Contextualization is a historical thinking skill that involves situating events and actions by people in the context of time, space, and sociocultural setting. It requires students to think about the various layers of information that help us understand an event. It also pushes students to avoid “present-ism”—the tendency to interpret past events through the lens of modern values and concepts. Some research has shown that there are four pedagogical design principles that should be in place for students to both understand and write about historical context. These include:
- Ensuring that students are aware of presentism.
- Assisting students in the reconstruction of historical context.
- Supporting students in using historical context to explain historical phenomena.
- Focusing on historical empathy by putting human agents into the historical narrative.
Contextualization can be challenging to teach, and without sufficient background knowledge, it’s incredibly hard for students to contextualize. We recommend you use overview articles and videos to help students with this skill.
- Contextualization One-Pager
- WHP/WHP AP Contextualization Tool
- WHP/WHP AP Contextualization Feedback Form
Learn more on the Contextualization topic page.