Canadian History 11

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Canadian History 11

• Fundamental Questions
• What Is History?
• The Importance of History
• Skills and Strategies of the Historian
• Thinking Like an Historian
• Canadas Cultural Identity and You
• Investigating History Through Persistent Questions

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Fundamental Questions

1. Why is it important that we understand the past?
2. In what ways is the study of the past an evolving
   and ongoing process?
3. What skills and strategies are necessary for
   historical investigation?
4. In what ways is the history of Canada complex and
   multifaceted?
5. What are the key persistent questions in
   Canadas past and present?

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Assignment

1. Read the prologue Investigating Canadas Past
   pp. 2 9 in the textbook provided.
2. Through your reading develop answers to the five
   (5) fundamental questions. We will discuss these
   answers as a class once you are finished.

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What Is History?

• History involves the study of the events of the
  past and the implications that different
  interpretations of these events have on the
  present and the future.
• History focusses on the past, but historical
  investigation is ongoing and evolving.

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The Importance of History

• Knowing the past can
• Help us better understand the events of today.
• Help us foresee, and even shape the events that
  may take place in the future.

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Skills and Strategies of the Historian

1. Historical empathy
2. Historical Agency
3. Historical Perspectives
4. Historical Justice
5. Critical analysis
6. Original Research

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Skills and Strategies of the Historian

• Avoiding historical Hindsight
• Detecting historical bias
• Understanding the complexity of issues
• Abstract Thinking
• Critical Thinking
• Respecting differing opinions and interpretations
• The Canadian Encyclopedia Website

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Thinking Like an Historian

• Historical issues are complex
• They require us to develop and use skills to
  unlock, interpret and understand the many points
  of view taken in historical analysis

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Canadas Cultural Identity and You

• Our views of the past and the values we apply to
  them are influenced by who we are this is
  called bias.
• Some predetermined influences include our family,
  traditions, language, gender, race, culture, and
  so on.
• Those that are not predetermined include school,
  friends, careers and so on.
• Since, individually, we have ideas about Canadas
  identity defining a common identity can be
  difficult in a multicultural country.

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Investigating History Through Persistent
Questions

• History is not just dates and facts
• It requires researching and interpreting
  solutions to persistent questions
• Persistent Questions are those that are
  unresolved over many generations

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The Key Persistent Questions

• What has been Canada's place in the community of
  nations, and what should Canada's role be?
• 2. How has the Canadian economy evolved in an
  attempt to meet the needs and wants of all
  Canadian people?

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The Key Persistent Questions

1. Have governments in Canada, past and present,
   been reflective of Canadian societies?
2. How have struggles for sovereignty defined and
   continue to define Canada?
3. How has Canada struggled for a just and fair
   society?

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LeBel, S. and Orr, J. Canadas History Voices
and Visions, Toronto, Gage 2003.