Originally published on April 8, 2021 (Episode 203)
Introduction
This is the third of our conversations on the skills of historical thinking, and this time the subject is sourcing. It’s a term invented by Sam Wineburg—patron saint of this podcast, whom you can listen to in Episode 100, also talking about sourcing—and it refers to the act of identifying sources, contextualizing and assessing documents for bias, reliability, relevance, and point of view.
The title of one of Sam’s books is Historical Thinking and Other Unnatural Acts. If that’s the case—and I have reason to believe that it is—that sourcing is the most unnatural act of the larger category of unnatural acts. I think it’s one that teachers of history often find the most difficult to teach, or at least I did. And Leah Shopkow, Professor of History at Indiana University in Bloomington, turns out to agree with me. The difference between us is that that she decided to do something about it, not just for herself, but for all those attempting to teach sourcing.
This has resulted in a new book The Saint and the Count: A Case Study for Reading Like a Historian. It’s an exciting book because it’s really what I hope will be a new genre. Simultaneously it’s both a monograph on a medieval subject that should be of interest to any medieval historian, and a primer for undergraduates (and graduates; and even faculty) on the art of historical thinking. This is a little like finding a delicious candy bar that also helps you lose weight.
About the Guest
Leah Shopkow is Professor of History at Indiana University, Bloomington, specializing in medieval history and the teaching of historical thinking. She has written widely on medieval Europe and on pedagogy.
For Further Investigation
Sam Wineburg, Historical Thinking and Other Unnatural Acts
Episode 100: Sam Wineburg on sourcing and historical thinking
Leah Shopkow, The Saint and the Count: A Case Study for Reading Like a Historian
Listen & Discuss
How do you approach the problem of evaluating sources for bias, reliability, or point of view? Share your thoughts in the comments — and consider forwarding this post to a friend who teaches history or just loves thinking historically.
Share this post