historical thinking: the student perspective
TRANSCRIPT
Objectives1. Explain how students use critical
thinking skills outside of the classroom (testimonials).
2. Share how students think through sourcing, contextualization, corroboration, and close reading.
3. Help teachers apply these skills in a lesson.
4. Demonstrate how to check for understanding, including the use of technology.
Student Testimonial – Luke
On my trip to Pearl Harbor, I was able to go out to the site of the Japanese attack on the U.S.S. Arizona, where the ship still lays. However, before my trip, I researched Pearl Harbor and I found that President Roosevelt may have known of the attack before it happened. I found this out by using skills from Social Studies and I created a brief timeline (contextualization) of the before and after events of the attack, and found that when his third draft of the Infamy Speech was written, FDR states that the Philippines and Pearl Harbor were both attacked, but the Philippines was attacked eleven hours after Pearl Harbor, and Roosevelt only wrote the draft two hours after the attack, meaning he did at least have knowledge of an attack in the Pacific.
Student Testimonial
To continue, although I did as much corroboration as I could for FDR’s knowledge of the attack, I still could not find enough to back up my theory 100%.
Student Testimonial - Sydni
On my trip to Homestead National Monument with my grandparents, I used the skills I learned in Social Studies to help me understand if the monument gave an accurate version of Homesteading. I had to think whether the stories gave all different perspectives of a pioneer’s life. The perspectives varied from Native Americans, to women, to children of Homesteaders. I had to decide whether the stories were primary or secondary sources and if they corroborated what I learned in school. Also, I had to see whether the stories were telling the facts or if their strong perspective included some hyperbole (like John Smith!).
A Student’s Perspective on
Historical Thinking Strategies
Sourcing: A Metaphor
Sourcing is an NCAA basketball game. We think this because the author is the announcer who throughout the game illustrates one perspective of the game through his words to paint a picture in the viewer’s mind. Furthermore, the interview after the game is usually the motive on why the player had such a great game, or what was going on in their mind. To continue, the live game is the primary source and the secondary source is the tape after the game.
Sourcing: An Example
"George Percy's Account of the Voyage to Virginia and the Colony's First Days", 1607.
“Thanks to God, our deadly enemies saved us by bringing food - great amounts of bread, corn, fish, and meat. This food saved all of us weak and starving men. Otherwise we would all have died. Leaders from other tribes also brought us food and supplies which made us comfortable.”
Primary source because the words “Account” and “1607”
Sourcing: Tips Identify the author, when the document
was written, and whether it is a primary or secondary source document (Do this FIRST!)
Identify the author’s purpose and perspective (think about the perspectives left out).
Use schema about the source to consider how it will influence the interpretation.
Contextualization: A MetaphorContextualization is a movie scene of Titanic because it is the setting of a movie. Furthermore, the timeline to provide context is the script. The setting impacts where it takes place and how realistic it is. It provides information about this event because it tells the setting of the night and sea. Also, perspectives on the same event are different because understanding of an event changes over time, like two versions of a movie.
Contextualization: An Example
Records of the Federal Convention of 1787
Resolution Proposed by Mr. Patterson (New Jersey), June 15, 1787
Mr. Dickenson (from Pennsylvania) said to Mr. Madison, “You see the consequence of pushing things too far. Some of the members from the small States wish for two branches in the General Legislature, and are friends to a good National Government; but we would sooner submit to a foreign power, than submit to be deprived of an equality of suffrage, in both branches of the legislature, and thereby be thrown under the domination of the large States.”
Contextualization: Tips
Figure out what perspectives should be considered for this time period.
Explain how perspectives have changed or remained the same.
Identify the events going on before, during, and after the document (make or use a timeline).
Think of your schema you have about the time period.
Close Reading: A Metaphor
Close reading is a spy message because the reader has to assess what the spy claims he or she saw. Also, there is a hidden perspective of the spy, like there are some hidden perspectives of the author of a document. Reading in between the lines is like the inferences that the spy has to make about the subject, focusing on key evidence.
Close Reading: An Example
Patrick Henry answered George Washington’s letter (October 19, 1787):
"I have to lament that I cannot bring my Mind to agree with the proposed Constitution. The Concern I feel is really greater than I am able to express. Perhaps mature Reflection may furnish me Reasons to change my present opinion into agreement with the Opinions of those persons for whom I have the highest Respect.”
Close Reading: Tips
Highlight key words/phrases/strong connotation.
Write notes of important information/your thinking/schema.
Make inferences about what the author doesn’t write.
Identify the author’s claims and find evidence.
Reread the highlighted words or sentences.
Corroboration: Metaphor
Corroboration is a set of fraternal twins because they both have many of the same genes but also many differences, just like documents often have similar but different perspectives. Furthermore, the twins compare and contrast who has the better presents/items, just like the students have to compare and contrast the documents that they have read and analyzed.
Corroboration: An Example
James Barrett, Colonel of Concord Militia
“I, James Barrett of Concord, Colonel of a Regiment of Militia in the County of Middlesex, do testify and say, that on Wednesday morning last about daybreak I was informed of the approach of a number of the Regular Troops to the Town of Concord, where were some magazines belonging to this Province. When there was assembled some of the Militia of this the neighboring Towns, I ordered them to march to the North Bridge (so called) which they had passed and were taking up. I ordered said militia to march to said bridge and pass the same, but not to fire on the King’s troops unless they were first fired upon. We advanced near said Bridge, when the said troops fired upon our militia and killed two men dead on the spot, and wounded several others, which was the first firing of guns in the town of Concord. My detachment then returned the fire, which killed and wounded several of the king’s soldiers.”
Assignment:What REALLY Happened at Jamestown in 1610??
Historians Debate
Overheard at the Historians’ Convention in the Hilton
Omaha…I totally need a new iPhone app for historians who don’t get it! It’s so obvious that the “starving time” at Jamestown the winter of 1610 was really sabotage by the Spanish. The forensic evidence proves it! Ugh!
It’s called the “starving time” for a reason. Obviously, the colonists starved to death. Come on, everyone knows they weren’t prepared for the winter!
I just got a text message from a historian who thinks it was a Powhatan seige. Um, so wrong! GTG.
So…They Did What All Good Historians Do…They Had a
DEBATE!Your task:1. Read independently and apply historical thinking
skills to the documents!2. On your notecard, write down 3 key sentences or
phrases from the documents that guide your thinking about the question (each person should do this!).
3. Form a group of FOUR. Complete “First Turn, Last Turn” discussion.
4. Write a thesis with at least three supporting details. Use evidence from the documents whenever possible.
Notecard Example
Doc. C: “I wish the Constitution which is offered had been made more perfect, but I sincerely believe it is the best that could be obtained at this time; and, as a Constitutional door is opened for amendment hereafter, the adoption of it under the present circumstances of the Union is in my opinion desirable.”
Doc. D (2nd paragraph): “I have my fears that the remedy will prove worse than the disease.”
ExampleIn my humble opinion, what really happened in Jamestown is that the colonists lacked sufficient leadership to deal with the challenge of lacking supplies. After Captain John Smith returned to England, the leadership failed to adequately prepare for the winter, despite having asked the Powhatan for supplies just the winter before. Captain Smith himself in his Travels and Works blamed the “stupidity of our leaders” for the “starving time.” Further, if Smith had been there, he probably could have made a deal to get food with the Powhatan like he did in January 1609 when he said, “I will not, nor dissolve that friendship we have mutually promised, unless you force me” (also from Smith’s account in Travel and Works). From the painting created by colonist John White, the Powhatan obviously knew how to live successfully in Virginia’s environment, and might even have helped the colonists again if they had had better leaders.
At the Historian’s Convention Three
Historians Debate…WHAT REALLY HAPPENED IN JAMESTOWN IN THE WINTER OF 1609-1610??
After reviewing a collection of primary and secondary sources, each historian gives his or her opinion…
Listen as each group shares, and then YOU decide!
Later that same day…Sigh…
I have tried telling them a million times. Jealousy. The Spanish were jealous of the English colony and wanted to protect their empire. Thus, SABOTAGE. Trust me, it was that competitive between the two nations. Just a little poison…
Captain John Smith rocks! If he hadn’t gone back to England, the starving time would never have happened. I bet they have some John Smith T-shirts for sale at the Convention Gift Shop…
LOL. Now thatsame historian thinks thinks itwas the plague.make up yourmind already or I’ll unfriend u!
1.Debate
2.Technology
3.GoogleDocs
4.Posters/Projects
Checking for Understanding
Debate Say thank you to the person who calls on
you by name.
Stand up if you are called on and present your opinion with supporting details.
Make sure to be polite and do not interrupt.
Think about what you are going to say before you raise your hand.
Make sure to have a strong single-sided opinion.
Don’t talk until called on.
If you strongly disagree with an argument, then use a counter argument.
Our Projects What really happened
in Jamestown?
When we did this project we acted like we were historians and took it from what we thought their interpretations might be.
The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere: Fact or Fiction?
When we did this project, we read many documents from both British, Minutemen, and family-member’s perspectives. Then, we graded each document by credibility. Finally, after mashing the credible sources, we used corroboration to make a judgment of what really happened on April 18,1775.
The Constitution: A Spectrum of Beliefs
When we did this project, we identified each author’s perspective about the Constitution, and then we arranged them on a spectrum to show the many different beliefs and the challenge of compromise.
Questions!
How will you take what you learned to teach your class?
Will you have your class read documents now? Briefly explain.
How do you use sourcing to identify the author’s claims about the event?
What do you use contextualization for?
Ask Us Some!
Answer on Wallwisher!
Jump Code:PAGP
http://wallwisher.com/wall/maxeystudents