Questioning the Past
Easily the most boring class was History of Magic, which was the only one taught by a ghost. Professor Binns had been very old indeed when he had fallen asleep in front of the staff room fire and got up the next morning to teach, leaving his body behind him. Binns droned on and on while they [the students] scribbled down names and dates, and got Emeric the Evil and Uric the Oddball mixed up.
- J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and Sorcerer's Stone
History is not a closed narrative recitation of facts, but rather an open investigation that is continually researched, discussed, and debated. Historians seek not only to answer questions about “who, what, and when,” but also “why and how.” They also search for patterns and connections and draw conclusions about historical significance.
What does it mean to do historical inquiry? What types of questions can student-historians investigate?
- J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and Sorcerer's Stone
History is not a closed narrative recitation of facts, but rather an open investigation that is continually researched, discussed, and debated. Historians seek not only to answer questions about “who, what, and when,” but also “why and how.” They also search for patterns and connections and draw conclusions about historical significance.
What does it mean to do historical inquiry? What types of questions can student-historians investigate?
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