LESSON 1:

WHAT IS
HISTORY?
THRYSHA CLAIR TRILLO
INSTRUCTOR
 LESSON
OBJECTIVES

• Introduce the discipline of

history
• Relate real-life situations
and history to the
discussion
DEFINING HISTORY
History is....
• chronological storytelling in its finest
form; it sequentially weaves together
many related historical and
contemporary events and ideas that
are linked to a larger story.
• interpretative; it invites students to
debate multiple perspectives, offer
their opinions and educated
interpretations, and challenge existing
beliefs.
DEFINING HISTORY
History is....
• revisionist in scope; it is an ongoing
conversation and a constant process
of re-examining the past and
deconstructing myths based upon
new discoveries, evidences, and
perspectives.
• constant process of questioning; it
requires questioning the texts,
examining them with a critical eye,
and asking new questions.
DEFINING HISTORY
History is....

• integrative of many disciplines; it

especially incorporates geography, literature,
art, sociology, economics, and political
science.
• inclusive; it ensures that the experiences of
all classes, regions, and ethnic-racial groups,
as well as both genders, are included.
DEFINING HISTORY
History is....
• controversial; it presents all the facts, warts
and all, and examines both the negative and
positive actions of people, encourages us to
think about social justice and social change,
and promotes real understanding if historical
issues and events.
• incorporates historiography; it includes
many different interpretations of historical
events written by many different historians.
DEFINING HISTORY
History is....
• relevant; it uses past experiences to
explain what is important in our lives
today.
• all that has happened to men; all of
man’s experiences, all of man’s
actions, political strivings, economic
organizations, social groupings; all of
man’s ideas, good and bad, logical
and illogical.
 WHAT SKILLS DOES A
STUDENT OF HISTORY DEVELOP?
THE ABILITY THE ABILITY TO EXPERIENCE IN CRUCIAL TO THE
ASSESS PROMOTION OF THAT
TO ASSESS CONFLICTING ASSESSING PAST ELUSIVE CREATURE, THE
EVIDENCE INTERPRETATIONS EXAMPLES OF CHANGE WELL-INFORMED CITIZEN
Dealing and assessing Gaining skill in sorting Analysis of change Provision of actual
various kinds of evidence - through diverse, often means developing some information about the
- the sorts of evidence conflicting interpretations. capacity for determining background of our
historians use in shaping Understanding how magnitude and political institutions and
the most accurate pictures societies work --- the central significance of change, about values and
of the past that they can. goal of historical study. It for some changes are problems that affect our
This information and skill provides opportunities to more fundamental than social being.
can be use and engage in debate and others.
encountered in everyday achieve perspective.
life.
WHY STUDY HISTORY?

HISTORY HELPS US UNDERSTAND

PEOPLE & SOCIETIES

HISTORY PROVIDES IDENTITY

THE IMPORTANCE OF HISTORY IN

OUR OWN LIVES
STUDYING HISTORY IS ESSENTIAL
FOR GOOD CITIZENSHIP
HISTORY CONTRIBUTES TO
MORAL UNDERSTANDING
 FOR YOU,
WHAT ARE OTHER REASONS WHY
WE STUDY HISTORY?
 HISTORY
DIFFERENTIATED
• The past is not the same as
history.
HISTORY VS. PAST • The past involves everything that
ever happened since the dawn of
time -- every thought and action of
man or woman on earth, every leaf
that in the tree, and every chemical
change in this universe and others.
 HISTORY
DIFFERENTIATED
• The history is a process of
interpreting evidence or records
HISTORY VS. PAST from the past in a thoughtful and
informed way.
• History is the narrative that gives
meaning, sense, and explanation
to the past in the present.
 HISTORY
DIFFERENTIATED
• The main difference between
history and prehistory is the
existence of records.
HISTORY VS. PREHISTORY
• History is the record of significant
events that happened in the past
whereas prehistory is the period
of human activity prior to the
invention of writing systems.
 HISTORY
DIFFERENTIATED
• Histories from above are about
big books, the big ideas, the big
institutions, the big thinkers the
HISTORY FROM ABOVE VS.
HISTORY FROM BELOW massive events, and the golden
ages.
• Serves the interest of both the
historians and the powerful
people.
 HISTORY
DIFFERENTIATED
• History is a narrative account used to
examine and analyze past events.
• Historicity is the authentication of
HISTORY, HISTORICITY, AND
characters in history, as opposed to HISTORIOGRAPHY
legend or myth.
• Historiography is the writing of
history, and the understanding of how
the interpretations of historians
change over time.
 HISTORY
DIFFERENTIATED
• History comes from Greek word
historia meaning “inquiry, knowledge
acquired by investigation.
HISTORY VS. HERSTORY
• Herstory is history written from a
feminist perspective, emphasizing the
role of women, or told from a
woman’s point of view.
 THEORY OF HISTORY TERM
CYCLICAL VIEW OF HISTORY

ECONOMIC VIEW OF HISTORY

THE BEST PEOPLE VIEW OF
HISTORY

GREAT MAN VIEW OF HISTORY

THE GREAT GOD VIEW OF
HISTORY

IDEAS OR THE GREAT MIND

VIEW OF HISTORY THE HUMAN NATURE VIEW OF
HISTORY

LINEAR VIEW OF HISTORY

POST-MODERN VIEW OF
HISTORY
THANK YOU
FOR YOUR ATTENTION