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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA (UNISA)

Full names : Akani Vusi

Surname : Maluleke

Student no : 51541602

Course name : SUBJECT DIDACTICS SOCIAL SCIENCES

Course code : LADHSSA

Assignment no : 01

Unique no : 682401

Semester no : YEAR MODULE

Due date : 23-03-2020

 Question 1

historical evidence and historical sources

Historical evidence can take a variety of forms. It is used to construct a

picture of the past . Among the most important types of historical evidence
are primary sources. Primary sources consist of original documents, artifacts,
or other pieces of information that were created at the time under study. For
example , if we are studying World War I, the primary sources would include
everything from letters written by soldiers to kids or wives back home to
government documents to photographs to physical uniforms and
[Link] sources can be wide-ranging.

Primary sources are usually more valued than secondary sources. Secondary
sources contain useful information, but typically involve an analysis of
primary source material. Books and magazines are common examples of
secondary sources.

Another important type of historical evidence is oral tradition. Oral tradition

consists of stories that are not written down but passed on verbally, usually
from an eyewitness to succeeding generations.

Oral tradition, or oral history as it is also called, is sometimes considered a

primary source, although there is debate as to where it theoretically fits as a
source. In a lot of ways, it is in a class of its own.

Oral tradition is especially important to historians studying various ethnic

groups whose history may not be well-documented in [Link] forms
of historical evidence allow historians and other experts to gain insight into
the past and propose theories.

A historical source is anything which survives from the past or tells us about
the past. A source is not the same as evidence. A source becomes evidence
if it is used to answer a question about the past. Sources may be kept (or
preserved) for historians to use because someone wanted to keep them.
People keep notes or records2 of everything said in parliament. Sources can
also be preserved by chance.
Some examples of the sources which one might use as evidence of the life of
Sarah Batman. For information on this topic, various sources may be
consulted such as books, rock-art paintings,
photographs, visiting a museum to look at the structure of her body. Sarah
Batman a South African Khoikhoi women who, due to her large buttocks, was
exhibited as freak show attractions in 19th-century Europe under the name
Hottentot Venus—" Primary sources :Primary sources always date back to
the actual time in the past when the event they record, occurred. Primary
sources include documents or artifacts created by a witness to or participant
in an event. They can be firsthand testimony or evidence created during the
time period that you are studying. Primary sources may include diaries,
letters, interviews, oral histories, photographs, newspaper articles,
government documents, poems, novels, plays, and music. These primary
sources may also be in the form of an illustration, such as a painting,
engraving or map .The collection and analysis of primary sources is central
to historical research.

Secondary sources

secondary source interprets and analyzes primary sources. These sources

are one or more steps removed from the event. Secondary sources may
contain pictures, quotes or graphics of primary sources. Some types of
secondary source include: Textbooks; journal articles; histories; criticisms;
commentaries; encyclopedias Examples of secondary 3sources include: A
scholarly journal article about the history of cardiology

A book about the psychological effects of WWI

Material sources are the remains of people (skulls and bones) and their
activities. These include household articles such as clay pots, urns, dishes,
lamps; clothing, jeweler and general everyday articles; implements such as
arrow heads, spears, ploughs, et cetera; architectural sources such as
buildings, roads and bridges; monetary sources such as shells, beads, coins,
paper money and various currencies. These types of sources are called
artifacts and the study of these remains is called archaeology. Some of the
relics from the past which we can see and touch are called archaeological
remains. Archaeology is the science which studies the past through the
materials left behind by

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people in the past. Much of what we know from archaeology has been
discovered by unearthing pottery, tools, bones and the remains of buildings
buried in the ground.

The two sources primary and secondary are assessed in different ways.
Unisa LADHSSA study guide (2019) listed the following checklist as the way
to assess primary and secondary sources.

Checklist: primary and secondary sources

Questions to ask about primary sources

 Is it authentic, that is, is it what it seems to be?

 Is it relic or a record
 If a record, who wrote or drew it?
 If a relic, how reliable is it?
 Is the evidence it gives typical?
Questions to ask about secondary sources.
 What sources have been used to produce it?
 Are the sources on which the secondary sources is based authentic
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and reliable?
 Are the historians sources typical, that is, what sources have not
been used?
 Is the historian biased in any way?

Oral sources

Oral sources are word-of-mouth stories related by people who had first-hand
experience of events, remembrances of the past which are handed down,
folk songs and folk tales. Because oral sources change as they are passed
down from one generation to the other, it is necessary to interview a number
of people to attempt to establish the true history.

If these oral sources are written down they become written sources. Oral
history is spoken history. It consists of recollections about the past which
are told to a historian rather than written down as memoirs. Oral history is
usually first recorded on cassette, tape, or video but may be written down at
a later date. Oral historians record the reminiscences of ordinary people,
such as a former coal miner talking about the General Strike of 1922, rather
than those of the famous.

Everyone has listened to oral history like this, even if it is only a grandparent
talking about the 1930s or parents describing their own schooldays. The
recollections of old people about their early lives constitute a form of
historical evidence. Nowadays historians recognize that oral history can
make a big contribution to understanding of the past. It is also a method of
writing history which is open to anyone who has a cassette recorder. This
type of recollection may be inaccurate and unreliable as a historical source.
This is because it depends heavily on human memory, which may or may not
be faulty. Older people often tend to remember the past as being either much
better or much worse than the present. Only rarely do they seem to think of it
as being the same. If people were poor, they were much poorer than today. If
they were happy, they were much happier than today. Not surprisingly,
people recalling past events tend to justify their own actions (Sauvin
1988:63).

Historians differentiate between oral tradition and oral testimony.

• Oral tradition refers to the more formalized records of the past which have
been passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth. These
are not personal memories, but the memories of a community from which
that person comes.

Written sources or documentary evidence

Written sources or documentary evidence is evidence which can be found

and read today. It
includes material written by people of the time who experienced or
witnessed events: letters, diaries, official documents, journals, biographies,
memoirs and chronicles. Newspapers, magazines, advertisements, brochures
and pamphlets are all well-known printed written sources. Anything that is
written down (such as a letter), or printed (such as a newspaper) is thus
called documentary evidence.

are to the historian what the laboratory is to a scientist. The present trend is
to move towards the view that history is an art as well as a science. Both
scientist and historian are engaged in the study of people and their
environment. The purpose of study is the same: to increase our
understanding of and mastery over our environment. Although history can
never be removed from facts, history is also a science with rigorous methods
of research.

This scientific c facet of history can be brought to the classroom by the

study of documents. The learners must know not only the facts, but also the
scientific c methods which found these facts. The study of documents should
enable the learner to gather and arrange material, select what is relevant for
the specific c purpose, think objectively and critically, and clearly present
data either orally or in written form (Matthews et al 1992:55).Written sources
have become almost indispensable to today’s social sciences teaching.
There are three prime reasons why they are so important. First, no other type
of historical

Offers the facilitator and learner such depth of insight into human conduct.
Without devaluing the important contribution made by archaeology or place
names or other kinds of evidence, written documents off er so much more
insight into the past. Oft en documents illuminate people’s thought
processes. Th ey hint at how people thought and felt, at why they acted as
they did. Even where things are not made explicit, we can sometimes infer
information or attitudes. By defi nition, history begins when written records
begin. Archive sources have very special qualities, and should therefore lie
at the heart of any attempt to use primary evidence in the social sciences
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classroom. Second is the versatility of archive sources as a teaching
resource. Documents are particularly suitable for use in the classroom.
Bias and prejudice
Bias (one-sidedness) can be found in most historical sources, but to varying
degrees and for different reasons. When a source is biased it usually means
that it favors one side or gives one particular view of an event. Historians
need to be aware of bias and take it into account in their work. It must be
emphasized that a biased source can be useful to a historian. Do not
immediately assume that a biased source is false and of no use, because you
could be cutting yourself off from some important evidence. What a historian
does about bias depends on how and why a source is biased. Bias can have
several causes.
• Intentional bias. One of the most obvious forms of bias to recognize is one
where the source has been deliberately distorted or falsified. This could be
achieved through telling lies, missing out important facts or using extreme
language.

• Limited access to information. A source may be based on only part of the

evidence available on a topic, or may be produced before the full nature of a
subject has become clear. This could result in a rather one-sided account.

• Particular purpose behind a source. People do not oft en create records for
the benefit t of historians. They produce them for other reasons. These
reasons can cause the source to be biased.
• Beliefs or feelings of the producer of the source. People sometimes report
things in a way which is not totally accurate, not because they are
deliberately lying, but because their beliefs or feelings blind them to a
reasoned and objective view. This can oft en be caused by prejudice against
a particular race (e.g. the Jews), nation (e.g. the Soviet Union) or group in
society (e.g. street children).
How do you notice bias in a source? In general you should look for three
things:
• Language. The use of certain words can oft en reveal a person’s bias. For
example, when talking about a strike, someone might say: ―As a result of the
dispute, 8000 men are idle’’.

• Balance in the selection of facts. If you have a basic knowledge of the topic
being studied, you can look for facts which have been omitted. By leaving out
some details and highlighting others, a source can influence the reader in a
particular direction.
• Background. We all have different views (social, political, religious, moral,
etc.), and what we see and say is influenced by them. Knowledge of the
views behind a source will help in the identification of bias. Remember, a
biased source need not show all these characteristics (Hinton 1990:23–27).
An advertisement is an obvious example of bias. It does not tell you the bad
points about a product. Nor does it tell you about better products from other
manufacturers. Similar bias can be found in both primary and secondary
history sources. People oft en gloss over, or ignore, bad points and the other
side of an argument. They may select only those facts which support their
case.

They may use words designed to make readers feel strongly either for or
against a particular point of view. Bias is oft en political or religious. A
historian must study evidence carefully to see if it is biased in any way.
Prejudice is an extreme form of bias. Prejudice does not listen to reason.
Prejudice may be suspected if a writer is known to have, or reveals, hatred,
dislike, or an unreasonable attitude to particular people
8 or places. This can
sometimes happen, even in writings of well-known.

Question 2

Acquisition of concept, also known as the "rules of thought" , turns

information into historical knowledge. Briefly outline how you would teach
senior phase the following procedural or methodological concepts in the
social sciences classroom:

Generalizations

Generalizations are a logical step in teaching.

Generalizations guide learners to think critically about the context of

knowledge and help them transfer that knowledge to a variety of topics
within the social studies. After understanding the relationship between ―fact‖
and ―concept‖ learners will be capable of producing high-quality
generalizations that eliminate isolation of ideas and stimulate crossover and
relevance to the social studies curriculum. Generalization is the ability to
discern between fact and concept. It is a step by step process.
First we have the facts, and then out of these facts we form concepts and
end up to generalizations. Learning is a construction process. Learners build
understanding, piece by piece and often in highly individualistic ways. Not all
learners learn in the same way. It is up to me as a teacher to help them in
the endeavor. Generalizations are statements about relationships between
and among concepts.

As a teacher my biggest role is to emphasis to learners that Generalizations

are true and verifiable for all cases on the basis of the best evidence
available. For example, if I was once bitten by a chameleon which is (a fact),
I cannot generalize that all chameleon’s bite. If, however, I have evidence
that all chameleons bite, i could make the generalization, ―chameleons’
bite. ‖Generalizations organize and summarize information obtained from the
analysis of facts. A generalization is usually a broad assertion. In contrast, a
fact is a truth only about a particular incident or case. As a teacher in a
social science classroom this are the way I can teach learners to form their
generalization .

a) Collect information about the topic.

b) Look for relationships among the facts
c) Form a general statement about the related facts.
d) Make sure your generalization is valid.

example of generalisation in history , is the Filipino Revolts during the

Spanish Period. During the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines, 1521–
1898, there were several revolts against the Spanish colonial government by
indigenous Moro, Lumad, Indians, Chinese and Insulares, often with the goal
of re-establishing the rights and powers that had traditionally belonged to
Lumad Timueys, Maginoo Rajah and Moro Datus. Some revolts stemmed from
land problem and this

was largely the cause of the insurrections that transpired in the agricultural
provinces of Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, and [Link] also rebelled
over unjust taxation and forced labor. As a teacher here I will then teach a
set of facts related to the topic and assess the students on how well they
can remember that set of fact. If i want learners to acquire more intellectual
depth in the classroom and transfer those facts to new events, situations,
places, and cultures, then i must teach to a higher level of abstraction, by so
doing learners will be able to organize all of those facts around concepts and
generalizations. Since concepts are timeless, universal, abstract, and have
many different examples, I can use them to organize my topic-based
curriculum.

For this particular unit, The Filipino Revolts during Spanish Period, we may
think about the concepts that we could teach like: global interactions,
political ideology, innovation, values and beliefs, revolutions or even
industrialization, global marketplace, or political and economic power. An
example of a generalization that we could write that would be supported by
the factual study of the Filipino Revolts during Spanish Period might be: New
political ideas may lead to revolution. Notice the two concepts in this
example are political ideas and revolution. This generalization is an
important idea because it transfers beyond the study of the Filipino Revolts
during Spanish Period. It applies across different time periods, different
cultures, and different situations.

Another generalization that supports the topic: The Filipino Revolts during
Spanish Period could be: Technological advancement often transforms the
global marketplace. A third example could be: Nations with greater economic
power usually yields more political power in world affairs. Here is another
example of a transferable idea that students may derive from the topic: the
Filipino Revolts During Spanish period.
9 A people’s values and beliefs shape
their interactions with other people.

Uniqueness: the quality of being particularly remarkable, special, or unusual.

Unique in history simple indicate how individual and historical events that
took place different. A number of historical personalities and historical
events they have their own uniqueness that distinguishes them from the rest.
Unique events exemplify human characteristics and as a teacher in a
classroom it is my responsibility to guide learners into realizing this
uniqueness. Learners for example can look at the leadership style of
Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon can be taken as an abuser of power.
Napoleon is regarded as a militaristic power-hungry dictator whose reigns
saw millions of soldiers and civilians killed. As a teacher I will teach learners
how to look for uniqueness on individual leadership skills. Ann Devlin who
died 'from want' in 1851. Devlin was a loyal and brave woman. She was
arrested and tortured by the yeomen. She refused to give Emmet up despite
being repeatedly partially strangled and stabbed with bayonets. Learners will
look and compare leadership qualities of Napoleon Bonaparte and also Ann
Devlin and find the uniqueness between the two. The uniqueness between
the two can be found by looking at how they treated people or lived with
people around them. Besides uniqueness of Napoleon Bonaparte and Ann
Devlin another uniqueness that learners can look at to is the 1919 white sox.

The White Sox shocked the nation when they threw the World Series. Nearly
a century ago, some members of the Chicago White Sox baseball team
accepted a bribe—as much as $100,000 to deliberately lose the 1919 World
Series to the Cincinnati Reds. Suspicions arose in the first game after
uncharacteristically sloppy pitching by the White Sox, who were heavily
favored to win. For learners to find the uniqueness between the examples
given
10 above they can point out the how individual are unique in their own
way.

Analogies.

An analogy is a comparison in which an idea or a thing is compared to

another thing that is quite different from it. It aims at explaining that idea or
thing by comparing it to something that is familiar. Using the past to
orientate on the present and the future can be seen as one of history’s main
contributions to educating learners in the classroom. In standards for history
teaching, connecting the past to the present and the future is frequently
being regarded as a means to prepare students for their future role as
citizens in society. Three types of analogies are usually applied in history
classes:

1) Something mundane from the present as base and a historical

phenomenon as target, for example, a marriage of interests and the
Concordat between Mussolini and the Pope. Learners will be given a chance
to apply this past knowledge to solve present life obstacles.

2) Historical events that show similarities, such as the failed attempts of

Charles XII of Sweden, Napoleon and Hitler to conquer Russia and
3) Something from the past as base and something from the present as
target, for example, Japanese kamikaze pilots during World War II and the
terrorists who committed the attack on New York in 2001. All the above
mentioned examples as a teacher I will relate them to learner’s present or
previous knowledge. Learners will be introduced to new themes
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chance to respond to indicate their level of understanding.

Question 3

Teaching learners how to determine whether an extract is fact or opinion:

We know that fact is something that is true and can be proved whereas
opinion is someone’s own point of view and cannot be supported by evidence.
Before handing out the worksheet to the Grade 7 class, I will play a
PowerPoint of the differences between fact and opinion; thereafter we will
have a 10 minute discussion using the school context as an example. i.e., ―I
am the Grade 9 History Teacher, but I teach Life Sciences as well.‖; ―Amanda
favorite subject must be Natural Science because he always scores good
marks in it.‖Learners need to identify whether the statements are fact or
opinion and come up with their own examples to test their knowledge.

The people that we call Red-hairs or Red Barbarians (the Portuguese) are
identical with the Hollanders and they live in the Western Ocean. They are
covetous (greedy) and running, are very knowledgeable concerning valuable
merchandise and are very clever in the pursuit of gain (money). They will risk
their lives in search of profit, and no place is too remote for them to frequent
(visit). Their ships are very large, strong and well-built, and they are called in
China double-planked ships. These people are very resourceful and inventive.
They make sails like spider’s webs, which can be set at any angle to catch
the wind. If one falls in with them at sea, one is certain to be robbed by them.
(Dugmore, C, Mulholland, R, Nussey, R & Torr, L 1998. Making History Grade
8. Johannesburg: Heineman, p. 101)

How can you tell that the information in extract that you read was somehow
altered and not printed as it was back in the history its self?
▪ In the extract do you see any ellipsis in the passage?
▪ Do you feel that all the information about the story in the extract is
complete o
▪ Do you feel that there has been chunks of information have been left out?
▪ Do you think that the statement all Portuguese are identical with the
Hollanders is a Fact/ opinion?
▪ Do you also feel that all the people from Portugal are greedy? If so state
why or why not?
▪ Their ships are very large, strong and well-built, and they are called in China
double-planked
ships. -is it a fact or opinion
Use your common sense if you are asked to say whether you think part of an
extract is an opinion rather than a fact. Ask yourself:
• Which parts of the statement can probably be proved right or wrong? A
specific statement, such as the name of a person or place, a date, number, or
quantity, is something which can be proved, or disproved, as a fact. The
name, place, date, number or quantity is correct or it is not. The same thing
applies to specific events or happenings which can also be easily proved or
disproved. Either they did happen or they did not. This is a question of fact
and not of opinion.
• Which parts of the statement are obviously opinions and not facts? You can
often detect opinions where the writer uses words which have no precise
meaning, such as popular, beautiful, deeply, friendly, unpleasant, ugly, and
unwise. By contrast many words,
12 such as French-speaking, blue, fifty, and
baker, have factual meaning

Look at the following list and decide whether they are fact or opinion :
(1) Hitler died in 1945.
(2) Stalin was a bad leader.
(3) The Cold War was important. 13
(4) World War 1 started in 1914.
(5) World War 1 was caused by the assassination of Franz-Ferdinand in
Sarajevo.
(6) Historians have opinions.
(7) The Sahara desert is the largest in the world.
(8) The Sabotage Act was promulgated in South Africa in 1962.
(9) The gold-mining industry was both a boon and a potential cancer (Hinton
1990:34)
References

Dugmore, C, Mulholland, R, Nussey, R & Torr, L 1998. Making History Grade 8.

Johannesburg: Heineman, p. 101
Hinton 1990:23–27
Sauvin 1988:63
. Unisa LADHSSA study guide (2019)
 RESULTS
Total = 44 / 50 (88%)
 COMMENTS
1 C=10 R=7 I=10 O=7 G=10 44 out of 50,88%,RP Magabe Very good
2 C- very good
3 C- very good
4 O- very good
5 O- excellent
6 C- very good
7 C- very good
8 C- very good
9 I- very good
10 I- very good
11 I- very good
12 G- very good
13 R- good work