This document discusses the importance of studying history. [1] History is about answering big questions that have shaped society, such as the causes of war, rights, land ownership, and what makes a superpower. [2] Studying history involves looking at evidence from different perspectives to answer these questions. [3] A key challenge is that history involves competing stories, so students must determine whose interpretation is the "truth" based on evidence.

1. History…what’s it all about?

2. Is it about Facts about dead people and
events that need to be memorized and
repeated for a test?
What time is lunch?

3. Sorry…but that is a part of studying History…..

4. But there is a more
important reason to study History!

5. Please do tell...
History is about answering
Big Questions that have
shaped who we are…

6. Big Questions
lead to Big Ideas…
about who we are!
1. What is the cause for war?
2. Who should have rights and who should not?
3. When is it right to kill to take someone’s land?
4. What does it take to be a superpower?
5. How does geography shape who we are?

7. As students you will look for
historical evidence from different
perspectives to answer a question…
Let’s look at a question that affects
the ladies in the room…

8. Women should not have
equal rights because…
Women should not have
equal rights because…
Should women have equal
rights with men?
Women should not have
equal rights because…
Women should have equal
rights because…
Women should have equal
rights because…

9. The Challenge: History deals with competing,
conflicting stories / evidence about the past.
History is someone's interpretation!
Soooo….Who is telling the “truth”?
Once you have studied the evidence, you are invited
to develop and defend your answer for that question.

10. One can be changed,
transformed by what one learns.
(Holt)