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GE 2 (Readings in Philippine History )

MODULE 1 Introduction - Basic concepts, importance, and ways
in understanding history

Activity Description Time to Complete

1. Formative Activity Activity on the Historical 30 Minutes

Photo Analysis

2. Lesson Proper Readings: 240 Minutes

1. Fundamentals of History
2. Significance of History
3. Division of Sources
4. Source Criticism
5. Contextual Analysis
3. Summative 45 Minutes
Assessment Application of Fundamentals
of History and Source
Criticism
45 Minutes
4. Reinforcement Reinforcement on Students’
Discussion understanding on
fundamentals of History and
Source Criticism

Total: 360 minutes

2020-21 Module Packet for General Education -2 (Readings in Philippines History), College of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Education, University
of San Agustin Iloilo City, Philippines.

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This module introduces students to the basic concepts in studying history and its
relevance to the present. It views Philippine history from different perspectives using
the selected primary sources and applies critical analysis based on context and content.

Section 1.A Fundamentals in Understanding History

In this section, we are going to discuss the definition of history and how the
definition changes in different times, the differences between a primary source and
secondary source, appreciate the importance of history in real life as well as usage of
source criticism to evaluate sources.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of this section, you are expected to:

1. define history from different perspectives;
2. show appreciation on the importance of history and its relevance to
the present situation;
3. differentiate between primary and secondary sources;
4. identify credible sources and know how to evaluate their provenance;
and
5. apply the principle of criticism on a source.

2020-21 Module Packet for General Education -2 (Readings in Philippines History), College of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Education, University
of San Agustin Iloilo City, Philippines.

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DIAGNOSTICS: Historical Photo Analysis

Name:____________________________ Section:_________________________

Instruction: Identify what event in Philippine history the pictures represent. In one or
two sentences, cite the historical significance of each picture.

A. _______________
_______________
_______________
_______________

B. _______________
_______________
_______________
_______________

2020-21 Module Packet for General Education -2 (Readings in Philippines History), College of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Education, University
of San Agustin Iloilo City, Philippines.

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Students have varied notions about the word “History”. Some jump into describing it
“as events or things about the past” while others said “it is all about memorizing that is why
it is boring and not really that important”. The first sentence “about the past” is a correct
description of history but it is general definition (later we are going to defined it
comprehensively). While the second sentence “about memorizing” is in the manner of
teaching history. Students may become victims of teacher’s misconception in teaching
History.

In this section, we are not going to “memorize” but to understand “the past” and in
order to do that we should learn first the basics in understanding history.
Traditionally, history is the “record of the past” or “record of the human past
from time written records began to appear” while the modern definition describes
history as the “reconstruction of the past, the study of event concerning people in
the past” or “interpretative and imaginative study of surviving records of the
past, either written or unwritten, in order to determine the meaning and scope
of human existence” (Funtecha & Padilla, 2010). The reason in the change of definition is
because in traditional definition, it implies “no record, no history” and all of us knew that
not all things or events in the past had been put to record that is why reconstruction,
interpretation and imagination (a scientific imagination based on evidences, not on anything
that the any person imagines) had been included to provide wider meaning and scope in
the study of the human past.
The Greek word historia originally meant inquiry, the act of seeking knowledge, as
well as the knowledge that results from inquiry (Gottschalk, 1950). It means that not all
that were told is historical unless it was carefully studied and investigated and supported by
facts and evidences.

2020-21 Module Packet for General Education -2 (Readings in Philippines History), College of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Education, University
of San Agustin Iloilo City, Philippines.

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Importance of History (Funtecha & Padilla, 2010)

1. Bridging the Gap between the present and the past;
2. Explaining the causes of things and events;
3. Projecting the future;
4. Interpreting condition of a given space and time;
5. Promoting Nationalism and Patriotism

Section 1.B. Sources of History

In conducting any historical research, different sources of information are required

to gain extensive knowledge on a particular topic (Asuncion & Cruz, 2019). Historical
sources are, at their most basic level, something that tells us about history. It may be a
document, a picture, a sound recording, a book, a cinema film, a television program or an
object. (Rank, S.M. 2020). Source, according to Gottschalk (1950), is anything or anyone
that tells us about history ranging from eyewitness, memoirs to artifacts.
There are two main types or divisions of historical sources: primary sources and
secondary sources

Division of Historical Sources

Primary sources include documents or artifacts created by a witness to or

participant in an event. They can be first-hand testimony or evidence created during the
time period that you are studying. Examples include diaries, letters, interviews, oral
histories, photographs, government documents, etc.
Secondary Sources refer to the testimony of anyone who is not an eyewitness –
that is of one who was not present at the event of which he tells (Gottschalk, 1950). These
are books, articles, and scholarly journals that had interpreted the primary sources or had
used them to discuss certain subjects of history (Torres, 2018).

2020-21 Module Packet for General Education -2 (Readings in Philippines History), College of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Education, University
of San Agustin Iloilo City, Philippines.

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Tertiary Sources are compilation of secondary sources and/or primary sources.

Examples of tertiary sources are encyclopedia, almanacs, dictionary, etc.

Generally, there is no history if there is no source and if there is so called “history”

without a source or with a “source” but not a legitimate source is what we called
“Conspiracy”. To avoid deception and to arrive with the historical truth, it is important to
thoroughly examine these stories (Candelaria & Alphora, 2018).
It was suggested by Candelaria & Alphora (2018) that source should undergo internal
and external criticism especially the primary source.

Section 1.C Source Criticism and Contextual Analysis

External and Internal Criticism (Candelaria & Alphora , 2018)

External Criticism is the practice of verifying the authenticity of evidence by

examining of the following:
1. its physical characteristics;
2. consistency with the historical characteristics of the time when it was produces; and
3. the materials use for the evidence.

Example of the things that will be examined when conducting external criticism of a
document include the quality of the paper, the type of ink, and the language and words
used in the material, among others.

Internal Criticism is the examination of the truthfulness of the evidence of the

evidence (provenance for Gottschalk ).
It looks at the content of the source and examines the circumstance of its
production. Internal Criticism looks at the truthfulness and factuality of the evidence by
looking at the author of the source; its context; the agenda behind its creation; the

2020-21 Module Packet for General Education -2 (Readings in Philippines History), College of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Education, University
of San Agustin Iloilo City, Philippines.

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knowledge which informed it; and its indented purpose, among others (Candelaria &
Alphora , 2018).

Context Analysis (Torres, 2018)

Context analysis considers the time and place the historical documents were written,
as well as, the situation or the circumstances during the time. Works pertaining to events in
the past are analysed by also taking into account the author of the document, person’s
biographical background, role in the event, and the intent for writing the document.
The two other questions to consider when doing a context analysis are as follows:
(1) How authoritative is the account/source?; (2) How is it relevant today?
The task of the historian is to look at the available historical sources and select the
most relevant and meaning for history and for the subject matter that he is studying.
It is the historian’s job to seek for the meaning of recovering the past to let the
people see the continuing relevance of provenance, memory, remembering and historical
understanding for both the present and the future (Candelaria & Alphora , 2018)

Stop Over!

REFERENCES

Agoncillo, T.A. (1990). History of the Filipino people. Quezon City, Philippines: Garotech
Publishing.

Candelario, J.L. & Alporha, C.V. (2018). Reading in Philippine History. Rex Book
Bookstore.

Constantino, R. (1966). The Miseducation of the Filipinos. Malay Books.

Funtecha, H. & Padilla, M. (2010). A Study Guide in Philippine History. Rex Bookstore.
2020-21 Module Packet for General Education -2 (Readings in Philippines History), College of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Education, University
of San Agustin Iloilo City, Philippines.

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George, T. S. (1980). Revolt in Mindanao: The Rise of Islam in Philippine Politics. Oxford
University Press

Gottschalk, L. (1950). Understanding History; A Primer of Historical Method (pp 41-61;

117-170). University of Chicago

Santayana, G. (1905). The Life of Reason: The Phases of Human Progress

Torres, J.V. (2018). Batis: Sources in Philippines History. C & E Publishing, 2018

Rank, S.M. (ed) "What Are Historical Sources?" History on the Net
Retrieved August 16, 2020 <https://www.historyonthenet.com/what-are-historical-sources>

Retrieved from: https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=F3q-

krDckHwC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false dated July 1, 2020

Retrieved from: https://iloilo-updates.blogspot.com/2019/02/museum-of-philippine-

economic-history.html dated July q9, 2020

Retrieved from: https://filipiknow.net/archaeological-discoveries-in-the-philippines/ dated

July 29, 2020

Retrieved from: https://www.abebooks.com/9789711002275/Prehispanic-Source-Materials-

Study-Philippine-9711002272/plp dated July 29, 2020

Retrieved from: https://www.amazon.com/History-Filipino-People-Eighth-

Philippine/dp/9718711066 dated July 29, 2020

2020-21 Module Packet for General Education -2 (Readings in Philippines History), College of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Education, University
of San Agustin Iloilo City, Philippines.