What is History?

1. What is History? Quotes…

2. WHAT IS HISTORY? Respond to ONE of the quotes on the next slide. Ask yourself: Why does this quote appeal to me? How does the quote make me feel? What does this quote mean? How does this relate to my course of study? On a sheet of notebook paper, in a well developed, 5-7 sentence paragraph (minimum), considering your quote, write a brief essay including your thoughts about history, its meaning to you, and the purpose of studying it. Your paper should have a title and should have your name and class information on the bottom, right-hand side of the paper. Be prepared to discuss your thoughts about the importance of history as a class discussion. Your paper will be turned in.

3. Quotes • 1. To be ignorant of what happened before you were born is to ever be a child. (Cicero) • 2. Until the lion has a historian of his own, the tale of the hunt will always glorify the hunter. (African Proverb) • 3. The aim of the historian, like that of the artist, is to enlarge our picture of the world, to give us a new way of looking at things. (James Joll) • 4. History is filled with the sound of silken slippers going downstairs and wooden shoes coming up. – Voltaire • 5. History never looks like history when you are living through it. - John W. Gardner, quoted by Bill Moyers

4. Personal History On a separate sheet of paper, write a brief personal history. Title your paper and write your name, date, and class information in the upper right-hand corner of the paper. This history should introduce you to me, telling me a bit about yourself and your life. Your history should be no shorter than two, well-developed, 5-7 sentence paragraphs. After all, you’ve lived at least 14 or so years so surely your life is worth at least 2 paragraphs!!