Taking A Stand In History NEWSPAPERS IN EDUCATION Taking a Stand in History Table of Contents Thinking Like a Historian, 2-3 Thinking Like a Historian 4 Taking a Stand: Sequoyah Being a History Detective and Cherokee Syllabary National History Day is a yearlong program engaging more than half a Taking a Stand: Clara Luper million students in the research, writing, interpretation, and presentation of 5 historical projects at a regional, state, and national level. Each year thousands 6 Politics in Oklahoma of Oklahoma students become young historians through participation in this program. Here is one activity that can help you be a young historian, too! 7 Taking a Stand: Dr. Zhudi What exactly IS of her speaking in that particular National History Day: Taking a considered an important time period. There are several types Stand in History project, his bypass historical event. While doing history? of primary documents so let’s take heart is an artifact that can be research for your National Simply, history is about people a look at a few examples. found on display at the Oklahoma History Day: Taking a Stand in from and events that have happened History Center. History project, you can go to the in the past. Historians are people OHS Research Library to find oral who study and sometimes write Written Documents histories that have been recorded about the past, and are thought of Most of the research historians Images or written down for use as primary as experts in their field of study. do is based on this type of evidence. Historians can also use sources. Historians are a lot like detectives, One reason is that this type of pictures, paintings, and prints searching for clues to answer evidence is easiest to verify, or in their research. Images can be questions. They must conduct a check if it from newspapers, photographs, What are lot of research, or gathering and is true and illustrations, advertisements, books, secondary examining of evidence. Historians accurate. tapestries, paintings, or other kinds Examples of art made during a specific time sources? must use evidence, or sources, from Secondary sources are sources of written period. many places in order to find out created after the event happened, documents the exact who, what, where, when, usually many years after. are things and why of a certain event. It is Oral Histories Secondary sources are based on the such as important that you are an informed Oral histories are interviews interpretation of primary sources. letters, history detective while researching that a historian conducts with a Secondary sources are a great way diaries, and your National History Day: Taking person who experienced an event to start your National History Day: ledgers. When researching written a Stand in History project. There in the past. These interviews can Taking a Stand in History project documents for your National are several types of evidence, but be audio recordings, video because they can point you toward History Day: Taking a Stand in historians break them into two recordings, or the primary sources used by the History project, make sure your categories: primary and secondary even written person who created the secondary documents are from reliable sources. down. Oral source. sources. histories are History books and What are primary different from encyclopedias are excellent starting Artifacts media sources? points in research as secondary Primary sources are writings Artifacts are objects from the sources. They can help historians or artifacts from a particular time past. They can be anything eating understand a little about the time period a historian is studying. If utensils, pots and pans, weapons, period they are researching, as well one is studying Clara Luper for or clothing. By examining how an as provide primary sources to study. their National History Day: Taking object was made, what it was used Documentaries are also valuable a Stand in History project, one of for, where it was found, and who secondary sources. They can the Clara Luper radio shows would it belonged to, an artifact can tell provide a broad picture in a small be considered a primary source us a lot about the people who used interviews, amount of time. because it is it that may not have been written because they a recording down. For example, if one is usually happen studying Dr. Nazih Zuhdi for their years after an event that is now 2 Taking a Stand in History Thinking Like a Historian, Being a History Detective How do we know Why or why not? What was happening in that time that may if the evidence is have persuaded the author to write reliable? what they did? Historians have to check their If the source is an artifact sources in order to make sure they similar questions must be asked. are accurate. In order to prove Who made it? What was it used accuracy, there are several steps and for? Where and when was it questions a historian must ask. made? What is the maker’s The first thing a historian must perspective? (That one is useful do is to look at evidence objectively; for images.) Is it similar to other that is, without judgement. The items found from this time period? perspective of the historian may be What may have been happening in different than what the evidence the world that prompted them to shows, but the historian needs make this? to remain neutral in order to Historians have to determine understand and interpret the people if the evidence is bias, meaning it and events of the time period they only comes from one side of the are studying. While researching story. They also have to make sure your National History Day: Taking that the evidence is based on fact a Stand in History project, you will or opinion. If it is considered an need to make sure you are aware of opinion, it is not a reliable source. your sources biases because people Historians then have to look who created the sources will all at other artifacts from the time have biases or positions based on and compare them. Are there who they are as a person. Many other documents or artifacts that primary and secondary sources are share a similar story? Are there not unbiased but that can be used other documents or artifacts that to help support your thesis. disagree? If there are many to look A historian must ask several at, which ones are more reliable questions in order to prove the and why? authenticity of the source. If it is After the historian has verified written, who wrote it? What is the reliability of the source, the author’s perspective? Why did they must look at it closely to they write it? When and where was determine the significance of the it written? Is it a reliable source? object or document. Please use these research tips, as well as the many resources available to you on the Oklahoma National History Day website, http://www.okhistory.org/historycenter/historyday. 3 Taking a Stand in History Cherokee Syllabary How does developing Sequoyah wanted to make a Cherokee language. When he The Cherokee Syllabary was similar system of writing for the taught his daughter how to use eventually turned to type, and a written language fit in Cherokee despite some suspicions the syllabary, they were both presses helped provide newspapers, with National History Day: from members of the tribe. His charged with witchcraft because books, and other printed material Taking a Stand in History? development of this idea was of the superstitions of some tribal in the Cherokee language. The interrupted by his service in the members. syllabary was, and is, vital in the Sequoyah took a strong stand in War of 1812. After he proved the worth of preservation of Cherokee history. history for the advancement of his During the War of 1812, the writing, many warriors and Without Sequoyah’s stand about tribe. Sequoyah, born in Sequoyah noticed that the other tribal members asked him to teach written language for the Cherokee, Tennessee around 1775 soldiers were communicating with it to them. Not only used for their history may not be known to a Cherokee mother their families through writing communication between Cherokee today. and European father, something the Cherokees could not tribal members, it is also would began to notice how the do. This pushed him to create the be inspiration for other tribes Europeans communicated. Cherokee Syllabary after he came to have written languages and back from the war in 1814. The would benefit the Cherokees for syllabary includes 85 symbols that generations to come. The syllabary represent the sounds in the was presented to and adopted by the tribe in 1821. Sources: William L. Anderson, “Sequoyah,” Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=SE020 Cherokee Nation. “Sequoyah and the Cherokee Syllabary.” www.cherokee.org/AboutTheNation/History/Facts/SequoyahandtheCherokeeSyllabary Sequoyah Birthplace Museum, “Overcoming Challenges.” www.sequoyahmuseum.org/index.cfm/m/6 Artifact Analysis Suggested Grades Objectives Instructions 2-12 Artifacts are the objects of history. 1. Have students look at the photos Through artifacts, historians can of the Cherokee Syllabary type from 4. Have students sketch the artifact. learn more about the past. This the Cherokee Phoenix. 5. Have students describe how Overview activity will help students analyze Objects from the past, often the artifact may be used. What is material culture from the past and 2. Have students determine from referred to as artifacts, can help it used for? Who may have used it determine its use and importance.