Informed by their worldview, and based on the evidence they emphasize and the questions they ask, historians determine what is most significant to know about the past. Our understanding of the past varies over time and shifts according to the positionality of the author.
The below exercises offer opportunities to explicitly introduce students to the concept of significance.
Pre-Lesson
Understanding Historical Significance(link is external): Students use their own life experiences as a means of exploring how historians determine significance.
Content Application
Each of these scaffolds can be customized to support your unit of study while reinforcing the historical thinking concept.
- Constructing Narratives - Timeline Analysis(link is external)
- Competing Timelines(link is external)
- Comparing Historical Arguments(link is external)
- Example: WWII Timelines(link is external)
Critical Pedagogy
- Interrogate a Source - Implied Ethical Judgment(link is external)
- Asking Critical Questions of the Past(link is external)
Culminating Project
Creating a Memorial(link is external): Students create a memorial to a person, group or event of significance.
Connection to Local History
Field Study Guide(link is external): Use this activity while on a visit to a local memorial or museum.
Landmark Analysis(link is external): Use this tool to help students analyze a local landmark, memorial, or statue.
Teaching Reflection
Making History Teaching Reflection:(link is external) Use this as a tool to refine and revise teaching strategies within this module.
Related Model Lesson
- Introduction to Historiography(link is external) (8th grade)
- Introduction to Historiography(link is external) (10th grade)
- Memorializing the Past(link is external) (4th/8th grade)
A Note on Supporting Literacy Development: We encourage you to refer to these UCBHSSP planning templates(link is external) as you make use of the Making History modules. Additional UCBHSSP strategies can be found in our literacy handbook, Access for All Learners.