Historical Thinking & History Texts

1. Historical Thinking & History Texts Katy Swalwell, Ph.D. University of Maryland – College Park July 16, 2013

2. 1:00 – 4:00 • Objectives • Introductions • Historical Thinking Overview • Practice Sourcing • Practice Searching

3. Objectives • Define and practice historical thinking • Inspire an idea for an “historical thinking question” you would like your kids to wrestle with /answer • Anticipate challenges and possibilities with regards to engaging your students in historical thinking • Become familiar with online historical archives • Practice selecting sources for specific historical questions

4. Introductions • Share your… • NAME • SCHOOL • GRADE LEVEL • If you could go pick one place to watch 100 years of history unfold, where would you choose?

5. Historical Thinking is not… Take from http://bestofcalvinandhobbes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/education.png

6. Which of these problems is most frustrating/common? • Problem 1: Teaching a linear and disconnected history focused on specific facts without a sense of recurring themes • Problem 2: Teaching without explicit opportunities for students to engage in historical inquiry • Problem 3: Missing opportunities to connect recurring themes with current issues • Problem 4: Using historical sources devoid of context and connection to historical themes Why do these problems exist? What causes these problems? How can we solve them? Adapted from Obenchain, Orr, & Davis ( 2011)

7. History of Historical Thinking • Not a new way of teaching… advocated in the 1800s as a way to engage students • Teacher training and K-12 learning took place in conjunction with museums and “source books” accompanied text books Adapted from Eamon (2006)

8. History ofHistorical Thinking • In the early 20th century (expansion of mass schooling), primers replaced sourcebooks and students were taught to memorize historical facts and narratives • 1960s/1970s – “New History” attempted to focus on historical thinking skills and inquiry • 1980s-2000s – standards-based movement and high-stakes testing marginalized history/SS and reverted to fact-based curriculum for mainstream students • 2010s – Common Core and “21st Century Skills” renewed interest in historical thinking Adapted from Eamon (2006)

9. Historical Thinking is… • 1) Organizing your curriculum around ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS that link to HISTORICAL QUESTIONS • 2) Giving students the opportunity to GATHER/ANALYZE EVIDENCE • 3) Asking students to DRAW CONCLUSIONS from the evidence to answer the questions Adapted from Obenchain, Orr, & Davis (2011)

10. HISTORY IS… • EVOLVING • CONSTRUCTED • DISTINCT FROM THE PAST (IT’S THE STORIES WE CONSTRUCT) • What do we know about the past and how do we know what we know? • What questions do we have about the past, and how do we answer them? • Why do particular historical narratives persist?

13. Why should we teach Historical Thinking?

14. How do we teach Historical Thinking? • 1) Develop essential and historical questions to guide students’ inquiry.* • 2) Seek out primary/secondary sources from multiple perspectives that pertain to the question.* • 3) Engage in “Source Work”* • Identify the type of source and its appearance • Attribute the source to an author, audience, and context • Judge the author’s perspective • Assess reliability of the source in relation to question (not “truth” or “lie”) *Can be done by students or by teacher Adapted from VanSledright(2004)

15. How do you teachHistorical Thinking? • 4) Compare and contrast multiple accounts in relation to the historical context.* • 5) Make a claim/evidence connection.* What sounds challenging about this approach to teaching history? What sounds exciting? For more info, see http://www.teachinghistory.org/historical-thinking-intro

16. Tips for teaching Historical Thinking • Pose questions and ask students to generate their own • Put students into small group work for sourcing • Do some of the source work yourself to save time • Scaffold activities to highlight different perspectives or historical accounts of the same event • Design assessments that involve source work • Be patient with students as they transition from receivers of knowledge to constructors of knowledge – many will struggle (especially the “good” students) • Other ideas?

17. Let’s Try It! • Voting Rights Act of 1965 • Essential Question: How and when should voting rights be expanded or restricted? (other possibilities, of course) • Historical Question: Was the Voting Rights Act of 1965 a justifiable example of the expansion of voting rights? • Current Events Question: Should the Voting Rights Act be struck down? Should voter ID laws be passed? Let’s look at multiple primary sources in need of source work to contextualize the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

18. Brief Historical Context • White Citizens’ Council prevented Black citizens from voting in many Southern states • State laws made it difficult for African Americans to vote and put authority in hands of local officials • 1963: Byron de la Beckwith killed Medger Evers the night JFK announces his Civil Rights bill on television • June, 1964: KKK killed James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner (registering voters) • 1964: Council of Federated Organizations (COFO) organized 41 Freedom Schools to educate and register prospective voters

19. African Americans were 42% of the population of the state. Fewer than 5% of African Americans were registered.

20. In small groups… • Try to “source” your document: • Identify the type of source and its appearance • Attribute the source to an author, audience, and context • Judge the author’s perspective • Assess reliability of the source in relation to question (not “truth” or “lie”) • Keep in mind the EQ and HQ: How and when should voting rights be expanded or restricted? Was the Voting Rights Act of 1965 a justifiable example of the expansion of voting rights?

21. Together… • If you were to use these documents with the students, how would you integrate them? • Which steps would you scaffold, and which would you ask them to do independently or in small groups? Why? • Would there be any sources that you wouldn’t use? Why? Why not? • What other Essential Questions, Historical Questions, and Current Events Questions might be relevant to these documents?

22. In small groups, discuss… What historical thinking do you want your students to be able to do by the end of your unit? What might be a good essential and historical question for your unit? How should you appropriately scaffold each of the steps of historical thinking for your students? What should they do independently and what should you prep for them?What challenges do you anticipate? How can you mitigate those challenges?

23. Finding Historical Sources • Selecting good primary sources (or having your students select them) is essential to successful historical thinking teaching • It’s not always easy, however…

24. The Internet: A Blessing & A Curse • Selecting good primary sources (or having your students select them) is essential to successful historical thinking teaching • The Internet is a blessing and a curse…

25. Online Historical Sources • 1st generation: images from popular linear exhibits • 2nd generation: virtual non-linear exhibits • 3rd generation: searchable digital collections with transcriptions and translations Adapted from Eamon(2004)

26. Online Historical Sources • Explore the primary source sites at http://elementarysocialstudies.weebly.com (PK-8 Resources/History) • I recommend: • American Memory • Chronicling America • The Digital Vaults • Facing History’s Civil Rights Collection • Teachinghistory.org • Zinn Education Project (sample lessons)

27. Thank you!Questions?EmailKaty at katyswalwell@gmail.com