The Tools of a Historian
Name: ____KEY__________
Date: _______ Period: ________
Read pages TOOLS-TOOLS3
Section One
The Tools of the Historian
PAGE TOOLS
Your book states that an archaeologist studies human and animal bones. This is actually
the job of an anthropologist. In order to piece together a complete picture of history the
historian, archaeologist, and anthropologist must all work together.
1. A historian studies written records (primary and secondary).
2. An archaeologist studies artifacts (human made objects).
3. An anthropologist studies human remains (bones).
Thought Question
1. Choose an item from your life (CD, baseball card, etc.) that you own and list its
characteristics. What might this item tell future archaeologist and historians about life in
the 21st century?
____Will_Vary___________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Section Two
Measuring Time
Main Idea- Historians rely on calendars and dating of events to measure time.
Read PAGE TOOLS 1-3and complete the matching activity.
_D_1. Calendar _C_ 2. B.C. (Before Christ) _A_ 3. A.D. (Anno Domini)
_F_4. Century _B_5. Prehistory _E_ 6.time line
A. “In the year of the Lord.” The years that follow the birth of Christ
B. The period of time before the invention of writing
C. Before Christ
D. dating systems, to measure time
E. diagram that show the order of events within a period of time
F. A period of 100 years
Other important vocabulary words
Astronomy- The science of the universe in which the stars, planets, etc., are studied
Solar Year- The time it takes the earth to revolve around the sun- 365 ¼ days
Lunar Year-There were some people in history who have used the moon to tell time. 12
cycles of the moon is equal to one lunar year. People do not use this anymore because it
is not as accurate as a solar year.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Discussion questions
1. Why has it always been so important for people of the earth to measure time?
2. Would your life be any different if we didn’t measure time?
3. Why were astronomers often considered magicians in ancient civilizations?
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Section 3-Timelines and B.C. and A.D. Worksheet
Answer the following in complete sentences where necessary.
1. On the time line given below, place a dot where these dates are found: (be sure to label
using the letter.)
A. The year of Jesus’ birth
B. A.D. 500
C. A.D. 700
D. A.D. 350
E. 300 B.C.
F. 1650 B.C.
G. 2014
<----------------F----------------------------------------------E----------A------------D----B-------C--------------G->
2000BC
1500BC
1000BC
500BC
1AD
500AD
1000AD
4. Which years came first? Place a check next to the year that is farthest back in time.
_____ A.D. 54
_____ 376 B.C.
_____ A.D. 1436
__X__1000B.C.
_____ 1 B.C.
_____ 37
__X___1976
__X___653 B.C.
_____ 2000
_____ 3 B.C.
or
or
or
or
or
or
or
or
or
or
___X_A.D. 36
___X_532B.C.
___X_1435
_____ A.D. 1000
__X__15 B.C.
__X__32
_____ A.D. 1978
_____ 553 B.C.
__X__1853 B.C.
__X__ 3100 B.C.
5. How Long Ago? It is a very simple math operation to determine how long ago a
particular year was. If the year is an A.D. year, subtract that year number from the
number of the present year. If the year is a B.C. year, add that year number to the
number of the present year.
1. A.D. 1066
2. 3000B.C.
3. A.D. 777
2014
-1066
948 years ago
2014
+ 3000
5014 years ago
2014
- 777
1237 years ago
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4. 56 B.C.
5. 1978
2014
+ 56
2070 years ago
2014
- 1978
35 years ago
Section 4
History and Geography
Main Idea- Historians try to understand how climate, landforms, and human activities
have shaped past events.
Read PAGES TOOLS 6-7
1. Location: Define the following
a. Absolute location- the exact spot of a place on the earth’s surface_
b. Relative location-tells where a place is compared with 1 or more other places
2. Place: What are the physical features and human characteristics that describe a place?
Physical: mountains, waterways, climate, plant/animal life
Human: language, religion, architecture
3. Human/Environment Interaction: Give an example of human/environment interaction.
___Will Vary____________________________________________________________
4. Movement: Through the movement of people and goods people exchange _ideas__
and __culture_
5. Region: How would you define the region that you live in?
___Will Vary__________________________________________
Section 5
1. Custom- a usual practice or a habitual way of behaving.*Something you might do
every day**
Give one example of a custom that you practice.
Brushing your teeth, taking a shower, etc.
2. Tradition- customs passed down from one generation to another.
Give one example of a tradition that you practice.
Thanksgiving, Christmas, 4th of July, etc.
3. What is the definition of oral tradition? Answer in a complete sentence.
The handing down of stories orally from one generation to the next
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Read page 9 then complete the following matching questions.
G 4. Historian B 6. Prehistory
A 8. Archaeologist D 10. Hypothesis
C 5. Artifacts
F 7. Culture
E 9. Anthropologist
A. These people dig up and study artifacts to learn about the past.
B. Period of time before the invention of writing.
C. Weapons, tools, and other things made by humans.
D. An unproven theory tentatively accepted to explain certain facts
E. People in this profession study how humans developed by studying human remains.
F. A society’s way of life that is passed down from generation to generation.
G. People in this profession study how people lived in the past using written records.
Section 6
How Does A Historian Work?
Read PAGES TOOLS 4-5
Main Idea-Historians study a variety of sources to learn about the past.
1. Define primary source and provide examples on the lines below.
First hand pieces of evidence from people who saw or experienced an event.
EX: Written documents, spoken interviews, photos, paintings, etc.
2. Define secondary sources and provide examples on the lines below.
Are created after the events by people who played no part in them.
EX: Biographies, encyclopedias, textbooks, etc.
1. Understanding Evidence Suppose a friend wanted to write a history of your life so
far. What primary sources might he or she use to find evidence of your daily activities?
Will vary
Historical Detection
Like a detective, the historian must evaluate the evidence (written records) to
determine if it is reliable. Do records of a meeting between two officials tell us what was
actually said? Who was taking notes? Was a letter writer really giving an eyewitness
report or just passing on rumors? Could the letter be a forgery? The historian tries to
find the answers. Historians must work hard to piece together a complete picture of
history.
Directions: You will analyze primary and secondary sources through the historical detection process.
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What is the article about? Explain.
___________________________________________________________________
Is the article a secondary or primary source? Why?
___________________________________________________________________
What facts are stated in the article?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
What opinions are stated in the article?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
When and where was the article written?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Is the article historically accurate? Why or why not?
___________________________________________________________________
Archaeological Detection
Like a detective, the historian must evaluate the evidence (written records) to determine if
it is reliable. The historian tries to find the answers. An archaeologist goes through a
very similar process. The major difference is that an archaeologist studies artifacts not
written records. What is the artifact? Who used the artifact? What was the artifact used
for? When was the artifact used? Historians and archaeologists must work together to
piece together a complete picture of history.
Name of the artifact- _________________________________________________
What is the artifact? Explain.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Who used the artifact? Explain
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
What was the artifact used for? Explain.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
When was the artifact used? Explain.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Where was the artifact used? Explain.
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Name of the artifact- _________________________________________________
What is the artifact? Explain.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Who used the artifact? Explain
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
What was the artifact used for? Explain.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
When was the artifact used? Explain.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Where was the artifact used? Explain.
Arctic Ocean
Asia
Europe
North
America
Atlantic
Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Africa
South
America
Indian
Ocean
Australia
Antarctica
Label the Continents and Oceans of the World
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Using Charts- Charts are important tools for social scientist, but they can be valuable tools for us when we
need to organize many types of information. Charts also present information in a way that makes it easier
to draw comparisons and conclusions. The chart below lists the world’s continents and their areas.
Continents
Area in Square Miles
Area in Square Kilometers
Africa
11,688,000
30,271,920
Antarctica
5,100,000
13,209,000
Asia
16,999,000
44,027,410
Australia
2,966,000
7,681,940
Europe
4,017,000
10,404,030
North America
9,366,000
24,257,940
South America
6,881,000
17,821,790
Using Your Skills
1. Why do you think the area in square miles is listed before square kilometers on the chart?
We use miles more frequently than kilometers.
2. What can you conclude about the area of Europe when compared to other continents?
It is the second smallest continent.
3. Which two continents’ areas added together equal about the area covered by the largest
continent?
North American and South America OR Africa and South America
4. Why is the chart helpful in making comparisons?
________________________________________________________________________________
5. Is there a better way to organize this chart? Explain.
Smallest to largest
Study Guide for Quest on Time and Archaeology
Vocabulary terms: calendar / astronomy / solar year / lunar year / century /
Anno Domini (A.D.) / B.C. / B.C.E. / archaeology / anthropology / historian / custom /
tradition / artifacts / prehistory / culture / hypothesis
Geography: be able to describe the 5 themes of geography.
Timeline: Be able to do how long ago questions…see your Timelines B.C. and A.D.
worksheet / be able to identify which years came first…see your Timelines B.C. and A.D.
worksheet.
Continents: Identify 7 major continents> North America, South America, Australia,
Europe, Antarctica, Asia, and Africa
Oceans: Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, Arctic Ocean
You will have a word bank for this Quest
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