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Summaries · Grade 5 History › Words and concepts in history
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Words and concepts in history

A historian’s words: centuries, BC and AD, sources, cause and consequence, and bias. Read one part at a time and tap “I know this”. Then test yourself in the quiz.

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Dates

17thcentury1601–170018thcentury1701–180019thcentury1801–190020thcentury1901–200021stcentury2001–21001652 falls in the 17th century; 1750 in the 18th century.
1994 is in the 20th century.
Rule

3000 BC is earlier than 1000 BC; AD 1652 comes after both. BC years count backwards to AD 1 (there is no year 0).

A historian investigates sources.
A historian investigates sources.
Tap when you could tell someone without looking.

The historian’s tools

WordMeaning
HistorianA person who researches and writes history
Primary sourceA source from the time itself; an eyewitness saw it happen
Secondary sourceWritten later about the past
Oral historyInformation about the past that people tell by word of mouth, often about what they lived through themselves, rather than writing it down
MinutesThe written record of a meeting
MigrationMoving from one place to live in another
Communal ownership of landThe whole community owns the land

History books change because new sources turn up. Two countries may tell the same event differently, because each tells its side. A writer with a personal interest makes a source less reliable.

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Remember this and test yourself

Remember this: your summary
  • BC = Before Christ; AD = Anno Domini. With BC the bigger number is the earliest.
  • Chronological means in order of time; a timeline shows events chronologically.
  • Cause = why something happened (comes first); consequence = what happened after.
  • A biased source shows one side only; a source is more reliable when other sources agree.
  • A generation is about thirty years.

Write these points in your book. Read them again the night before the test.

Memory trick

BC counts backwards: 3000 BC is older than 1000 BC, like a countdown.

Flash cards · Tap to turn over

Important words

First say what the word means, then turn the card over.

Test yourself · Part 2

True or false?

Read the question and the answer. Is the answer right? Tap True or False.

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    For parents
    • Read one part together and ask your child to tell it back in their own words.
    • The ticks (“I know this”) are saved on this device only. We never ask for names or emails.

    Follows CAPS for Grade 5 Social Sciences (History). Always check your teacher’s notes and textbook too.

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