1.2.7 Causes and consequences Once historical events have been placed into chronological order, investigating how one event has caused another event and how events are connected becomes easier. We can also look at the developments that have happened in both the short term and over a longer period of time. In history, events do not occur without reason. Every event will have a cause and is likely to result in several effects or consequences. Identifying patterns of cause and effect is an essential skill for historians that allows them to explain how and why things happened in the past. Causes may include people, societies, politics, beliefs, economics or any other historical factor. Likewise, effects can include impacts on people, societies, politics, beliefs, economics or any other historical factor. Not all causes leading to a specific event are equally significant — some causes may have more influence than others. Some causes occur immediately before an event begins, while others may have existed for several years, decades or centuries before the event. Some effects occur immediately after an event or action, while others may occur years, decades or centuries following the event or action. 1.2.8 Historical significance Historical significance relates to the importance of particular aspects of the past such as events, individuals or groups, developments, ideas or movements, and historical sites. We need to make judgements about what is important and what is less important. When we try to establish the significance of an aspect of the past, we must consider a number of questions. For example: • How relevant was it to people living at that time? SkillBuilder discussion Historical significance What aspects of your life as a student do you consider to be significant? For example, consider access to technology, the physical state of the space you use, the resources you can access or the subjects that you are studying. Do you think that the things you consider to be significant were important 10, 50 or 100 years ago? Do you think they will be significant 50 years from now? Communicating As a result of our investigations, we can apply our new knowledge of a historical period and communicate it, using facts and evidence. We can present our interpretations of the past in a variety of ways including written and multimodal presentations, oral presentations and other methods. Use an appropriate and clear format to communicate historical findings, including subheadings, guiding questions and formal language. Furthermore, as historians, we must acknowledge the sources we use and the interpretations of other historians in our work. This is called referencing. There are several guidelines to follow when referencing. Often, your school or teacher will have you follow a particular reference guide, which explains how to create a reference list. 1.2.9 • How many people were affected? • How did it change people’s lives? • How long were people’s lives affected? • How important and long lasting were the consequences? • How relevant is it to the contemporary world?
TOPIC1 Historical concepts and skills 9
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator