Document-based inquiry skills

1. Document-based inquiry skills using the Library of Congress’s Primary-Source Documents Dutt-Doner, Cook-Cottone, Allen, & Rech-Rockwell(2003) Part II

2. Overview • Document-based questions • definition • required skills • example • Student readiness & grade level • research • developmental theory • practical suggestions

3. Document-based Questions • Enable students to work like historians • analyze & synthesize information from a variety of sources and media • Evaluate students’ ability to interpret: • purpose • source • bias • date & placeof origin • tone • etc

4. ? Documentchoice Productcreation Inquiry Analysis Working Like Historians

5. Working Like Historians Students DocumentAnalysisSkills teacher assigns student completes ? Documentchoice Productcreation Inquiry Analysis our focus

6. Analysis Skills& Background Knowledge • At any age, document analysis skillsvary with experience. • Analysis skills can range from basic & concrete to complex & higher-order. • Background knowledge depends onlife & educational experience. • Content knowledge can range fromno knowledge to complex & sophisticated understanding. • Cultural (time and place) viewpoints differ and, at times, can interfere ideologically.

7. Student Readiness & Grade Level grade level: 2 5 6 7 8 10 12 document as fact understand bias avg / count stories are constructed inquiry skills historic abstract reasoning author & context=>content truth is subjective understand validity of source choose documents wisely see multiple perspectives

8. Overview of research • Purpose • Identify differences in developmental readiness between 5th & 7th graders • Methodology • Students reported prior knowledgeof subject • Students analyzed each of 4 primary-source documents consecutively • Students synthesized analysis of documents as a group

9. Preliminary findings 5th grade 7th grade Primary-source documents alone are insufficient to provide a deep understanding Don’t know how to manage conflicting information Rarely suggest primary source documentsas sources of additional information Only occasionally suggest primary sourcedocuments as sources of additional information Believe that what they read is true Less likely to accept the credibilityof primary-source documents Not able to analyze documentswithout significant prior preparation

10. Provide background information • Correct misconceptions in prior knowledge • Incorporate other resources Practical suggestions 5th grade 7th grade Primary-source documents alone are insufficient to provide a deep understanding Primary-source documents alone are insufficient to provide a deep understanding Don’t know how to manage conflicting information Rarely suggest primary source documentsas sources of additional information Only occasionally suggest primary sourcedocuments as sources of additional information Believe that what they read is true Less likely to accept the credibilityof primary-source documents Not able to analyze documentswithout significant prior preparation

11. Provide opportunities to judge the relevance and accuracy of historical information • Examine documents that provide conflicting information or only present part of the story Practical suggestions 5th grade 7th grade Primary-source documents alone are insufficient to provide a deep understanding Don’t know how to manage conflicting information Don’t know how to manage conflicting information Rarely suggest primary source documentsas sources of additional information Only occasionally suggest primary sourcedocuments as sources of additional information Believe that what they read is true Less likely to accept the credibilityof primary-source documents Not able to analyze documentswithout significant prior preparation

12. Provide consistent successful use of primary-source documents • Consistently demonstrate value of primary-source documents in determiningthe “real story” Practical suggestions 5th grade 7th grade Primary-source documents alone are insufficient to provide a deep understanding Don’t know how to manage conflicting information Rarely suggest primary source documentsas sources of additional information Rarely suggest primary source documentsas sources of additional information Only occasionally suggest primary sourcedocuments as sources of additional information Only occasionally suggest primary sourcedocuments as sources of additional information Believe that what they read is true Less likely to accept the credibilityof primary-source documents Not able to analyze documentswithout significant prior preparation

13. Provide opportunities to examine authors’ motivations and perspectives • Understand how personal viewpoints color interpretation • Demonstrate necessity of multiple points of view to determine complete picture Practical suggestions 5th grade 7th grade Primary-source documents alone are insufficient to provide a deep understanding Don’t know how to manage conflicting information Rarely suggest primary source documentsas sources of additional information Only occasionally suggest primary sourcedocuments as sources of additional information Believe that what they read is true Believe that what they read is true Less likely to accept the credibilityof primary-source documents Less likely to accept the credibilityof primary-source documents Not able to analyze documentswithout significant prior preparation

14. Understand original purpose of documents and their value to our understanding • Provide experience with evaluation of documents’ relevance • Provide guided questions to scaffold analysis • Precede analysis with accurate background knowledge • Model the process of analysis Practical suggestions 5th grade 7th grade Primary-source documents alone are insufficient to provide a deep understanding Don’t know how to manage conflicting information Rarely suggest primary source documentsas sources of additional information Only occasionally suggest primary sourcedocuments as sources of additional information Believe that what they read is true Less likely to accept the credibilityof primary-source documents Not able to analyze documentswithout significant prior preparation Not able to analyze documentswithout significant prior preparation

15. Practical suggestions: before 5th grade • Examine differing perspectivesof common experiences • Use timelines & narrativeto examine sequence of time • Provide opportunitiesto retell personal stories • Clarify objectivesbefore reading or listening • Practice making observationsabout pictures • Use Constructed Response Questionsto develop analysis skills • What is a CRQ?

16. Practical suggestions: high school • Shift to student-led investigation • Choose their owndocuments • Recognize & fulfillneed for scaffolding • Replace analysis worksheets with student-created formats • Begin with a developed thesis • Organize & connect relevant ideas • Cite supporting source evidenceto create coherent textthat makes claims

17. Practical suggestions: high school • Provide opportunities for collaboration • Understand how personal viewpointscolor interpretation • Evaluate strengths of differing arguments about interpretations • Identify contradictions within documents • Recognize bias in interpretation • Recognize multiple interpretations

18. Library of Congress & American Memory

19. Preparing Primary Source Lessons • What content base do students have? • What is their prior knowledge of the topic? • Can they read & understand the documents? • What is the students’ attention span? • How long can students pay attention to the documents? • How much can you do with a group that can only concentrate for a few minutes? • How can students develop inference skills? • Can students infer from documents • Are they prepared to take risks in developing hypotheses? • What brainstorming techniques can be used to help them become risk-takers?

20. Preparing Primary Source Lessons • Do students have the analysis skills? • What investigative methods should be encouraged • Comparing similarities and differences • Causes and effects • Analyzing bias • Defense of thesis – substantiating points • Social, political and religious causes • How do we need to prepare them? • Example from New York State Standards

21. Preparing Primary Source Lessons • What writing skills do the students have? • Should analysis be completed in writing? • What level of support should you give to students in writing about primary source documents? • How do we manage the lesson? • Should students work at computers or on paper? • Should the work be collaborative or individual? • How do you manage diverse abilities? • What do we want students to demonstrate during the primary source analysis lesson? • What is the expected outcome? • How can it be measured?