FOOTPRINTS OF FREEDOM
University of California, Irvine History Project
UCI History Project

California Subject Matter Project (CSMP)
The California History-Social Science Project is an
organization of teachers, historians, and affiliated
scholars that promotes history and social science
education through advocacy, professional development
programs, and leadership opportunities. We employ a
research-based approach that focuses on the disciplinary
skills of history and the social sciences, on content aligned
with the Standards, and on academic literacy. Our goal is
to increase the achievement of all students, thereby
developing an informed and engaged citizenry.
Goals
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Increase teacher knowledge of history
Deepen understanding to improve instruction
Build a sustainable model
 Curricular
reform
 Standards-aligned
lessons
 Academic literacy instruction
 Support for critical thinking
Icebreaker
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Puzzle Activity
Find their group via puzzle pieces
 Introduce
yourself
 Observe the image and describe it as a group
 Consider what conclusions or questions you have about
the image
History as a Discipline
What is history?

History is a representation of the past based
upon interpretations of evidence (primary and
secondary sources) available. Therefore,
history is constructed knowledge.
Why do history?
History is not static. Historical representations
change over time.
 New evidence comes to light
 Changes in technology
 Present concerns inform the ways historians think
about the past
 As theories change, historians review existing
evidence.
 Pose new questions.
Historical thinking

How do you define history for your students?
 Quick
write
 Pair Share
How do students typically view history?
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Students see history as the construction and
memorization of a “factoid narrative.”
Many see history as a finished story. It is names,
dates, and places.
See history as linear (one thing after another) and
progressive (things are getting better)
Students struggle with explaining change over
time and recognizing significance. Students also
magnify the role of individuals.
Students often personify history--For example,
China becomes a person.
Fail to see the relevance of history
Historical Thinking and Other Unnatural
Acts
Sam Wineburg
 Why study history? Understanding of humanity,
complexity, critical thinking skills
Read the excerpt The Unbridgeable Rubicon and
Continuity and Change pp.7-15

Jigsaw
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Number off 1-5
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1-How is Derek’s analysis an expression of historical empathy (page 8)?
Why is empathy important for history?
2-What do contemporary historians believe we can know about the past
(pages 10-11)?
3-What are the challenges of learning history from textbooks (pages
12-13)?
4-How does Ulrich’s A Midwife’s Tale contrast to textbook history (pages
13-15)?
5-How has historical writing changed in the last decades (page 15)?
All like numbers gather together and discuss your question
Form groups with numbers 1-5 and share out each of your answers
with the group
Historical Thinking
Historians in the Field
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Students in the Classroom
Ask research questions
based upon new and
existing information
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Students form and/or
answer research
questions of the
lesson’s content
Teachers
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Use primary and
secondary sources to
construct knowledge
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Students use primary and
secondary sources to
make reasoned
interpretations and
construct knowledge
Why use historical thinking in teaching?
Inquiry based approach
 Builds on prior knowledge
 Motivates student learning
 In-depth understanding
 Prioritizes essential questions
 Students analyze evidence to construct new
meanings
 Develops critical thinking skills and academic literacy

History-Social Science Analysis Skills
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Review the thinking skills for your grade-level
Consider how these skills develop the historical
thinking skills described in Wineburg’s text
Curriculum Analysis
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In school site groups, examine the content standards
for your grade level
Develop 3-4 large-scale themes that cover the
entire curriculum
Share out across grade-levels
PRIMARY OR SECONDARY
SOURCE
adapted from History Project at UC Davis
Definition
According to the Library of Congress, primary
sources are the raw materials of history —
documents and objects which were created at the
time under study. They are different from secondary
sources - accounts or interpretations of events
created by someone without firsthand experience.
Video Clip
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Primary vs. Secondary
Some additional thoughts
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Primary sources are materials produced by people or
groups directly involved in the event or topic under
consideration. Think of them as first-hand information.
Examples of primary sources include eyewitness accounts,
speeches, letters and diaries, newspapers and magazines,
tax and census data, marriage, birth and death records,
works of art, and interviews.
Secondary sources
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Secondary sources construct an explanation of the
past based on primary sources and usually in
consultation with other secondary sources.
The best secondary sources will both report on events
in the past as well as generalize, analyze, interpret
and/or evaluate.
TITLE: Epistola . . . de Insulis Indie nuper inventis
(Letter Concerning the Islands Recently Discovered…)
“There I found very many islands, filled with
innumerable people, and I have taken
possession of them all for their Highnesses, done
by proclamation and with the royal standard
unfurled, and no opposition was offered to me.”
CREATED/PUBLISHED by Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) in Rome, 1493.
Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress
Available at: http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trt038.html
TITLE: Columbus taking possession of the new country.
CREATED/PUBLISHED: Boston, U.S.A. : Published by the Prang Educational Co., 1893. 1 print :
chromolithograph.
Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress
Available at:
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgibin/query/i?pp/PPALL:@field%28NUMBER+@band%28cph+3b49587%29%29
On a summer day in 1492, Columbus set sail for Spain into
the uncharted seas with three small ships. After more than a
month at sea, crew members sighted land—one of the
Bahama islands in the Caribbean. In honor of Christ,
Columbus named the land San Salvador, which is Spanish for
“holy savior.”…Convinced that he had reached islands off the
coast of India, Columbus called the natives “Indians.”
--World History: Traditions and New Directions by Peter N. Stearns, Donald R.
Schwartz, and Barry K. Beyer published in 1991 by Addison-Wesley Publishing
Complexity
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Sources may be both primary and secondary—
depending on your topic or question.
Student work
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If you choose do 10th grade first form high-need
OC high schools 10th grade
Then 5th from Lynwood TAH
Stations
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Around the room there are 5 stations with sources
from different time periods.
Your task is to determine if each source is primary or
secondary and why.
If there are secondary sources, under what conditions
could they be considered primary?
WHAT TOOLS ARE AVAILABLE TO HELP STUDENTS
BREAK DOWN A PRIMARY SOURCE?
“Give us the tools,
and we will finish the
job.”
THE 6 C’S!!
What are we looking for the students to accomplish?
An accurate summary of the
source provided (who, what,
where…)
Accurate /thoughtful connections
made between source and what
was happening at that time and
place in history.
Bias and point of view are
clearly identified. Students
support their claims with
specific examples from source.
It is clear as to who created
this source, when it was
written, and what type of
source it is.
Interesting and thoughtful
connections made between the
source and what the students
already know, or what they can
relate it to.
Student provides a
thoughtful conclusion
that closely connects
to source
How can the 6C’s be practiced in the
classroom?
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Students might begin with 4 C’s
Students work in cooperative groups
(3-4 members), with each group
responsible for using one of the 6C’s to
analyze the source. Each group then
shares with the class their analysis of
the source, and the other students fill in
the sections of the 6 C’s as they are
discussed by each group.
Students work in cooperative groups (3
members). Each student within the
group is responsible for completing two
sections of the 6 C’s. They then share
their responses with the other group
members. Groups are then selected to
share their responses with the class.
For January meeting
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Implement 4 C’s or 6 C’s with a primary source
Bring student work high, medium, low
Read Wineburg Chapter 1 (entire)