Internet History Sourcebooks Internet Ancient History Sourcebook The Internet Ancient History Sourcebook has expanded greatly since its creation, and now contains hundred of local files as well as links to source texts throughout the net. See Introduction for an explanation of the Sourcebook's goals. See the Help! page for all the help on research I can offer. Although I am more than happy to receive notes if you have comments on this web site, I cannot answer specific research enquiries [and - for students - I cannot, or rather will not, do your homework.] The Ancient History Sourcebook works as follows: This Main Index page [this page] shows all sections and sub sections. Additional Study/Research Aids In addition to the above structure, there are a series of pages to help teacher and students. Ancient History in the Movies Subjects covered by the source texts in each Section. Studying Ancient History The Ancient Near East Mesopotamia Egypt Persia Israel Greek Civilizations Greece The Hellenistic World Introduction
Historical Moments Photographed Just After The Big Event 1 of 35 The Assassination Of John F. Kennedy Secret Service agent Clint Hill jumps aboard the presidential limo to act as a protective shield for President John F. Kennedy and the first lady moments after the gunshot that took the president's life on November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas.Justin Newman/AP via Wikimedia Commons 2 of 35 The Moon Landing Neil Armstrong sits inside the lunar module just after returning from history's first-ever human moonwalk on July 21, 1969.Edwin E. 3 of 35 The Saigon Execution Moments after the execution depicted in Eddie Adams' immortal photo, South Vietnamese General Nguyễn Ngọc Loan holsters the weapon he'd just used to kill suspected Viet Cong insurgent Nguyễn Văn Lém in Saigon on February 1, 1968. The Pulitzer Prize-winning photo of the execution helped wake America up to the brutal realities of the Vietnam War.Eddie Adams/Library of Congress 4 of 35 "Tank Man" 5 of 35 The Sinking Of The Titanic 6 of 35 The Assassination Of Martin Luther King Jr. 7 of 35 "Napalm Girl"
Constructive (Source) Criticism - History Skills Let’s face it: teaching the critical use of sources is tough. This is primarily because it seems to take a lot of work to create a lesson based around source material. First of all, you need to find the sources, which usually takes a significant time, and it can be frustrating trying to find sources from various perspectives that are intelligible to our students. Secondly, it is difficult trying to think up good questions or engaging activities that get students to provide substantial answers. Finally, it is difficult to know whether each and every student has genuinely understood what it means to ‘think critically’. So with all of this work, and little guarantee of solid results, it is no wonder that teachers tend to avoid lessons based upon source work and choose instead to focus on lessons that convey historical information. However, it doesn’t need to be this way. Here are some tips to help create a source criticism lesson: Tip 1: Less is more Tip 2: Comprehension and Interpretation
Indirect Quotes - History Skills An indirect quote is when you have used an idea or opinion from a source but have paraphrased (summarised) it into your own words. This is extremely useful to highlight the main idea of a source and is usually a better method of showing information than using a direct quotation. How to paraphrase effectively: Carefully read the source and highlight important words. There are some general rules for using indirect quotes: Do not use double inverted commas Just before the full stop of the sentence in which you have used an indirect quote, place the in-text reference. For example: Essay Exams - History Skills This is a full analytical essay, which is written under exam conditions. In this kind of task, you will be required to give a response to a question or statement, using sources provided by your teacher. You will be required to demonstrate a whole gamut of skills. You will need to: quote from a wide range of sources analyse and evaluate the sources you've used correctly reference all sources quoted in your essay Whilst this seems like a lot to complete in an exam, planning will help accomplish most of this. Introduction Hypothesis Your three main points that your body paragraphs will focus on Paragraph 1 Topic Sentence Sources chosen Analysis and evaluation of sources Paragraph 2 Paragraph 3 Conclusion Restate hypothesis Restate three main points that your body paragraphs focused on The question or statement will not be provided before the test (therefore, the question is ‘unseen’). Managing the use of your time in an exam is crucial to doing well. For example:
9. Final Draft - History Skills Once you have received feedback on your draft from your teacher, you only need to improve your essay for final submission. Fix up any errors, add any extra information and take the time to improve your writing style. Great writing shows sophistication, so make sure you use academic language when you write your essays. Here are some final points to consider: Avoid conversational or colloquial language Avoid personal pronouns: do not use "I" and "my" when you write Use language that is appropriate for scholarly work: it should be clear, succinct, and objective. Some simple essay tips: Never use headings or sub-headings in an essay. Format of essays A neat, well set out essay is easy to read and mark. - Use size 12 Times New Roman font - Use 1.5 line spacing - Use ‘square’ justification on your paragraphs - Indent the start of every paragraph - Put a line of space between each paragraph - Start your Bibliography on a new page Previous Step: Draft Writing
Working with historians Reading Like A Historian The Reading Like a Historian curriculum engages students in historical inquiry. Each lesson revolves around a central historical question and features sets of primary documents designed for groups of students with diverse reading skills and abilities. This curriculum teaches students how to investigate historical questions by employing reading strategies such as sourcing, contextualizing, corroborating, and close reading. Instead of memorizing historical facts, students evaluate the trustworthiness of multiple perspectives on historical issues. They learn to make historical claims backed by documentary evidence. How do I use these lessons in my classroom? The 91 lessons in the U.S. curriculum, 41 lessons of the world curriculum, and the 5 lessons in the introduction to historical thinking unit can be taught in succession. 1) Establish relevant background knowledge and pose the central historical question. *Note: United Streaming requires a subscription to Discovery Education. Of course!
Writing Essays in History Writing a History essay is not just about writing a narrative, biography or chronology of an event, person or period of time: It requires the construction of an argument in answer to the question posed. During research for your essay you will find that the evidence may suggest several answers to the question. You will therefore form your own opinion through evaluation and analysis of sources and this will be the basis of the argument put forward in your answer. It is because of the emphasis on evaluation and analysis in the writing of history, that it is essential to acknowledge sources used in your work through the use of a referencing system. Study Abroad students are expected to conform to this system unless otherwise notified. Why reference? It shows the person marking your work the sources that you have been accessing. When to footnote It is essential to footnote when you are making use of someone else's words, information or ideas as evidence for your argument. Direct Quotation
Written Essays - History Skills The biggest assessment task you will be required to complete is a written research essay which develops an argument and uses a range of sources. All types of assessment tasks will need you to use essay-writing skills in some form, but their fundamental structure and purpose remains the same. Therefore, learning how to write essays well is central to achieving high marks in History. A History essay is a structured argument that provides historical evidence to substantiate its points. To achieve the correct structure for your argument, it is crucial to understand the separate parts that make up a written essay. If you understand how each part works and fits into the overall essay, you are well on the way to creating a great assessment piece. Most essays will require you to write: 1 Introduction Paragraph 3 Body Paragraphs 1 Concluding Paragraph Explanations for how to structure and write each of these paragraphs can be found below, along with examples of each: 1. 2. 3. 4. 1. 2. 3. 4. 1. 2.
The Art of the Paragraph – Robert Peal Over the years, I have come to see myself as almost as much a teacher of writing as I am of history. However, it has taken a long time for me to feel satisfied that I am doing this part of the job well. In Key Stage 3 history at West London Free School, we alternate between ‘reading lessons’ and ‘writing lessons’ (see here). This means round half of our lessons are dedicated to planning and writing a single paragraph in answer to a question. I wrote about the structure of these ‘writing lessons’ in March, but – as you may be able to tell – I was not entirely satisfied: ‘My current approach is a big improvement, but it is far from the finished product.’ The problem with the lessons can be seen in the format of the slide below, which we were using last year. Problem A: Structure The first problem was that ‘How to write an explanation paragraph’ box on the right hand side of the slide. Solution Problem 2: Vocabulary Solution 2: Vocabulary Conclusion Like this: Like Loading...