1. Historical Thinking Skills
in the 21st Century
Tutti Jackson, Project Curator
Ohio Historical Society

2. Goals
• Learn about Historical
Thinking skills
• Differentiate and analyze
primary and secondary
sources
• Construct a narrative based
on evaluation of evidence
• Understand bias and points
of view in sources

3. What is History?

5. What is History?
• List
• Dates
• Names
• Places
• Facts

6. Historical Thinking
• Process
• Constructed by People
• Methodology
• Critical Analysis
• Primary and Secondary
Sources
• Interpretive Narrative
supported by Evidence

7. Textbook History vs. Historical Thinking
• Referential illusion • People are actors
• Eliminate “metadiscourse” • Situations are changeable
• No positionality or stance • Position and stance
• Hides documentary record • Unpacks record
• Omniscient third-person • Multiple perspectives
• No visible author • Student as historian

8. But What about the Content?
• Exercise historic thinking skills to support content
to improve the quality of history education

9. The Skills aren’t New
• Historians have been
practicing 21st century skills
since the 19th century

10. The Skills aren’t New
• In 1917, Dr. J. Carlton Bell suggested that for most
history teachers:
– “I do not care to have my pupils learn dates and
events, but I am particularly anxious to have them
develop the historic sense.”
• With Dr. David F. McCollum, Bell developed a list
of skills called the Five Aspects of the Historic
Sense (1917)
Bell, J. C. (1917). The historic sense. The Journal of Educational Psychology, 8(5), 317-318.
Bell, J. C., & McCollum, D.F. (1917). A study of the attainments of pupils in United States history. The
Journal of Educational Psychology, 8(5), 257-274.

11. U.S. Standards for Historical
Thinking in Schools
National Center for History in the Schools (NCHS)
http://nchs.ucla.edu/Standards/historical-thinking-standards-1
• Chronological Thinking
• Historical Comprehension
• Historical Analysis and Interpretation
• Historical Research Capabilities
• Historical Issue-Analysis and
Decision-Making

12. What is a Primary Source?
A Primary Source is…
• An artifact of its time
• A first-hand account of an historic
event
A Secondary Source is…
• A commentary or analysis of a
historical event based on primary Clara Barton, ca. 1860 – 1865
Brady National Photographic Art Gallery
sources
Still Picture Records Section, Special Media
Archives Services Division, National Archives

13. Examples
Primary Sources Secondary Sources
• Journal or diary entries • Textbook
• Letters • Book or article about an
• Newspaper articles event
• Pamphlets • Wikipedia
• Photographs • Documentaries
• Clothing
• Original buildings
• Broadsides and posters
• Artifacts
• Cartoons
• Maps Ulysses S. Grant Document Box, 1864 Ohio Historical Society

14. Activity: Spot Analysis
Is this a Primary Source?
• Work with your group using the
observable evidence and your knowledge
to determine if your object is a primary
source for the U.S. Civil War (1861-1865)
• If not, could it be a primary source for
some other topic?
• Use the activity sheet to guide your
inquiry
• Report to the class
Long Abraham Lincoln a Little Longer, Frank Bellew
Harper's Weekly, November 26, 1864 HarpWeek.com

15. Historical Thinking Skills
• Analyzing primary and secondary sources
• Identifying the source of the historical document
or narrative
• Establishing temporal order

16. Activity: Who’s That Lady?
Description: Doing the Work of Historians
• Working in your groups
• Consider the phrase “The First Lady”
• Quick, toss out 5 descriptive words and write
each word on a card
• Make a sentence using those words

17. Activity: Who’s that Lady?
• Now we’ll look at some sources
• Come up with 5 new descriptive words
based on your evidence and write each word
on a card
• Make a sentence using those words
• Share your sentences with the class

18. CONGRATUATIONS!
You’ve just made history!
What differences did you
see between your two
sentences?
Why?

19. Historical Thinking Skills
• Analyzing primary sources
• Drawing upon visual sources
• Reading historical narratives imaginatively
• Obtaining historical data from a variety of sources
• Supporting interpretations with historical evidence

20. Activity: Dateline History
Analyzing and Interpreting Collections
Collections are sets of
documents, objects, photographs, etc. that
are gathered together. Museums, archives
and libraries accept
collections from
individuals, groups and
businesses to preserve
for the future and
make available to
writers, researchers
and the public.

21. Collections
• The original recorder of a collection gathers
materials together using their own criteria. For
example, a corporation may order its records
chronologically. An individual may group similar
items together.
• The way collections are ordered may provide
important contextual information.

22. Be Aware of Bias!
Every source is biased in some way, and must be
viewed critically and cross-checked.
• Who created the source?
Why?
• Was the source meant to
inform, or persuade?
• What were the recorder’s
interests?
• What’s missing from the
record?
John Ford and Gregg Toland, December 7th, 20th Century Fox

23. Track Down Other Leads
A good journalist (and historian) must be fair
and balanced.
• Use multiple sources
• Report every side of the
story possible
• Approach every subject with
objectivity and skepticism
Howard Hawks, His Girl Friday, Columbia Pictures

24. The Story, The Skinny, The Lowdown…
In 1902, Buckeye Malleable Iron and Coupler Company decided to expand to
meet the increasing demand for standardized steel parts for railroad cars.
Because of limited (and expensive) real estate in the downtown area, Buckeye
decided to build its new plant just south of the Columbus city limits, taking
advantage of existing railroad lines, in a neighborhood that would become
known as Steelton.
The company would soon change its name to the
Buckeye Steel Castings Company.

25. Your Big Assignment!
Alright, Scoop. You’ve just been handed
the biggest assignment of your
life…The cover!!! of Harper’s Weekly.
Your crack staff has sent you some
research. Look carefully through it in
order to write your exposé on Buckeye
Steel Castings.
What’s it like to work there?
What is the impact on the neighborhood
and the city?
Your readers want to know!

26. Wrap Up
• What information is missing
from your story?
• What sources are missing from
your story?

27. Historical Thinking Skills
• Appreciating historical perspectives
• Considering multiple perspectives
• Evaluating sources for bias
• Supporting interpretations with historical evidence
• Constructing a narrative

28. 21st Century Skills
Develop the Skills of Historians
– Analyze
– Synthesize
– Support an argument
– Project-based learning

29. 21st Century Skills
Develop the Skills of Historians
21st Century Learning Skills- Critical Thinking
– Analyze
Exercise sound reasoning
– Synthesize
Make complex choices
– Support an argument
Understand interconnections
– Project-based learning
Frame, analyze and solve problems

30. 21st Century Skills

31. 21st Century Skills

32. 21st Century Skills
• Technology and Social Studies
http://coolmaterial.com/roundup/if-historical-events-had-facebook-statuses/

33. Social Studies 2.0
Post Comment
Tag Upload embed
Share Friend
FAN Like retweet
CREATE Mashup

34. How about a video?
Created using Microsoft Photo Story 3 for Windows - Free Download

35. PowerPoint
FREE Alternatives
• OpenOffice IMPRESS
Open Source Software
• Google docs Presentations
Advantage: Easy to share!
• slideshare
– This presentation on slideshare

36. History as Conversation
• In January 2008, the Library of
Congress launched a pilot
program on Flickr
• Not only did people look; but
they tag, favorite, share,
comment,
• and enhance the Prints and
Photographs catalog records
with new information!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress

37. Social Media
• facebook
• twitter
• blogs
• flickr
• YouTube
• tumblr

38. Social Media
• facebook
• twitter
• blogs
• flickr
• youtube

39. Questions?
• Thank you