The Sources of History

Young children are capable of observing, making inferences and justifying deductions. Yet these skills are rarely made use of in the History class. Children are given information regarding the sources of history without being encouraged to learn through discovery. Some natural questions that children can ask while looking at sources are “How was it made”? “How was it used?”, “How old is it?” etc. These questions lead to deeper questions like “What do we know for certain?”, “What reasonable guesses can we make, based on what evidence?” While using available sources to construct their own accounts of the past, children also learn that accounts may differ because evidence is incomplete. Through this presentation, an attempt has been made to introduce the process of historical enquiry in children, encouraging them to examine sources, question inferences and assumptions, construct their own history and above all, trigger curiosity.

1. Sources of History
Sriparna Tamhane for Teachers of India

2. What are “sources” of History?
Our ancestors have left behind many
things. They serve as evidence to know
the past.

Can you think of a few things that can
tell us about the past?

3. Old Coins

Many old coins made of gold, silver, copper
and other metals have been found in our
country.

Can you guess what old coins tell us?

What would you do if
you found some old coins?

4. Look at the coin carefully














Name four things that this coin tells us.

5. What does it tell us?
Whose image do you see on the
coin?
Why is this image shown on the
coin?

In which year was it coined?

To which country does the
coin belong?

Which metal is this coin made
of?

6. Old books (Manuscripts)


Old diaries, letters, newspapers, reports,
government files, biographies and old books
tell us about the past. Many travelers have also
left their accounts.

Can you name some old
books that tell you about
the past?

7. Manuscripts were written thousands of
years ago.

They were called “manuscripts” because they were
written by hand. (The Latin word “manu” means hand).

Do you think manuscripts were written on paper? If not,
what do you think they were written on?

These books were about religious beliefs and
practices, lives of kings, medicine and science.
There were epics, poems and plays.

In which languages were these manuscripts
written ?

8. Artifacts
(Things buried underground)


Many things belonging to the past, like metal tools,
pottery, articles of daily use etc. have been found
buried under the ground. These artifacts tell us about
the past. Can you think of some things that artifacts
tell us?

9. Can you identify the
objects in these
pictures?

What are they made
of?

What were they used
for ?

OLD ARTIFACTS

10. Inscriptions (stone carvings)

Inscriptions are writings carved on stone or copper
plates.

Have you ever seen anything
inscribed (carved) on stone?

Why would people want to
write on stone or metal?

What would they want to write?

Who wanted them written?

11. Sometimes orders from kings were inscribed so that
people could read and obey them. They were also
records of past events. For example, what happened
in a battle.
Inscriptions

12. Monuments (Old buildings)

Old forts, tanks, temples, mosques, churches,
palaces, etc. are all historical monuments.

What questions come to mind when
you see a historical
monument?

Is there a historical
monument in your
neighborhood?

13. Types of Historical sources:


Primary Secondary

14. Primary Source


A primary source is
something that
originates from the
past. Eg. A coin or
a monument.

15. A book written
about the
Mughals in the
Mughal era
is a primary source.

Primary Source

16. A book about the
Mughals written in
1990 would be a
Secondary source.

Secondary Source

17. Who?
Where?

What?

When?

How?

Why?
Questions to ask of a source

18. Who?

Who made it?

Who used it?

Who is in the
picture?

19. Where?

Where is it now?

Where was it earlier?

Where was it made?

20. What is it?

What is it used for?

What does it show?


What?

21. When was the book
written?

Which era does it talk
about?


When?

22. How was it found?

How was it made?

How was it used?


How?

23. Why was it made?

Why did it survive?

Why?

24. Who studies the past?

Those who study the past are called Archaeologists.
They study remains of old buildings, painting, sculpture,
utensils, coins and bones which are excavated. Archaeologists
are like detectives who use these sources as clues to find out
about the past.

Collect some old objects them
and find as much information as you
can.
How much can you guess? How
much can you be sure of?

25. Visit a museum to see some real historical
sources !