The Hour Glass or the Department Store?

The Hour Glass or the Department Store? The Chronological v. Thematic Approach to Teaching US History

Is There a Right Way or a Wrong Way? This presentation is not about giving you the magic potion for presenting US History to your students, but rather about giving you options for your approach. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsrBQ6AGo_g&feature=related

Chronological Approach • Curriculum design that is done chronologically is the typical method as events, people, and dates occur in the order in which they happened. • This the most traditional approach to teaching history. • Start at the beginning and move forward.

Chronological Unit Design Sample Era 1: Three Worlds Meet/ Beginnings – 1620s Era 2: Colonization and Settlement/ 1585 – 1763 Era 3: Revolution and the Nation/ 1754 – 1820s Era 4: Early Expansion and Reform/ 1801 – 1861 Era 5: Civil War and Reconstruction/ 1850 – 1877 Era 6: Development of the Industrial US/ 1870 – 1900 Era 7: Emergence of Modern America/ 1890 – 1930 Era 8: The Great Depression and WWII/ 1929 – 1945 Era 9: Postwar US/ 1945 – 1970s Era 10: Contemporary US/ 1968 – Present National Standards for History, 1996

Thematic Approach • Also known as Conceptual and Categorical • Curriculum that is thematic is broken up according to major themes (government, human rights, etc.). • There are numerous themes from which to choose. See page 15 – 17 in Engagement in Teaching History: Theory and Practices for Middle and Secondary Teachers by Drake and Nelson.

Sampling of Themes History’s Habits of the Mind Individuals, Groups & Institutions Culture Beliefs & Ideals Conflict & Cooperation Change & Continuity Economic & Technological Changes People, Places & Environments

Two Dimensional Curriculum Model- Processes & Skills Topic-based Factual Content Concepts & Principles Processes & Skills Factual Content Concept-based Three Dimensional Curriculum Model-

Think of— KNOW = Factual Knowledge which is locked in time, place or situation UNDERSTAND = Conceptual Understanding which transfers through time, across cultures, and across situations

Types of Knowledge • Factual • Conceptual • Procedural

Peoplemigrateto meet a variety ofneeds. Migrationmay lead to newopportunitiesor greaterfreedom. The Structure of Knowledge • Migration • Opportunity • Needs • Freedom Westward Movement Early American settlers looked for new opportunities. Early American settlers migrated west.

Concept A concept is an organizing idea; a mental construct... • Timeless • Universal • Abstract • Represented by 1 or 2 words • Examples share common attributes

MACRO-CONCEPTS GIVE US BREADTH Micro-concepts give us depth

Scaffolding Thinking to Complex Levels Social Studies Level 3 • Traditions help to unify a people. • So what—is the significance or effect…? Level 2 • Celebrations express traditions of a culture. • Why do cultures have celebrations? Level 1 • All cultures have celebrations.

creates connections to prior experience and finds relevance; • synergistically works with factual level knowledge to develop the intellect; • creates deeper understanding at the factual and conceptual levels; • recognizes the transferablity of knowledge. • creates the motivation for learning It is the conceptual mind that…

Middle Schoolers Answer the Question, “What does it Feel Like When Classes Move too Slowly? I try my best to pay attention, but it can be really hard. I try to copy down absolutely everything so I can maybe learn something. I always play with my shoes. I read ahead in the book. I draw tanks and airplanes. I make up complicated math problems. I figure out a 20 factorial. I plan out my day. I color my nails with my pen. I plan my after-school activities. Sometimes I try to answer a question and explain things in a different way so we can move the class forward, but it make teachers mad sometimes. One thing my sister taught me to do is to listen to music in my head, or to think back to a movie, to its funny parts. When I had braces, I used to play with my braces, and I had braces for four years! Carol Ann Tomlinson

Some Elementary Students Answer the Question, “What’s it Like When You Feel Lost in Class?” I feel scared. Sometimes I try to listen harder but mostly it doesn’t work. I get mad. I want to go home and watch TV. After a while, I give up. I wish the teacher would know how I feel and would help me. I feel dumb. I don’t like the subject very much. I tell myself maybe I will get it tomorrow. I daydream. Sometimes I get in trouble. I play with my hair. My mom doesn’t like when I do that. I wish I was smart. Carol Ann Tomlinson

What are the particular difficulties of teaching American history thematically? • Clearly, it will be easier for the seasoned teacher to move to a fully thematic course. However, one can develop a three year plan to advance toward the ideal by expanding on themes encountered in the textbook currently used. • Teaching thematically requires more time for planning, but the rewards for this approach are high: for the teacher, greater personal and professional satisfaction; for students, greater interest, performance, and retention.

The Pros and Cons…. Both have positives and negatives as any curriculum does; however there is little if any data to indicate as to which is more effective at teaching kids history. It often results in an “I prefer this” or “I prefer that” discussion that focuses on how the teacher thinks rather than how the student learns.

The Pros and Cons…. Students and Teachers often prefer the chronological method because of the “neatness” of its organization. Comments by students indicate that “jumping around” makes history confusing. Students also state that combining chronological with thematic approach was helpful in gaining deeper understanding of historical events.

I’ll take the #3 Combo, Please Some teachers have embraced the idea of combining both approaches. See the example below: Unit 2: Creation of United States Unit 3: Early Expansion & Reform Unit 1: European Settlement of North America Unit 4: Clash of Beliefs and Ideals Unit 9: Political Changes 1945-Present Unit 5: Expansion and Reform Unit 8: Societal Changes 1930-Present Unit 6: America at War

Now using your Conceptual Lens and Drake and Nelson’s pp.15-17, use your prioritized list of terms and categorize them into themes within your groups.

References Conner, M. A Thematic Approach to United States History. Retrieved July 14, 2009. From http://www.socialstudies.com/c/article.html?article@connor1+s@2ciWVgGnuAvEY Westridge School. Pasadena, California. Mary@KoreaAcademy.org Drake, F.D., Nelson, L. R. 2005. Engagement in Teaching History: Theory and Practices for Middle and Secondary Teachers. Pearson. Columbus, OH. Erickson, H. L. with Tomlinson, C. 2007. Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction for the Thinking Classroom. Corwin Press. Thousand Oaks, CA. National Center for History in the Schools. 1996. National Standards for History. University of California Los Angeles. National History Day Image. Retrieved July 14, 2009. From http://www.ncph.org/Portals/13/Education/NHD2007themeLogo.jpg

The Hour Glass or the Department Store?