SOCIALS 9 JAN EXAM

Historical Significance

1. Importance of a person, event, or development in history

2. It’s important because it determines what is remembered, taught, and researched

3. EX:

   1. The fall of the Berlin Wall (1918) is historically significant because it symbolized the end of the Cold War, led to the reunification of Germany, and made a shift towards better political/economic freedom in Eastern Europe.

Primary Source Evidence

1. Primary sources are original documents, objects, or other evidence created at the time of what is being studied

2. It’s important because it provides direct, firsthand accounts of historical events

   1. Helps construct accurate histories

3. EX:

   1. Letters written by soldiers in WW1 are primary source evidence. They help historians understand daily life, experience, and emotions of individuals through the war, adding understanding to the human aspect of WW1.

Continuity and Change

1. Examines what has stayed the same and changed over time

2. It’s important because it helps historians understand the dynamics of history - what factors cause change/maintain stability

3. EX:

   1. During the Industrial Revolution, some things stayed the same, like the continued importance of trade/business.

   2. There were also changes, like the shift from farming-based economy to to industrial, increase of factory jobs, and transformation of urban life.

Cause and Consequence

1. Involves identifying reasons behind historical events (cause) and the effects those events have (consequence)

   1. Consequence can be a positive or negative outcome

2. It’s important because it helps to understand how different historical events and changes are connected and how they affect each other

3. EX:

   1. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (1914), was a primary cause of WW1

   2. Consequences of WW1 include the Treaty of Versailles, reshaping of the national borders, and eventual rise of political movements such as communism.

Historical Perspectives

1. Involves understanding and interpreting history through viewpoints of people living during that time

2. It’s important because it allows historians to consider social, cultural, political, and economic contexts that shape the peoples’ experiences and actions.

3. EX:

   1. When studying the American Revolution, it’s important to consider the perspectives of different groups involved - colonists seeking independence, the British government trying to maintain control, and enslaved African Americans who saw the conflict as a chance for freedom.

Ethical Dimensions

1. Involves examining the moral implications in historical events and actions

2. It’s important because it helps historians understand decisions people made in the past, how those choices affected others, and what we can learn from them to make better choices in the future.

3. EX:

   1. The ethical side of the Holocaust looks at the wrong choices that allowed it to happen in the first place, the responsibilty of people/countries to stop genocide, and the importance of remembering and teaching about it to prevent similar events in the future.