Chapter+10+-+Historical+Thinking+in+the+Elementary+Years

How as teachers can we engage students in historical thinking?
 * Essential Question:**

-Traditional history was taught as purely a factual record of events that happened long ago such as heroic contributions or wondrous achievements of ancient civilizations. -Now History can be powerful and exciting because children can explore their own connections to the past which empowers them to imagine possible futures and consider questions about history.
 * Traditional History:**

- Children bring considerable prior beliefs to the learning of history. Never assume that history is too abstract for children. -Students encounter traces of the past in their everyday lives.
 * Understanding History:**

-determined by long-term impact -students should be able to distinguish what is significant about any given event, idea or person in history.
 * Six elements of Historical Thinking:**
 * 1) Historical Significance:**

-involves understanding the basis for claiming what is known about the past. -We should not leave children with the impression that there is one true story of the past, but that it is based on evidence. -Three Questions to ask: What do we know for certain about it? What can you guess? What would you like to know?
 * 2) Epistemology and Evidence:**

-Students need to understand that change happens over time and that it is constant. -Life experience can help young children to appreciate the nature of change, however, there are still concepts that children must understand.
 * 3) Continuity and Change:**

-Time related: "past," and "present,""yesterday," and "long ago." -Sequence is key to understanding temporal change. -Using a sequence activity children understand change is continuous and always present; change affects people in different ways; change can be recorded and become and record of the past. i.e activity where children place photographs in chronological order.
 * 4) Concepts:**

-Elementary students need to understand that history has not always positively progressed, there are times where it has improved and times where it has worsened.
 * 5) Progress and Decline:**

-Students must find history meaningful and understand how it affects not just them but the world around them as it is today. -promotes moral awareness and for students to think and feel in ways that are alien to them.
 * 6) Empathy**

- History is to help students understand that the actions of people in the past have an impact on us today and to appreciate that our own actions will have consequences for future generations. -Students need to understand what caused the change and why, as well as the scale of people involved.
 * Historical Agency:**

-Teaching history with a focus on the six elements of historical thinking will ultimately help create citizens who are critical thinkers with imagination, empathy, and hope!
 * Conclusion:**