themes american 2012

7/29/2019 Themes American 2012

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Themes & Issues in American History

Monika Fleming

Edgecombe Community College


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Ideas to be a Master Student Understand

requirementsreadsyllabus carefully

READ to LEARN

Be an active student Ask questions

Look for connections

Relate to today

Dont be passive

Study the text Look at organization

Look at features

Study often

Identify & review keyconcepts

Come to classprepared

Learn by writing Notes, summaries

Questions

Instructor is coach Student is team

playermustparticipate!

See Learners Pledge

From the Foundation for Critical Thinking- www.criticalthinking.org


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Learners Pledge

I pledge to do my best

Whether work in class or on a test

Today is new and Ill find a wayTo learn more than the prior day

Its good to try, this is how I grow,

Teach me coach, I want to know.


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Understanding History Not just dates and names

Need to recognize basic events and

consequences or effects How someone or something causes other events

Answer questions

Who or what, when and where

Then considerwhy it is important


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Historians goal:

Describe what has happened

Explain how it happened Understand why societies change

When did it happen?

Recognize the effects- so what


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Historic Issues Sources

Primary Interpreting History

Secondary

Related research archeology

oral tradition

Popular History films


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Approaches to History

Political

Economic

Great Leaders Social

Regional

Chronological

TechnologicalDocumentary


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Historical Resources

Primary Sources Archives

Diaries & Journals

Gov. Reports

Census

Court Records

Laws & Legal Codes

Literature

Novels & Short stories

Material Culture (artifacts)

Weapons

Tools

Architecture

Clothing

Art, Ads, Photographs

Secondary Sources Biographies

Journal Articles- see AE texts

American Heritage

Journal of American History

Smithsonian National Geographic

NC Historical Review

History Encyclopedias

Ency. Of American History

Whos Who in American Rev.

General or online encyclopediasare not allowed in college papers

DO NOT use WIKIPEDIA


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Analyzing Primary SourcesWhen analyzing any primary source, ask yourself seven key questions about

the source.

1. Who is the author?Who wrote or created this? Is there a single or multiple authors? An author'sidentity sometimes helps you answer the later questions.

2. What type of source is this?Is it a photograph or a poem? A biography or a government document?This is a simple but crucial step because you must consider what you canexpect to learn from the document.

3. What is the message of this source?What is the author describing? What is happening in the text or image?What is the story?

4. Who is the intended audience?Who is the author addressing? Was the source intended for private orpublic consumption? Identifying the audience will help you answer the nextquestion.

Copyright 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson

Longman. All rights reserved.
http://www.ablongman.com/http://www.pearsoned.com/http://www.ablongman.com/http://www.ablongman.com/http://www.ablongman.com/http://www.ablongman.com/http://www.pearsoned.com/


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Analyzing Sources - 2

5. Why was this source created?Does the author have an agenda, a larger purpose? Is the author

trying to persuade the audience? Is the document or source simplya compilation of facts, or does it include opinion, inference, orinterpretation?

6. Is this source credible and accurate?Historians must examine every source with a critical eye. What doyou know about the author? Does the document make sense? Dothe facts presented by the author or what you know about the timeperiod support the thesis, statement, assertion, or story the author isconveying? Why should you trust, or distrust, this source?

7. How is this source valuable to me?How does the source relate to other sources from the time period oralong the same issue or theme? Does it support or contradict them?Does it repeat information from other sources or add new

information? How relevant is the source to your topic of inquiry?Does it extensively cover your topic, or only marginally or not at all?Remember, you should explore enough sources to obtain a varietyof viewpoints.

Copyright 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as PearsonLongman. All rights reserved.
http://www.ablongman.com/http://www.pearsoned.com/http://www.ablongman.com/http://www.ablongman.com/http://www.ablongman.com/http://www.ablongman.com/http://www.pearsoned.com/


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Artifact Analysis

What is the object?What was it used

for?

Who used it?When was it used?

What is theconnection to the

local area?

TheHistoryCenter.net


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Document sources!

All quotes or paraphrases must have internal referencesauthor &page #

All sources used must be in proper format in a Works Cited page at

end of reports or for oral reports If websites are usedmust include name of webpage, author, URL

(address) date of access.

Refer to Student Handbook for specific examples and formatMLA

Lack of proper documentation can result in a F on an assignment andif plagiarism occurs, an F in the course.


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Factors of change

geography socioeconomic

great leaders

evolution war ideas

economic change

mysterious forces

psychological


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Geographic Influences Location - Absolute

Place - natural landscape Human interaction with Environment

Movement

Regions


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ah1_m001 Physical Features


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HISTORIC EVENTS DON'T

CHANGE BUT

INTERPRETATIONS OF THE

EVENTS ARE EVER CHANGING

.


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Assignments

Log onto Moodle and post introduction

Skim chapter titles and develop five questions ontopics to learn and send to instructor by email

Read Information Literate Historian Ch. 1 & 11

themes american 2012

Documents