Activity: Perspective Taking with Places and People in History

Use this activity to explore different points of view and perspectives depicted in historic artworks like the The Burning of the Old South Church in Bath, Maine. Focus on the use of historic sources to provide evidence or ideas.

1. Place: Begin by building background information on the location. Create a historical timeline or narrative about the place. Consider its earliest inhabitants, early settlers, and the residents of at a particular time.
2. People: Identify three or more perspectives of people involved in the incident, situation, or event. Develop a list of factors that might influence people’s perspectives during this time. Consider things like backgrounds, values, membership, or participation in in-groups or out-groups.
3. Identify historic sources that could provide information to support perspectives and information.
4. Discuss how members of each group might have viewed their place in America. Consider how they felt leading up to the incident.
5. Through drawing, role play, or a song, portray the different perspectives of each group.
6. Hold a group discussion with members from each group to determine what changes could have happened to prevent the situation from occurring.