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History Skills 02

Historians use sources to understand the past, but they must question who created them, why they were made and how trustworthy each piece of evidence really is.

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Fascinating Fact:

A source can be biased if it shows only one side of an event, but it can still be valuable if its viewpoint is understood.

In KS3 History, you learn how to question evidence and think like a historian. You compare sources, look for bias, consider provenance and decide how far you can trust each account.

Key Terms

Source: Any piece of evidence that gives information about the past, such as a letter, photo, speech or cartoon.
Bias: When a source favours one side or viewpoint and does not present events in a completely balanced way.
Provenance: The background of a source, including who created it, when it was made and why it was produced.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What does bias mean in KS3 History?

In KS3 History, bias means that a source is not neutral. It shows a particular opinion or interest, which can affect how events and people are described.

How do historians check if a source is reliable?

Historians compare several sources, look at the provenance, and ask whether the creator had a reason to exaggerate, leave things out or present events in a certain way.

Why do historians still use biased sources?

Historians use biased sources because they reveal attitudes, beliefs and arguments from the time. When their viewpoint is understood, they can still provide useful evidence about the past.

Try These Related Quizzes

1 .

Objects as evidence are known as what?

Aristofacts

Artefacts

Factoids

Factotums

Artefacts can be things like coins, bones, pottery or jewellery

2 .

Which of these is not a primary source?

A photo of the World War One trenches

Anne Frank's diary

Bones in a burial chamber

Last week's newspaper article about the slave trade

The article was written long after the event, based on other sources

3 .

A historian may be said to do what with evidence?

Internalise it

Interpolate it

Interpret it

Interrogate it

Different historians may interpret the same evidence in different ways

4 .

What is a hypothesis?

A historical error

A possible explanation

A Roman central heating system

A source that has been damaged

The key word here is possible. A hypothesis will usually evolve and change as time passes and new evidence is found, or if old evidence is examined and looked at from a different point of view

5 .

What term means a source produced after an event?

Consequential

Fake

Secondary

Subsidiary

These are sometimes produced by researching primary sources and other secondary sources

6 .

Which of these is the correct chronological order?

Stuarts, Tudors, Victorians, Georgians

Tudors, Georgians, Stuarts, Victorians

Tudors, Stuarts, Georgians, Victorians

Tudors, Stuarts, Victorians, Georgians

Periods of history are usually named after the ruling house or a specific ruler e.g. Queen Victoria or King George

7 .

Which period of history came immediately before the Middle Ages?

The Black Ages

The Classical Age

The Dark Ages

The Doomsdays

The Dark Ages were approximately 600-1000 AD

8 .

What is an anachronism?

A book about a historical figure

A huge fear of spiders

A reason for going to war

Something placed in the wrong time period

e.g. a Roman soldier with an AK47 rifle

9 .

Someone who excavates historical sites is called what?

Anthropologist

Archaeologist

Archaeopteryx

Archivist

They excavate a site very carefully using fine brushes and trowels so that they don't break something they find or miss anything important. The location of every 'find' is carefully added to a map of the excavation site

10 .

Historians use what to show events in order?

Calendar line

Chronoline

Lifeline

Timeline

A timeline is very useful to help remember and understand the events in a specific area

Author: Jan Crompton (KS3 Geography & History Teacher, Professional Quiz Writer)