Doing History : Investigating with Children in Elementary and Middle Schools

by Levstik, Linda S.; Barton, Keith C.

• ISBN13: 9780805835625
• ISBN10: 0805835628
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-01-01
• Publisher: LEA, Inc.

Summary

Doing Historyoffers a unique perspective on history instruction in the elementary and middle grades, one that begins with the assumption that children can engage in valid forms of historical inquiry-collecting and analyzing data, examining the perspectives of people in the past, considering multiple interpretations, and creating evidence-based historical accounts. Through case studies of teachers and students in diverse classrooms and from diverse backgrounds, the text shows children engaging in authentic historical investigations, often in the context of an integrated social studies curriculum. The grounding of this book in contemporary sociocultural theory and research makes it unique among social studies methods texts. In each chapter, the authors explain how the teaching demonstrated in the vignettes reflects basic principles of contemporary learning theory; thus they not only provide specific examples of successful activities, but place them in a theoretical context that allows teachers to adapt and apply them in a wide variety of settings. Features: *Classroom vignettes.Rather than a "cookbook" of lesson ideas, this text illustrates the possibilities (and obstacles) of meaningful teaching and learning in real classroom settings. *Inquiry-oriented instruction.The approaches shown in the classrooms portrayed are those which accord with the recommendations of practically all theorists and researchers in the field of history education. This text is not a hodge-podge of cute activities, but a consistent and theoretically grounded illustration of meaningful history instruction. *Diversity of perspectives.This is emphasized in two ways. First, the text helps students to look at historical events and trends from multiple perspectives. Second, the classrooms illustrated throughout the book include teachers and students from a wide variety of backgrounds-this gives the book widespread appeal to educators in a variety of settings. *Assessment.Teachers are provided with explicit guidance in using multiple forms of assessment to evaluate the specifically historical aspects of children's learning. Assessment issues are addressed throughout the text, including the need for assessment of specifically historical skills and knowledge; the integration of instruction and assessment; and the use of multiple forms of assessment-including anecdotal records, scoring guidelines [rubrics], and checklists-to evaluate the historical aspects of children's learning in presentations, projects, essays, and discussions. New in the Second Edition *Expanded treatment of assessment, integrated throughout the work.The second edition provides more practical guidance for teachers, addresses the need for assessment of specifically historical skills and knowledge (rather than more general, literacy-oriented assessment), and stresses the integration of instruction and assessment. Readers are introduced to the use of multiple forms of assessment--including anecdotal records, scoring guidelines [rubrics], and checklists--to evaluate the historical aspects of children's learning in presentations, projects, essays, and discussions. *Updated booklists and citations.The most recent quality children's literature that can be used to support instruction has been added. Citations include the most recent research and other scholarship on the teaching and learning history in the elementary and middle grades. *Epilogue.New to this edition, the epilogue draws together the primary themes of the text.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
Past, Present, and Future: The Sociocultural Context for Studying History	1	(8)
History Helps Us Think About Who We Are	1	(1)
History Helps Us Picture Possible Futures	2	(1)
History Is About Significant Themes and Questions	3	(1)
History Is Interpretive	4	(1)
History Is Explained Through Narratives	5	(1)
History Is More than Politics	6	(1)
Conclusion	7	(2)
It's Not Just a Mishap: The Theory Behind disciplined Inquiry	9	(10)
Learning Means In-Depth Understanding	10	(1)
Instruction Must Build On Student's Prior Knowledge	11	(1)
People Learn Through Disciplined Inquiry	12	(2)
Teaching Means Scaffolding	14	(1)
Constructive Assessment	15	(2)
Conclusion	17	(2)
There Aren't a Lot of ``For Sure'' Facts: Building communities of Historical Inquiry	19	(12)
Talking Historically	21	(2)
The Importance of Questions	23	(1)
Prior Knowledge	24	(1)
Imaginative Entry	25	(1)
Reflection and Assessment	26	(2)
Conclusion	28	(1)
Children's and Adolescent Literature	28	(3)
To Find Out things We Didn't Know About Ourselves: Personal Histories	31	(12)
Asking Historical Questions	32	(1)
Collecting Historical Information	32	(1)
Drawing Conclusions and Reflecting on Learning	33	(2)
Assessing Student's Learning	35	(4)
The History of Me in the Context of Diversity	39	(1)
Extensions	39	(2)
Conclusion	41	(1)
Children's and Adolescent Literature	41	(2)
Tell Me About Yourself: Linking Children to the Past Through Family Histories	43	(14)
Connecting Students to Important Historical Themes	44	(1)
Imaginative Entry: Personalizing History	45	(1)
Collecting and Interpreting Information	46	(1)
Assessment and Feedback	47	(3)
Linking Students to Larger Narratives	50	(1)
Family History in the Context of Diversity	50	(1)
Extensions	51	(2)
Conclusion	53	(1)
Children's and Adolescent Literature	54	(3)
I Think Columbus Went to Hell!: Initiating Inquiry to World History	57	(18)
Start Locally, Connect Globally	58	(1)
Start Globally, Connect Locally	59	(1)
Scaffolding Inquiry Into Distant Times and Places	60	(10)
The Persistence of Historical Myths	70	(1)
Assessing History Outcomes	71	(2)
Conclusions	73	(1)
Children's and Adolescent Literature	73	(2)
Rats in the Hospital: Creating a History Museum	75	(16)
Imaginative Entry	76	(1)
Turning Research into Researchable Questions	77	(2)
Finding the Answers to Questions	79	(2)
Reaching Conclusions	81	(1)
Assessment and Self-Regulated Learning	82	(2)
Developing an Understanding of Time and Chronology	84	(2)
Extensions	86	(1)
Conclusions	87	(1)
Children's and Adolescent Literature	88	(3)
I Have No Experience with This!: Historical Inquiry in an Integrated Social Studies Setting	91	(14)
All Questions Are Not Created Equal: Moving Beyond the Superficial	93	(2)
Flexibility Is Essential: Building on Student Discoveries	95	(2)
Maintaining Focus	97	(1)
Now, What Does it Mean?	98	(2)
Time for Reflection and Assessment	100	(1)
Conclusions	101	(1)
Children's and Adolescent Literature	102	(3)
Why Isn't That in the Textbook?: Fiction, Nonfiction, and Historical Thinking	105	(16)
Selecting Good Narrative History	108	(5)
``I Did Not Panic'': Creating Historical Narratives	113	(3)
Analyzing Student's Historical Narratives	116	(2)
Conclusions	118	(1)
Children's and Adolescent Literature	119	(2)
Oh, Good! We Get to Argue: Putting conflict in Context	121	(12)
It Is Happening Right Now: Starting with Current Events	123	(3)
What If? It Cold Have Been Different	126	(2)
It Isn't Finished Yet: You Can Make a Difference	128	(1)
Assessing conflict in Context	129	(1)
Conclusion	130	(1)
Children's and Adolescent Literature	131	(2)
In My Opinion, it Could Happen Again: How Attitudes and Beliefs Have Changed over Time	133	(16)
Changes in Names	134	(2)
Changes in social Relations	136	(5)
Salem Witch Trials	141	(2)
Long-term Assessment of Historical Skills	143	(1)
Extensions	144	(1)
Conclusion	145	(1)
Children's and Adolescent Literature	146	(3)
Nosotros La Gente: Diverse Perspectives in American History	149	(18)
People in American History	150	(1)
Using Literature and Primary Sources to Understand People	151	(2)
Diversity in American History	153	(3)
Building on What Students Know	156	(2)
Scaffolding Students' Understanding	158	(1)
Assessing Students' Knowledge of Historical Content	159	(4)
Extensions	163	(1)
Conclusion	164	(1)
Children's and Adolescent Literature	165	(2)
The Arts Make Us All Part of Humankind: Cognitive Pluralism in History Teaching and Learning	167	(20)
The Arts Address Significant Historical Questions	169	(1)
The Arts as Source Material for Historical Study	170	(5)
Imagining in Your Mind: Learning to Read the Historic Arts	175	(3)
The Arts as Vehicles for Expressing Historical Understanding	178	(1)
The Arts as Problem Solving	179	(1)
The Art as Intellectual Risk Taking	180	(2)
Assessment and the Arts	182	(2)
Conclusion	184	(1)
Children's and Adolescent Literature	184	(3)
Epilogue	187	(2)
References	189	(12)
Index	201