This interdisciplinary course aims to expose students to different facets of Philippine history through the lens of eyewitnesses. Rather than rely on secondary materials such as textbooks, which is the usual approach in teaching Philippine history, different types of primary sources will be used- written (qualitative and quantitative) oral, visual, audio-visual, digital – covering various aspects of Philippine life (political, economic, social, cultural). Students are expected to analyze the selected readings contextually and in terms of content (stated and implied). The end goal is to enable students to understand and appreciate our rich past by deriving insights from those who were actually present at the time of the event.
Context analysis considers the following: (i) the historical context of the source (ii) the authors background, intent and authority of the subject and (iii) the source’s relevance and meaning today.
Content analysis, on the other hand, applies appropriate techniques depending on the type of source (written, oral, visual). In the process, students will be asked for example to identify the authors main argument or thesis, compare points of view, identify biases and evaluate the author’s claim based on the evidences presented or other available evidence at the time.- Teacher: Jerra-Lyn Merencillo