Skill: Historical Context

Social Studies for 10th EGBTeacher: Mauricio Torres

Context

▪ A context is the circumstances under which something happens. ▪ Historical context includes values, beliefs, conditions and

practices that were common in the past.▪ These can be very different than what they are today!

▪ So, to truly understand a historical event, you have to take it into context!▪ That way we will avoid judging what people in history did or said

based on present values alone.▪ By doing so, we will be fair with the people that made history.

Learn the skill

To better understand something a historical figure said or wrote, we should use the following guidelines in order to identify the context:

▪ Identify the speaker, date and topic.

▪ Determine the speaker’s attitude.

▪ Review what was known about the topic at that time.

▪ Compare and contrast that period’s values with today’s.

Context

Identify

Determine Review

Compare &

Contrast

Practice

Muslim and European armies clashed back in 1191. The following account was written by Baha’ ad-Din, an advisor to Saladin. He witnessed the battle. The following passage is an account of the battle. Search for context and answer the questions on the following slide.

Practice

Baha’ ad-Din, from Arabian Historians of the Crusades:

▪ “The center of the Muslim ranks was broken, drums and flags fell to the ground… Although there were almost 7000 killed that day god gave the Muslims victory over their enemies. Saladin stood firm until… the Muslims were exhausted, and then, he agreed to a truce at the enemies’ request.”

Questions:

1. What happened to Saladin’s army?

2. History records this battle as a European victory. Plus, this account is part of a larger statement written in praise of Saladin. Does this additional context change your understanding and answer to the first question? Explain how or why not.

Oral Practice

List some situations or events in history in which the writer’s point of view affects the historical context by the use of bias.

▪ Event:

▪ Who wrote it?

▪ Where is the bias?

Bibliography

▪ Burstein, S. M., & Shek, R. (2012). World History (Teacher´s Edition) (1st Edition ed.). (H. McDougal, Ed.) Orlando, Florida, US.: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

▪ Images taken from www.google.com