Historical Thinking
Students are often expected to learn about historical content without being asked to think historically. This requires thinking about the kinds of questions historians pose. These questions typically focus on six concepts:
• Historical significance: What and who should be remembered, researched and taught?
• Evidence and interpretation: Is the evidence credible and adequate to support the conclusions reached?
• Continuity and change: How are lives and conditions alike over time and how have they changed?
• Cause and consequence: Why did historical events happen the way they did and what are the consequences?
• Historical perspective: What does the past look like when viewed over time?
• Ethical judgment: Is what happened right and fair?
• Historical significance: What and who should be remembered, researched and taught?
• Evidence and interpretation: Is the evidence credible and adequate to support the conclusions reached?
• Continuity and change: How are lives and conditions alike over time and how have they changed?
• Cause and consequence: Why did historical events happen the way they did and what are the consequences?
• Historical perspective: What does the past look like when viewed over time?
• Ethical judgment: Is what happened right and fair?