#sschat is a network of educators, resources, and ideas that started on Twitter, but has expanded to Facebook, an annual NCSS unconference, and more. Join us to chat asynchronously on Twitter or Facebook, or chat with us live on Mondays from 7-8pm EST.
Welcome to #sschat! We're talking primary source documents tonight!
Introduce yourself and share your favorite thing about teaching with primary source documents.
Intro: Emma here from @iCivics. Man, I love the feeling of discovery. Teaching with primary sources feels like taking kids on a super nerdy treasure hunt. #sschat
Phil from Northern Virginia signing in! I teach 7th grade US History II. I love using primary sources to help students experience different worlds and times! #sschat
Hi, everyone! I'm Melissa from Atchison, KS. I teach 6-8 Soc Studies (World, Geography/KS, & US History). I love using primary sources to give Ss a context to the time period that we are studying #sschat
Intro: David Olson - HS SS teacher from Madison WI
I love using Primary Sources because students get to experience something real. Seeing Clarence Gideon's handwritten petition to SCOTUS is much more powerful than hearing about it.
#sschat
Hello from Arkansas! I teach US History to HS juniors/seniors. I love using primary sources to explore multiple perspectives & compex historical questions. #sschat
Jason, High School Social Studies DC in the western suburbs of Chicago. Favorite thing about using primary sources is the ability to have students engage with older text and images in order to compare and contrast with contemporary materials. #sschat
Joe Schmidt - Member of #socstudme nation and a HUGE fan of @icivics (and member of #icivicsednet Excited for this #sschat because of how access to primary sources have changed how we share the voices of the past and allow kids to be engaged with their own curious inquiry!
Anthony Golding here. Principal in Houlka, MS and former history teacher. Looking for ways to support my teachers. I like primary sources because they help with critical thinking and analysis. Students are more engaged with primary sources, in my experience. #sschat
Hello #sschat! Jenny from CNY coming to you tonight from Northern Virginia. I teach Global History, Gov't and Econ. ...I love PS docs because they have a voice that give credibility to history.
Hi #sschat, this is Bill Chapman, a retired secondary social studies teacher, checking in from Berkeley, CA. I loved using primary sources as a doorway to helping kids search for context in the past.
Intro: Kymberli Wregglesworth. HS teacher from #NoMI and #icivicsednet member. I love teaching with primary docs because the learning is so authentic. You get into the minds of people living at the time! #sschat
Jennifer from FL, MS social studies and ELA. The best thing about teaching w/primary sources is that the Ss relate bc they are human & authentic and not manufactured like textbooks. #sschat
Hey guys! Can't chat tonight š¢ Need to work on lesson plans. But I'm super proud of this Harlem Renaissance museum exhibit template that I made today. Any US teachers out there might be able to use this?? https://t.co/rtWaFTMyet#sschat
Hey #sschat! I'm Andrew (gr.8 USHist/Govt from Mass.) tweeting while I finish packing for Feb Vaca trip with family ... love primary sources for the aha moments of "we're doing real history!"
Intro: I'm Joslyn, middle & high school SS teacher. I love seeing my students use primary sources to build their own arguments about historical debates and recognize issues that connect to today #sschat
Intro: kayla from Raleigh. I currently teach #APUSH and #AH2. I like primary sources b/c it helps students understand the time they are learning with a more human connection #sschat
Hey guys! Can't chat tonight š¢ Need to work on lesson plans. But I'm super proud of this Harlem Renaissance museum exhibit template that I made today. Any US teachers out there might be able to use this?? https://t.co/rtWaFTMyet#sschat
Happy to be here. Don't usually join the chats, but always make an exception when @icivics is running #sschat and especially when we get some tech & primary source talk!
A1: Tech can facilitate individualized scaffolding for students as they explore the primary sourcesāsomething that would be rather cumbersome without tech. But it takes away touch, which tends to be my favorite sensory interaction with primary sources. Well, after smell #sschat
A1: Tech should can and should make Primary Sources *more* available to students. They should be able to see/read/hear things they otherwise couldn't
#sschat
Wow! This template is amazing!!! Also, I have been to @NMAAHC and itās amazing as well. Love the graphics you use here. Thanks for sharing!!! #sschat
A1 Tech provides access to primary sources that would otherwise be inaccessible or hard to access. Negatives are that many so-called PS are really translations or abridgements, thus not really primary. #sschat
A1) Tech can make primary sources more real for kids. Back when I had to photocopy everything it was hard for kids to make things out. Rich online images are much more powerful!! #sschat
A1. With photographs, political cartoons, paintings, etc, digital sources are often much better quality for the ability to zoom in and see detail. #sschat
A1: It opens up a seemingly limitless library of sources to help students dive into the past. A negative can be that since many of these primary sources are typed up readers can sometimes miss out on the handwriting style and emphasis of certain writings, etc. #sschat
A2: Tech allows for AWESOME collaboration (@GoogleForEdu ) and feedback by the T. Negatives: There are SOOO many primary sources to curate (can be overwhelming for a T). #sschat
A1. One immediete benefit happens when students have the ability to find their own primary sources. This gives the teacher an opportunity to teach responsible digital research and validity of sources. #sschat
A1: Tech makes a huge variety of primary sources available to students. I love that you can include both original source and transcript - engaging for some students for the excitement of the primary source and for other students for accessibility #sschat
A1: Tech can make primary sources more flexible in terms of how to use and apply them. Collaboration is important when working with primary sources. Tech can enhance that. #sschat
A1 i have a student teacher with me this semester and we were just talking about how many primary sources are now available online, organized by theme, skill, etc. when I started I had to rely on a document reader #sschat
A1) Simple ability to zoom in to documents can be very powerful. (like with LOC or NARA docs.) Tough to do sometimes with print versions. Love this for helping kids see details and decipher text. #sschat
A2: Tech allows for AWESOME collaboration (@GoogleForEdu ) and feedback by the T. Negatives: There are SOOO many primary sources to curate (can be overwhelming for a T). #sschat
A1 - The pro/con is the same. Too much! It is awesome that kids can find the document(s) that they can connect with. However, it can also feel like you are drowning in a sea of choices and the options become paralyzing. Voice and choice within parameters! #socstudme#sschat
A1: it allows the students to see handwritten text next to a transcript. Also students can use an extension like doc hub to annotate digitally and collaborate on analysis of the document #sschat
A1: with tech - students have access to a lot more primary resources. Fir example - LOC digital archives. Many museums with digitized artifacts (some even in 3d) #sschat
Phil from Sarasota lurking while making dinner. 6-8 WH. I love how old primary source documents transport you back to get a glimpse of past events. #sschat
A1 It's nice for the Ss to see how historians have taken primary sources and interpreted them. Shows the historian mindset. That being said, sometimes Ss have a hard time getting past the language from older documents #sschat
A1: One of the biggest challenges for my students is accessing the language of primary sources; tech can help by creating links beyond definitions to help them understand the content & maybe also historical context/background of the source #sschat
A1: Tech can make it easier to study visuals in greater detail (color, zoom in, etc...). Also good for finding translations for documents not written in English. #sschat#alplearn
Best advice I saw was from a college prof who said don't sacrifice understanding for fidelity. Start with a focus question and cut until it makes sense. #sschat
A1) formatted properly it allows for a greater range of students to access the text. Using a specific structure to diagnose the context and wording offer understanding from a wide range of academic levels. #sschat
A1 A particular benefit for teaching ancient world history is the access to artifacts and even VR opportunities. If the tech gets in the way, then it's not worth it. #sschat
A1 - Good news is tech gives access to millions of primary sources. Bad news is tech gives access to millions of primary sources. Curation is essential. #sschat
A1: Getting those primary source documents scanned helps bring them from the archives to the students. SO many more opportunities to learn from the past! #sschat
A1 - One thing I do is give students a copy of a source document, and then put the document on the screen via my iPad and apple tv. Then actually walk through breaking down the document on my iPad so they can see it in process. #sschat
Language is a great example. Some Ss struggle to read to begin with, so adding the "new" language can often add to the problems. Look for ways to simplify & modify without losing the message. #sschat#socstudme
A1 - Ss can find amazing docs but also can be really overwhelmed with too much; causes analysis paralysis; must examine/evaluate docs to see if they are worthy of the purpose; benefit is also the negative, sorta. #sschat
Ken from Western Oregon Univ & Center for Geography Education in Oregon just arriving. Probably going to have to be in & out tonight, as I'm attempting to multitask #sschat
A1
Pros: students doing authentic historical work, builds literacy (text and image)
Cons-takes time to contextualize, can be too much trees, not enough forest
#sschat
"If the tech gets in the way, then it's not worth it" = another motto for #sschat
In related news, does anybody know a good option to replace Storify for our chat archives?
A1 A particular benefit for teaching ancient world history is the access to artifacts and even VR opportunities. If the tech gets in the way, then it's not worth it. #sschat
A1 Primary sources can be challenging for different reasons. Tech platforms can 1) modify texts for accessibility, length, language; 2) provide access to differentiated texts w/out stigma ; 3) allow for most accurate āsourcingā of PS doc: author, context, etc #sschat
A1 Internet provides a lot more opps for finding utilizing primary sources, such as photos, writings, etc. Also, tech, via social media, can bring "live" human primary sources into the classroom #sschat
A1) Also love the ability of tools like Newsela and Commonlit to modify docs by reading level. Preserving voice and context while making them more accessible. #sschat
I think you have a point about touch. When I was at @USNatArchives they had a room for exploring and investigating & my kids (and I!) enjoyed learning there. #sschat
THIS!!!! Ss need to "see" how you work through a document. It is a skill that they need practice on. Just like we would show them how to do anything, we must show them how WE do disciplinary literacy! #sschat#socstudme
A1 - One thing I do is give students a copy of a source document, and then put the document on the screen via my iPad and apple tv. Then actually walk through breaking down the document on my iPad so they can see it in process. #sschat
A2: I really like the Interactive Constitution from @ConstitutionCtr
It is a good mix of the Constitution (primary source) and excellent short essays to provide context and debate (secondary)
https://t.co/Wdw6J33Jvx#sschat
A1) if you haven't heard of Insert Learning, it's awesome!!! Turn any webpage into a lesson with embedded questions, annotations, etc. ā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļø #sschat
My AP students were struggling significantly with stimulus based test questions. So I started doing this every Monday this semester. Seems to be having a positive benefit so far. #sschat
A1) if you haven't heard of Insert Learning, it's awesome!!! Turn any webpage into a lesson with embedded questions, annotations, etc. ā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļø #sschat
"If the tech gets in the way, then it's not worth it" = another motto for #sschat
In related news, does anybody know a good option to replace Storify for our chat archives?
A1 A particular benefit for teaching ancient world history is the access to artifacts and even VR opportunities. If the tech gets in the way, then it's not worth it. #sschat
A2: Other great options include @DocsTeach@oyez - Oral Arguments from #SCOTUS are awesome (you just have to find the right segment - and many also have transcripts)
#sschat
Mrs. Hayashi maintains a decorum and grace the US government did not deserve in response to monstrous Executive Order 9066. #PresidentsDay#EO9066#sschat
#zooniverse have kids actually work with you to transcribe documents. I did with Operation War Diary and there is a new project for SCOTUS notes that need to be transcribed. #sschat
DocsTeach is my favorite. A little time consuming to build at first, but worth it. Here's my American History collection: https://t.co/mQh4dF8nrQ#sschat
A1 con...on other hand, tech makes it easy to modify docs so I worry that my Ss miss opportunities for āproductive struggleā-and lose some context experience. Ss always impressed I can ādateā a source from the words and sentence structure. But will my Ss ever be able to? #sschat
A2: For primary sources, itās hard to beat @Newsela. The ability to annotate, answer higher order questions in the PS, and to create text setsā¦ I mean come on. #sschat#amirite
A2 for digitized and free it has to be SHEG, so well done and organized in multiple ways! Also good are the lessons we created on https://t.co/ITl2WTpknU but they are WW2 specific. Lesser known primary sources, thatās why I like them. #sschat
A2: If anyone teachers Holocaust related material then @EchoesReflect@yadvashem, and @USCIWitness are the gold standard for primary source lessons (video testimony, documents, letters, etc.) #sschat
Q2 is producing a lot of great links and resources. Hope youāre bookmarking your faves and any new resources. You can always go back to the archived chat too! #sschat
A2: I like @icivics, @SHEG_Stanford and @CommonLit for primary sources and their lesson plans that go along with the documents, the modified documents are useful when I am trying to help struggling students or my ELL. @Gilder_Lehrman is also a resource I use with my AP #sschat
A2 Today's favorite primary source is "A lady's guide to perfect gentility in manners, dress and conversation..." Tomorrow will be another one. https://t.co/DDHZqDHx0c#sschat
A2 - There are some great lessons coming out of @NEHgov summer fellowships. I saw some great ones created by colleagues last summer using the Foreign Language Press survey hosted by the Newberry Museum in Chicago. #sschat
There's a bonus question!
BQ. Do you test tools prior to using them with your students? How do you use the support materials that accompany tech tools?
#sschat
A2 @Mission_US has wonderful teacher resources that align with their game-based learning. They are full of primary sources relevant to the content of the games! https://t.co/GmizksxPqA#sschat
A2: Check with your own state Archives or nearby college or university archives. They often have excellent primary documents. I love our WV Archives. #sschat
A2: The Fordam University Sourcebooks are great but definitely require some support/scaffolding for students to understand it all https://t.co/OPg83Hotn8#sschat
A2 Fordham's Internet history sourcebook is especially good for modern Europe, but is also useful for other times and places
#sschathttps://t.co/nPOcdAbU7r
Definitely need to test drive. Nothing worse than a lesson being sidelined bc you don't understand how to use the tech - leads to frustration and loss of motivation. You need to be able to model for kids to understand. You do it, they do it. #sschat
BA: Most definitely do testing - you never know what glitches kids might get into and you need to know how to help them out! Depends on the tool and the support tools - some are very useful, others are bells & whistles.
#sschat
BQ - Depends on what it is but as far as support materials - can I learn it within a week of using it? Are there a handful of quick videos about using it on YouTube? Better be a yes to those two questions! #sschat
Little late to the party but of course @iCivics new DBQuest has great support resources built around it. And YES always test the tool! #sschathttps://t.co/AJ97pvgKYm
I believe you could mirror via a fire stick or other amazon fire device. If your projector does not have an HDMI input you can get an adapter like https://t.co/yChRJQ0hQ4#sschat
#sschat A2 Also, anything provided by @TeachingLC. The Library of Congress Website is full of our past historical documents. Check out what is has to offer: https://t.co/sJ6WZvPyux
P.S. You really must test on your school's wifi and devices to make absolutely sure. I've assigned tasks that worked on my Macbook, but not the Chromebooks' browser.... #sschat
Definitely need to test drive. Nothing worse than a lesson being sidelined bc you don't understand how to use the tech - leads to frustration and loss of motivation. You need to be able to model for kids to understand. You do it, they do it. #sschat
BQA: I often "test drive" but occasionally let my students do it for me. They can be the expert too and they always feel great when I ask them to decide if I should use the resource again.
#sschat
Every time I share this with a group of Ts there is always at least one (usually more) that haven't seen @SHEG_Stanford Show them the skills chart and they are fans...show them HATs by @joelbreakstone and you have a fan for life! #gamechanger#sschat#socstudme
I'm an archivist with @ncarchives, following along to pick up tips about how we can make our digitized resources easier to use for teachers and students. #sschat
#sschat Primary sources are a great way to engage students with limited English skills. Slowly scaffold by adding historic newsprint moving towards text.
Using the @MaineStateMuse to help create a local history Structured Academic Controversy. Ts are not the experts in the field on it, so I went right to the source! They are happy to get the docs to the field and the Ts are excited to talk local history. #sschat#socstudme
In reply to
@icivics, @jobphillips, @MaineStateMuse
A3A: In ELA classes, students benefit from rich and meaningful content integrated with their literacy instruction. Also, social studies rulz, so, you know, itās like having an extra social studies class! #sschat
If you have a search feature, please allow limits to online only (fully accessible online). We don't have time to dig through things that seem to be online but are only available onsite. #sschat
Q3A: Itās great to incorporate primary sources into persuasive writings outside of History. Checks off so many important standards for students #sschat
A3) Making connections between ELA and SS can lead to better understandings. ELA takes a non content view that can lead to understanding on a different level. #sschat
A3a Well, if the PS documents are written in the English of their time (not modified), they can act as an opening to discuss the history and development of the English language. #sschat
BQ The most useful teacher resources for me are discussion Qs, particularly if they also provide a few examples of common Ss answers. Helps me anticipate how the discussion might play out. #sschat
A2 I'm a fan of @Newsela, as well. I also try to pick up anthologies of primary sources whenever possible. I don't always use actual copies or photographs of the documents so that Ss don't have to worry about trying to read the handwriting. #sschat
A3a - It really depends on the quality of their English teacher. But generally they get; understanding the importance context, bias, subtext, audience, author's purpose, tone, point of view. #sschat
A3A - The analysis and ability to break down text and examine author's intent is similar with ELA classes; my struggle is emphasizing how differently we write in history vs ELA #sschat
A3A - Ss realize that learning doesn't have to be so compartmentalized; that most subjects are interdependent; example - reading excerpts of court rulings of Scottsboro trials and make conn. to To Kill A Mockingbird #sschat
The new Civic Literacy work by @SHEG_Stanford is "just in time" resources and it is a game changer!! Meeting them @NCSSNetwork and seeing the work that went in to it was mind blowing! Can't share enough!! #sschat
In reply to
@DrJHarmon, @SHEG_Stanford, @joelbreakstone, @SHEG_Stanford, @NCSSNetwork
BQ: I mean, no judgment here ā sometimes weāre flying by the seat of our pants. But yes, testing the tool prior to assigning it is always a good call. Itās makes it easier to anticipate potential logjams, frustrations, etc. #sschat
A3: in my classroom I notice Ss working on new vocabulary throughout the entire course as well as comprehension and analytical skills - easily transferable to ELA #sschat
A3A: It helps ELL students practice interpreting, reading and analysis skills that are useful for other classes. It also helps students understand what was happening at the time so the history makes a little more sense. #sschat
I have my own question. What are some primary sources you use in your class/lessons? How do you use PS and @Newsela? I use PS often but feel like Iāve hit a wall. TY! #sschat
A3A: Lots of crossover opportunities! I worked with an ELA teacher at my school to integrate their RACE (Restate, Answer, Cite, Explain) method of answering constructed response questions into the questions I was having Ss consider using primary sources. #sschat
A3: I love when I see students reading a speech or historical document as part of an ELA lesson. Sometimes they complain about it but I tell them it's so much better because it's REAL LIFE. Can make true connections #sschat
A3 - Ss realize that literature as art doesn't get written in a vacuum. Another ex: reading about Korematsu and EO 9066 while reading _Farewell to Manzanar_ #sschat
Pictures, audio, newsprint. I project and we discuss. I start with sensory questions - what do you see, etc. Can also ask Ss what happened just before / after event. #sschat
A3B: Oh, my! Primary sources offer far too many benefits to students in their social studies classroom for me to possibly list here. But my favorite is the increased interest and engagement that occurs when students use primary sources to time travel #sschat
A3A) Nonfiction/informational text provides a nice switch from fiction and narrative and can also be used to enrich it. Not to mention exposure to an authentic text, sometimes written centuries ago, challenges students to use valuable decoding and inferencing skills #sschat
A3B engagement, interest, and ownership. itās always true, but more so when framed by student generated qās. Of course all the historical thinking skills as well #sschat
A3B: PS docs in social studies = authenticity! Ss can actually DO history instead of read someone elseās interpretations of events. Makes it real and engaging. Plus defending ideas to peers/Teacher is a great skill as well #sschat
A3b1 - I use sourcing lessons in my classroom as a chance to talk to them about how these skills apply to their everyday lives now and in the future whether they go into the field of history or not. Learning these skills produces better citizens. #sschat
A3B By analyzing primary sources Ss are actively engaged in inquiry rather than the "banking" model of giving the info to the Ss. They are actively investigating, learning multiple perspectives, etc. #sschat
A3B: As long as you pick intriguing, challenging, or interesting documents, the benefits are endless. Students can learn context, point of view, and amazing facts all in one...
#sschat
#sschat A3 We take Primary Sources a step further in our SS classes. We invite our government officials to share their views. Over the past year, we have had both our Indiana US Senators, Joe Donnelly and Todd Young speak and share. Helps Ss engage in their studies of government
A3B: In civics, gov't, & other classes, having the ability to break down challenging sources can help students decode different bills proposed to Congress, ballot iniatives, etc. - more than just learning for that class, it's helping them become better voters & citizens #sschat
A3b
Analyzing primary sources is authentic historical work. Students do history when they look at sources and draw conclusions.
A key here is emphasizing that they are interpreting, not offering opinion.
#sschat
A3B: I find that when students read primary source documents it helps them understand history. They see different perspectives and start to understand bias. It takes some practice to get out of the 21st century mindset but they start to really try to understand #sschat
A3B: Primary sources are perfect for helping to engage students, provide different perspectives, and help make connections from history to today. #sschat
Q3B: Sorry I am lay to the party. The biggest gain is an understanding and critical analysis without the filter of a text book. They are also working with complex text. #sschat
A3B) They gain those oh so needed transferrable reading skills that make the world go round. @GatorCitizen Social studies teachers are the best but English teachers are saints ;-) #sschat
A3b: Helps with empathy. They can see a real persons real words and interpret real emotions. A letter from a former slave (J. Anderson) to his former owner is very powerful. Also helps build trust in a world of people yelling fakenews #sschat
A3 - They learn that #socialstudies is fluid and alive. The choices you make in the docs you read, make a difference in the outcome of your research. Allow them to corroborate docs/info and help them realize that history "marinates" in personal perspectives. #sschat#socstudme
A3B: I did an awesome PBL for U.S. History; tasked Ss with creating a "time capsule" of primary sources that "define" our history (and defend their position) #sschat
A3b3 - Recently Google released a report saying they needed potential employees with better soft skills such as reasoning and decision making. We are the discipline that can give students that practice and skill set. #sschat
I did a cool activity last year; 8th gr Ss read a local town ordinance on "cats" and analyzed it (gave suggestions, asked clarifying questions, etc.) - really authentic! #sschat
A3B: As students practice and develop proficiency in the analysis and interpretation of primary sources, they develop critical thinking, information literacy, communication, and collaboration skills, all of which are important to being an engaged and active citizen. #sschat
A4A: Tech has the potential to facilitate differentiation more than I ever could, but Iām a big fan of tampering with documents to varying degrees in order to make them more accessible to students. I thank @samwineburg & @daisymsc for showing me the light on that pedagogy #sschat
I did something similar in 1977 in conjunction with the launches of Voyagers 1 and 2, with their "Golden Records" that were designed to introduce Earth and humanity to alien intelligences. #sschat
A4: I have guiding questions for students to get through the document and look for certain key features. I also like to build in some context to the sources as well so that my students of all levels can have some degree of background knowledge going into the analysis. #sschat
A4 - With my non AP Ss I do a lot of group sourcing work. That way there can be peer help. I would love to have more tech to use things like Newsela and other sites that can scaffold down material. #sschat
A4A: I feel like I am using this one a lot, but it worksā¦ @Newsela allows for Ts to adjust the lexile level of sources while maintaining the integrity of the documents. #sschat
A4a Encouraging and modeling annotating helps Ss w not just primary source documents but any text! They should interact w the text & find answers to their questions #sschat
A4A. I am neither a purist nor a history teacher, but I am a teacher. I believe in @SHEG_Stanford approach to modifying primary sources for differentiation. There. I said it. #sschat
A4A: chunk the text for some, excerpt the text for others, and simplify the language if needed. But be careful to keep the original meaning/intent. #sschat
A3) Compare / contrast between then and now can be so powerful. Kids see similarities between themselves and others, highlighting connections. PSs - especially visual ones - can do this in ways that textbooks can't. #sschat
A4 - 1) Keep it short 2) modify language as appropriate by grade/reading level 3) chunk it out 4) work the doc in small groups or as a class 5) give them changes to redo as needed #sschat#socstudme
Q4A: Having leveled transcripts OR different primary sources to differentiate with is so important. If possible - add images to help students understand other written sources #sschat
A4A) Chunk it...you may only need an excerpt. Preteach critical vocab. Partner readāstudents take turns reading and summarizing portions of the text #sschat
A4) Chunking, grouping are good but I think the best thing is using PS docs consistently into the lessons so they are familiar and aren't afraid them. They need strategies to attack them. #sschat
A4a: Mix up how it's presented. I'll read aloud and model annotating, or have stronger students volunteer to read aloud or group students so they have someone that can help if fluency or comprehension is an issue. #sschat
A4A: A good group collaboration effort can be helpful - as long as it isn't the "divide and conquer" kind...
I have my Criminal Justice students look at WI state criminal statutes to translate them into plain English - they help each other
#sschat
A4a: SO to @ms_lonergan for showing me how to modify NYS inquiry docs for our middle school Ss - you can adapt them to their level without losing the meaning š#sschat
#sschat Q3B By reading primary source documents, we are able to see history as it truly happened in all of its messy, chaotic beauty - without the watered down revisionist lenses that are so often applied to it today
I agree; collaboration is key for struggling learners. I like someone's suggestions for guiding questions and your idea of front-loading vocabulary #sschat
A4: Large group read alouds as a first read through help get students get oriented to the cadence of older works, what it might have sounded like in the time and voice in which it was originally written. Then they can go back through on their own as often as needed. #sschat
A4a
Edit documents to create shorter texts for SpEd and EL students
Create vocab lists
Give students a clear idea of what to read for. What historical question can the source help us to answer?
#sschat
A1: All tech has pluses & minuses. I like to use @techedges' RAT model to consider whether digital primary sources Replace, Amplify, or Transform what we can do with any tech, including digitized sources. Sometimes it's better to hold a doc too. #sschat
A4A By differentiating types of Qs Ss use in inquiry. Use different levels of Qs that eventually have some overlap, allowing Ss who need more help to slowly grow. There's a great article discussing the levels (A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy: An Overview by Krathwohl) #sschat
A4B: Right out of the gate, @iCivics#DBQuest allows for students to choose between a guided or free form version of the tool. It's quite a meaningful difference across the two versions, but at the end of the day, students are accessing the same sources! #sschat
Government-sponsored Xenophobia is usually expressed in benign terms. #OnThisDay 1942: "I hereby authorize & direct the Secretary of War... to prescribe military areas... from which any or all persons may be excluded." https://t.co/EnqRo7nkLS#historyteacher#sschat
Q4B) Tech makes differentiation easier bc kids don't know what others are doing OR you can have groups collaborate and work together at various levels. #sschat
A4a) Wineburg & Martin from SHEG - "We are unabashedly urging history teachers to tamper with history." Love this! Modifying works. And is necessary if we want kids to be able to access the past via PSs. https://t.co/6o2VRGpzi1#sschat
A4: Scaffolding, modeling, chunking, and modifying the text when necessary. Focus on a small group of students who are struggling and walk them through the process while non-struggling students can work on their own. For ELL highlight words & define them or use rewordify #sschat
A4B: tech helps to cut and excerpt PS docs. Can add in notes with definitions or explanations for difficult vocab/concepts. Link out to images/videos. #sschat
A4B: it is certainly easier to scan through, excerpt, create graphics, and record sound. Just be careful not to lose yourself in the bells and whistles and forget the history. #sschat
Q4B: Tech makes collaboration between different levels of students much easier. Teacher determines shared groups of docs/slides and students around the room can work together without any levels being obvious or ostracizing to students #sschat
A3b: Working with primary sources can help students not only gain info & practice disciplinary thinking, but it also encourages suspending your judgment, learning more, asking Qs. I love how primary docs make us slow down, which is an important skill for citizens. #sschat
#sschat Q3B Also, primary sources help students understand that history is real - Real situations happening to real people who simply lived in a different time and place
A4: Often rather than modify the text I'll put in parenthetical or footnotes with synonyms if it's appropriate. Other times we'll do some pre-reading scaffolding working through terms or concepts that will be key in the text. #sschat
A4. A screencast of me reading the document for the students to use and follow along helps. Sometimes, as someone said earlier, an image and the document together are powerful. #sschat
First read I thought you said "take a statue"...completely different concept! But maybe we can have students design their own statues of different people/events. Would love to see this in light of recent events related to statues! #sschat
A4B- Differentiation w/ tech can be challenging because various tech can make one option for completion "easier" (quicker) than other options or give the appearance thereof. Incumbent upon teachers to provide options that are diff, but equal in skill/content development. #sschat
Q5. We updated DBQuest with the Nashville Sit-in and Americaās Founding Preambles topics. What other topics would you like to see covered? What documents would you like covered?
#sschat
A4A) Tech definitely makes it easier when differentiation is carefully thought-out and incorporated into the tool by those who produced it. And it's certainly a time-saver too! #sschat
A4B - I love that tech allows students different options for how to respond - not just writing, but they can all draw, record a voice/video response, etc. to respond to the same primary source, but it can be hard to always evaluate/grade responses that are so different #sschat
Q5. We updated DBQuest with the Nashville Sit-in and Americaās Founding Preambles topics. What other topics would you like to see covered? What documents would you like covered?
#sschat
Outro: I was listening to a podcast about Hernandez v. Texas, the first case in which Mexican-American lawyers appeared before SCOTUS. The whole time I kept thinking, I want @iCivics to make a #DBQuest module about this! #sschat
A5: As an #APGOV teacher, there are a bunch of new mandatory texts. I'd love to see #DBQuest with some Federalist Papers - as well as Letter From a Birmingham Jail
#sschat
"You're in charge of a new town square for your (town, city, state, etc.) - what statues would you erect and why?" ---- getting chills on the possibilities. #sschat
A5: @iCivics - I would love to see more DBQs that contextualize & inform on contemporary issues like gun reform, DACA/immigration, etc. DBQs work really well not just with history, but current events. #sschat
Q5. We updated DBQuest with the Nashville Sit-in and Americaās Founding Preambles topics. What other topics would you like to see covered? What documents would you like covered?
#sschat
Speaking of the Nashville Sit-ins...Woolworths on 5th in Nashville has reopened! Such a cool space that pays homage to the history of our city! #sschathttps://t.co/VQGn1STTSS
A5 Selfishly, I'm always looking for primary sources from other cultures & nations. Too many non-US history Ts struggle with integrating primary sources since they are tough to come by in Ancient Hist/Geography classes. #sschat
Q5. We updated DBQuest with the Nashville Sit-in and Americaās Founding Preambles topics. What other topics would you like to see covered? What documents would you like covered?
#sschat
A5: suffrage movement PLEASE! State debates whether or not to secede, landmark Supreme Court cases, constitutional amendments, new deal legislation/programs, support for/against Vietnam war, I could go onā¦ #sschat
Q5. We updated DBQuest with the Nashville Sit-in and Americaās Founding Preambles topics. What other topics would you like to see covered? What documents would you like covered?
#sschat
Q5 Iāve been looking or hoping to find the time to create something for Margaret Chase Smithās Declaration of Conscience and her stand against McCarthy! #socstudme#sschat
A5 I would like to see current issues such as DACA/undocumented citizens, Black Lives Matters, racial profiling, & more historical from issues such as women's history, Japanese-American internment, etc. #sschat
A4 There are sites like Newsela that offer a variety of reading levels. Sometimes I just give a quote. Allows deep examination, word by word. Not as intimidating. #sschat
Don't forget to answer the Bonus Question before you go!
BQ. Do you test tools prior to using them with your students? How do you use the support materials that accompany tech tools?
#sschat
A5: I would love to see some Federalist papers, or documents connected with current events. My students are really into modern issues and debates and I think resources on these topics would really interest them. #sschat
Agreed! Ancient history & geography can be harder for students to connect to and harder to find primary sources from them and from different perspectives #sschat
Q5. We updated DBQuest with the Nashville Sit-in and Americaās Founding Preambles topics. What other topics would you like to see covered? What documents would you like covered?
#sschat
A5: Supreme Court cases! Finding the perfect Primary Source excerpts for students that are accessible and an appropriately length is always a challenge #sschat
I use the Do I Have a Right game with my 8th graders, but it's helpful to have the print out/pdf of the rights for them to review as well; they love it and then use it and other things they've learned from the game to develop their own Know Your Rights guide for teens #sschat
A5: suffrage movement PLEASE! State debates whether or not to secede, landmark Supreme Court cases, constitutional amendments, new deal legislation/programs, support for/against Vietnam war, I could go onā¦ #sschat
I find myself using images as a primary source because they are easier to access and easier for Ss to understand. But I'd love to have more text-based primary sourcesz #sschat
A5 I love the letters between John and Abigail Adams. You can get so much insight from that correspondence! Would love a way to integrate those letters throughout several units #sschat
What about having them take an existing statue and do an updated version explaining their thoughts. Start with something that is already in place and needs a change? #sschat
Don't forget to answer the Bonus Question before you go!
BQ. Do you test tools prior to using them with your students? How do you use the support materials that accompany tech tools?
#sschat
