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Analyzing Trends in History: Abolition and Anti-slavery as a Case Study. Steven H. Newton, PhD Delaware State University Prepared for: American Institute for History Education. Narrative History: Two-edged sword?. The advantages of Narrative History
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Analyzing Trends in History:Abolition and Anti-slavery as a Case Study Steven H. Newton, PhD Delaware State University Prepared for: American Institute for History Education
Narrative History: Two-edged sword? • The advantages of Narrative History • Interest factor: History as engaging story • Preparation factor: Research & Presentation • Connection factor: Highlighting cause/effect • The disadvantages of Narrative History • Stories not recognized as constructed • Stories create a teacher-centered experience • Stories do not encourage active learning
Tools for student-centered Historical Analysis • “Do” not “listen” requires a set of student tools • Best tools are a consistent set of questions and/or concepts to be applied to each historical topic • The paradigm that generates the questions are less important than the consistency of the process
Tools for Student-centered Historical Analysis (2) • Requirements: teacher proficiency, vertical application, developmentally appropriate • The Delaware “toolbox” for history: • Chronology • Sequencing of events; cause/effect; trends • Analysis • Data assessment and manipulation • Interpretation • What does it mean? Questions of significance and viewpoint • Interpretations should have predictive power
How do you develop your own “toolbox”? • Primary consideration: standards-driven approach • Critical consideration: curriculum alignment • Instructional consideration: planning for inquiry-focused classes • Assessment consideration: structuring tests
An inquiry-driven approach to Abolitionism and Anti-slavery • Designed for embedded implementation (not a complete lesson or unit) • Implies the previous coverage of specific content • Requires “nest hierarchy” of questions • Major question: “How successful were the Abolitionists in terms of influencing national elections?” • Foundation question: “If the Abolitionists were influencing national elections, what kinds of evidence would we see?” • Foundation question: “Is there a discernable pattern in national elections between 1820-1860?”
A data-set for inquiry-driven Historical Analysis • Capsule information • How the electoral college works • Candidates and parties • Map/results information • Map set for presidential elections 1820-1860
Map set: elections 1820-1832 1820 1828 1832 1824
Map set: elections 1836-1848 1836 1844 1848 1840
Map set: Elections 1852-1860 1852 1860 1856
What patterns emerge from the data? • The norm is that a successful presidential candidate must acquire electoral votes from both northern and southern states to win
What patterns emerge from the data? • The norm is that a successful presidential candidate must acquire electoral votes from both northern and southern states to win • This norm continues to hold true throughout the period of evangelical abolitionism (1832-1852 elections)
What patterns emerge from the data? • The norm is that a successful presidential candidate must acquire electoral votes from both northern and southern states to win • This norm continues to hold true throughout the period of evangelical abolitionism (1832-1852 elections) • The Republican Party (anti-slavery) emerges in 1856 as a sectional party, but is still defeated by a Democratic coalition of northern and southern states
What patterns emerge from the data? • The norm is that a successful presidential candidate must acquire electoral votes from both northern and southern states to win • This norm continues to hold true throughout the period of evangelical abolitionism (1832-1852 elections) • The Republican Party (anti-slavery) emerges in 1856 as a sectional party, but is still defeated by a Democratic coalition of northern and southern states • In 1860 the Republican Party manages—for the first time in history—to build and electoral (although not popular) majority without ANY southern support
How do we interpret the data? • What questions would we encourage students to ask?
How do we interpret the data? • What questions would we encourage students to ask? • What additional information would they need to answer the original questions?
How do we interpret the data? • What questions would we encourage students to ask? • What additional information would they need to answer the original questions? • How do they format their interpretations to have predictive power?
How do we interpret the data? • What questions would we encourage students to ask? • What additional information would they need to answer the original questions? • How do they format their interpretations to have predictive power? • How do we assess this process?
How do we use this process… • …to improve student understanding of historical events?
How do we use this process… • …to improve student understanding of historical events? • …to improve student skills at investigating historical events and phenomena?
How do we use this process… • …to improve student understanding of historical events? • …to improve student skills at investigating historical events and phenomena? • …to improve student performance of local, state, and national assessments?