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The Response Group Instructional Method is a discussion-based strategy where students work in small groups to analyze a resource and respond to a critical thinking question, followed by a class discussion.

How to Run It:

1. Move students into response groups.

2. Give students thought-provoking resources.

3. Ask critical thinking questions.

4. Allow groups time to prepare responses.

5. Lead a whole-class discussion.

Example:

During a unit on U.S. government, give each group a different section of the Bill of Rights. Ask, "Why is this right important in a democracy?" After allowing time for groups to discuss, students share and compare their ideas in a class discussion.

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The Book Backdrop Strategy uses children's literature to introduce historical topics and build background knowledge. It helps students to practice analyzing primary and secondary sources.

How to Run It:

1. Pre-teach key vocabulary.

2. Read the book.

3. Analyze primary or additional secondary sources. Provide students with a note catching strategy.

4. Complete an assessment.

Example:

In a 5th grade unit on the Great Depression, read "Leah's Pony" by Elizabeth Friedrich. Then, analyze pre-determined primary (or additional secondary) sources from the Great Depression, such as a letter written by a child during the Depression. Students use a note catcher to record the economic challenges shown in each source. End the lesson by having students answer: "How did the Great Depression affect everyday families, and how did they show resilience?"

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This strategy for teaching with photographs helps students explore historical events from multiple perspectives by analyzing a photograph and considering how different people involved might have viewed the situation. It builds empathy, historical thinking, and interpretation skills.

How to Run It:

1. Place a photograph in the center of a large piece of a paper or on the whiteboard.

2. Students analyze the image and examine the variety of people and groups that would interpret the situation differently.

3. Students brainstorm a list of all the different viewpoints.

4. One by one, students speak from the perspective of the people or give their perspectives.

Example:

For a 4th grade lesson on the Tea Act, show an image reenacting the Boston Tea Party. Students brainstorm viewpoints such as a patriot and a British tax collector. Have them write their thoughts and share with each other on what the two sides might be thinking. This helps students connect the Tea Act and "Taxation without Representation" to real people's thoughts and motivations.

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This content area literacy strategy helps students figure out bigger words by breaking them into smaller parts. It is especially helpful in social studies because students often see tricky words in government and history. Learning word parts helps them understand important terms more easily.

How to Run It:

1. Teach students common prefixes and suffixes

2. Provide a word to break apart.

3. Build a root word tree, with the word in the trunk, and the prefix and suffix on branches.

4. Brainstorm other words that use the same prefix and suffix for the other branches.

Example:

Before learning about the parts of the U.S. Constitution, break apart the word "preamble" in a root word tree. Break it into "pre-" and "amble" and teach the meanings of both (pre meaning before and amble meaning walk or go). Have students brainstorm other words that use the same prefix and suffix, such as predict and precaution, and ramble and scramble. Students learn that preamble means "something that comes before", like the opening of the Constitution that explains its purpose.

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This content area literacy strategy helps students understand important words by breaking them down into meaning, examples, and comparisons. It is great for social studies, where students learn big ideas like freedom, citizen, or allegiance.

How to Run It:

1. Choose 2-3 key words from your selected reading.

2. Ask students these questions to fill out their map:

What is it?

What is it like?

What are some examples or illustrations?

3. Use drawings and words to complete each part of the map.

Example: When teaching the word allegiance in 1st or 2nd grade, put that word in the middle of the concept map. Guide students in filling out the rest of the map by asking questions. This helps students connect the word allegiance to real-life actions and images they understand, while also building stronger content vocabulary.

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This strategy uses photographs to help students build observation, inference, and questioning skills. It encourages students to look closely, think critically, and ask thoughtful questions.

How to Run It:

1. Show students a photograph and give them an "I See, I Think, I Wonder" chart.

2. Students fill in the chart in small groups:

I See: what they observe

I Think: what they think is happening or what it might mean

I Wonder: ask questions they have about the image

3. Bring the class together to share ideas and discuss.

Example:

1. Show students a photograph of people waiting in line for food during the Great Depression or a family living in a Hooverville.

2. Students fill out the "I See, I Think, I Wonder" chart in small groups of things they observe, what they think is happening, and what questions they still have.

3. Have a class discussion based on students' observations, thoughts, and questions.

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This strategy allows teams to provide and receive feedback in a hands-on, dynamic way. It encourages students to assess each other's work and offer constructive feedback they can use to improve.

How to Run It:

1. Teams stand in front of their projects.

2. Teams rotate to the next project.

3. Teams review their peers' project and discuss their reactions.

4. One student from the group provides feedback on a sticky note.

5. Teacher calls for students to rotate.

6. Teams rotate to the next project and repeats steps 3 and 4.

7. Once all groups have received feedback, allow groups to go back to their own project, review feedback, and make adjustments.

Example:

In 4th grade, students create a timeline depicting a key event from the French and Indian War in small groups. After completing it, they participate in a Carousel Feedback Loop to view other teams' timelines and provide feedback. Afterwards, teams can adjust their projects based on the comments left by their peers.

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This strategy for teaching with photographs helps students look closely at different parts of a photograph by dividing the image into four sections. This makes it easier for students, especially those who have trouble with writing, to talk about what they see. It works great with photos that have a lot going on in different areas.

How to Run It:

1. Pick a photo connected to your topic.

2. Divide the photo into four quadrants.

3. Give students time to observe each part, either as a whole class or in small groups.

4. Ask questions about what what's happening in each corner.

5. Discuss the photo together and connect it to what they're learning in social studies.

Example:

For a fifth grade lesson on popular culture in the Roaring Twenties, display a photo of a 1920s dance club, showing jazz musicians, dancers, fancy clothes, and people watching. Divide the photo in 4 quadrants. Ask students to observe and talk about each part. What are the musicians doing? How are the people dressed? What do you notice about the dancing? What kind of place does this look like? Come back as a class and share observations and thoughts.

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A group activity where students take turns talking about a historical photo or document. It helps them practice thinking, sharing, and asking questions about what they see.

How to Run It:

1. Provide students with a source to analyze.

2. Students work independently to do an initial reading of the source.

3. Students take turns providing their comments on the document, with the use of a graphic organizer.

4. Teacher pauses and asks follow-up questions.

Example:

In a 4th grade lesson on women's roles during the Civil War, provide a drawing of Clara Barton helping wounded soldiers. In small groups, students take turns providing their observations and comments on the photo with a graphic organizer to guide them.

What do you see?

What do you think is happening?

What questions do you have?

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This strategy helps young students connect what they know and what they learn through visual representation. It encourages students to engage with content before and after a reading or lesson by creating drawings. This helps develop their thinking and allows them to express their understandings creatively.

How to Run It:

1. Before Reading:

Students create a mental picture about the topic.

Turn and Talk.

2. Read with the images in their minds.

3. After Reading:

Draw a new picture of what the class learned after the reading.

4. Discuss and state something that is different between the two drawings.

Example:

In a first grade lesson of the role of a mayor, pick a book to read about what a mayor does. Before reading, students draw a picture depicting what they think a mayor does. They turn and share their drawings with a partner to explain their ideas. Read the book, and students learn about the mayor's duties. After reading, students draw a new picture to reflect what they've learned about a mayor's responsibilities. They share how their drawings are different from before the reading and after.