DAVE NEUMANN, Director

The History Project at California State University–Long Beach

Students and adults alike often grumble that history is just a bunch of facts to memorize. While it’s true that studying history requires data, information, and yes, facts, that’s not the essence of what history is. History is a way of thinking about the world by looking at the past. It is a reconstruction of the past, drawing on both imagination and interpretation. In this effort historians use a number of skills. This skills primer will help you develop the Historical Thinking Skills you need to succeed in any Advanced Placement history course and on the exams. It will also enable you to improve critical-thinking, reading, and writing skills that will be useful in college or whatever endeavor you pursue after high school.