https://padlet.com/japascu/5kk32pnwq0g7 en-us 2016-10-17 18:55:57 UTC 2026-02-03 16:42:14 UTC hello@padlet.com japascu https://padlet.com/japascu/5kk32pnwq0g7/wish/131283277 History class brings about horrible memories for many students. Most of these students will remember how the only thing they did in class was read a boring textbook and memorize the content. It is important to note that this is not a problem with veteran teachers but also a problem with young and energetic teachers. The common thread between these two group of teachers is lack of literacy practices training for their discipline.

I'll be focusing on one literacy practice that I find very useful in History classrooms: Literature Circles. In its most basic form, Literature Circles are simply in-depth discussions about what is being read by the class. Literature Circles are versatile in the classroom because it could be used for textbooks, novels, primary and secondary sources, etc. It is easy to set up and is often very straightforward for the teacher to manage.

This literacy practice also ensures participation (and hopefully, comprehension!) among students. Literature Circles allow students to hear each others' opinions on particular parts of the book or points of history. This is important because it allows students to take ownership of history rather than having information fed to them.

Literature Circles also provide meaning for students in two ways. First, it provides meaning to the content. As previously mentioned, this literacy practice allows students to discuss the content. Instead of just reading, for example the Declaration of Independence, students, as a group, will figure out the grievances the United States had towards the United Kingdom, the meaning of certain words, the implications of the document, and many more. Second, it provides meaning to reading. Students will know that they are reading this document not only to learn but to discuss as well. If students only read documents for an exam or paper, then it is not motivating or worth remembering in the future.

To those teachers who only read boring textbooks and expect memorization of the content, try the Literature Circle. It's not hard to implement and it will revive your classroom.]]> 2016-10-17 19:11:44 UTC https://padlet.com/japascu/5kk32pnwq0g7/wish/131283277 laziegl https://padlet.com/japascu/5kk32pnwq0g7/wish/133384459 I always struggled in history because of exactly what you explained. It was very discouraging to have to come to class every day just to read and memorize a textbook. I think this is a great idea in any classroom because it is so easy to get lost in content. Many teachers lose sight of how students learn and get too caught up in just making sure they know the material without creatively helping them learn.]]> 2016-10-26 16:17:04 UTC https://padlet.com/japascu/5kk32pnwq0g7/wish/133384459 dmpiwow https://padlet.com/japascu/5kk32pnwq0g7/wish/137614960 Julius I think its great that you feel the need for constant textbook use is outdated and un-engaging. Our generations attention spans are diminishing since the iPhones arrival and attempting to read a giant slate of text can cause low reading comprehension. I'm a fan of your idea of literature circles as it gets students talking about the content which is what you always want to do. I just hope you find a good method to manage circles while keeping them on task. Too big of a group or groups can be intimidating to shy students and too small could result in chit-chatting about other things. I think with some practice you'll find out what works best. ]]> 2016-11-15 05:06:45 UTC https://padlet.com/japascu/5kk32pnwq0g7/wish/137614960 tlycos2 https://padlet.com/japascu/5kk32pnwq0g7/wish/139489397 Julius,
It is important to me that I will never be a textbook teacher. I find that Literature Circles. Like my literacy practice, we use these in Dr. Hartman's class. I find them to be rich with participation. This may be because we are all History majors, but if there is one activity that will evoke participation it is literacy circles. I like how you noted that it is not all about participation, but also about comprehension. Great post!]]> 2016-11-22 23:37:31 UTC https://padlet.com/japascu/5kk32pnwq0g7/wish/139489397 kayla_scott225 https://padlet.com/japascu/5kk32pnwq0g7/wish/139994419 Julius, your first paragraph brought back some memories and just as you said, they were horrible. The amount of rote memorization in a history class seems to be higher than that of any other content area and little to no discussion. A literacy circle would be a great way to provide meaning for content and reading while giving them a chance to discuss. I think there are other advantages to literacy circles as well, including hearing student opinions and having them lead the conversation. You mentioned students taking ownership of the information they learn, but what about the information they do not learn? History books do not even begin to cover everything, including the history of many minorities and women. If you provide a classroom where students question the content, you may find them digging deeper into what it is they are actually learning and why. ]]> 2016-11-27 00:58:13 UTC https://padlet.com/japascu/5kk32pnwq0g7/wish/139994419