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This is a fantastic Project that allows students to think like historians as they explore and research the peoples, events, and/or geographical elements that make up the history of their community.

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History is a process of interpretation and perspective-taking. In this project, students research the history of their home community or region and use primary source materials to learn about the experiences and perspectives of multiple community members (e.g., indigenous people, immigrants, colonists, enslaved people, people of different class backgrounds) in relation to particular events. Students use what they learn to document and share the multiple (and sometimes conflicting) histories that coexist in their local community.

Log in to learn more about this project

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History is a process of interpretation and perspective-taking. In this project, students research the history of their home community or region and use primary source materials to learn about the experiences and perspectives of multiple community members (e.g., indigenous people, immigrants, colonists, enslaved people, people of different class backgrounds) in relation to particular events.

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This is a video of a 5th grade Spanish Immersion class, but I think it can be applied to secondary school age students. I like how much ownership each group and individual student took in their project. A few of them expressed how much work they put into their research and use of technology. That is an important element of Project Based Learning.

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Project Based Learning in History: Emerson Spanish Immersion, Sarah Page (Transforming Teaching & Learning Through Technology)

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production services www.iDream.tv 
In this class 5th grade class at Emerson Spanish Immersion School in Minneapolis, teachers Rachael Sebold and Sarah Page are Using Powerpoint and Imovie for Civil War Presentations. 

This program is part of the Transforming Teaching & Learning Through Technology Video Series, A project of 
Minneapolis Public Schools IT Services With funding provided by MDE: Enhancing Education Through Technology 

Production services provided by
LOCATION IMAGES
www.iDream.tv

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This is a project I came up with. It has students research, write, and film a news broadcast based on one of the many perspectives of the Boston Massacre. Students choose a role as an editor, director (leader of the group), writer, camera person, sound person, etc. Through this process, they learn what it must have been like to be there to report on the Boston Massacre.

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Mr. Peterson's Classes - Project-based Learning

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The Project: Broadcast of the Boston Massacre

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This article discusses the use of Project Based Learning in the history classroom. One of the examples that I have seen used, is the student led inquiry into the technology that affected the outcome of the Civil War. Students choose a technology they are interested in and research it to discover how it affected the outcome of the Civil War.

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middleweb.com-Project Learning in History Class

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This is a Summative Assessment that a group of fellow students and I came up with for the Unit on Human Rights. This assessment is the essence of Problem Based Learning. It starts with the students getting in groups to form new countries. Then they start researching and learning guided by these questions: What do you think constitutes human rights? Who deserves these rights? How would you address the current human rights issues? Students thus have the problem, how to address and define human rights and solve human rights issues in the new country. Then they learn/research solutions. All of this is student driven.

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This article has some great ideas on how to start a Problem Based Learning activity/project. I especially like the problem statements gallery walk, where students create a slide that includes the context of the problem, the problem, and the task to complete. This process guides students in identifying a problem, presenting that problem to the class, and, as a class, choosing a problems to work on.

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One of the biggest trends in education right now is problem-based learning, and for a good reason. PBL is a powerful way to help kids build the skills and confidence they need to see themselves as changemakers. There are so many opportunities for us to introduce PBL in our classes (even virtually!). If you've never tried PBL before, but you're ready to start, here are three activities to get started.

Brainstorm a problem Padlet

To get started with PBL, challenge students to brainstorm a problem that they'd like to solve. We love using Padlet so students can easily see each other's ideas (plus you can post the board in your LMS and add to it as you work). Post-It notes work great too!

As you go through students' ideas, you'll likely see big, broad, world-wide problems like poverty, hunger, school violence, and climate change. For PBL to work, we need to help our students narrow their focus, so their problem meets three criteria: it's hyper-localized, relevant, and can have multiple solutions. Introduce the criteria, and then use one of your student's examples to dig deeper into the problem. Here are some questions you might ask:

Why is this a problem?

Why should kids care?

How does the problem affect our community (school, neighborhood, city/town)?

Is this problem affecting us in our day-to-day lives? How?

What are some ideas for how we might solve this problem?

Sharing an example can help students see how they can take a big problem and use the three criteria to narrow their focus. Here's an example from MindSpark Learning's PD on Problem-Based Learning. Ask students to go back into the Padlet and revise their problem, so it meets all three criteria.

Conduct a problem statements gallery walk

Now that students are beginning to understand how to identify a problem that meets all three of PBL's criteria give them a chance to develop that understanding with a gallery walk. Before the gallery walk, students will submit a slide that has these three elements:

Context: Why is this a problem? Why should kids care?

Problem: What question(s) are they trying to solve?

Task: What are they producing? How will they show they have met standards?

Ask students to go through the slide deck and pick two problems to evaluate. Does the problem meet all three criteria (it's hyper-localized, relevant, and can have multiple solutions)?

Students can use the comments feature to share their findings and take notes. Then, you can chat as a class about what you noticed. Using the feedback, students can revise their problem statements.

Introduce needs statement sentence frames

The next step in PBL is to write a needs statement. Students will likely need some support to understand what a needs statement is and how to write it. We love this sentence frame from MindSpark Learning, and giving students an example also helps them get started.

What's next? Enter The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest

PBL is most meaningful when students work together to design a solution to their problem. This is where they see the impact of their work. It's also motivating and exciting when they have a bigger goal to work towards, like entering a contest. The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest is fully virtually this year, and you and your students have a chance to win your share of $2 million dollars in classroom technology.

Want to learn more? Take a free PBL workshop

Once you register on the website, you have access to six free hours of PD. Samsung partnered with MindSpark Learning, so you have everything that you need to co-create a strong problem statement with your students. This isn't your typical "sit and get" webinar where a facilitator talks at you. It's highly interactive, and you will use tools like Padlet, Jamboard, Zoom chat, and breakout rooms to learn PBL basics. So if you want to enter the contest, but you feel like you need some support, check out the PD. There's also a virtual session on design thinking so you and your students can start dreaming up a solution.

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3 Activities To Get Started With Problem Based Learning (Plus, Free PD!)

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One of the biggest trends in education right now is problem-based learning, and for a good reason. PBL is a powerful way to help kids build the skills and confidence they need to see themselves as changemakers. There are so many opportunities for us to introduce PBL in our classes (even virtually!).

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This interactive lesson from PBS Learning Media, inspires students as they learn about historic and contemporary young civic leaders. They are then guided through the identification of the problem process, the research, and the creation of solutions to that problem or problems. This interactive lesson helps students develop the civic minded skills that are necessary in becoming responsible/active citizens.

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Youth Stand Up: Step 2—Research The Problem | PBS LearningMedia

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Research is the foundation of any effective civic action. You need to understand what causes this problem to exist and what some possible solutions are. Finding answers to questions like Why does this problem exist? Who is affected by this problem? Is anyone already working to address this issue? Ha…

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This is a lesson plan from TC3 Teachers that I have actually used in teaching. It is similar to Problem Based Learning, but without a problem to solve. The Boston Tea Party Inquiry Based Lesson starts with the essential question: The Boston Tea Party: Activism or Vandalism?. Through sourcing, analyzing primary sources, evaluating, and synthesizing the information from those sources, students make an argument defending their response to the essential question (The Boston Tea Party: Activism or Vandalism?). This is a student led inquiry.

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This discusses how to use inquiry based learning in a history/social studies classroom. The section on using visuals to start the inquiry process, was what really stuck out to me. I like using visuals and starting students with easier inquiry skills (i.e. identifying what you see). This process primes them for more in depth inquiry of the topic being expressed in the visual.

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What is inquiry learning?

In a nutshell, inquiry learning is the equivalent of a teacher saying to students "You need to learn how to solve problems and answer important questions on your own. So, I'm giving you a question or problem and some clues, and you have to practice your thinking skills to come up with conclusions or answers." The teacher provides students with resources, hints. Ideally, students are taught a step-by-step process to figure out the answer or solution.

Inquiry learning is often explained by comparing it with another common teaching method - direct instruction. In direct instruction, the teacher is saying "I'm an expert and I know what you need to learn (for life, for a test, etc.). Therefore, I'm going to explicitly tell you what is important to know. You don't have to figure it out; just learn it."

Unfortunately, inquiry learning is often described as "active learning" and contrasted with direct instruction, described as "passive learning." This is a mistaken and misleading comparison. Direct instruction occurs when the teacher organizes and presents the information to students, but it does not have to be "passive." A common misconception is direct instruction always equates a lecture. This is not true; a variety of teaching methods can also be used in direct instruction, including reading, engaging activities, as well as lecture.
Contrasting direct instruction with inquiry learning and presenting one as "good" and one as "bad" is doing a disservice to both styles of instruction. First, it is like comparing apples to oranges. Teaching some content, lessons, or skills is more successful with direct instruction; inquiry works better for other lessons. A good classroom has some of both.

Inquiry learning has lots of aliases - problem-based learning, project-based learning, or discovery learning. Students learning and practicing critical thinking skills are at the core of all of these inquiry teaching methods.

What does inquiry learning look like history or social studies classes?

Inquiry learning can take place using a single, simple strategy or short portion of a typical one-hour lesson. Or, an inquiry project can take several days or be the focus on an entire unit or class.

Teachers can prompt inquiry learning in history with essential (or compelling) questions or even ask students to come up with their own problems or questions to solve. Essential questions are perfect for inquiry. Good essential questions are open-ended and can be interpreted and answered in many different ways. Therefore, students must analyze what they already know about an issue or concept, incorporate the new information learned in class, and summarize everything to answer the essential question. Students must "cite the evidence" for their answers using information learned in class. However, lesson, units, and courses designed around essential questions aren't just about asking students questions and leaving them to it. Teachers must provide a solid foundation of information, usually through direct instruction, so students can produce informed answers. In other words, inquiry using essential questions coexists with direct instruction.

Visual discovery is my favorite "quick" method for incorporating inquiry into a lesson. The teacher chooses a thought-provoking image ( historical primary source image or modern social media post for example) related to the topic. Students are asked carefully prepared questions to lead them to conclusions relevant to the lesson. The questions begin at the lower level of Bloom's Taxonomy - easy, obvious, and "tell me what you see" questions. The questions that follow are more complex, so students are interpreting the details of the image and making hypotheses based on this evidence. These hypotheses are then "tested" in the lesson that follows. Visual discovery can be used to begin a lesson, end a lesson, or incorporated in a typical lecture. The hardest thing for a teacher is to ask the questions and allow the students to answer. In my experience, it is SO easy to jump in and just "tell" the students what they see instead of pushing them to explain, discuss, and support their conclusions with evidence.

Visual discovery is one of several effective teaching methods described in Bring Learning Alive, Methods to Transform Middle and High School Social Studies Instruction.

Concept development activities are another of my favorite inquiry methods for social studies. Students explore the meanings of critical concepts such as liberal or conservative; or words with many meanings and interpretations, such as family or home; or "slippery" terms. Concept development activities encourage students to examine what they already know (or think they know), compare it with the knowledge and experiences of their peers, and contrast that with the "official" definitions from the past and present from dictionaries and other scholarly sources.

At the other end of the inquiry continuum are more complex learning activities spread out over several days or an entire unit. The Inquiry Arc promoted by the National Council for the Social Studies is one such example. This multi-dimensional model for inquiry learning emphasizes "the disciplinary concepts and practices that support students as they develop the capacity to know, analyze, explain, and argue about interdisciplinary challenges in our social world." This model consists of four dimensions: 1. developing questions and planning inquiries; 2. applying disciplinary concepts and tools; 3. evaluating primary sources and using evidence; and 4. communicating conclusions and taking informed action.

For example, a history inquiry using the Inquiry Arc model might begin with a teacher- provided compelling/essential questions such as "Why are men and women expected to follow different codes of etiquette?" Or students might formulate their own questions related to this topic. My favorite method to guide students in asking their own questions is the Question Formulation Technique (QFT). For the second dimension, students explore change and continuity of manners over time and the perspectives of different cultures and groups of people. Supporting questions guide learning of key facts and concepts related to etiquette. In other words, teachers guide students or tell students (direct instruction) what they need to know to understand the topic. For the third dimension, students analyze primary and secondary source documents such as books of etiquette from different time periods or histories of the evolution etiquette over time. They formulate educated conclusions answering the compelling/essential question, supported with evidence. Finally, students communicate their conclusions in formal essays or creative projects. They may also take action by recommending solutions. For example, students might propose or carry about a project related to manners and etiquette in their own school.

Many step-by-step models are available for larger, long-term inquiry projects. My favorites are the Inquiry Design Model and the model used by the DBQ (Document Based Question) Project.

In conclusion, inquiry learning is a teaching strategy. But it is not a panacea or magic elixir guaranteeing every student becomes an enthusiastic learner and every lesson a complete success. Inquiry learning one of many tools used by teachers, in combination with other strategies, to encourage students to learn and thinking critically.

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Inquiry Learning in History & Social Studies

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Inquiry learning is like a teacher saying to students "You need to learn how to solve problems and answer important questions on your own. So, I'm giving you a question or problem and some clues, and you have to practice your thinking skills to come up with conclusions or answers."

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This article provides some great ideas for Cooperative Learning Activities in the classroom. I especially like the "Its A Mystery" activity. I can see using this to introduce a significant historical figure or event (i.e. Christopher Columbus or the sinking of the USS Maine that started the Spanish American War).

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The Teaching History website has many great resources that I have looked through (some I have used in a real classroom). The lesson discussed on this page of the website deals with Structured Academic Controversy (SAC). It describes how to start with a historical issue with contrasting viewpoints (i.e. Was the bombing of Hiroshima necessary to end the war with Japan?). Students take turns making and defending an argument for one side, while the students who are taking the other side write down notes. Then, at the end of the presentation of arguments from the first group of students, they ask questions for clarification. Then the second group, the ones taking the opposite side of the first group, take their turn in presenting their arguments (which they came up with as the first group was coming up with theirs). After they present their side, the first group asks clarifying questions. Then both sides switch, making and presenting arguments for the side opposite the one they had at the beginning. Then both groups come to a consensus. This is a very structured, yet also freeing, way to discuss controversial issues in a positive way. Through Structured Academic Controversy (SAC), students learn vital citizenship skills, such as respect, listening, defending arguments with evidence, collaborating/compromising, and participating responsibly.

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A discussion that moves students beyond either/or debates to a more nuanced historical synthesis.

By the time students reach adolescence, many believe that every issue comes neatly packaged in a pro/con format, and that the goal of classroom discussion, rather than to understand your opponent, is to defeat him. The SAC method provides an alternative to the "debate mindset" by shifting the goal from winning classroom discussions to understanding alternative positions and formulating historical syntheses. The SAC's structure demands students listen to each other in new ways and guides them into a world of complex and controversial ideas.

The SAC was developed by cooperative learning researchers David and Roger Johnson of the University of Minnesota as a way to provide structure and focus to classroom discussions. Working in pairs and then coming together in four-person teams, students explore a question by reading about and then presenting contrasting positions. Afterwards, they engage in discussion to reach consensus.

1. Choose a historical question that lends itself to contrasting viewpoints. For example, we illustrate the SAC below with the question "Was Abraham Lincoln a racist?" but many other questions lend themselves to the technique. For example, "Was dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki necessary to defeat the Japanese?" or "Could the Constitution have been ratified if slavery had been abolished?" and so on. 2. Find and select two or three documents (primary or secondary sources) that embody each side. (Remember that you can pull these from existing document collections on the web or in print.) 3. Consider timing, make copies of handouts, and plan grouping strategies. The time you will need for a SAC that uses about four documents will depend on the amount of experience your students have with the activity structure and the difficulty and familiarity of the documents. Plan on using about two class periods for your initial SAC.

Modified and adapted countless times by researchers and teachers, the technique has five basic steps ( See Handout 1) with procedures to display for students. 1. Organize students into four-person teams comprised of two dyads. 2. Each dyad reviews materials that represent different positions on a charged issue (e.g., "Was Abraham Lincoln a racist?"). See Handout 2 that helps students track their analysis and prepare their positions. 3. Dyads then come together as a four-person team and present their views to one other, one dyad acting as the presenters, the others as the listeners. 4. Rather than refuting the other position, the listening dyad repeats back to the presenters what they understood. Listeners do not become presenters until the original presenters are fully satisfied that they have been heard and understood. 5. After the sides switch, the dyads abandon their original assignments and work toward reaching consensus. If consensus proves unattainable, the team clarifies where their differences lie.

Students' debate framework starts early and runs deep. Even when told that they need to understand-not undermine-an opposing position, students will try to find holes in their opponent's positions and aim to refute them. We recommend

Introducing the idea of "active listening" to your students and having them practice it in dyads for a few minutes

Establishing the rule: Jot down notes when confused, do not interrupt the presenters

Making sure students can refer to the procedures throughout the activity by posting them or making handouts

As students start to see other perspectives and nuance in the materials, the absence of a certain answer may confuse them. We recommend reassuring students that uncertainty and complexity are expected during this activity. Encourage them to make notes that specify their confusion, new ideas or questions.

Was Abraham Lincoln a racist? Background for the teacher: How we judge people in the past is at the core of historical understanding. Should we think less of Thomas Jefferson because he was a slave owner? How should we regard forms of slavery sanctioned by the Bible? How do we regard people who believed in witches? Or that the ordeal was a way to establish truth? In other words, how do we judge people in the past, people who thought differently from us and perceived the world using different beliefs and assumptions? This question pivots on two opposing stances: first, that there are a set of universal virtues-kindness, fairness, openmindedness, goodness, decency, and tolerance-that transcend time and space. Alternately, the opposing stance sees human virtues as relative, shaped by the dictates of particular settings and circumstances. In this sense, an "enlightened person" looks very different on questions of human decency depending on whether he or she lived in the 13th century, the 19th, or today. Ideas related to the question of how we judge the past will come up in students' conversations. This is how it should be and as directed in the Common Pitfall, students should be encouraged to track these ideas as pairs prepare and present and then to discuss them as they try to reach consensus. In this Structured Academic Controversy, this question of how to judge the past is considered by examining the person and the time of Abraham Lincoln. Specifically we ask, Was Abraham Lincoln a racist?

Racist, n., one who believes that his or her race confers an inherent superiority over others. (Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary)

The two handouts will help you introduce and set up this activity and there are four documents that accompany this SAC. Each dyad should get all four. Acknowledgments. We thank Professor Walter Parker at the University of Washington's College of Education for helping us see the enduring value of the SAC approach in the history classroom.

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A discussion that moves students beyond either/or debates to a more nuanced historical synthesis. By the time students reach adolescence, many believe that every issue comes neatly packaged in a pro/con format, and that the goal of classroom discussion, rather than to understand your opponent, is to defeat him.

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This is great use of Structured Academic Controversy for the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Students take turns defending one of two sides of the argument generated from the question: Were Lewis and Clark respectful to the Native Americans they met on their journey? This is something I would use when I want students to understand the complexity of a historical issue.

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Today's post is written by Cheney, Kansas middle and high social studies teacher Jill Weber. Jill is the 2016 Gilder Lehrman Kansas History Teacher of the Year.

Sometimes it all goes right. Thursday morning I didn't think the day was going to turn out. It was just one of those rough mornings. Bad news and frustrations everywhere I looked. Before class started, I thought

Man, I'm gonna really have to fake-it-to-make-it today.

But then class started, and we got rolling with our topic and activity. By the end of my first block I knew I wasn't gonna have to "fake it." Today was AWESOME!

And it was made possible by the Structured Academic Controversy (SAC) activity I found using Stanford History Education Group. If you aren't using SHEG in your classes . . . get on it! Seriously one of the best resources out there for incorporating and teaching with primary sources.

The SAC provides a controversial questions, documents for research, and the procedure for students to participate in small group debates. Students learn how to argue with evidence! And middle school students LOVE to argue!

The entire activity took two full class periods (we are on a block schedule, so two 75 min. classes) Here's how it went down . . . Want the SHEG lesson? Click HERE

Introduce the activity by telling your kids . . .

Today I am going to teach you how to WIN an argument. Whether you're arguing with your parents, teachers, girlfriend/boyfriend, this is how you WIN.

The KIDS LOVE that intro, cause they all can relate to arguing with someone and they ALL want to WIN that argument. You see . . . you will NEVER win an argument if you don't have evidence to back up your claim. Today is about learning to back up what you say with evidence!

I now share the controversial question with students and their teams. Today they will be doing research in groups of four. Our question comes from the SHEG activity:

Were Lewis and Clark respectful to the Native Americans they met on their journey?

Students know that they will eventually be debating over this topic but they don't yet know which side they will be arguing. This time is just purely spent analyzing the documents and trying to understand what they are saying.

The next step is locating specific evidence for both sides of the argument - think of an upside down triangle. They started with a BUNCH of information in five different primary source documents and we're trying to narrow the focus a bit. Students identify three direct quotes from the document that would support "YES, Lewis and Clark were respectful to the Native Americans" and three direct quotes that support "NO, they weren't respectful."

Within their groups of four, students are paired up two and two. I tell one pair that they will be arguing "YES, Lewis and Clark were respectful," and the others that they are arguing "NO." The team of four now separates in order to prepare for their argument.

This next step is very important because it teaches students how to search not just for evidence that will back up their own claim, it also forces them to learn about BOTH sides. You see, not only are they preparing points of emphasis and evidence for their own argument but they are also looking at what points the OTHER SIDE is going to make and how they can argue against that. The goal is to reach a consensus about the evidence, not necessarily to "win."

After about 20 minutes of prep time, I bring the team of four back together. I go over the rules of the debate. Team "Yes" gets to start by bringing up their reasons and providing evidence from the documents. Then team "No" has a chance to give their points of view. At this time, no rebuttal can be made. After each presentation, the two students from the "other" side must repeat back and summarize what they heard from the presenting group.

Once each side has had a chance to explain their reasoning and to summarize the evidence, the groups can begin to debate specific issues mentioned. This is where you start to see the volume increase!

Again . . . using evidence and reaching consensus about what the evidence says is the goal to a good SAC activity. And be sure to let students know that it's okay to change sides - when we get new evidence, it should also be evaluated and applied to the guiding question.

(This activity is doing double duty as a civic literacy tool - coming to agreement, solving problems, and adjusting worldview based on evidence are skills that are crucial to creating engaged, informed, and knowledge citizens!)

Assessment:
After debating for 10-15 minutes it's time to assess. Students are asked to construct a written response on their own PERSONAL opinion over the topic - this is where you will see the "switching of sides." They must use evidence from the documents provided in their writing. I usually ask for five sentences, but with this activity they always write more. The debate caused them to have a personal opinion on the issue and they tend to have LOTS to say about it.

Okay . . . this activity is AWESOME on its own. Give it a try (you can do this same structure with ANY topic that is argumentative.) It's great! However, I have plans for this in the future. No matter how good any lesson turns out to be, there's always room to improve and make it better. In the future . . .

I want to turn this into a court case. I want the Native Americans to sue Lewis and Clark. Think about the possibilities:

I get to be a judge. Getting to announce myself as "the Honorable Mrs. Weber" is probably half the reason for wanting to do this 🙂

Various parts for students to play: Prosecuting/Defending lawyers and their associate layers, characters called to testify (Sacajawea, Charbenneau, York, Lewis, Clark, Thomas Jefferson, Native American Chiefs . . . think of the research those students "playing the part" will need to do to accurately portray these people.) And of course the jury.

The opportunity to bring in some guest speakers (lawyers) to talk about court procedures and terminology.

The learning that can take place, more than just content . . . career oriented!

Did I mention I get to be a judge and use a gavel? 🙂

And if I'm gonna dream REALLY BIG, it would be awesome to bus my kids to the county court house and have court in the real court! 🙂

Be sure to get all the handouts and resources at the Stanford History Education Group site. (There are six other SHEG activities that use the Structured Academic Controversy strategy - be sure to explore those a bit.)

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Structured Academic Controversy - Lewis and Clark Edition!

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Today's post is written by Cheney, Kansas middle and high social studies teacher Jill Weber. Jill is the 2016 Gilder Lehrman Kansas History Teacher of the Year. Sometimes it all goes right. Thursday morning I didn't think the day was going to turn out. It was just one of those rough mornings.

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This website provides a video and instructions on conducting Structured Academic Controversy lesson models on the controversial topic of racial profiling. This lesson helps students conduct a positive/respectful debate on a controversial topic, which is vital for developing the citizenship skills my social studies classes will be implementing

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Role-Playing

Structured Academic Controversy

Teacher: JoEllen Ambrose

School: Champlin Park High School, Champlin, MN

Grade Level: 12th Grade

Course: Social Studies 12 Law
Lesson Objectives:

To engage students in defining, explaining, and evaluating an issue; presenting well-supported arguments; and reaching a consensus.

To build on students' own opinions and experiences and help them develop a deeper understanding and more complex picture of key public policy issues.

To examine the tension that exists in our democracy between the government's interest in promoting public safety and individual rights.

In this 12th-grade Law class at Champlin Park High School in Champlin, Minnesota, JoEllen Ambrose engages students in a structured discussion of a highly controversial issue-racial profiling-and connects student learning both to their study of due process in constitutional law and to police procedure in their study of criminal law. She begins by having students individually complete an opinion poll, which they then discuss as a group, realizing that the issue of profiling becomes increasingly complex as examples of it get closer to their personal experience. By physically engaging the students (they move around from "Agree" to "Disagree" to "Undecided" positions as the discussion proceeds), they get both a visceral and visual sense of the controversy. The poll is primarily a motivating activity to engage students' interest. Next, working in pairs, they delve into studying a research packet that JoEllen Ambrose has prepared, reading local and national sources on the topic of racial profiling. The next activity pairs students in a structured debate. The framework for this debate is highly specific with regard to both time and task and is designed to have each partnership argue both sides of the issue. Each group of four is next charged with the task of developing a consensus position on the issue and presenting it to the class. A debriefing discussion completes the lesson.

Support Materials
The support materials found below under Sections will lead you through the viewing of the workshop video and the related activities and discussions for "Controversial Public Policy Issues." These materials can be used by individuals and by facilitators of workshop sessions.

The support materials identify key concepts, provide discussion ideas for each video segment, and recommend follow-up activities for after the workshop session.

Additional Materials
The following materials-Lesson Plan, Teacher and Student Perspectives, Essential Readings and Other Lessons-provide background and context for the lesson seen in the workshop video. They also supply the tools you need to adapt this lesson and its teaching strategies for your classroom.

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Controversial Public Policy Issues - Workshop Session - Annenberg Learner

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Role-Playing Structured Academic Controversy Teacher: JoEllen Ambrose School: Champlin Park High School, Champlin, MN Grade Level: 12th Grade Course: Social Studies 12 Law Lesson Objectives: To engage students in defining, explaining, and evaluating an issue; presenting well-supported arguments; and reaching a consensus.

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This is a PPT of the lesson a group of fellow students and I came up with. The topic of this lesson is the history of Human Rights and Human Rights today. Students follow the Jigsaw method as they become experts on their chosen topic (history of Human Rights or Modern Day Human Rights) and then teach what they have learned to another student. The use of the Jigsaw method for this lesson, instills ownership of learning, creates more opportunities for students to make personal connections, and gives students a chance to learn more as they teach the topic.

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The UEN (UTAH EDUCATION NETWORK) has a list of Service Project Ideas. One of the ones on the list that is similar to what I have seen done recently in history classes, is Collect Resources for a women's shelter. Students in the history classes I observed recently, were collecting things for Afghan Refugees. They had or were learning about the migrations of peoples throughout history, the various motivations for doing so, and refugee crises in recent history. Then they came up with the idea to collect and deliver needed items to these refugees. This project to the ideas learned about in history and made them real, which inspired the students to care for and about those in need.

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This video is a news report about a high school who took on many civic engagement service projects. This is a great example of how students can come up with service projects on their own and implement them. Civic engagement is an essential part of learning in social studies.

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Sahuaro High students present civic engagement projects

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This website provides resources and links to events, lectures, stories, etc. related to service learning and civic engagement. Students can learn of the many different ways they can engage in civic service. They can be inspired by stories of youth serving and becoming community leaders.

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Youth Resources | Utah Division Of Multicultural Affairs

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Every year the Utah Division of Multicultural Affairs invites high school students to attend Multicultural Youth Leadership Day. The half-day event engages youth in civic engagement and helps them gain an understanding of the importance of becoming informed and involved leaders..

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I have yet to actually see this in use, but I would love to use Google VR in my history classroom. Students can visit museums, historical sites, etc. just by putting on this Google VR headset. The Google VR Cardboard is fairly cheap and most apps are free or close to it. I would also love for students who love video games (like Aaron and Ray from our student portfolios) to design their own VR experience (which might take some collaborating from my computer science department at my future school).

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ARVRedtech.com | AR & VR Education Technology

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Thinking of how to get your students scheduled for a school trip to the Smithsonian to see some old airplanes or some of the sculptures of Sacajawea, why not go ahead and just show them what it feels like to fly in an old airplane or show them the old forests and rapids Sacajawea and Clark climbed in their expedition. Save some money on the Smithsonian trip (sorry, Smithsonian and it can be expensive for students who are far away) and do it all from the ease and comfort of the classroom with Google Cardboard vr.

The benefit of technology is that it helps us to achieve things and go places that would previously have been wishful thinking, and with all the ease of relaxing back in your chair and only the cost of a WiFi subscription. I mean, a decade ago 3-D and virtual reality would have been something restricted only to anime and sci-fi movies starring Tom Cruise.

With the Google cardboard, you have an easy and affordable virtual reality tool to go anywhere and see almost anything, in a completely immersive 3-D experience that is an absolute benefit for any school teacher looking to save on a school trip and then some.

What is Google Cardboard?

The Google Cardboard is the VR headset from Google built from basic cardboard or plastic that immerses a viewer in a video or gives them a 360-degree view of an image in complete 3-D. The technology behind the Google Cardboard, while being revolutionary is so simple to use, it is amazing.

How the Google Cardboard works is to pair with your basic Android smartphone, though you can still use it with iOS devices, using the Google Cardboard app which you can get easily from Play Store. And then, you simply fix your smartphone into the slot in the Cardboard and your virtual reality lenses are ready to use. What makes the device truly inexpensive is that you can simply insert your smartphone into the cardboard and use; there is no need for some expensive ultra modern thingamajig plugged into the headset. The only technology needed is already on your smartphone.

So, why use google cardboard vr in a school classroom?

Well, apart from the reasons already listed about its ability to be completely immersive and serve as a revolutionary learning tool, it is really cool!

Here are some ideas on stuff you can do with the Google Cardboard in the classroom.
Educational YouTube videos
Not exactly a phrase I ever thought I would write out without laughing, until I started writing and teaching about VR educational technology, but there are some educational YouTube videos out there that would be especially beneficial for your students, and they come in 360 3D for that truly immersive experience.

Explore famous places
Remember the example I gave with the Smithsonian at the beginning of this article? Well, you can visit ruins in Egypt, temples in Kathmandu or Jerusalem right from your classroom using the Google Cardboard. All you need to do is search for the videos in the Google cardboard app if available or simply pull out the coordinates using your Google map and you're gold.

Street views of famous cities
Talking about Paris in a literature class, you can take your kids there without having to worry about a plane fare. Simply using your Google map, open street view and be transported instantly to the location of your choice with google cardboard vr.

Biology takes on a whole new level
Imagine not having to draw a bunch of cells all the time to explain how immunity works, when you can load up a video and take your students through the process of development from pluripotent cells all the way to antibodies in a totally immersive experience! Awesome right? Guess who is also a teacher of the year?

Visualize and tell stories
Not only can you view already recorded videos with Google cardboard, you can also make yours. Take 360-degree photos with the cardboard lenses and test your students on their abilities to write expository essays of their environments. You can also attend that Smithsonian trip alone and come share the pictures with your students and have them experience it all with you.

Partake in a video tour of a famous site
There are several hundred heritage sites all over the world. Imagine being able to visit them without having to pay all of those flight tickets (not to talk of the visas)? You can download an app that takes you on a guided tour of these sites without having to leave your class.

Encourage their creativity
Get the students to make their own videos of the class or school and then share with the other students while writing short essays on what they saw, learned or experienced.

Play games!
All work and no play, right? There are tons of games you can play with the Google Cardboard. You can use this to build their interaction with the platform and help them become more familiar with using it.

Visit Mount Everest
Who says you have to start at the bottom to see the peaks of Everest in all their glory? With your Google cardboard vr, you can view them in real time!

Go to Mars!
There are practically a ton of VR field trips available for students who want to explore Mars and some other parts of the solar system. What is a more interesting way to start a geography class than an actual visit to Mars? These are just a few fun ideas and activities that you can do at your school or in your classroom with the Google Cardboard.

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10 Ideas Google Cardboard VR In The Classroom

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Thinking of how to get your students scheduled for a school trip to the Smithsonian to see some old airplanes or some of the sculptures of Sacajawea, why not go ahead and just show them what it feels like to fly in an old airplane or show them the old forests and rapids Sacajawea and [...]

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The Center for Teaching History with Technology is a great resource. One section of interest discusses incorporating website design in the history classroom. Instead of the traditional essay. poster, or brochure, students can create an interactive website to demonstrate learning. For example, a group or an individual student can create a website for a Civil War battle site.

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Webpages – Teaching History with Technology

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Class and project websites allow teachers and students to showcase their work, collaborate online, and learn a different set of communication strategies. Creating a website no longer required the ability to write in HTML (the language used to design web pages). Creating a website now typically resem…

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This interactive lesson has students use technology to research images of Native American history/culture. They then create a visual essay to demonstrate what they have found to be representative of the Native American Experience. This lesson goes beyond engaging with traditional text and uses technology to guide student exploration.

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Picturing a Nation: Native Americans and Visual Representation

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In this activity you will examine and explore images of Native American culture and history. Many of the images are found in private archival collections or public museums located across the United States. Drawing from the resources found on two sites, you will construct a visual essay that illustra…

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This assessment allows for me to differentiate to meet students unique contextual assets (funds of knowledge). It also allows for students to discover their personal passions and purpose, whether it be through writing a script, designing the shot, directing the project, researching the information, and other roles in the News Broadcast. Working in groups allow them to find ways to help each other find their purpose and passion in their group roles. Aaron and Austin both have interests in video games, so designing the scene (whether it be an in the field, studio interview, or other type of news broadcast).

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Students will be doing this News Broadcast project in groups. Each student in will get with their group and choose roles (director, writer, editor, camera person, scene staging, sound person, graphics, actors, reporters, etc.). They will conduct research on the Boston Massacre that will help them provide the information that the historical actors, reporters, and others will use as their script. This project will be done in the school/classroom over a number of weeks (this allows for students who do not have access to tech outside of school to participate fully). I will be conducting meetings with teach group throughout the process, to gauge their learning/understanding, support their creativity, and make sure they are on track to complete their project.

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I will provide an example of a student news broadcast. I will provide the historical background  about the Boston Massacre and the events surrounding it. I will go over the rules/procedures for the News Broadcast of the Boston Massacre, the materials/tech needed, and the rubrics. I will provide this information in writing and in video form (as shown on my webpage of this assessment). At each stage, I will review the specifics of that stage of the project and meet each group. I will explain how this project/assessment will address the standards, SEL (social emotional learning)/citizenship skills development, and how this will help them see how they can make positive changes in the world by expressing their passions through their voice.

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This the News Broadcast Project for the Boston Massacre

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Mr. Peterson's Classes - Project-based Learning

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The Project: Broadcast of the Boston Massacre