What is “History”?

“As a discipline history encourages the sort of deep thinking and reading literacy required in our increasingly complex world. As s subject matter history contains the very essence of who we are and where we come from.”

“History is a discipline; a way of thinking that encourages students to analyze historical evidence, evaluate it, and then demonstrate their understanding of that evidence… [It] helps one make meaning in a chaotic and changing present.”

“In a society fueled by instantaneous information and swirling with historical explanations, students need the power of discernment more than ever before.” [...]

"Most fundamentally, history is not the past. It is a study of the past."

Excerpted from: Mandell, Nikki, and Bobbie Malone. Thinking like a Historian: Rethinking History Instruction: A framework to Enhance and Improve Teaching and Learning. Madison, Wisconsin: Wisconsin Historical Society Press, 2007. Print. (5)