2. Essential Questions
• How should we think about history?
• As a student in grade 11, how is this going
to help me? (or, why should I care?)
3. What is history?
History is:
• A series of accounts that must be interpreted, and
assessed
• Partial accounts constructed for a specific purpose
• No account can present all that is known
• All accounts are framed within a perspective
4. Distinguishing ‘history’ from ‘the past’
History is...
• an account of past events
• a constructed story based on evidence
The past is...
• all things that ever existed, all the words that were
spoken, and all the deeds done
5. Distinguishing ‘history’ from ‘the past’
The Past History
• The past consists of all things • History can account only for a
that ever existed, all the words small sampling of the past
that were spoken, and all the
deeds done • History is a way to remember
the past through an organized
• The past is no longer here; it no story and analysis of evidence
longer exists of past events
• There’s no organized story to • History is influenced by a
the past, only remnants that selection of aspects of the past
have survived over time that are considered meaningful
6. Distinguishing ‘myth’ and ‘history’
• Myth is a story about the past, based on
belief or faith
• History is a story based on evidence
• Both are stories about the past, but their
purposes differ
7. Distinguishing ‘myth’ and ‘history’
History Myth
• History is based on evidence • Myth is based on belief or faith
• Can be challenged and • Can’t challenge or change a
changed myth
• We want it to be challenged • We don’t want to challenge or
and revised change it
