1. How do historians think?
Historical Thinking
How do historians think?
Example – Non example

2. Kinds of Historical Thinking – Give one, Get one, Move on! (GoGoMo)
View video to clarify and reflect on the tools of historical thinking (HT) we may use in our class room
Video link:
What are five tools that are mentioned?
What literacy skills are needed to make it easier for students to use these tools effectively?
What learning mode or instructional approach is best suited for historical learning activities and strategies?

3. Question 1
What are the historical thinking (HT) tools that are mentioned in the video?

4. Question 2
What literacy skills are needed to make it easier for students to use these tools effectively?

5. Question 3
What learning mode or instructional approach is best suited for historical thinking activities and strategies?

6. Where do we see HT referenced in our standards?
Example for Grade 7 Eastern Hemisphere:
Chronological Thinking, Analysis and Interpretation, Research, Issues-Analysis and Decision-Making
WH.7.1 Identify patterns of historical change and duration and construct a representation that illustrates continuity
and change.
WH.7.2 Locate and analyze primary sources and secondary sources related to an event or issue of the past.
WH.7.3 Investigate and interpret multiple causation in analyzing historical actions and analyze cause-and-effect
relationships.
WH.7.4 Explain issues and problems of the past by analyzing various interests and viewpoints of the participants
involved.
WH.7.5 Use technology in the process of conducting historical research and to present products of historical
research.
WH.7.6 Formulate and present a position or course of action on an issue by examining the underlying factors
contributing to that issue and support that position.

7. Where do we see HT referenced in our standards?
Examples for World History (Grade 9):
Chronological Thinking, Historical Comprehension, Analysis and Interpretation, Research
Create and compare timelines that identify major people and events and developments in the history of civilization
and/or countries of Africa, Asia and the Southwest Pacific.
Analyze cause-and-effect relationships, bearing in mind multiple causation in the role of individuals, beliefs and
chance in history.
Distinguish between unsupported expressions of opinion and informed hypotheses grounded in historical evidence.
Compare and contrast perspectives of history in Africa, Asia, and the Southwest Pacific using fictional and
nonfictional accounts including visual, literary, art, and musical sources

8. Where do we see HT referenced in our standards?
Example for U.S. History (Grade 11):
Chronological Thinking, Analysis and Interpretation, Research, Issues-Analysis and Decision- Making
USH.9.1 Identify patterns of historical succession and duration in which historical events have unfolded and apply them to
explain continuity and change.
USH.9.2 Locate and analyze primary sources and secondary sources related to an event or issue of the past; discover
possible limitations in various kinds of historical evidence and differing secondary opinions.
USH.9.3 Analyze multiple, unexpected, and complex causes and effects of events in the past.
USH.9.4 Explain issues and problems of the past by analyzing the interests and viewpoints of those involved.
USH.9.5 Formulate and present a position or course of action on an issue by examining the underlying factors contributing to
that issue.

9. Critical Components to Model HT in Classrooms
Apply HT standards to lesson designs
Create opportunities for students to exemplify HT – use gradual release of responsibility
Discuss and practice using HT concepts before applying them to specific content
Organize lessons around an essential question

10. Advantages and adjustments of organizing our instruction around essential (critical, etc.) questions?
Advantages
Adjustments
Promotes inquiry
Starts with the particulars
Works best with collaboration
Reflects the issues and events experienced in everyday life
Allows for introspection and an examination of universal values
Shifts more responsibility on student to ‘explore’ possible answers
Requires patience to build up to a conclusion
Requires rules and procedures to guide ‘productive’ collaboration
Everyday life can be messy and sometimes may not provide clear answers – can students settle for that?
Introspection and universal values may make us more vulnerable as thinkers

11. Essential Questions During Instruction
Best practice is to model the essential question in all stages of the gradual release of responsibility:
Students see the teacher using an essential question to guide their reading (I do it)
Students will follow the modeled example (We do it)
Students will collaborate in applying this modeled method (You do it together)
Students then refer to the essential question and apply its purpose independently (You do it alone)

12. A Model for Success for All Students
TEACHER RESPONSIBILITY
“I do it”
Focus Lesson
Guided Instruction
“We do it”
“You do it
together”
Collaborative
“You do it
alone”
Independent
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY
A Model for Success for All Students
Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2008). Better learning through structured teaching: A framework for the gradual release of responsibility. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

13. Where can you find essential questions in the pacing resources?

14. Asking the Right Questions

15. Further Steps in Teaching Historical Thinking and Essential Questions
Additional slides

16. Elements of Historical Thinking

17. A Framework to Lead Us to Our Questions

18. Visualizing the Process
Our understanding and experience drives our thinking
Historical
Thinking frames our teaching
Formulating an essential question engages our students

19. Shifting from Facts to Concepts
Concepts and content knowledge
Breadth of topic
Depth within topic
Recall
Transfer and connections

20. Shifting from Teacher-Centered to Student-Centered
Teacher as disseminator
Student as a facilitator
Students investigate the social sciences using multiple sources
Students learn facts from textbook
Students construct interpretations and communicate conclusions
Students retell interpretation

21. How does this impact the classroom?
It impacts how we design our lessons and activities
It impacts how we interact with students about what they are learning
It impacts how students shape their own learning
It becomes a model for thinking about the world (past and present) in general – promotes critical reflection and empathy

22. French Taxi Drivers Attack Über (Yahoo News)
What issue we can identify?
What historical thinking should we apply?
What essential question can we develop?

23. Italians revolt against migrant 'invasion‘ (The Telegraph)
What issue we can identify?
What historical thinking should we apply?
What essential question can we develop?

24. Women’s World Cup Final Was Most-Watched Soccer Game in United States History (New York Times)
What issue we can identify?
What historical thinking should we apply?
What essential question can we develop?

25. Supreme Court decisions sweep aside history (Courier-Journal)
What issue we can identify?
What historical thinking should we apply?
What essential question can we develop?

26. Putting together a lesson that teaches historical thinking
1. Start with a standard and identify enduring idea (concept)
2. Apply question to a topic that will lead students to understand a a type of historical thinking (content-wise/skill-wise)
3. Find/create sources that presents information in a way that illustrates the type of historical thinking you wish to highlight (be sure to organize this around an essential question!)
4. Model where and how students can use sources of information to support ‘their’ point of view
5. Allow students to collaborate in this endeavor through facilitation
6. Challenge students to explain their point of view independently using supporting evidence