INQUIRY PRACTICES FOR HISTORY CLASSROOMS

1. INQUIRY PRACTICES FOR HISTORY CLASSROOMS ROSE FINE-MEYER, PhD

2. What is Active History? • ActiveHistory.ca is a website that connects the work of historians with the wider public and the importance of the past to current events. The Ideological Work of Commemoration by Jamie Swift on April 9, 2015 • Governor General David Johnson, “When we study our history and the wars in which we fought, the wars overseas, it has been to purchase our freedom, our liberties.”

3. My findings: Portrayals of War in Ontario Textbooks 1922-2002: • The history of war is displayed within a chronology of battle dates, victories, and military action. • Major divisions between war work and combat • War is portrayed as inevitable [“steps to war”] and honourable [“service and sacrifice”] • Combat receives dominant attention despite the necessity of war production and support • Exclusion of counter-narratives, such as anti-war activism, the destruction of the environment and the daily lives and multi-generational affects of citizens. • The central role of the military industrial complex in shaping national and international perspectives as well as supporting national commemorations of war.

4. Ontario History Textbooks and the Study of the First World War 1927-2007 1944 1927 1954

5. Worth Fighting For: Canada’s Tradition of War Resistance from 1812 to the War on Terror edited by Lara Campbell, Michael Dawson and Catherine Gidney Rose Fine-Meyer, 'A good teacher is a revolutionary': Alternative War Perspectives in Toronto Classrooms, 1960s–1990s

6. The problem lies in a content only framework History is not the past. It is the body of knowledge about the past produced by historians and they all have a perspective. The study of war, or any other study of the past, gives educators a major opportunity to engage students in critical inquiry I am suggesting that teachers need to focus more on teaching students how to gather content, interpret content, and form positions about that content, than simply acquire and accept content. Because that’s what historians do.

7. History Education Reading Engendering Power and Legitimation: Giving Teachers the Tools to Claim a Place for History Education in their Schools (Rose Fine-Meyer)

8. http://historicalthinking.ca http://tc2.ca/ http://www.thenhier.ca www.virtualhistorian.c canadianmysteries.ca

9. What I am suggesting is that history teachers need to focus more on teaching students how to gather content, interpret content, and form positions about that content, rather than simply acquire and accept content The work that historians do.

10. OISE students sketching on Bloor St

11. OISE Students walking/sketching

12. OISE Students sketching in Philosophers Walk

15. IDC4UI: Archives and Local History. Exploring History Outside the Classroom: Collaborative Place-based Projects that Incorporate Web-Based Research and Inquiry based learning in Toronto

16. IDC4UI Units: 1. Theory and Foundation of Local History/Archival Studies 2. History and Geography of the School Community 3. Connecting to Local Historical Societies, Museums, Archives 4. Understanding the Local Community and creating/maintaining a school Archives as a repository of class findings 5. Using Technology in historical research and preservation work 6. In-Depth Local Field Studies 7. Uncovering Indigenous Histories 8. In-Depth Study of the Broader Community 9. Using Archaeological Study in Local History 10. Culminating Activity: A Local Archaeological Dig

17. High Park: Online Photos-City of Toronto Archives, Colborne Lodge Museum Images: sports, leisure, winter 1920s

18. Culminating Activity: An Archaeological dig in their backyards

21. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs • Problems? • The theory was published in 1943 • Wahba and Bridwell found little evidence for the ranking of needs • Enthocentric? Eurocentric? Sexist? No longer relevant? Other? • Class on media • Minds On: Three different news channel promos of the same story. • Think/Pair/Share Questions for class:  What are the differences? • Which one would you watch? Why? • Which one do you consider most trustworthy? Why? • Which one are you least likely to watch? Why?

22. Basically it means creating a classroom where students become mini Social Scientists • 1. Are students collecting data? In class? • 2. Are they exploring a wide range of evidence with diverse perspectives? Critique theories? • 3. Are they working collaboratively: gathering data and drawing conclusions—synthesizing their research and communicating their results? Questions? • 4. Are they given opportunities to communicate/share their results • and to answer the critical thinking inquiry?

23. History is based on evidence. It can be found in a wide range of diverse resources/primary and secondary. • It can be challenged and changed. • There are diverse historical perspectives on any given event in the past. • Historical study performed as historical inquiry can be crucial to the development of a critical thinking citizenry.

24. Basically it means creating a classroom where students become Historians Connect to Historical Thinking Concepts in the New Curriculum • Establish historical significance • Use primary source evidence • Identify continuity and change • Analyze cause and consequence • Question historical perspectives • Understand the ethical dimension of historical interpretation • Source: Historical Thinking Project (www.historicalthinking.ca)

25. GRADE ONE: Strand A: Heritage and Identity: Our Changing Roles and responsibilities OVERALL EXPECTATIONS By the end of Grade 1, students will: • A1. Application: describe some of the ways in which people’s roles, relationships, and responsibilities relate to who they are and what their situation is, and how and why changes in circumstances might affect people’s roles, relationships, and responsibilities as well as their sense of self (FOCUS ON: Continuity and Change) • A2. Inquiry: use the social studies inquiry process to investigate some aspects of the interrelationship between their identity/sense of self, their different roles, relationships, and responsibilities, and various situations in their daily lives (FOCUS ON: Interrelationships) • A3. Understanding Context: demonstrate an understanding that they and other people have different roles, relationships, and responsibilities, and that all people should be treated with respect, regardless of their roles, relationships, and responsibilities (FOCUS ON: Significance)

26. GRADE 10: HISTORICAL INQUIRY AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT Overall Expectations: A1. Historical Inquiry: use the historical inquiry process and the concepts of historical thinking when investigating aspects of Canadian history A2. Developing Transferable Skills: apply in everyday contexts skills developed through historical investigation. Questions: • What defines a Canadian? What defines good government? What are the most effective ways citizens and governments can ensure that Canada is a good place to live? • Design 10 commemorative stamps to reflect the most significant Canadian events in the 20th century

27. Basically it means creating a classroom where students become mini RESEARCHERS Designing Commemorative Stamps 10 events that best define Canada in the 20th century? • Create a criteria • Gather diverse evidence that reflects multiple perspectives: maps, primary documents, statistics, oral histories etc. • Synthesize your findings • Draw conclusions • Share your findings and let others critique your findings • New questions?

28. Basically it means creating a classroom where TEACHERS become FACILITATORS of learning. Pedagogical Steps to Take • Seek out diverse narratives and perspectives • Include multiple voices, values, gender, culture, identity, belief systems • Local and global perspectives about history should be integrated: move beyond the standard Eurocentric or North American-centric framework • Know the missing voices: who gets left out of the historical account? • Oral testimony, artifacts, interviews: look beyond the written document • Partnerships with public libraries, community members, Elders museums, archives

29. April 2015: Government of Canada: “Canada 150 (1867-2017) – Strong. Proud. Free In 2017, Canadians across the country will celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary. The Government of Canada invites Canadians to learn more about the major events that have shaped their country’s history and express their pride in everything that Canada represents – a strong, proud and free nation.”

30. Thank you.