Thinking Like a Historian
ASSIGNMENT: In this course, you have been introduced to the skills of historical thinking by examining events in modern U.S. history with attention to the Five Cs: change over time, context, causality, contingency, and complexity. Recall each of these historical thinking skills from the lesson:
Change Over Time: History happens over a period of time. During any given period of time, people, events, and ideas can change.
Context: Think about historical events in terms of their greater context. Nothing occurs in a vacuum, isolated from the social, cultural, economic, or political setting of the day.
Causality: All historical events have multiple causes and effects. Before the first shot of World War II was fired, a long history of political, economic, and social unrest set the stage.
Contingency: Everything is related. Historians think about the ways in which historical trends and events are related to other trends and events, making connections between them.
Complexity: We live in a complex world. Historians understand this and create historical narratives that reflect a world of different meanings and perspectives.
Historians apply these critical thinking skills when creating accounts of the past. Now, its your turn to apply these skills of historical thinking by analyzing topics or events using the same framework.