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Welcome to United States History History 17A. Instructor Carol Jean Cox. PASSIVE/ACTIVE LEARNERS. How many are here because you want to be? (active) Take an active approach - get more/retain more of class Passive Learning - MRF Memorize/Regurgitate/Forget. MOTIVATION LEADS TO SUCCESS.
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Welcome to United States History History 17A Instructor Carol Jean Cox
PASSIVE/ACTIVELEARNERS • How many are here because you want to be? (active) • Take an active approach - get more/retain more of class • Passive Learning - MRF Memorize/Regurgitate/Forget
MOTIVATION LEADS TO SUCCESS • My job is to motivate • But true motivation/interest must come from you! • Grades vs. Mastery approach • either you can do something or not
VALUE OF LEARNING HISTORY • History helps us to understand the WHY of things occurring the way they do. • History gives us the foundation of time and process. • History and Geography give us the context of all human knowledge
VALUE OF LEARNING HISTORY • History is a basis for learning who we are and why • History provides an understanding of contemporary issues in comparison • WHY do we teach History in College if it's taught in Junior & Senior High? • more than one presentation • forget (don't retain because not motivated)
HISTORY INTEGRATES KNOWLEDGE • Knowledge must be integrated • One can't study • history without economics, or • Psychology without Human Behavior, or • Philosophy without discussing geography and social problems • What is this class? • Psychology 1a, Sociology 1a, Philosophy 1a, Geography 1a, Economic 1a
HISTORICAL METHODOLOGY • Steps leading to an understanding of the past. • It is a SCIENCE • 1) Gathering of Data - reading & information • establish primary sources • documents & events of the past are statements • inquiry leads to the WHY
HISTORICAL METHODOLOGY • 2) Interpretation of the data • What does this mean? • Evaluation in a SCIENTIFIC MANNER • i.e. statistics • HOMELESS in Colonial America • records of court actions against homeless • transients ousted by constables
HISTORICAL METHODOLOGY • 3. Establish Historical Truths • Discussion - What is True? • OBJECTIVE - knowledge conforms to reality • SUBJECTIVE - my knowledge of a topic “women weaker sex” • Scientific data supports objective
HISTORICAL METHODOLOGY • One must ask questions to interpret history to find the truth • OPINION is incomplete data • i.e, Kennedy assassination • INQUIRY/DATA--> INTERPRETATION --> TRUTH (supported data)
HISTORIC PERSPECTIVES • A Historical Event Can be Viewed from a Variety of Perspectives • Bias - hard to present materials without bias • Can the subjective be entirely separated from the objective?
HISTORIC PERSPECTIVES • History is open to interpretation • This class is U.S. History according to Carol Jean Cox • Various perspectives are needed to create a holistic interpretation
PAST REALITY • There is a true unchanging “past reality” • So little of “history” has even left a surviving trace of it’s existence. • It is not even the raw materials from which the historian works to reconstruct the past What tangible evidence is there of your existence? Your own life as an example.
HISTORY PYRAMID • What percentage of historic materials is unusable because it is • UNDISCOVERED • BURIED BENEATH A TEL • COVERED BY JUNGLE GROWTH • LOCKED AWAY IN THE GOVERNMENTAL ARCHIVES • COLLECTING DUST IN A TRUNK IN AN ATTIC
DISCOVERING HISTORIC TRUTH • Our ability to know the past is limited by documenting authenticity & reliability • Is the source credible? • We must make discerning use of those sources that have survived • There is an assumption that something much closer to the real truth will emerge from the reconstruction process . . . NOT TRUE
DISCOVERING HISTORIC TRUTH Differing interpretations & conclusions can be obtained from the same data Example: each person has been in the position of interpreting other’s actions Each generations concerns create a new sense of the relevance of the past
DISCOVERING HISTORIC TRUTH The text is not “history” but a peephole or limited vision using fragments of information a speck of insight into the past This class further distills the text and other materials into oral form in the process of transmitting history However . . . The truth is out there!
REVIEW OF MAIN POINTS • Active vs. Passive Learning • Motivation = Success • Value of Learning History • History integrates knowledge • Historic Methodology • Gather data • Interpret data • Establish truth from substantiated data • Historic Perspectives • Unchanging True Past “Reality” • History Pyramid of knowledge loss • Discovering Historic Truth
Welcome to United States History History 17A Instructor Carol Jean Cox