Six Historical Thinking Concepts at a Glance
Key features of each concept
Historical
 Determinations of significance are
significance
unavoidable.
Considers
 Significance depends on one’s
which
perspective.
events,
 Significance depends on purposes.
people and
 Significance varies with time.
developmen  Significance is not simply a matter
ts in the past
of personal reaction.
should be
 Significance depends on context.
studied
Evidence
 Historical evidence is not the same
and
as historical information.
interpretati  Evidence is derived from two
on
ki n d s o f information sources.
Examines
 Primary sources are our
the various
connections to the past.
sources

Information can be drawn
which
from traces or accounts of the
create
past.
interpretatio
 The validity of evidence depends
ns of
on its source and use.
historical
events.
Continuity
and change
Examines
what has
changed and
what has
remained
the same
over time.
 Change and continuity are ongoing
and ever present.
 Change can occur at different rates.
 Change and continuity can be both
positive and negative
 Comparisons can be made between
points in history and between the past
and present.
 Periodization is a way of marking
historical change and continuity.
Criteria you might apply
Assessing the significance of an event, person or development
 Prominence at the time: To what extent was it recognized as important at the time?
 Consequences: To what extent did it have deep consequences for many people over a
long period of time?
 Revealing: To what extent does it provide a window on or represent a larger issue?
Assessing the adequacy of a secondary historical account:
 Comprehensive account: Does the account offer a generally complete account of the
event?
 Credible sources: Is the account based on accurate and trustworthy sources of
information?
 Reasonable conclusions: Does the account arrive at conclusions that are warranted given
the amount and nature of the available historical evidence?
 Balanced perspective: Does the account fairly represent key perspectives of the events?
Judging the credibility of a primary account
• Adequate access to information: Was the author in a well-informed position to observe or
experience the event?
• No conflict of interest: Is there an obvious conflict of interest that might prejudice the
account?
• Internal consistency: Is there a consistency in the facts within the account?
• Consistency with other information: Does the account align with or contradict other
accounts?
Assessing the importance of changes
 Substantial Effect: Is there a dramatic difference in the way things function?
 Relatively Permanent: Is it a lasting condition or development?
 Widespread: Are the effects broadly felt across society/ time period?
Assessing the importance of continuities
 No substantial deviation: Is there little or no difference in the way things function/
 Important Aspects: Are the similarities found in significant aspects of life?
 Widespread: Are the similarities broadly present across society/time period?
Ideas for applying these concepts
throughout the history curriculum
 Explain an event’s or person’s
significance.
 Judge significant aspects of an event.
 Compare or rank the significance of
multiple events.
 Decide whether an event is worthy
of study.
 Construct a historical account based
on various primary sources.
 Assess a historical account using
various other sources to corroborate
or contradict it.
 Examine visual traces in the
textbook.
 Compare primary accounts and
decide which are more credible.
 Develop a historical argument using
various sources.
 Compare two historical periods and
describe the constants and changes.
 Evaluate progress and decline for a
specific group (e.g., women) over a
period of time
 Identify turning points for a theme
(e.g., transportation, women’s rights)
 Re-periodize history based on a
different organizing concept (e.g.,
the role of working class people)
Cause and
consequence
Examines the
various factors
that cause
historical
events and the
consequences
of those events.
Historical
perspective
Considers
world views of
various people
during a past
time period.
Ethical
judgment
Assesses the
extent to which
the treatment or
behaviour of
others is
appropriate.
Key features of each concept
Criteria you might apply
 Human agency and broader societal
conditions interact with each other to
cause events.
 Events have a myriad of different
underlying and immediate causes of
varying importance.
 Prior events may have no causal
influence on subsequent events.
 Consequences can be direct or indirect.
 Actions o f t e n have unintended
consequences
Determining the importance of a cause
 Evidence of a causal connection. Is the cause clearly connected with the event and not just a
coincidence? If this factor were removed, how likely is it that the event would still have occurred?
 Degree of influence. To what extent did the cause contribute to the direction and intensity of the
event or make other causes more or less important?
 Absence of alternative explanations. Is there no reason to suspect that some other factor, closely
aligned with the suggested causal factor, can explain the outcome?
Assessing the effects of consequences.
 Taking on a historical perspective means
incorporation the values, beliefs, and
practices operating at the time.
 Presentism is the antithesis of historical
perspective.
 There are diverse historical perspectives
on any given even in the past.
 Adopting a historical perspective
requires suspending ethical judgment.
 Not all historical judgments are ethical.
 Three kinds of ethical judgments are
especially relevant in the study of
history.
 Ethical judgments help us make sense of
and understand the past and the present.
 Ethical judgments can be explicit or
implicit
 Ethical judgments require the application
of both historical and contemporary
ethical standards.
 Ethical judgment require an
understanding of the historical context.
Embodying a realistic historical perspective
 Depicts prevailing attitudes: What is a snapshot of life as people at time would likely have
experienced it?
 Shows diverse perspectives: How were the perspectives of different groups of people different and
same?
 Based on evidence: Is the perspective supported with accurate historical evidence?
 Depth of impact: How deeply felt or profound were the consequences?
 Breadth of impact: How widespread were their impacts?
 Duration of impact: How long-lasting were the consequences?
Determining whether a past action was ethically justifiable.
 Valid and sincere action: Given the values at the time, was the action honestly believed to be
justifiable?
 Reasonable strategy: Given what decision makers knew at the time, was the chosen action a
reasonable option to achieve the intended objective?
 Respectful of affected groups – Mindful of the understandings at the time, were the rights and interests
of various individuals and groups fairly considered when deciding how to proceed?
Attributing ethical responsibility for a past action
 In a position of authority: To what extent did the person or group have an obligation to oversee or
mange the course of events?
 Able to affect the outcome: To what extent was the person or group in a position to make a difference
if they had wanted to?
 Aware of the situation: To what extent was the person or group aware of the events that required
action?
Attributing contemporary accountability for past actions.
 Proportional response: Does the claim balance the impact on wrongfully treated people in the past and
the impact on the people in the present-day?
 Fair consideration: Is the assigning of responsibility fair to the historical actors (both the abusers and
the wrongfully treated) and their present-day representatives?
 Unresolved matters: Is further action necessary to bring closure to a lingering historical injustice or to
guard against future occurrences?
Ideas for applying these concepts
throughout the history curriculum
 Identify critical agents and conditions
that caused an event.
 Rank order the most important causes of
an event.
 Distinguish between causes and
consequences.
 Create a web of causes to show their
interconnections.
 Identify direct and indirect consequences
of an event.
 Assess the impact of various events on a
relationship or a group of people.
 Explain a historical person’s perspective.
 Embody a historical person’s perspective.
 Explore differing historical perspectives
during the same time period.
 Determine whether past actions of a person
or group were ethical.
 Determine who is responsible for a past
action.
 Determine whether a present group should
be held accountable for a past action.
 Evaluate a present person or group’s action
to right a past wrong.
 Critique the ethical judgments in a
historical account.