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Name _____________________ Course _____________ Score _______

Subject Gen. Ed. 2 - Phil. History Teacher Mdm. Christine Panon Date _______
Drawing out
Activities:  Concept Notes  Individual  Formative  Others:
the best  Laboratory  Group  Summative ____________
in you!

Module 1

Lesson/Topics: Introduction/Sources of History

Objectives: 1. To explain the arguments of the different theories of history from the background of the
proponents of the theories;
2. To identify the different sources of history and explain its importance.
Reference/s: Ligan, Victoria, et.al, (2018). Readings in the Philippine History. Malabon City, Philippines. Mutya
Publishing House, Inc.
https://www.nordangliaeducation.com

TO ENGAGE
How can you explain the joke HISTORY, where in they say that it is unfair to study/reminisce the
past because we only discuss boys’/men’s version of a story and not HERSTORY?

Anyways, I may sound corny on my joke, but I hope it awakens your mind to be ready on these
questions, “What is history? Why do we need to talk about past memories, past events and past
heartaches?”

TO EXPLORE
Definition of History
HISTORY comes from the Greek word historia which means “learning by inquiry.” This means
that knowledge is derived through conducting the process of scientific investigation. Hence, in
investigating history, there are theories formulated by historians.
According to https://www.valdosta.edu/, HISTORY is the study of change over time, and it covers
all aspects of human society. Political, social, economic, scientific, technological, medical, cultural,
intellectual, religious and military developments are all part of history.
HISTORY is the study of the past. Events occurring before the invention of writing systems are
considered prehistory. The word "History" is an umbrella term that relates to past events as well as the
memory, discovery, collection, organization, presentation, and interpretation of information about these
events. It also includes the academic discipline which uses narrative to describe, examine, question, and
analyze a sequence of past events, and investigate the patterns of cause and effect that are related to them,
(https://en.wikipedia.org/).

Types of History
1. Factual history—is simply to present the basic and plain information to the reader with an emphasis
only on who, what, when, and where of history.
2. Speculative history—goes beyond dates, places, persons, and events. It attempts to explain the
reasons as to how and why event/s happen that way.

TO EXPLAIN
Significance of Studying History
History plays a vital role in understanding the evolution of change. It traces origin of human race,
from barbaric period to civilization and the creation of the different empires. Curiosity about the past can
be a stepping stone to achieving something that has use and worth. In studying history, people will
understand the uniqueness of history itself for we cannot duplicate events exactly as what happened. It
will also teach us to persevere in building a more humane society at present where human dignity is well-
respected and not violated.

Prepared by:
SHEENA MAE J. AQUINO
Gen. Ed. 2—Readings in Philippine History Instructor
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Benefits of Studying History

Entire societies, and the individuals within them, benefit from gaining a deeper understanding of
history. Here are six benefits we will enjoy in studying history in school.
1. Develop an Understanding of the World—developing your knowledge of history means
developing your knowledge of all these different aspects of life. We can learn about the pillars
upon which different civilizations were built, including cultures and people different from their
own.
2. Become a More Rounded Person—history is full of stories. Some are inspiring and uplifting;
others are chaotic and immoral. Tap into the vivid realm of history, and there are many vital
lessons we need to learn. We will be able to reimagine the times of suffering and times of joy, and
the lessons we can learn here can then be applied to our own life experience.
3. Understand Identity—nations are made up of a collection of stories and legends. These stories
shape the way we think about our country and our standing within it. History is where we learn
about how great institutions are formed, and how they’ve contributed to where we are today.
4. Become Inspired—those historical stories can also serve to inspire individuals to greatness.
History remembers brilliant people and their heroic acts that have changed the shape of nations.
You get a huge amount of motivation from learning about the inspirational events that make up
where we are today.
5. Learn from Mistakes— “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
George Santayana’s quote is one of academia’s most cited and paraphrased lines, and one that
explains perfectly why everyone should study history. The past is filled with warning signs. We
must be able to reflect on the events that built up to them, learn from mistakes made and resist and
question if we see similar patterns emerging.
6. Develop Transferrable Skills—history is a respected academic pursuit that challenges our
intellect. Students must analyse information that may not have one clear interpretation before
offering a balanced conclusion. Critical thought is at the heart of every challenging intellectual
pursuit. The ability to question and evaluate information is one that applies to workplaces in many
industries. History is one of the best subjects for stimulating and developing this ability.

How to Study History?

History is not about memorizing a list of facts or dates. It requires interpretation and analysis of
information around subjects which often have no right or wrong answers. Still, there are plenty of
effective methods for studying history, like these three:
1. Connect Events Together—history is shaped by a list of chronological events. When studying
seismic shifts in a culture or country, it’s important that you know what key events contributed to
this and why they were so important. It can lead to a daunting list of times, dates and people to
learn. One popular method for doing this involves making connections to develop the full picture.
Students may take note the different events, facts and people that played a role in a significant
historical event. Then create a mind map that connects each part of the picture, using colours and
symbols to establish a pattern containing a large amount of easily digestible information.
2. Display Key Information—it’s important that students will be able to focus in on the most
valuable information and retain it for exams. While history usually focuses on the larger picture
rather than just a succession of dates or facts, adopting memory techniques can help us remember
specific information that we need.
3. Soak up Books and Films—history is packed with incredible, real-life stories – many of which
are told for a new generation in the form of novels and films. When we are done studying our
textbooks or a certain information about an historical event, films and books offer a lighter, but
still useful, way to learn about history. Many books and films take liberties with their chosen
subject. Studying history will provide us with a more rounded academic skillset and an improved
ability to think critically.

Prepared by:
SHEENA MAE J. AQUINO
Gen. Ed. 2—Readings in Philippine History Instructor
 3

Theories of Understanding History

Historical events may lead to clusters of several and different interpretations which we call
“School of Thought.”
1. Cyclical Theory It views that history repeats itself over time. Society passed through
identical patterns of development in repeated rounds.
2. Linear Theory It suggests that historical events are characterized by sequential
developments or is always moving forward.
3. Great Man Theory It posits that individuals, through their character or intellect determine the
course of history.
4. Great Ideas/Mind History is the development of consciousness and that it changes in a
Theory dialectic manner. Each stage of social development has had enough reasons
for coming into existence.
5. Geographic Theory It suggests that geography identify the potential and needs of the society.
Physical factor was the most influential in the earlier and primitive stages
of human development.

TO ELABORATE
Sources of Historical Data
Historical Data are sourced from the remains or relics and testimonies of witnesses left from the
past. These artifacts are the material that the historians used to recreate the events of the past.
Relics or remains gives the historians a clue of what happened in the past. These may lead
historians to be able to dig deeper and remake the memory of the past more genuine and reliable.
The testimonies of witnesses whether oral or written, may have been created to serve as records of
a certain event or they might have been created for some other purposes.

A. Written Sources of History

1. Narrative or Literature. These are chronicles or tract presented in narrative form. It was written to
give message or information to the reader but its motive varies in so many ways. For example, a
newspaper article might be intended to shape opinion; the so-called ego document or personal
narrative such as diary or memoir might be composed in order to persuade readers of the justice of
the author’s actions; a novel or film might be made to entertain or to encourage people to do
something; and many more (a panegyric, a public speech or published text in praise of someone or
something or hagiography, the writing of the lives of saints.) In short, narrative sources are
broader than what we usually considered fiction.
2. Diplomatic sources. These are the source once treated by the professional historians as the purest,
the “best” source because these documents/records are legally existing. A legal document is
usually sealed or authenticated to provide evidence that a legal transaction has been completed and
can be used as evidence in a judicial proceeding in case of dispute.
We also need to know the difference between legal documents release by public
authorities (kings or pope, the Supreme Court of the Philippines and the Philippine Congress) and
private parties (a will or a mortgage agreement).
3. Social documents are information pertaining to economic, social, political, or judicial
significance. They are records kept by bureaucracies like government reports, municipal accounts,
research findings, and documents like these parliamentary procedures, civil registry records,
property registers, and records of census.

B. Non-written Sources of History

1. Material evidence, also known as archaeological evidence. These evidences are most valuable
unwritten source of our history. It includes building designs of the houses, churches, roads, graves,
even the pottery and jewelleries, and other things that can tell story/ies about the memory of the
Prepared by:
SHEENA MAE J. AQUINO
Gen. Ed. 2—Readings in Philippine History Instructor
 4

past. These artifacts can tell a great deal of how people live before, their way of life, their beliefs,
and many more. It can also reveal relationships and interconnections of some socio-cultural
aspects of the different groups of people especially when an object is found in different regions in
a country. Even places that thought can be insignificant like garbage pits can provide valuable
information to historians as these can be traces of a former settlement.
Archaeological evidences sometimes, can be discovered when excavating a road or a
building a new establishment, or excavating intentionally to rebuild the past. Historians be able
to find things that can be related from the past settlers like coins/monies that can give them
significant information relating to government transaction in the olden time. Similarly, historian
can get information through drawings, etching, paintings, films, and photographs.
2. Oral evidences are also an important source of information for historians. Much are told by tales
or sagas of ancient people and the folksongs or popular rituals from the pre-modern period of
Philippine history. In our present time, interviews are another major form of oral evidences.

C. Primary Sources vs. Secondary Sources

Secondary Sources
- Published materials – such as
newspapers, magazines, journals,
encyclopedia, pamphlets, handouts,
Primary Sources
books, circulars and other materials
-First hand which are published either in hard
-Original and soft copies;
-these are the physical evidence in Unpublished materials – such as
history such as artificats, relics, letters, biographies, autobiography,
remains, fossils and even oral theses and dissertations and other
tradition. papers written by a scholar. The
Diary of Anne Frank, for example,
was an exceptional account of
World War II as seen from the eyes
of a young Jewish girl.

TO EVALUATE
Give concise explanation/discussion on the following questions. Follow points system given
below as your guide in answering the question.

Content - ___/8pts
Organization - ___/2pts
Total points - ___/10pts.

1. What are the benefits of using primary sources?

2. What are the advantages of accessing secondary sources?

Prepared by:
SHEENA MAE J. AQUINO
Gen. Ed. 2—Readings in Philippine History Instructor