1

“the past as a series of events is utterly gone . . . some remnants remain like litter from a picnic, but these material remains never speak for themselves. In fact they are inert traces until someone asks a question that turns them into evidence.”

- Joyce Appleby, “The Power of History”

Evidence

2

Working with traces from the past can both developthe concept of evidence and build curiosity for a more in depth inquiry such as a Heritage Fair project.

3

4

Context and Curiosity:

In 1710, the British brought three Mohawks and one Mahican to England to meet Queen Anne, introducing them as “kings” of the Iroquois confederacy. During their visit, the Queen asked artist John Verelst to paint their portraits. This is his portrait of the Mohawk Tee Yee Neen Ho Ga Row, also known as Hendrick.

Why would they bring them to England?

Why would the Queen want Verelstto paint their portraits?

5

Further Context:

Those who brought Hendrick to England said that he was the “Emperor” of the Iroquois Confederacy, even though they knew he was only a minor chief.

The Iroquois were traditional allies with the English in conflicts against the French in North America.

Why would they be brought to England?Why would the Queen want Verelst to paint their portraits?

6

Though naturally curious, curiosity is fragile

When you solve a problem, your brain may reward itself with a small dose of dopamine, a naturally occurring chemical important to the brain’s pleasure system...

Notably, we get the pleasure in solving the problem. We do not find it pleasurable to work on a problem with no sense that we make progress on it. Then too, we don’t get great pleasure in simply knowing the answer. (Daniel Willingham)

7

Working with evidence involves

• Making inferences

• Using context

• Sourcing

• Developing questions for further inquiry

• Corroborating/cross-checking

8

Experts do those things, but only because their mental toolbox enables them to do so. The only path to expertise as far as anyone know involves long, focused practice.

(Daniel Willingham)

9

Developing Questions and Cross-Checking

What can we infer from this trace of the past about the historical context, the photographic situation, and the situation of Blacks in Victoria at this time?

Victoria Pioneer Rifle Corps. Photographer: UNDETERMINED Date: [186-] Photo C-06124 courtesy BC Archives

10

Victoria Pioneer Rifle Corps, also known at the time as Sir James Douglas' Coloured Regiment.Photographer: UNDETERMINED Date: [186-] Photo C-06124 courtesy BC Archives

11

Context

• The Fraser River and Cariboo Gold Rushes (1858 – 1862) attracted tens of thousands of mostly American miners. Theysoon came into conflict with First Nations.

• Governor James Douglas invited free Blacks living in San Francisco to settle in Victoria and several hundred did so. Many were of Caribbean origin. They soon began farmingand opening various businesses.

• Governor Douglas created the colony of British Columbia joining Vancouver Island and the mainland.

• In 1859 a dispute between Britain and the United States over possession of the San Juan Islands (in what is now the Salish Sea) led to the Pig War.

12

Question Generation 1 – Question Formation Technique (AKA: Brainstorming)

• Ask as many questions as you can.

• Do not stop to discuss, judge, or answer the questions.

• Write down every question exactly as it is stated.

• Change any statement into a question.

(Rothstein and Santana, Make Just One Change)

13

Question Generation 2: Brainstorming with Prompts

1. Brainstorm a list of at least 12 questions about the topic or source. Use these question-starters to help you think of interesting questions:

– Why…?

– How is this connected to…?

– What happened as a result of…?

– What kind of a change was...?

– How should we remember...?

– What does this suggest to us about…?

14

2. Review the brainstormed list and star the questions that seem most interesting and important. Then, select one or two starred questions and be ready to present these to the class.

3. Reflect: How do you know you have a good question? Would it make a good Heritage Fairs project? What possible answer do you have to your question? Where could you go to learn more and test your answer?

15

Criteria for Good Inquiry Questions

• They are worth answering (lead to deeperunderstanding of history; authentic)

• They are broadly engaging (for teacher inquiries)

• Students care about them – they see the purposein answering them

• They can be answered, though the answer maybe contested or difficult (and this may needteacher support if this is the case)

16

17

Ways to Support Students to GenerateQuestions:• Look at models, e.g., www.bcheritagefairs.ca

portfolio

• Supply prompts

• Use engaging sources to build curiosity

• Brainstorm questions

• Give or create criteria for powerful questions

• Make a Wonder Wall of Questions

• Plan for peer and teacher feedback

• Practise with small inquiries

• Have students choose one question; you chooseanother

18

No Frills Steps in an Inquiry:

• Kindle curiosity – « some perplexity, confusion, or doubt » (John Dewey)

• Establish some knowledge base

• Develop questions

• Pose first hypothesis and reflect on certainty

• Explore further evidence

• Refine hypothesis and so on as time and interestpermit

19

Victoria Pioneer Rifle Corps, also known at the time as Sir James Douglas' Coloured Regiment.Photographer: UNDETERMINED Date: [186-] Photo C-06124 courtesy BC Archives

Why was this photograph of the Pioneer Rifles taken?

20

Reflection on Certainty: Clothesline

www.thinkinghistory.co.uk -© Ian Dawson 2009

20

How certain are you about your answer/hypothesis?

UNCERTAIN?

CERTAIN?

21

How certain are you about your hypothesis?

21

What words do students need to use?

MaybeNot surePossiblyPerhapsMost likelyWhat phrases?

This source suggests…This photo confirms the idea that… I chose these two pictures to show…

22

Corroboration with further evidence:

Sophia Cracroft, niece and travelling companion of Lady Jane Franklin, who was visiting Victoria in 1861, wrote in a letter:

"At 5 o'clock the Bishop came to be present at the visits of the coloured people who had asked my Aunt to see them… The first was Mr. Gibbs, a most respectable merchant who is rising fast. His manner is exceedingly good, & his way of speaking quite refined. He is not quite black, but his hair is I believe short & crisp. Three other men arrived after him … (T)hey were the Captain & other officers of a Coloured Rifle Corps, & the Captain proceeded to speak very feelingly of the prejudices existing here even, against their colour.

23

He said they knew it was because of the strong American element which entered into the community, which however they hoped one day to see overpowered by the English one: -that they had come here hoping to find that true freedom which could be enjoyed only under English privileges...

… They naturally detest America, & this Rifle corps has been formed by them really with the view of resisting American aggression, such as this San Juan alarm, still pending.

As he went out, the Captain said 'Depend upon it, Madam, if Uncle Sam goes too far, we shall be able to give a good account of ourselves.'"

(cited in Crawford Killian, Go Do Some Great Thing: the Black Pioneers of British Columbia. (1978) Vancouver: Douglas and McIntyre, 78.)

24

• Does this new context support yourunderstanding, challenge it, or expand it?

• What other questions do you have about the photographic situation, the Victoria Pioneer Rifles, or the position of Blacks in Victoria at thistime?

25

Guideposts to Understanding Evidence

• History is intepretation based on inferences made from primary sources. Primary sources can beaccounts, but they can also be traces, relics, or records.

• Asking good questions about a source can turn itinto evidence.

• Sourcing often begins before a source is read, withquestions about who created it and when it wascreated. It involves inferring from the source the author’s or creator’s purpose, values, and worldview, either conscious or unconscious.

26

• A source should be analyzed in relation to the context of its historical setting: the conditions and worldviews prevalent at the time in question.

• Inferences made from a source can never stand alone. They should always be corroborated—checked against other sources (primary and secondary).