Fostering Historical Thinking in Elementary Social Studies NBTA Elementary Council, May 2010 Alan Sears Faculty of Education UNB Helping students understand not only what historians know but also how historians know

NB Curriculum: Historical Thinking “Historical study develops capacities for critical and creative thinking, issues analysis, values clarification, and examination of perspective.” Foundation for the Atlantic Canada Social Studies Curriculum “Historical thinking concepts are designed to help students think more deeply and critically about the past as well as their own relationship to the past, including how it can be linked to the present.” NB Grade 4 Social Studies, Exploration

My Story Develop a time line of your own history showing the most important events, people, times.

Alan’s time line

My Story Pick out the five most significant events in your story Share your time line and the most significant events with your group and explain why you selected these five Do you notice any things in common across the group about your selections? Any things that are different?

Alan’s Top 5 Birth Getting married Going to work at UNB Birth of my children Birth of my granddaughter

Historical thinking concepts Historical thinking Cause and Consequence Moral Judgment Historical perspective Continuity and Change EvidenceSignificance Drawn from the work of Peter Seixas, Carla Peck, Penney Clark, Mike Denos and Roland Case

Criteria for Historical Significance Resulting in ChangeRevealingResonant or Relevant Profundity: How were people affected by the event or person? Quantity: How many people’s lives were affected? Durability: How long lasting were the changes? How does this event or person help us to understand the past? How does this event or person shed light on issues or problems that concern us? “Both ‘It is significant because it is in the history book,’ and ‘It is significant because I am interested in it,’ are inadequate explanations of historical significance. ” Benchmarks website

Time Lines Family School Community Province National Any of these can be matched to major historical themes and events: migrations, cultural contact, war, economic change etc. Students will be expected to demonstrate an understanding that the way people live in their community evolves over time... create a simple timeline to record events in their community’s history NB You and Your World, Outcome 1.4.1

Historical Thinking Significance How do we decide what is historically significant? In K-2: How do families and individuals decide? In 3: How do communities decide? In 4: What makes explorations significant? In 5: How do different societies judge what is significant? “The social studies 4 curriculum challenges students to think critically. The course is structured so that students can begin to inquire into why events or people or ideas in our history are significant, what has changed over time, and why change has occurred. “ NB Grade 4 Social Studies, Explorations

a a b b b c b b b d e f a – desks b – benches c – masters desk d – wood stove e – wood f – water bench School at Stanley NB circ 1870 Drawn by M.V. Johnson

Historical Thinking: Evidence 1.Using M.V. Johnson’s drawing, what can you tell me about school in Stanley, NB in the 1870s? 2.What generalizations can we make about schooling in NB in the 1870s? 3.What evidence might we need to make more general statements?

School Inspector’s Report for Queensbury Parish 1844

Primary Source Evidence 1.What type of source is it? 2.Who authored/created it? 3. When was it created? 4. What historical events were occurring when it was created? 5. Why was it created? Who was the intended audience? 6.What point of view/position does the author/creator represent? 7.How does the point of view/position shape the source? 8.What evidence does it contribute to the topic you are studying, the narrative you are writing, or the argument you are making?

Historical Thinking: Evidence What sources do historians use to learn about the past? In K-2: What sources do individuals and families use to remember their history? In 3: What sources do communities use to remember their history? In 4: What records do explorers keep? In 5: How do societies record key events and people?

Historical Thinking: Evidence NB Grade 5: Unit One: SOCIETIES OVER TIME Students will be expected to: Explain how historical investigations provide insights into our past: describe the work of historians and archeologists; explain the value of artifacts; distinguish between primary and secondary sources; practise historical inquiry using artifacts

Historical Thinking: Continuity and Change Draw a map – floor plan – of the first school you went to or the first one you can remember. Include the playground and label as many areas as you can. Draw a floor plan of the school where you work now.

Historical Thinking: Continuity and Change Similar To Different From In what ways is school today similar to or different from when you started?

Our Stories: The Community Similar Different Using the story and the diagram describe the ways is school today similar to or different from when M.V. Johnson went?

Historical Thinking Continuity and Change In what ways have things changed in what ways have they stayed the same. In primary: How has my family changed or stayed the same? How has our school changed or stayed the same? How has our community changed or stayed the same? In 3-5: How has our province or nation changed or stayed the same? How do societies change or remain the same?

Historical Thinking Cause and Consequence Why have schools changed since 1870? What are the most important factors that explain change? Why have some things stayed the same? Do you think school is better today than it was in your day? In M.V. Johnson’s day? List things you think are better and things that are worse?

Our Stories: Oral History Use interviews with seniors to explore ideas of significance, evidence, continuity and change: In schooling In technology In childhood responsibilities In the community

Historical Thinking: Cause and Consequence List one important change that occurred in the past to your family, your school, your community Who was responsible for making or causing the change? What did they do to cause or make the change? What do you think of the change and what they did to bring it about?

Historical Thinking: Cause and Consequence Agency Who makes change in history and how do they make it? History is what people make happen not what happens to people. In primary: Who has made change in my family, school, community and the world? How did they do it?

Historical Thinking: Resources von Heyking, Amy. (2008). Historical Thinking in the Elementary Years. In R. Case & P. Clark (Eds.), The Anthology of Social Studies: Issues and Strategies for Teachers (pp ). Vancouver: Pacific Educational Press.

Historical Thinking: Resources

Linda Levstik and Keith Barton Doing History: Investigating with Children in Elementary And Middle Schools