Discipline-based Historical Inquiry at Connect Charter School
To show how historical thinking can be enriched by the eight principles of the Discipline-based Rubric for Inquiry Studies, we will now explore an example of a grade 7 historical inquiry into pre-Confederation Canadian history undertaken by Jody Pereverzoff and Chris Dittmann at Connect Charter School. As outlined in this video, Jody and Chris were interested in inquiring into the overarching question: How can we help people learn more about historically significant events in Canada’s past in a way that will be both interesting and also show the relevance of history to people’s lives?
To explore this question, the unit began with students reading an article that suggests Canadians – although proud of being Canadian – know very little about their history. As a way to test this assertion, Jody and Chris asked their students to take The Dominion Institute Canada Quiz to see how much they knew about Canadian history. After also asking their parents to take the quiz, students realized that it was true. Many Canadians have difficulty answering even the most basic historical facts about Canadian history. This led to a discussion on whether studying Canadian history is important and why we should learn about Canada’s past.
To connect back to the inquiry question, Jody and Chris then introduced students to the historical thinking concept of historical significance that is used by historians to decide which events are historically more important than others. As outlined in this video on historical significance, historians rely on three primary criteria or questions to decide whether an event should be considered historically significant:
As a way to help students to better appreciate how historians decide and substantiate which events should be deemed historically significant, Jody and Chris modeled this process in a debate. To do this they each chose, along with Joanne Eloho, one event in Calgary’s past including the establishment of Fort Calgary, the Calgary Stampede, or the great flood of 2013. Based on their chosen event, using criteria for historical significance, it was they each had the job of making a compelling case that their event was the most historically significant. During the debate students used the live stream program Todays Meet to post comments about the arguments and evidence being used.
Once Jody and Chris had modeled the process of using criteria for historical significance to make reasoned judgments about the past, students were asked to choose one event in Canada’s pre-Confederation past and then argue for its inclusion as one of the top five most significant events in Canadian history. As part of this process, Jody and Chris discussed the elements that make for a powerful argument as modeled in their teacher debate. On day one of the debate, students made their argument in groups of 5 and then voted on which two events seemed the least historically significant. On the next day, the three winners from each group went on to the next round in order to determine the five most significant events in Canadian history.
As a way to help students further respond to the overarching inquiry question, in the next phase of the unit groups of five students in each class were presented with the task of creating a Common Craft video on the historical importance of one of the five events chosen during the debate process. Before creating their presentation Jody and Chris generated criteria for a powerful Common Craft presentation with the students. Additionally, as a class they analyzed and critiqued different examples of this medium.
As a culminating activity, in a symposium and showcase at Mount Royal University, led by two professional historians, students began by discussing a series of issues related to the importance and relevance of learning history including the difference between the past and history and how determining which events are historically significant can vary from group to group.
After this discussion, a group of judges, including grade 9 students, then went around and assessed which five Common Craft presentations, among the twenty, deserved to be included in an on-line Canadian History Museum. After creating this on-line space, in the final phase of this inquiry unit, Chris, Jody, and I drew on social networking platforms such as Twitter to encourage Canadians and people around the world to visit the site and vote on which event they felt was the most historically significant.
To map out the stages of this historical inquiry, Jody and Chris used the Discipline-based Rubric for Inquiry Studies to guide their planning. In doing this, the first element they sought to address was authenticity. In this instance, they chose to expose their students to the disciplinary problem of determining which events are historically significant. In addition, they also wanted students to use this knowledge to educate the broader public about historically significant moments in Canada’s past through a medium that would be interesting and accessible.
For teachers similarly looking for contemporary issues that allow students to engage in the discipline of history there are a myriad of options. For example, recently the Stephen Harper led Conservative Government has decided that the Museum of Civilization should be renamed to focus on Canadian history. As outlined in this article, this has brought up many issues around whose, and what history will be showcased at one of Canada’s most popular museums. This accordingly, for instance, gives rise to the question: “Will the sweater worn by Maurice Richard in the 1959 Stanley Cup final be presented as a sacred icon for a hockey-mad Canada – or for a politically awakened Quebec?” (Taylor, 2012, p. 1).
Beyond authenticity, this grade 7 inquiry into pre-Confederation Canadian history included elements of academic rigor. In exposing students to the criteria historians use to decide which events are more historically significant than others, students were not simply asked to recount a historical event. Rather, by justifying their decisions using criteria, evidence, and extended lines of argumentation within a public space, students had the opportunity to grapple with the complexity of making historical judgments about the past. Similarly, within the domain of assessment Jody and Chris co-constructed assessment criteria with their students, provided examples of work that could then be evaluated based on these criteria, and moreover provided extended formative feedback loops at each stage of the inquiry process. In this way students were able to observe and interact with exemplars and expertise drawn from the disciplinary fields and mediums used in this study.
Likewise in the area of elaborated communication students had the opportunity to communicate their ideas in a variety of ways including with their peers in a debate, digitally through a Common Craft presentation. Additionally, through engaging in a symposium led by professional historians and then presenting their work in a public showcase, students were able to take their learning beyond the school and engage in active exploration. By taking part in the phases of this inquiry, students, moreover, developed competencies such as teamwork and project management. The various stages of this project also integrated technological elements in a purposeful manner. Specifically, students used Google docs to write their scripts, which allowed them to work cooperatively to build a unified piece of writing, while also giving the teachers a space to provide formative feedback and check in with their progress. Students also used Todays Meet to offer feedback on the teacher’s debate, as well as iMovie to create their Common Craft presentations.
As can be seen this, kind of discipline-based inquiry can be done. However, it takes high levels of collaboration, support from administrators who have a clear vision for education, access to technology, and a great deal of hard work and dedication on the part of the teachers. Since its inception, Connect Charter School has had these conditions in place, which has allowed it to become a key site for innovation in education. To view a myriad of other examples of rich, discipline-based inquiries in a range of subject areas visit the Connect Charter School blog: Connect!.
While following the eight principles of inquiry that draws on disciplinary insights from the historical thinking framework can never guarantee that an inquiry will lead to deep disciplinary understanding and high levels of student engagement, we know what will never lead to this happening. That is, lecture and textbook-based coverage of historical ‘facts’ to be reproduced on an end of unit exam.
References:
The Dominion Institute. (2007). Canada quiz. Retrieved from http://di.pixcode.com/game2007/
Common Craft. (2014). Our product is explanation. Retrieved from http://www.commoncraft.com
Connect Charter School. (2014). Home. Retrieved from http://www.connectcharter.ca/wordpress/
Connect Charter School. (2014). Connect!. Retrieved from http://calgaryscienceschool.blogspot.ca/
Scott, D. & Pereverrzoff, J. (2014). Connect charter school grade 7 historical inquiry unit. [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sYDsCINo5I
Scott, D. & Pereverrzoff, J. & Dittmann, C. (2014). The common craft museum of Canadian history. Retrieved February 07, 2014, from: http://www.canadianhistorycommoncraftmuseum.com
TC2: The Critical Thinking Consortium (2011). Historical significance. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62wYq1RGBNg
Taylor, K. (2012). The new Canadian museum of history: Whose history will it tell? The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/art-and-architecture/the-new-canadian-museum-of-history-whose-history-will-it-tell/article6390494/?page=all
Todays Meet. Home. Retrieved from https://todaysmeet.com
Valiante, G. (2013). Most Canadians still unaware of our history, poll shows. Toronto Sun. Retrieved from http://www.torontosun.com/2013/06/30/most-canadians-still-unaware-of-our-history-poll-shows
To explore this question, the unit began with students reading an article that suggests Canadians – although proud of being Canadian – know very little about their history. As a way to test this assertion, Jody and Chris asked their students to take The Dominion Institute Canada Quiz to see how much they knew about Canadian history. After also asking their parents to take the quiz, students realized that it was true. Many Canadians have difficulty answering even the most basic historical facts about Canadian history. This led to a discussion on whether studying Canadian history is important and why we should learn about Canada’s past.
To connect back to the inquiry question, Jody and Chris then introduced students to the historical thinking concept of historical significance that is used by historians to decide which events are historically more important than others. As outlined in this video on historical significance, historians rely on three primary criteria or questions to decide whether an event should be considered historically significant:
- Was the event recognized as being important at it was happening?
- How widespread and lasting were the consequences after the event?
- Has the event become symbolic or representative of key historical issues or trends? (The Critical Thinking Consortium, 2011).
As a way to help students to better appreciate how historians decide and substantiate which events should be deemed historically significant, Jody and Chris modeled this process in a debate. To do this they each chose, along with Joanne Eloho, one event in Calgary’s past including the establishment of Fort Calgary, the Calgary Stampede, or the great flood of 2013. Based on their chosen event, using criteria for historical significance, it was they each had the job of making a compelling case that their event was the most historically significant. During the debate students used the live stream program Todays Meet to post comments about the arguments and evidence being used.
Once Jody and Chris had modeled the process of using criteria for historical significance to make reasoned judgments about the past, students were asked to choose one event in Canada’s pre-Confederation past and then argue for its inclusion as one of the top five most significant events in Canadian history. As part of this process, Jody and Chris discussed the elements that make for a powerful argument as modeled in their teacher debate. On day one of the debate, students made their argument in groups of 5 and then voted on which two events seemed the least historically significant. On the next day, the three winners from each group went on to the next round in order to determine the five most significant events in Canadian history.
As a way to help students further respond to the overarching inquiry question, in the next phase of the unit groups of five students in each class were presented with the task of creating a Common Craft video on the historical importance of one of the five events chosen during the debate process. Before creating their presentation Jody and Chris generated criteria for a powerful Common Craft presentation with the students. Additionally, as a class they analyzed and critiqued different examples of this medium.
As a culminating activity, in a symposium and showcase at Mount Royal University, led by two professional historians, students began by discussing a series of issues related to the importance and relevance of learning history including the difference between the past and history and how determining which events are historically significant can vary from group to group.
After this discussion, a group of judges, including grade 9 students, then went around and assessed which five Common Craft presentations, among the twenty, deserved to be included in an on-line Canadian History Museum. After creating this on-line space, in the final phase of this inquiry unit, Chris, Jody, and I drew on social networking platforms such as Twitter to encourage Canadians and people around the world to visit the site and vote on which event they felt was the most historically significant.
To map out the stages of this historical inquiry, Jody and Chris used the Discipline-based Rubric for Inquiry Studies to guide their planning. In doing this, the first element they sought to address was authenticity. In this instance, they chose to expose their students to the disciplinary problem of determining which events are historically significant. In addition, they also wanted students to use this knowledge to educate the broader public about historically significant moments in Canada’s past through a medium that would be interesting and accessible.
For teachers similarly looking for contemporary issues that allow students to engage in the discipline of history there are a myriad of options. For example, recently the Stephen Harper led Conservative Government has decided that the Museum of Civilization should be renamed to focus on Canadian history. As outlined in this article, this has brought up many issues around whose, and what history will be showcased at one of Canada’s most popular museums. This accordingly, for instance, gives rise to the question: “Will the sweater worn by Maurice Richard in the 1959 Stanley Cup final be presented as a sacred icon for a hockey-mad Canada – or for a politically awakened Quebec?” (Taylor, 2012, p. 1).
Beyond authenticity, this grade 7 inquiry into pre-Confederation Canadian history included elements of academic rigor. In exposing students to the criteria historians use to decide which events are more historically significant than others, students were not simply asked to recount a historical event. Rather, by justifying their decisions using criteria, evidence, and extended lines of argumentation within a public space, students had the opportunity to grapple with the complexity of making historical judgments about the past. Similarly, within the domain of assessment Jody and Chris co-constructed assessment criteria with their students, provided examples of work that could then be evaluated based on these criteria, and moreover provided extended formative feedback loops at each stage of the inquiry process. In this way students were able to observe and interact with exemplars and expertise drawn from the disciplinary fields and mediums used in this study.
Likewise in the area of elaborated communication students had the opportunity to communicate their ideas in a variety of ways including with their peers in a debate, digitally through a Common Craft presentation. Additionally, through engaging in a symposium led by professional historians and then presenting their work in a public showcase, students were able to take their learning beyond the school and engage in active exploration. By taking part in the phases of this inquiry, students, moreover, developed competencies such as teamwork and project management. The various stages of this project also integrated technological elements in a purposeful manner. Specifically, students used Google docs to write their scripts, which allowed them to work cooperatively to build a unified piece of writing, while also giving the teachers a space to provide formative feedback and check in with their progress. Students also used Todays Meet to offer feedback on the teacher’s debate, as well as iMovie to create their Common Craft presentations.
As can be seen this, kind of discipline-based inquiry can be done. However, it takes high levels of collaboration, support from administrators who have a clear vision for education, access to technology, and a great deal of hard work and dedication on the part of the teachers. Since its inception, Connect Charter School has had these conditions in place, which has allowed it to become a key site for innovation in education. To view a myriad of other examples of rich, discipline-based inquiries in a range of subject areas visit the Connect Charter School blog: Connect!.
While following the eight principles of inquiry that draws on disciplinary insights from the historical thinking framework can never guarantee that an inquiry will lead to deep disciplinary understanding and high levels of student engagement, we know what will never lead to this happening. That is, lecture and textbook-based coverage of historical ‘facts’ to be reproduced on an end of unit exam.
References:
The Dominion Institute. (2007). Canada quiz. Retrieved from http://di.pixcode.com/game2007/
Common Craft. (2014). Our product is explanation. Retrieved from http://www.commoncraft.com
Connect Charter School. (2014). Home. Retrieved from http://www.connectcharter.ca/wordpress/
Connect Charter School. (2014). Connect!. Retrieved from http://calgaryscienceschool.blogspot.ca/
Scott, D. & Pereverrzoff, J. (2014). Connect charter school grade 7 historical inquiry unit. [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sYDsCINo5I
Scott, D. & Pereverrzoff, J. & Dittmann, C. (2014). The common craft museum of Canadian history. Retrieved February 07, 2014, from: http://www.canadianhistorycommoncraftmuseum.com
TC2: The Critical Thinking Consortium (2011). Historical significance. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62wYq1RGBNg
Taylor, K. (2012). The new Canadian museum of history: Whose history will it tell? The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/art-and-architecture/the-new-canadian-museum-of-history-whose-history-will-it-tell/article6390494/?page=all
Todays Meet. Home. Retrieved from https://todaysmeet.com
Valiante, G. (2013). Most Canadians still unaware of our history, poll shows. Toronto Sun. Retrieved from http://www.torontosun.com/2013/06/30/most-canadians-still-unaware-of-our-history-poll-shows