Sunday, July 29, 2018

Why Don't You Just Tell Us the Answer? Takeaways - Introduction

This post will be my first reflection on the book Why Don't You Just Tell Us the Answer? by Bruce Lesh.

So far, his book is very insightful, and I'm looking forward to hearing more strategies from him. Some reflections will be longer than others, but essentially I am using my blog to keep track of my thoughts as I read. Here goes!

"History does not pivot on the provability of theories... [it] is about the debate between competing interpretations of events, individuals, and ideas of the past based on the utilization of historical evidence." - Bruce Lesh

This is something that I want my students to really understand. History cannot be proven. There is no single right answer. Instead, it's all about interpretation and the perspective from which we view the facts that leads to a construction of history.

Historical thinking skills that Lesh covers in his book:
  • Causality
  • Chronology
  • Multiple Perspectives
  • Contingency
  • Empathy
  • Change and Continuity Over Time
  • Influence/Significance/Impact
  • Contrasting Interpretations
  • Intent/Motivation
  • Source Work

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