Thinking like a historian worksheet pdf

Step into the shoes of a History Detective and tackle some of history's toughest mysteries. These lesson plans guide students to evaluate conflicting evidence by:

• Sourcing: Who made this source? Where did it come from?
• Contextualizing: Imagine the setting surrounding this source: How was the world that made this source different than our own?
• Corroborating: What do other sources say about the information in this document? Do they agree or disagree with what this document says?
• Close Reading: What does the document say? Is it biased? What is the tone?

Equip your students with foundational tools that will help them evaluate conflicting information for the rest of their lives.

Lesson Plans

Abraham Lincoln: Man versus Legend Use historic documents to create a well-rounded portrait of Abraham Lincoln

Evaluating Conflicting Evidence: Sultana Weigh the merits of competing theories and come to a conclusion

Detective Techniques

Evaluate: Once students have completed their independent investigations, download and print our rubric, the Teacher Evaluation Checklist, to evaluate their work.

Share: Have you created lessons around History Detectives? Do you have class investigations or student discoveries you wish to share? Visit our Facebook page and share your ideas and resources with us. We always love to hear from you!

Go to PBS Learning Media for more than 3000+ lesson plans and activities.

• For Educators Home

• Lesson Plans
  • Abraham Lincoln: Man versus Legend
  • African American History: Activity Pack
  • African American History: Climbing the Wall
  • African American History: Honored as Heroes
  • African American History: Lunch Counter Closed
  • Baker's Gold
  • Cardboard History
  • Civil War: Activity Pack
  • Civil War: Before the War
  • Civil War: Blacks on the Battlefield
  • Civil War: Face Jug
  • Crack the Case: History's Toughest Mysteries
  • Cromwell Dixon
  • Evaluating Conflicting Evidence: Sultana
  • Family History: Activity Pack
  • Family History: On Your Honor
  • Family History: Those with Lofty Ideals
  • Family History: Treasure Troves
  • Home Sweet Home
  • Inventions
  • Myth of the West: Activity Pack
  • Myth of the West: Kit Carson to the Rescue
  • Myth of the West: Lonely But Free I’ll Be Found
  • Myth of the West: The Battle of the Washita
  • Primary Sources
  • The Sixties: Activity Pack
  • The Sixties: Dylan Plugs in and Sells Out
  • The Sixties: Hitsville USA
  • The Sixties: Notes from the Ho Chi Minh Trail
  • Think Like a Historian: A Viewing Guide
  • Using Primary Sources: Activity Pack
  • Using Primary Sources: Nazi Spy Ring Busted
  • Using Primary Sources: The Rogue's Gallery
  • Using Primary Sources: Wide Open Town
  • Women's History: Activity Pack
  • Women's History: Clara Barton
  • Women's History: Glass Windows & Glass Ceilings
  • Women's History: Parading Through History
  • WWII: Activity Pack
  • WWII: Detained
  • WWII: The Art of Persuasion
  • WWII: Up in the Air
  • 1000 Words
  • Before We Travel, We Research
  • Cemetery Information
  • Classification
  • Conceptualizing An Experiment
  • Document This
  • Going Back In Time
  • Interviewing A Parent
  • Observing
  • Online Resources
  • Predicting/Making a Hypothesis
  • Researching An Historical Site
  • Scavenger Hunt
  • Searching The Attic
  • Taking A Field Trip
  • Testing The Hypothesis
  • Who Knows Best
  • Writing An Historical Poem
  • Written In Stone

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