Same Social studies › Reading sources › HIPP and HAPP
What does HIPP mean in history class?
HIPP is a shorter checklist for sourcing a document: Historical context (what was going on), Intended audience (who it was for), Purpose (why it was made) and Point of view (who made it and how they saw things). Some classes call it HAPP, with A for audience, or HIPPO, adding O for outside information.
- Historical context places the document in its time.
- Audience and Purpose explain why it says what it says.
- Point of view asks how the maker's position shaped it.
Why schools teach it
Every document was made by someone, for a reason
Students analyze how people's perspectives were shaped by their times (C3 D2.His.4.6-8) and identify an author's point of view (RH.6-8.6). HIPP builds the habit of asking who made a source and why before deciding how much to trust it.
It's also a scoring checklist: on DBQ essays, many teachers give points for explaining the context, audience, purpose or point of view of documents.
At the kitchen table
What to say, and what to skip
Say this
What was happening at the time?
Historical contextWho was this made for?
Intended audienceWhat did the maker hope would happen?
PurposeHow might the maker's life shape what they said?
Point of view
Skip this
- Point of view as “they liked it” or “they didn't.”Explain why: their job, side, place or experience.
- Context that's just the date.Context is what was going on around that date.
- Deciding a source is useless because it's biased.Biased sources still show how people saw things.
See it in action
HIPP for Abigail Adams's letter, 1776
Historical context
Congress was debating independence and writing new laws.Intended audience and purpose
Her husband, John Adams, in Congress · to persuade him to protect women's rights in the new lawsPoint of view
A married woman with no vote, who saw the limits on women's rights firsthand
HIPP and SOAPSTone overlap. Use the one your child's class uses.
Free practice sheet
Make a HIPP sheet
Loading practice sheet…
Fridge cheat sheets
Social Studies Fridge Cheat Sheets
Every social studies method in one printable book (57 pages): a cheat sheet page like this guide, plus a practice sheet and its answer key for each, in Classic and handwritten Notebook styles. $8 one time, or all 7 subjects for $29.99. See all prices.
Teacher? This method has a classroom pack on TeachersPayTeachers: an anchor chart, a parent letter and practice sheets with answer keys, $4. See the pack
Parents: tell your child's teacher about this guide
Parents also ask
HIPP or HAPP?
Same idea. Some classes say Historical context, Audience, Purpose, Point of view (HAPP).
What is HIPPO?
HIPP plus O for Outside information: something you know that the document doesn't say.
Is HIPP only for written documents?
No. It works for photos, cartoons, maps and posters too.
How is this different from SOAPSTone?
HIPP focuses on sourcing. SOAPSTone adds subject and tone.