Social Studies Examples

1. Social Studies Examples

2. Classroom Example:Middle School Teacher: Megan Harvell, Boston, MA Topic: American History –The Civil War Purpose: Pre-reading activity to engage students in the unit and to build primary source reading & interpretation skills

3. Question Focus Image by John L. Magee, 1856

4. Student Questions Why are you taking a pen? Why are they in court? Who hit who first? Who died? Why are they smiling? • Why are they fighting? • Are they fighting? • Are they part of the government? • Where were they? • Who are they? • Were they signing anything? • Who else was there? • Why are you hitting him? • Why didn’t they call 911? • Was this related to slavery? • Why is he hitting him with a bat?

5. Classroom Example:8th Grade Teacher: Joshua Beer, Lempster, NH Topic: American History, Imperialism unit Purpose: To conclude unit and use student questions to create a summative assessment

6. The Question Formulation Technique (QFT) in Action https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfXEf0nG51I

7. Question Focus: Questions that should be asked about American Imperialism at the turn of the 20th century

8. Prioritization Instructions Choose 3 questions you think are most important for understanding American Imperialism at the turn of the 20th century

9. Selected Student Questions 8. What started the Spanish-American war? 9. Why was Spain mistreating Cubans & Phillipinos? 10. How did the Spanish-American war affect America? 6→12. Why did Alfred Thayer Mahan have the stance that he did on imperialism? 5→13. Did Alfred Thayer Mahan’s book influence imperialism? 1. Why did the United States want to annex Hawaii? 2. Why did the Hawaiian natives and queen Liloukalani not want the United States to annex Hawaii? 5. How was Alfred Thayer Mahan’s book influential towards imperialism? 6. What was Alfred Thayer Mahan’s stance on imperialism? 7. Why is it so important for America to have overseas bases?

10. Next Steps with Student Questions • Teacher collected questions and created final unit test. • 9 of the 10 questions on the test were student-generated.

11. Classroom Example:High School Teacher: Connie Williams, Petaluma, CA Topic: Debate Team Purpose: To anticipate the information necessary to research before a debate

12. Question Focus Resolved that the United States screen immigrants for extremist ideological views.

13. Student Questions What would happen if we didn’t let anyone in anymore? Don’t we already have a good system? Why are we re-building something that isn’t broken? How do we know if it’s broken or not? • What are extremist views? • How are we screening now? • What kinds of extremist views are there? • What about homegrown extremist views? • How might we screen immigrants differently?

14. Next Steps with Student Questions: • Students created questions for the evaluation of the sources they were using: • Who wrote this? • For what purpose was this written? • How do they want me to feel? • How do they want me to act? • What are the sources of their numbers, charts, or other evidence? • Can we trace them back to their creator?… and then question the purpose and authority of those numbers also.

15. Classroom Example:11th Grade U.S. History Teacher: Kelly Grotrian, East Brunswick, NJ Topic: The End of World War II Purpose: To prepare for a debate about whether the United States was justified in dropping the atomic bomb.

16. Question Focus http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/98506956/

17. Students’ Questions What is this? Who did this? How did this affect people? What were the environmental & economic implications of dropping the bomb? How many people were hurt? Is that a plane wing in the bottom right? Did the people in that plane drop the bomb? Did the people dropping the bomb know what they were doing? Did they make the bomb? Who was responsible for dropping the bomb? What led to this event? What happened as a result of dropping the bomb? Where was the bomb dropped? Had people been given warning? How long did it take to notice effects of the bomb? When did this happen (at what point in the war)? How many lives were lost as a result?

18. Classroom Example: High School Teacher: Isabel Morales, Los Angeles, CA Topic: Social Justice Purpose: Engage students in thinking about systemic injustice at the start of a multi-disciplinary unit

19. Question Focus “The disciplinary policies of our society perpetuate injustice.”

20. Student Questions • Why are student of color targeted the most? • Do teachers nationwide take notice of these stats? • How can teachers develop better & effective disciplinary policies? • Why do people see the stats & data as a coincidence? • What does a kid learn about the system once in jail? • What do people believe expulsion will teach the students? • Does going to jury have a long-term effect on younger students about education? • When will it get better? • What are some ways to improve behavior? • What type of training will teachers go through that’ll bring justice to classrooms? • Why is there a law? • Shouldn’t school police officers be trained like teachers? • What is considered a criminal offense in school? • Isn’t it the teacher’s job to keep the students “in line”? • How should disruption in class be handled? • Shouldn’t school officers be punished as well? • What is the difference between a school officer and a regular police officer? • How come there aren’t any policies keeping students out of prison?

21. Student Reflections “Asking questions is important because it opens up discussions and debate about issues.” - Leslie S., 12th grader “Asking questions is a step in creating change.” - Jonathan S., 11th grader “Questions can help focus on a problem and think of solutions.” - Jason S., 11th grader

22. Additional History Resources & Examples http://rightquestion.org/blog/my-qft-journey-putting-students-minds-into-motion-with-their-questions/ Texas social studies teacher, James Brewster, reflects on the large scale cultural changes in his classroom after a year with the QFT and offers several specific lessons, using political cartoons as QFocus prompts.

23. English & ELA Examples

24. Classroom Example:11th Grade U.S. History Teacher: Ellen Gammel, Fitchburg, MA Topic: Bioethics & Nonfiction: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Purpose: To prepare for a formal debate at the very end of the unit

25. Question Focus Debate Resolve: Doctors should be able to do what they want with human tissue after the patient gives consent for removal of the tissue.

26. Students’ Questions A Team Against Debate Resolve: A Team For Debate Resolve: Are our bodies truly our property? How much consent? How much information should a patient receive in order for them to give informed consent? Consent for removal or consent for research? Should the patient be paid? How should patients be paid?  What for? What counts as tissue? Consent for removal of tissue or other body parts? How about animals? Are owners in charge of their pet’s tissue? Are parents in charge of their kids’ tissue? Can kids give informed consent? Do gives give their parents consent? How about teeth? Do teeth count as bone donations? What percent of compensation should patients receive? How have tissue ownership laws changed over the years? Is there a law? Do doctors owns the tissue after patients give consent? Should patients be able to perform their own research? Do doctors come up with the idea? (A focus) Do doctors need consent for tissue that doesn't belong to humans? Can patients take back consent once they find out what the doctors are doing with their tissue?

27. Next Steps with Student Questions • In teams, students researched their priority questions • Students prepared their debate arguments and rebuttals, using research • Students practiced public speaking and rhetorical skills

28. Next Steps with Student Questions The Debate • The 3 Judges: administrators, teachers and a former student • The Audience: students, parents, teachers, school & district leaders

29. To read more about another QFT lesson Ellen did to start the Henrietta Lacks unit, read: http://rightquestion.org/blog/biography-and-bioethics-9th-graders-ask-questions-about-the-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lacks/ This post includes insight into how to tailor certain steps of the QFT and ramp up difficulty in particular areas for students already experienced with the process

30. Classroom Example:High School Teacher: Ariela Rothstein, New York, NY Topic: Unit on nonfiction text: How Does It Feel to be a Problem? Purpose: To engage students’ curiosity and assess their prior knowledge

31. Question Focus Being Young and Arab in America

32. Students’ Questions In 2013: In 2015: Why do Arabs pray 7 times a day? Why do Arabs own cornerstores? [o  c]Do all Arabs own a corner store? Why do female Muslims wear head scarves? Why do Arabs have long hair? Why do they come to the US? [o  c]Do you find the US to have better opportunities? Why do they have so many kids? Why do they cut the little girls’ hair? Why do Muslims believe in a different God? Why don’t Muslims eat pork? Why does everyone go to jail and become Muslim? Why did they really blow up the World Trade Center? Did you know the US see you as terrorists? Did you know Trump about to ban most of your beliefs? What’s your side of the story about the terrorists attacks? Do you have a side of the story?

33. Classroom Example:High School Teacher: Jose Reyes, Marlborough, MA Topic: Emily Dickinson Purpose: To strengthen close reading skills and practice analyzing poetry

34. Question Focus: Much Madness is divinest Sense - (620) By Emily Dickinson Much Madness is divinest Sense – To a discerning Eye – Much Sense – the starkest Madness – ‘Tis the Majority In this, as all, prevail – Assent – and you are sane – Demure – you’re straightway dangerous – And handled with a Chain -

35. Selected Student Questions • Why are the first line and title the same? • What pattern do the lines follow? • What does ‘discerning’ mean? • Why are there dashes after every line? • Why are some of the words capitalized? • What does this poem mean? • What is the deeper meaning? • What is the poem describing? • What is she trying to achieve through this poem? • What does ‘demur’ mean? • How does ‘madness’ compare with ‘divinest’? • Why is this poem confusing? • What does ‘assent’ mean? • Who is the poem about? • Why is the poem only 8 lines? • What type of poem is this? • Who is Emily Dickinson? • Why did she write this? • What was going on in her life at this time? • What does her word choice mean? • What is her tone, mood, attitude? • Why does the poem sound negative? • What literary devices does she use? • Is ‘chain’ a metaphor for something else? • Who is meant by ‘the majority’? • Why is ‘straightway’ used as oppose to ‘straightaway’? • What object is handled by a chain? • What does (620) mean? • Is the intent of this poem to state that madness is dangerous as a sense?

36. Next Steps: • Students selected their three priority questions and searched for answers.

37. Classroom Example: High School Teacher: Matt Parrilli, Park Ridge, IL Topic: “The View from Room 205” podcast Purpose: To practice active listening skills

38. Initial Question Focus

39. Question Focus

40. Selected Student Priority Questions • How does low or high income affect the chances of succeeding? • How does your community affect your chances of success? • What do public schools consider succeeding? • What is the comparison between teachers at public versus private/charter schools? • Is everyone really given an equal opportunity? • What will the school provide for a good learning environment? • Does income level dictate how well a student does?

41. Next Steps with Student Questions • Students independently selected three questions that they were most interested in finding answers to • They took copious notes on evidence to help them to answer the questions and continued raising new questions as they listened. • Students composed a written response to one or more their selected priority questions. • They discussed their responses with their original QFT groups and identified priority questions that were unanswered by “The View from Room 205.” • In the future: have students conduct independent research on a questions that is still unanswered or a new question that they generated while listening to the podcast.

42. To Read about Another Lesson from Matt Parrilli: http://rightquestion.org/blog/controversy-catalyst-questioning-students-question-rolling-stone-cover-marathon-bombing/ In this blog, Matt details a lesson in which he used the QFT to help students explore media coverage of the Boston Marathon bombing. The lesson led to an entire unit on persuasive writing, media literacy, and analysis of non-fiction texts. Matt discusses his process for designing a QFocus and answers the common question, “what do I do with the questions students produce?”

43. Classroom Example: 11th-12th English Teacher: Jonathan Bisson,Amenia, NY Topic: Start of the Year Purpose: To establish classroom culture and begin a PBL unit

44. Question Focus: (Students walk into a room with no furniture) A room that works for us.

45. Student Questions Will we each contribute to the room? Are we going to have a lot of freedom? Can we have polite manners aka being quiet when people are doing work? What’s the best way to compromise how the room is set up? What makes a classroom work for someone? Will it be more like a college environment? Is it possible to get a futon? What are the furniture options? Do we have a budget? Are we going to be able to collaborate

46. Next Steps with Student Questions • Students prioritize “3 questions that will help identify what will best inspire and motivate us as we learn.” • Students design floor plans and models. Each group presents a proposal. • Students use their original QFT questions to identify strengths of each model. • Students pick a final design and arrange room

47. Student Reflections “This project has changed my thinking by knowing how I learn and my peers learn and knowing that learning by experience is much more effective than taking notes off the board.” “This project helped me think outside the box a little more and use my imagination, which I rarely ever do.”

48. Additional English Reading and Resources https://spark.adobe.com/page/xJ0EpzrDEI1vI/ “What is the American Dream? Is it just a dream or can it really be a way of life? How might a person’s background influence his/her opportunities?” Dig into this great blog about kicking off a year of American Literature and The Great Gatsby, by having students ask their own questions about the American Dream. http://rightquestion.org/blog/right-question-stories-from-the-field-english-teachers-beowulf-romeo-juliet/ Here’s a quick snapshot for 5 different lessons in English classrooms across the US and Canada, pulled from Twitter.