This World History power point covers what a historian is, what they do, and how they use primary and secondary sources in their work. To see more visit http://teach180.bitnamiapp.com/joomla/

1. Do Now
What is history?
Write one paragraph using
complete sentences.

2. What
does a
historian
do?
World History – Lesson 1
Unit – What is History?
Herodotus (484 BC - 425 BC) was an
ancient Greek historian and is known as
"The Father of History"

3. So what does a historian do?
• A historian is someone who
uses clues to study the past.
They gather information much
like a detective gathers clues
• Historians try to be objective.
They cannot make up their
own story but must rely on
evidence to support their
claims

4. Measuring Time
• Historians attempt to put events in the order which they
occurred.
• Terms to know:
• Decade = 10 years
• Century = 100 years
• Millennium = 1,000 years
• This class is World History, which covers several thousands
years of history.
• To help you better keep track of the sequence of events, we
will be using a timeline manager throughout this entire class
3,000
B.C.
2,000
1,000
1 A.D.
1,000
A.D.
2,000

5. A.D. and B.C.
• The modern calendar is called the Gregorian calendar and is
named after Pope Gregory XIII
• The Gregorian calendar breaks history into two parts, B.C.
(Before Common Era) and A.D. (Anno Domini). The idea was
that the birth of Jesus Christ would separate the “old” history
from the modern era
3,000
B.C.
2,000
1,000
1 A.D.
1,000
A.D.
2,000

6. Historians use primary and
secondary sources to answer
many questions including…..
- What happened?
- When did it happen?
- Why is this event important to
understand?

7. Primary Sources are original
material from an event in
history.
These
can
documents or
artifacts.
be
physical
Examples:
* A letter written from a soldier at war
* A piece of pottery from ancient Greece
* Leonardo Davinci’s Mona Lisa

8. Secondary Sources
interpret or analyze
primary sources.
Secondary sources lack the
immediate connection to
the event.
Examples:
* A biography of Sir Winston Churchill
* A summary of the Battle of
Gettysburg
* Editorial comments of a politicians
speech
The U.S.
Civil War

9. Primary vs. Secondary
Sources
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Written or created at the time
of the event
Written after the event
Eyewitness accounts
Author is relying on other information
to write about the event
Includes letters, tools, and artifacts
Includes textbooks, reference material
and editorials
Have the benefit of being a source
directly from the event
Has the benefit of having time to
understand and analyze the event

10. How to become a historian
• Historians go through years of
formal training.
• Historians often specialize on a
specific area, such as American
history or the history of ancient
cultures
• Historians often spend years in
college earning their PhD

11. What are some other careers for
historians?
• Archaeologist – They study the past
by looking at what humans have left
behind. They look at artifacts such
as tools, pottery and jewelry to
learn how people lived long ago.
• Paleontologist – They study ancient
fossils to learn what happened
millions of years ago. They looks at
fossils and other remains to learn
about the past.
• Anthropologist – They look at clues
to determine what people believed,
how they lived and how their
culture compares to others.

12. For More Information
• Visit the following website:
• http://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/historians.htm#
• http://www.libraries.iub.edu/index.php?pageId=1002226
• http://www.princeton.edu/~refdesk/primary2.html
• http://www.languagecourse.net/a-list-of-careers-for-history-majors.php