Vocabulary: historical thinking
Know and use the vocabulary of historical thinking — source, evidence, primary source, secondary source, artefact, chronology, chronological order, BC/BCE, AD/CE, century, decade, era, period, timeline, excavation, archaeologist, interpretation, corroborate, bias, perspective — and apply these terms when discussing how we know about the past and how reliable our knowledge is
Typical age: 6–10 years
“If you asked your child whether something they read in a history book was definitely true, could they explain why it might not be — using words like 'source', 'evidence', or 'bias'?”
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- Different Accounts of the Same EventREQUIRED
Recognising that different accounts exist requires 'source', 'perspective', and 'interpretation' vocabulary
- Evidence from the PastREQUIRED
Understanding that everything we know comes from evidence requires 'evidence' and 'source' vocabulary
- Understanding People in Their Own Time
Judging historical actions in context draws on era, period, and chronology vocabulary
- Evidence Versus InterpretationREQUIRED
Distinguishing evidence from interpretation requires both these terms as precise vocabulary
- Questioning Historical SourcesREQUIRED
Evaluating a source requires 'primary source', 'secondary source', 'bias' vocabulary
- Checking Sources Against Each OtherREQUIRED
Corroborating sources requires the term 'corroborate' and 'evidence'