Example: If I were teaching about symbols, I could display a picture of different symbols that the class has learned about and ask the question: Which symbol do you think is the most important? The students would gather into groups and I would allow them time to share their ideas and come up with an answer to share. While they did this, I would be asking questions about the events in which we first saw the symbols appear in history. I would them call on groups one at a time to explain their answer and use evidence behind it. I would then create another class discussion about the important roles each symbol in history holds.

Example: There is an online tool called Nearpod that can be used in classrooms to make a lesson more engaging to students. If I were teaching a lesson on presidents, I could make a poll asking who was the first president, and list different presidents name. Then after looking at the results as a class, I could go over each name. This helps bring interaction and engagement to the lesson, that way it is not just all reading from the textbook or power point the entire time.

Example: In the very beginning of starting the Boston Tea Party unit, I could put the above picture on the screen. Students will get into groups and with a graphic organizer, each member of the group will fill out a column asking what they see, what they can infer, and what questions they have. This would help them learn to observe and analyze sources, but also support team work skills to learn about a new topic with critical thinking.

Example: I will have students bring in personal belongings that represent something in their life. They will split into groups, analyze each others artifacts, and discuss any similarities or differences they share within the group. They will fill out a graphic organizer answering what they observed and listing them into categories, giving the category a name.

The “I see” column should contain the students observations, The “I think” column should contain the students reflections or inferences. The “I wonder” column should contain their questions.

Encourage students to begin with general observations about what they see. After about 3-5 minutes move on to reflecting about the picture (“I Think”). After another 3-5 minutes, encourage students to ask questions about the picture (“I wonder”).

If students are working in small groups, after the analysis is over, pull them together as part of a whole class and then discuss the photograph(s) with everyone.

Example: When the class is about to start the unit on the great depression, I will put this picture on the board and pass out the graphic organizer with the three columns: I see, I think, I wonder. Students will fill out the columns and discuss in a class discussion what they wrote for each column. At the end, I will introduce the content of the Great Depression.

Focusing =

The excerpting of a document in order to focus students’ attention on the source’s most relevant aspects. The goal of this strategy is to teach students how to read carefully.

Simplification = 

The selective modification of complex sentences and syntax, spelling, punctuation, vocabulary, and capitalization in order to render the document more accessible to struggling readers. 

Presenting = 

The altering of the document’s format or presentation to make it less intimidating to the reader. 

Example: When learning about the Salem Witch Trials, I would have students have two different copies of the same book but in different formats. The students would analyze what is different about the two texts, and using the graphic organizer they would write down how Focusing, Simplifying, and Presenting were shown through the two formats.

Example: When learning about Geography, the class will read "The Big Book of Maps" by Andrew Zettler to help understand the concept of maps and how they are important.

Students will read the text a total of three times. First when looking for important passages, you write out those passages (3 statements). The Who, What, When, Where, Why, & Significance. Second, re-read the passage and interpret what the passage means in the context.

Third, re-read the passage and interpret why the passage matters.

Example: When learning about Harriet Tubman and her contribution to history, students will fill out the graphic organizer with the three columns: Says, Means, Matters. They will say what the article they read says, they will interpret it a little deeper to get the deeper meanings, and write why it matters so much all in the corresponding columns.

Example: While learning about Propaganda, students in their groups will make their own propaganda poster board. They will pick a spot in the classroom to present it. When I say to, students will rotate clockwise and observe their peers projects, discussing their thoughts. They will leave a sticky note with their feedback on it. They will repeat these steps at each station, until they come back to their own and review the feedback they recieved.

Targeted Skills:

• Sourcing – Determining authorship of sources & impact on potential

narratives.

• Contextualization – Determining what is going on in the larger historical time

periods & their impact on the potential narrative.

• Corroboration – Locating and analyzing other primary sources to add validity

to the potential narrative

• Close Reading – Closely analyzing a source to look for the authors'

perspective, claims, and biases.

Example:

Students will look at sources from The Civil Rights Movement without knowing they are from the Civil Rights Movement. The sources could be from speeches, activists letters, and pictures. Students will gather into groups and create a storyline about what they believe the sources are showing. Students will then share their answers, and as a class go over what is actually happening within the sources.