Before You Teach History, Teach Students How Historians Think

Every August, AP^® History teachers face the same challenge. We spend the first day introducing the course, reviewing the syllabus, discussing summer assignments, and trying to convince students that AP History is more than memorizing names and dates.

Then we introduce the Historical Thinking Skills.

For many students, that is where things become overwhelming. Terms like causation, comparison, continuity and change over time, and contextualization sound abstract and academic. Students often assume they are learning a completely new way of thinking.

In reality, they are not.

Students already think this way every day. They think about why things happen. They compare experiences. They recognize how people change over time. They evaluate evidence before making decisions. They simply have never attached historical vocabulary to those mental processes.

That realization completely changed how I introduce the Historical Thinking Skills.

Rather than beginning with history, I begin with something every student already knows—their own life.

Start With Their Story

On the first day of class, I ask students to think about one extracurricular activity that has been important to them.

It might be football, volleyball, band, theater, choir, FFA, student council, National Honor Society, a church youth group, a part-time job, or another meaningful activity.

The specific activity does not matter. What matters is that every student has a story to tell.

Then I explain that we are going to spend the next 30 minutes thinking exactly the way historians think.

They usually look confused. That confusion does not last long.

Historical Thinking Skill #1: Causation

The first question is simple. “Why did you become involved in this activity?”

I ask students to brainstorm the three biggest reasons they joined.

Some mention friends. Others mention parents. Some talk about scholarships. Others simply say they loved the activity.

Once they finish, I ask a second question. “What has happened because you joined?”

Again, they identify three important effects.

Perhaps they developed leadership skills. Maybe they found lifelong friends. Some discovered a future career. Others became more confident.

Without realizing it, students have just practiced causation. More importantly, they quickly discover something historians know well. Important events rarely have a single cause. Likewise, important decisions usually have multiple consequences—some intended and others completely unexpected.

History is messy. Life is messy. That is exactly why historians study causation.

Historical Thinking Skill #2: Continuity and Change Over Time

Next, I ask students to think about the day they first joined the activity. Then I ask them to think about who they are today.

On the board, we create a simple T-chart. “What has changed?” “What has stayed the same?”

Students usually fill the “changed” column quickly.

Confidence. Leadership. Skills. Friendships. Time management.

Then they begin working on the second column.

Interests. Personality. Values. Work ethic. Family relationships.

Students quickly realize that both columns matter. Some things have changed dramatically. Other things have remained remarkably consistent. They have just practiced continuity and change over time.

Historical Thinking Skill #3: Comparison

Now I ask students to think about another activity.

Sometimes they compare football and baseball. Others compare band and choir. Some compare student council with National Honor Society. Occasionally, students compare an activity they participate in with one they deliberately chose not to join.

Using a simple Venn diagram, they identify similarities and differences.

Soon they are discussing leadership, teamwork, expectations, culture, competition, and commitment.

They are comparing experiences.

Historians compare societies, governments, economies, and cultures for exactly the same reason. Comparison helps us recognize patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Historical Thinking Skill #4: Contextualization

Next comes one of my favorite questions. “What was happening in your life when you decided to join?”

The answers are surprisingly thoughtful.

Some students had just entered high school. Others had moved to a new town. Some joined because of COVID disruptions. Others were influenced by a new coach, teacher, sibling, or friend.

Suddenly, students realize something important.

Their decision did not happen in isolation. It happened within a larger set of circumstances. That is contextualization.

Historians ask the same question every day. What larger events help explain why this happened?

Historical Thinking Skill #5: Evidence

Then I challenge students. Suppose someone does not believe your story. How could you prove your claims?

If you say becoming drum major made you a better leader, what evidence supports that conclusion? If football taught you discipline, how do you know?

Students begin listing evidence.

Awards. Leadership positions. Letters of recommendation. Performance statistics. Projects completed. Responsibilities earned.

Now they are no longer making unsupported claims. They are supporting arguments with evidence.

That is exactly what historians do.

Historical Thinking Skill #6: Argumentation

Finally, I ask one last question. “Which extracurricular activity has had the greatest impact on your life?”

Students immediately have opinions. The challenge is that opinions are not enough. They have to defend their answer. They must use evidence from the previous activities to support their argument.

Some students even change their minds after hearing classmates present stronger evidence. That moment is always one of my favorites. Students discover that historical arguments are not simply opinions. Good arguments are built upon relevant evidence and logical reasoning.

Reveal the Secret

Only after we finish the activity do I reveal what we have actually been doing. I put the six Historical Thinking Skills on the screen.

• Causation
• Continuity and Change Over Time
• Comparison
• Contextualization
• Evidence
• Argumentation

One by one, students recognize every activity we just completed. There is always a moment when someone smiles and says, “Wait . . . we have already done all of these.” Exactly. That is the point. Students already know how to think historically.

The AP course simply gives them new content on which to practice those same habits of mind.

Building a Foundation for the Entire Year

Since adopting this activity, I rarely have to reteach the Historical Thinking Skills as isolated vocabulary terms. Instead, throughout the year I simply ask questions my students already recognize:

• “What caused this?”
• “What changed?”
• “What stayed the same?”
• “What was the context?”
• “What evidence supports your answer?”
• “Can you defend your argument?”

The terminology may be new, but the thinking is not.

By introducing the Historical Thinking Skills through students’ own experiences, they begin to see them not as AP History jargon but as practical ways of understanding the world.

And that is exactly what historians do every day.