What Is World History?
Driving Question: Why is learning history important?
History comes alive when we view events from multiple perspectives and time periods. To uncover an event’s true significance, historians rely on powerful tools like claim testing and scale switching—methods that help unravel the complexities of the past and bring it into sharp focus.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn how scale switching helps historians better understand the past.
- Learn how to use claim testers to evaluate arguments.
- Identify the three frames of this course and explain their characteristics.
Vocab Terms:
- authority
- claim testing
- evidence
- frame
- intuition
- logic
- scale switching
Ever heard the phrase “look at the big picture”? Now, imagine what happens when you're only looking at one small piece of it. The full story can be completely different.
Each unit of the course begins with an overview video like this one. These videos introduce students to the main narratives and themes of each unit. Each one digs into a historical example and examines historical data that will help students understand larger historical trends.
Overview videos break down the big themes, spotlight key data, and zoom in or out to give you fresh angles on history.
-
Guiding Questions
-
Before you watch
Preview the questions below, and then review the transcript.
While you watch
Look for answers to these questions:
- What is claim testing?
- What kind of evidence does Bennett use to test Kim and Colby’s arguments?
- What is scale switching?
- Why didn’t Colby travel to Australia to film this video?
- What are frames, and what are the three frame narratives used in this course?
After you watch
Respond to this question: This video uses the phrase “usable history” a few times. Can you think about a historical event, person, or process that has made history “usable” in your own life?
This is the first claim-testing activity in the course. If you need to brush up on your understanding of this historical thinking skill, check out OER Project supports like our claim-testing posters and Feedback Forms. You can find them—and some quick tips and tricks for teaching this skill—in a quick one-pager.
Historians love to make claims about the past. Claim testing is the best tool for evaluating those arguments and separating fact from fiction.
Every reading in this course is accompanied by guiding questions in a routine called Three-Step Reading. Students first 1) skim for orientation; 2) they then read for understanding; and 3) finally, they connect the text to what they’re learning.
You’ll find sample answers in every Lesson Guide. For more information on Three-Step Reading, you can check out pages 2–3 of the Reading Guide.
Interpreting history means diving deep into the details. Try the Three-Step Reading strategy to dig into the first article in this course.
-
Guiding Questions
-
Before you read
Preview the questions below, and then skim the article. Be sure to look at the section headings and any images.
While you read
Look for answers to these questions:
- How did the fourteenth-century Black Death become “usable” history to more people in 2020?
- Some historians argue that students should focus on learning information. Others argue that students need to focus on a set of skills. Which approach—information or skills—is used in this course?
- The author of this article gives an example of a historian of the future studying social media about a fight you had with a friend. What information about your life could a future historian learn from this story?
- Why is it important that historians have several history stories to work with?
- What are the three frames in this course?
After you read
Respond to this question: Can you think of any stories from the past that are important in your family history or in the history of your hometown or region?
What happens when we start with the big picture? How does zooming in on the smaller details change our understanding? It’s all about shifting perspectives to uncover new insights.
