learn from history are destined to repeat it. If you don’t learn from your errors, you’re more likely to repeat them. There are, however, several additional reasons to study history.
Studying history not only helps you understand the past, but it also helps you build transferable abilities that will prepare you for a number of future job options.
Some tactics and ideas that can help you to study more effectively. Develop Ideas and Make Connections. It may seem self-evident, but we’ll bring it out anyway: history is built on a timeline of events. The study of history is dependent on the sequence in which events occur.
As a result, it’s critical that you keep your notes in chronological order. Divide your notes into four categories .(1) topic, (2) years, (3) decades, and (4) centuries.
Retain Important Information. Even while we suggest studying and remembering essential material in the context of the larger picture, rote memorization methods and strategies are sometimes necessary to remember significant dates, names, and events likely to appear on your history test.
Flashcards are great way to memorize information, improve memory, and evaluate your retention in certain situations. To make a flash card, write an important event, date, or fact on one sided of a 3 x 5 card. Write the definition, description, or explanation on the other side. The use of flashcards for memorization has been around for a long time. However, it is still as effective now as it was a century ago.
Watch Movies. Yes, exactly learning and studying history may be accomplished through watching movies. There are many films and documentaries available that represent historical events properly. Most historical films do not accurately represent actual events.
The film “Schindler’s List,” which depicts Germany occupation of Poland during World War II, is historical true. If you’re serious about understanding history, choose a film that is historically accurate.
Read History Books. The vast bulk of history may be found in written form. As a result, it’s not unexpected that learning history necessitates a significant quantity of reading., However, just because you read more doesn’t guarantee you’ll learn more. The goal is to extract as much facts and knowledge as possible from your history text as quickly as possible. Words make up history textbooks, but not all of them are equally essential.
You can extract up to 75% of a textbook’s information while just reading 25% of the text by identifying the hierarchy of terms.
History students must look at not just the past, but also those who write about it. Before you start studying the facts, you need first study the historian. Finding the Facts. The historian looks at facts and chooses the ones that’s are significant.
2. Identifying Bias. Bias is a way of looking at things from a different perspective. It might happen on purpose or by accident. Bias exist in every writing. Look at the words used to figure it out. What exactly is the meaning of the words? Biases exist in every era. This makes It harder – but not impossible – to comprehend prior thinking.
3. Dispensing With the Rubbish – Identifying Important and answerable Questions. Sources must be carefully chosen. Topics should be kept to a minimum. It is necessary to consult both primary and secondary materials. Conclusions must be founded on the evidence’s weight. Variations in interpretations must be acknowledge and understood.
Reflect on how your past influenced you in one way or another? How does your past shape your identity and behavior?