Lesson 1 - Introduction - Part 1: What is history?
This first lesson is a short introduction to the philosophy of history. These first six questions are a starting point.
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What is history? - History is the process of researching about the past and production of text (books etc.) written about the past. History is written by professional historians; people who are usually employed by universities to research and write about the past. Historians train for many years (6-10 years), usually completing a doctorate before going on to publish articles and books. Although historians often teach, school history teachers are usually not historians.
What is the difference between ‘the past’ and ‘history?’ - The past is everything that has ever happened to everyone and any time before now. By the time you read the end of this sentence, the first words are already in the past. In contrast, history is a text written in the present about selected bits of the past. Historians write about things in the past that they consider to be important (significance); they try to explain why things happened (causes) and with what results (consequences). Needless to say, most of the past is unknowable because we have no record of it at all.
How do historians do history? - Historians cannot travel in time. Therefore, historians research and write about the past using evidence that the past has left behind. These sources of information are sometimes called primary sources. Historians also use the work of other people who have written about the past. These are called secondary sources and are produced after the time of the events being studied.
What are the sources of history? - There are three general sources of historical information: what is written (texts), what is said (oral), and what is physically preserved (artefacts). Archaeology is a subject that is particularly useful in helping to recover and interpret artefacts. Archaeology is very important when little or no record of written sources exist. Events of the past prior to written record are considered to be prehistoric.
What is the point of history? - Without historians, we would not know about the past, we would only have myths and stories about the past. Imagine you woke up tomorrow knowing nothing about your life before that moment, how would you cope? Just as your memory is essential to knowing who you are, so history is essential for knowing who we are.
Why is learning history dangerous and controversial?
What is the difference between ‘the past’ and ‘history?’ - The past is everything that has ever happened to everyone and any time before now. By the time you read the end of this sentence, the first words are already in the past. In contrast, history is a text written in the present about selected bits of the past. Historians write about things in the past that they consider to be important (significance); they try to explain why things happened (causes) and with what results (consequences). Needless to say, most of the past is unknowable because we have no record of it at all.
How do historians do history? - Historians cannot travel in time. Therefore, historians research and write about the past using evidence that the past has left behind. These sources of information are sometimes called primary sources. Historians also use the work of other people who have written about the past. These are called secondary sources and are produced after the time of the events being studied.
What are the sources of history? - There are three general sources of historical information: what is written (texts), what is said (oral), and what is physically preserved (artefacts). Archaeology is a subject that is particularly useful in helping to recover and interpret artefacts. Archaeology is very important when little or no record of written sources exist. Events of the past prior to written record are considered to be prehistoric.
What is the point of history? - Without historians, we would not know about the past, we would only have myths and stories about the past. Imagine you woke up tomorrow knowing nothing about your life before that moment, how would you cope? Just as your memory is essential to knowing who you are, so history is essential for knowing who we are.
Why is learning history dangerous and controversial?
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Watch the two short films above. 'Politicians abusing history' looks at how politicians use the past in order to justify their current policies. For example, British PM Blair justified going to war in Iraq in 2003 by comparing Saddam Hussein to Adolf Hitler. In China students are not taught about the democracy protests that were crushed by the Communist government in 1989.
The second film deals with history teaching. In most countries in the world, what and how history is studied in school is strictly controlled by the government. Textbooks must be approved and exam boards control what is taught. Governments are often keen for us to be proud of our ‘nation’s past’, so want us to learn a particular version of our ‘nation’s story.’ Historians are a problem, because they encourage us to question such simple stories. In addition, unlike the other social sciences which try to explain how the world is, history is always showing how the world can change. Those in positions of influence and power are very happy with how the world is and would perhaps rather you believe that the world has always been like this and can never change. That is why for them, history can be very dangerous.
The second film deals with history teaching. In most countries in the world, what and how history is studied in school is strictly controlled by the government. Textbooks must be approved and exam boards control what is taught. Governments are often keen for us to be proud of our ‘nation’s past’, so want us to learn a particular version of our ‘nation’s story.’ Historians are a problem, because they encourage us to question such simple stories. In addition, unlike the other social sciences which try to explain how the world is, history is always showing how the world can change. Those in positions of influence and power are very happy with how the world is and would perhaps rather you believe that the world has always been like this and can never change. That is why for them, history can be very dangerous.
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Activity 1
Questions to check your understanding:
Want to think some more? Click on the good-looking chap on the right. |
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Lesson 1 - Introduction - Part 2 - War, chronology and movies.
This part of the lesson combines two of my favourite things, history and cinema. Since the very early days of cinema, film makers have been inspired by 'true' historical events to tell their stories. Look at this list of the 92 films to have won Best Picture at the Oscars. If you have time, count how many films in this list were set in the past, or had a historical theme. Of those, how many were set during a time of war or had war as the main focus? Why do think war has been such a popular theme in movies?
Here are 12 films I have chosen to introduce our course. They are set in different time periods and were made at various points over the last 60 years. There are Oscar winners amongst them and the same lead actor appears in two of the films. Many of the scenes are very famous and iconic moments in the history of cinema. Hopefully you will recognise some of them. Perhaps you will even be able to identify the conflicts and wars they tell stories about?
Here are 12 films I have chosen to introduce our course. They are set in different time periods and were made at various points over the last 60 years. There are Oscar winners amongst them and the same lead actor appears in two of the films. Many of the scenes are very famous and iconic moments in the history of cinema. Hopefully you will recognise some of them. Perhaps you will even be able to identify the conflicts and wars they tell stories about?
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Activity 2 Once you have watched the film '12 War themed movies' there will be some class based activities. You will then be invited to complete a series of activities by clicking on the following link. |