Boxi Learn › History › Stage 3 · Structure and Evidence
Two people saw it — and told it differently
HIS-4 How did people see it then?HIS-2 How do we know about the past?X-3 Look from another side
What many people think
If two eyewitnesses disagree, one of them must be lying.
The idea
Each eyewitness saw from one place, at one moment, with their own concerns, so honest witnesses can disagree; the parts that independent accounts share are the firmest evidence.
Explain it
A friend says: “The apple seller and the neighbour disagree, so one of them is a liar.” Use the plan to show how both could be honest, and say which record settles who helped.
Try at home
Ask two people at home, separately, to describe the same moment (a meal, a trip). Sketch where each sat or stood and what each could see. Which details do both tell? Which only one?