History Learning Outcomes

• Historical Literacy: Students will understand the diversity of historical experience and the fundamental principles of historical understanding, including, for example, the identification of types of sources, the concept of periods and other forms of historical organization. They will develop this skill by:

  • Articulating a knowledge of historical periods and chronological terms
  • Distinguishing between primary and secondary sources
  • Locating places on world map. d. Demonstrating the difference between historical fact and historical interpretation based on primary sources

• Information Literacy: Students will effectively use library and online resources to locate appropriate material for historical research and understanding of appropriate citation methods. They will develop this skill by:

  • Locating materials in Eastern’s library catalog and online databases
  • Properly citing sources
  • Distinguishing between appropriate and inappropriate sources for historical research

• Historical Research in Primary Sources: Students will understand how to analyze and effectively use primary historical sources, both published and archival, for historical research. They will develop this skill by:

  • Contextualizing primary sources
  • Reading and analyzing primary sources in an appropriate way
  • Writing analytically about historical topics using primary sources

• Historiography: Students will evaluate historical writing and understand that different historians may interpret events and documents differently. They will develop this skill by:

  • Explaining the basic concept of historiography and historical interpretation
  • Evaluating secondary sources in terms of thesis, appropriate audience, etc.
  • Writing critically about secondary sources

• Historical Writing: Students will properly use the conventions of historical writing. They will develop this skill by:

  • Writing in a way that utilizes basic conventions such as appropriate tense, voice, etc.
  • Articulating the different forms of historical writing and the appropriate conventions for each form
  • Expressing an understanding of the importance of proper citation to prevent plagiarism