Historian’s Toolkit

What is History?
is the study of past events, particularly
in human affairs: American History. Historians
look at many written and archaeological sources as
well as location, place, and culture, etc., to try to
explain the life of a population.
Primary Sources
Historians collect evidence and use it
to interpret events in history.
Historians use primary sources.
offer firsthand
information and were written or
made by people who took part in
or witnessed historical events.
Primary sources include official
documents such as laws or court
decisions, speeches, eyewitness
accounts from diaries or journals,
letters, emails, and sometimes
autobiographies. Primary sources
could also include visual evidence
such as an original news
photographs or video.
 Secondary Sources
Historians also make use of secondary
sources. are
descriptions of interpretations of
historical events made by people
who were not at a historical event.
Secondary sources are one step
removed from the original event or
“horse's mouth”. Examples of
secondary sources are textbooks,
encyclopedias, books and articles
written by historians.
 Primary or Secondary?
1) A diary written by George Washington.
2) A Time Magazine article from 1980 titled “Lewis & Clark: an American
Journey”.
3) A chapter from the textbook we use to study American history.
4) An original photograph of Red Hook from 1890 that you found in your
grandparents photo album.
5) A gold pan that was used in 1849 that you saw at the California Gold Rush
Historical Museum.
6) A book published in 1992 that you found in the library titled “The Complete
Story of Albany, New York.”
7) A copy of an original government document called “New York Criminal Laws
of 1875” that you found on the New York Historical Society web site.
8) A web site called “The Complete Internet Encyclopedia” that has a page
about New York State History.
Archaeology
An is a scientist who studies the
human past by examining the things people left
behind. Archaeologists make theories about the
past based on what they learn from bones and
artifacts. are tools and other objects
that humans made. They give clues about who
ancient people were and how they lived.
Archaeology
Before they begin digging,
archaeologists design a grid on
the ground using rope and
string. Each square in the grid
must be carefully searched. A
record must be kept of anything
found, including what was
found next to it.

The tools they use are sometimes very

simple. Tools include trowels, brushes,
spoons, dental picks, sieves, saws,
dustpans, and wheelbarrows.
They search each grid very carefully.
Digging at a site is slow and careful
work.
What is Geography?
Geography is the study of the land and
people. It involves the relationship between
people, their environment, and their
resources.
Geographers and cartographers (map makers)
use advanced technology to study geography.
Computers can create
electronic maps with features
that can be quickly added or
removed. They can also
monitor the environment for
signs of global warming.

Surveyors are Global Positioning

engineers who Systems use at least
determine the three satellites to identify
boundaries and a person’s absolute
elevations of location. They are used
land or to study other aspects of
structures. geography.
 The Five Themes of Geography
Loosely based on Dr. Worm by They Might Be Giants

They call me Mr. Lip

Good Morning, how are you? I’m Mr. Lip
I’m interested in themes
Geography is Movement, Region,
Location, Interaction, and Place
So call me Mr. Lip

I like to study maps

They show you ‘lots of details
And important information
About Geography like Movement, Region,
Location, Interaction, and Place
So call me Mr. Lip

They call me Mr. Lip

Good Morning, how are you? I’m Mr. Lip
I’m interested in themes
Geography is Movement, Region,
Location, Interaction, and Place
Call me Mr. Lip
Exact
Setting the Stage Physical

LOCATION PLACE
Relative Human

THEMES OF
GEOGRAPHY
MOVEMENT REGION

People Ideas INTERACTION Physical Cultural

Goods People & Political

Environment
 ocation
is divided into &

can be shown using coordinates of longitude and

latitude. It is more commonly given by using an address that gives an exact
position. Here are some examples:
A Map Address (longitude and latitude):
15o20' North, 20o15' West

A Street Address:
11, Silly Street, Anywhere Town, Nowhere Place

Both of these examples well tell you exactly where a place is.

describes where something is in relation to somewhere

or something else. Here are some examples:
“ten minutes away by train “

“next to the bank”

With these two examples you can only find what you want if you know where you
are starting. It's useful, though, for giving directions. If I just told you that New
York was located at 40o North, 73o West, you probably couldn't picture that in
your head. If I told you that it was in the Northeastern United States, you could
probably imagine it much better.
 lace
is a description of what an area is like, rather than where it is (location).
It describes what makes that place different than others. Place is divided into
& .

Physical Characteristics include things that occur naturally, such as

mountains, rivers, type of soil, wildlife, climate etc.

I might say that a place is heavily wooded with

hot springs that erupt periodically, ejecting
columns of super-heated water. I'm being somewhat
vague, but you can already see a picture of the
area in your head.

Human Characteristics are things that have changed due to people, such as
roads, buildings, how people live, and their traditions.

This is where you can really “go to town” in your

description. You can discuss cities, landmarks,
lifestyle, culture and all sorts of other interesting
facts that make a place unique and special.
 egion
A is an area that shares common features that set it apart. We have
countries ruled by governments, areas speaking the same language, areas that
share the same religion, or areas served by a particular service, such as a
school district. Some common types of regions are:
Regions defined by political characteristics such as countries.
Regions defined by physical characteristics such as or continents.
Regions defined by a function are areas served by a particular service.
For example the Red Hook Central School District.
Loosely defined regions are
grouped together in general terms.
These are areas such as the
Northeast, New England, Chinatown,
the Muslim World, or the Far East.
 ovement
refers to the shifting of people, goods, and ideas
from one place to another. People constantly move in search of
better places to live, and they trade goods with one another over
great distances. Movement also allows ideas and unfortunately
diseases to travel from place to place. In recent years, technology
has quickened the movement of goods and ideas.
We can describe the type of communications a place has and the
main forms of transportation, as well as what goods are exported
and imported.
 nteraction
refers to the ways people interact with their environment, such
as building dams, cutting down trees, or farming.
It can be divided into how people have been changed by the environment, how
the environment has been changed by people, and how people depend on the
environment.
How people have been changed by the environment can be called
adaptation. It is the way humans change to suit their environment.
An example of this is people who live in very cold climates wearing well-insulated
clothes to keep warm.
How the environment has been changed is the way people change their
environment to suit themselves. Irrigating land in desert areas to grow crops, or
on a smaller scale, watering your lawn are examples of changing an
environment. Pollution is an unfortunate by-product of human habitation.
Humans depend on the environment for many things. Examples of these are
using trees for firewood, using oil or coal to warm us in winter, and using rivers to
transport goods.
 Maps and Globes
To locate places, geographers used maps and globes.
A map is a drawing of the Earth’s surface. A person that
makes maps is called a cartographer.
A globe is a round object shaped like a ball (sphere)
that has a map of the world on it.
 Map Basics
There are many different types of maps and each of them have a
variety of features. Three common types of maps are physical maps,
political maps, and historical maps.

Physical Maps show mountains, hills, plains, rivers,

lakes, oceans, and other physical features of an area.

Political Maps show political units, such as

countries, states, provinces, counties,
districts, and towns. Each unit is normally
shaded a different color, represented by a
symbol, or shown with a different typeface.

Thematic or Historical Maps illustrate such things

as Battles, economic activity, and changing national
boundaries.
 Map Projections
A projection is a way of showing the curved surface of the earth on a flat map.
Flat maps cannot show the size, shape, and direction of a globe all at once with
total accuracy. As a result, all projections distort some aspect of the earth’s
surface.

Mercator Projections show most of the

continents as they look on a globe.
However, they stretch the lands near the
poles.

Homolosine Projections show

accurate shapes and sizes of
landmasses, but distances are not
correct.

Robinson Projections show the entire

earth with nearly true sizes and shapes
of the continents and oceans. However,
the shapes of the landforms near the
poles appear flat.
 Parts of a Map
1. Lines – indicate boundaries, roads, rivers, etc.
2. Symbols – represent cities, battle sites, or activities.
3. Labels – words or phrases that explain items on a
map.
4. Compass Rose – shows directions.
5. Scale – shows the ratio between distance on a map
and on Earth.
6. Colors – can show info. like population density or
growth.
7. Key or Legend – explains symbols, lines, colors, etc.
8. Lines of Latitude & Longitude – imaginary lines that
form a grid to help locate the absolute location of a
place.
Latitude Lines
Lines of Latitude are
imaginary lines that run
east to west around the
globe and are known as
parallels. They show the
distance in degrees north
or south of the equator.
The equator is a latitude
line that circles the earth
halfway between the North
and South Poles at 0°
latitude.
Longitude Lines
Lines of Longitude
are imaginary lines
that run north to
south around the
globe and are known
as meridians. They
show the distance in
degrees east or west of
the prime meridian,
which passes through
Greenwich, England at
0° longitude.
Longitude & Latitude
Longitude and latitude
lines appear together on
a map and allow you to
pinpoint the absolute
location of cities and
other geographic
features. You express
this location through
coordinates of
intersecting lines that are
measured in degrees.
 How to
Use a Map
1. Identify the
title of the
Map.

2. Use the
compass rose
to determine
direction.

3. Use the scale

to estimate
the distance
between
places.

4. Use the key,

or legend, to
find info
about colors
or symbols on
the map.

5. Use latitude
and longitude
or grid to
determine
absolute
locations.
Geographic Pictionary
 Timelines
A timeline can help you understand sequence by identifying
major events and the dates when they took place. To read a
timeline:
Step 1 Read the title of the timeline to determine its subject.
Step 2 Look at the beginning and end points of the timeline
to determine its time span. What period of time does the
timeline cover?
Step 3 Read all events on the timeline. Notice when each
event happened.
Tables
Tables are a simple way to organize a large amount of
information. Tables are arranged in a grid pattern.
Columns run vertically, from top to bottom. Rows run
horizontally, from left to right.
Four American Wars
War Dates Opponents Results
American American Colonists * Colonists win
Revolution
1775-1781 vs. Britain * US independence
* No clear winner
United States
War of 1812 1812-1814 vs. Britain
* Increased national
pride
Mexican- United States * US wins
American War
1846-1848 vs. Mexico * US gains territory
* North wins
Civil War 1861-1865 North vs. South * Union preserved
* Slavery ends
 Charts & Graphs
Graphs show numerical information in a visual form.
To read and interpret the information represented in
bar graphs, line graphs, or circle graphs:
Step 1 Read the title to find the subject of the graph.
Read the labels, if any, for more specific information.
Step 2 Study the data to see if you can find
similarities, differences, increases, or decreases.
Step 3 Make one or more general statements about
what the graph shows.
Charts & Graphs

• What percentage of the population in

1570 was made up of Native
Americans? In 1650?
• How much American wealth went to
Spain in 1620?
 Writing Like a Historian
There are three types of essays you will write this year.
1. Expository Essays – an essay that explains something
in detail. For example, Explain why the Articles of
Confederation were a weak plan of government.
2. Narrative Essays – a short story with characters, a
setting, and a plot. You might be asked to write about a
historical setting or conflict as though you were there.
3. Persuasive Essays – an essay that supports a position
or opinion. You might be asked to take a side in a
historical argument and persuade your audience to
agree with your point of view.
You will always need to gather detailed historical
evidence, write an outline, write a first draft, revise and
proofread, and present a final product.