Teaching Students to Think Historically and Make

Interdisciplinary Connections when teaching the Erie Canal

Dr. Lorrei DiCamillo, Ed.D.Associate Professor, Canisius College

dicamill@canisius.edu

Part I

Teaching Students to Think Historically

Questions to think about

• How do you use primary sources in your classroom?

• What does it mean to teach students to think historically?

Teaching students to think historically

• VanSledright (2010) argues that children as young as age seven can learn to do sourcework

• Wineburg (2010) explains that before reading a document, historians are prepared with a list of questions about author, context, time period, etc. – these questions transform reading from passive to active

• Teachers can make historical thinking visible to students by modeling specific strategies for reading historical documents

Wineburg’s (2010) strategies for reading historical documents

• Sourcing – think about document’s author and its creation

• Contextualizing – situate the document and its events in time and place

• Close reading – consider what the document says and the language used to say it

Wineburg’s (2010) strategies for reading historical documents

• Using Background Knowledge – use historical information and knowledge to read and understand the document

• Reading the Silences – identify what has been left out or is missing from the document by asking questions of its account

• Corroborating – ask questions about important details across multiple sources to determine points of agreement and disagreement

Why is teaching students to think historically important?

• In line with the CCSS – teaching historical thinking prepares students for college, careers, and roles as citizens

• Historical thinking helps students tolerate diverse perspectives and detect weak arguments, spin, and hype

Part II

Making Interdisciplinary Connections

Questions to think about

• Where do you include interdisciplinary connections in your curriculum?

Why is there a focus on interdisciplinary connections?

• The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) require that students read increasingly complex nonfiction or informational text

• The CCSS emphasize process skills and text types so teachers are looking for resources that expose students to different genres, build background knowledge, explore diverse perspectives, and introduce specific vocabulary

ELA/SS CCSS Similarities

• ELA – Reading: Literature Grade 11-12• CCSS.ELA – Literacy.RL.11-12.1 – Cite strong and

thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.

History/Social Studies Grade 11-12• CCSS.ELA - Literacy.RH.11-12.1 – Cite specific textual

evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.

What does the research on interdisciplinary teaching say?

• There is a lack of a systematic research base on interdisciplinary teaching (Wineburg & Grossman, 2000)

• Most of the studies about interdisciplinary teaching are written by teachers who argue for or against it based on their experiences

The Research (cont.)

• Supporters argue interdisciplinary teaching can increase student engagement, raise student achievement, and help students understand real world connections

• They also say it provides teachers with a shared sense of purpose and invigorates their teaching

The Research (cont.)

• Critics of interdisciplinary teaching argue it requires time and resources as well as flexible teachers with compatible personalities

• They also hold that interdisciplinary connections can be superficial, with one subject dominating the others

Applebee Study

• Applebee, Adler, & Flihan (2007) studied 11 interdisciplinary teams in middle and high schools in New York and California (30 teachers, 542 students)

• They examined the curriculum, instructional approaches, student activities, and assessments

Applebee Findings

• Applebee, Adler, & Flihan (2007) found that interdisciplinary study was “neither a problem nor panacea”

• Disciplinary values and activities were powerful lenses through which to address interdisciplinary themes

• Sometimes specific subjects were shortchanged

• Coursework depended on teachers’ knowledge

Applebee Conclusions

• Interdisciplinary teaching requires a deep commitment from teachers and a mix of personalities willing to work together

• Teachers need to ensure their discipline is not shortchanged by interdisciplinary curriculum

Turk Suggestions

• Using literature in social studies classes may help break down barriers between disciplines

• Literature can be a powerful tool for highlighting voices of children, minorities, women, and the poor – voices not commonly heard in textbooks

Turk Strategies for Using Literature in History Classrooms

• Era Driven

• Theme Based

• Essential Questions

• Identity Driven

• Literature Based

Partner Assignment

• Using Documents 5D, 5F, 5G, 5H, 5I, 7F, and 7R, and essays on page 73 and 136 in the Larkin, Daniels, and West (2001) reader, brainstorm ideas for an interdisciplinary lesson plan for elementary, middle, or high school students.

• If time permits, create an essential question, objectives, and assessments for the lesson.

Example Essential Questions

• Why was the Erie Canal a symbol of progress?

• What did progress mean then? What does it mean now?

• How did the Erie Canal change people’s lives?

• How did the building of the Erie Canal encourage class competition?

• How did the Erie Canal change the economy of N.Y. and the U.S.?

• How did the geography of upstate N.Y. influence the development of the Erie Canal?

Part III

Authentic Intellectual Work (AIW)

Authentic Intellectual Work (keep in mind when designing your resource)

• Newmann and associates (1996, 2007) assert that Authentic Intellectual Work “involves original application of knowledge and skills, rather than just routine use of facts and procedures”

• AIW also requires careful study of specific problems and results in a product or presentation that has meaning beyond success in school

AIW Criteria

• Construction of Knowledge

• Disciplined Inquiry

• Value Beyond School

AIW Research

• From 1990-present, researchers have found that students (grades 3-12) who experienced higher levels of authentic instruction and assessment showed higher achievement than students who experienced lower levels of authentic instruction and assessment

• The findings were consistent across different subject areas and for students from diverse racial and socioeconomic backgrounds

References

• Applebee, A. N., Adler, M., & Flihan, S. (2007). Interdisciplinary curricula in middle and high school classrooms: Case studies of approaches to curriculum and instruction. American Educational Research Journal, 44(4), 1002-1039.

• Newmann, F. M., & Associates. (1996). Authentic achievement: Restructuring schools for intellectual quality. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

• Newmann, F. M., King, M. B., & Carmichael, D. L. (2007). Authentic assessment and instruction: Common standards for rigor and relevance in teaching academic subjects. Des Moines: Iowa Department of Education.

References

• VanSledright, B. A. (2010). What does it mean to think historically…and how do you teach it? In Social Studies Today, Research and Practice., edited by Walter C. Parker, 113-120. New York: Routledge.

• Wineburg, S. (2010). Thinking like a historian. Teaching with Primary Sources Quarterly, Winter 2010.

• Wineburg, S., & Grossman, P. (2000). Interdisciplinary curriculum: Challenges to implementation. New York: Teachers College Press.