Vais presentation

Tandem Friends Schoolmloret@tandemfs.org

Context Matters Using Google Drive and the Web to Contextualize Historical Events

Michael Loret de Mola

Introduction

The session explores the possibility of improving critical thinking skills by placing historical events in their cultural context. This approach aims to view historical events as outgrowths of different cultures rather than as arbitrary facts. We will utilize the Google Drive suite as well as a variety of museum websites to facilitate this contextualization along Bloom’s Taxonomy of cognitive skills.

1. Particularly during the 1st and the 3rd centuries, Romans persecuted a. Muslims b. Christians c. Africans d. Women

Shortcomings of Traditional Content-Based Approach

Consider ye olde multiple choice question:

1. Particularly during the 1st and the 3rd centuries, Romans persecuted a. Muslims

b. Christians c. Africans d. Women

Shortcomings of Traditional Content-Based Approach

Consider ye olde multiple choice question:

Shortcomings of Traditional Content-Based Approach

• Romans are violent • Romans are stupid • Romans are pagans • Romans are immoral • Romans are inferior

We have just negated the possibility of learning something from the Romans!

Consider the narrow view of Romans this approach suggests…

• The emphasis on content knowledge can leave students with a very shallow understanding of human events

• If the purpose of history is to understand the past to better understand ourselves, something else is required…

Shortcomings of Traditional Content-Based Approach

Prior Knowledge

Prior Knowledge

✤ Students should be familiar with basic concepts in human geography and culture including:

Culture

Values, Customs, Traditions

Society and social structures

Economy and economic systems

Forms of government

Prior Knowledge—Technology

✤ Students should have internet access via a tablet or computer and be familiar with Google Drive, specifically Google Docs

Practice

Guided Practice

1. Create a Google Doc and insert a table. Share this Google Doc with students.

✤ https://docs.google.com/a/tandemfs.org/document/d/1JAD2RtV_Qifhh484AvBPutrR14aPA2479r32nqm6AfI/edit

Guided Practice

2. Carefully select a set of artifacts for student to analyze.

• The meaning and significance of these artifacts should be readily apparent to students.

• The artifacts should be drawn from museum websites that help explain the meaning and significance of the artifacts to students The Louvre

http://www.louvre.fr/

The British Museumhttp://www.britishmuseum.org/

Metropolitan Museum of Arthttp://www.metmuseum.org/

Museum of Londonhttp://collections.museumoflondon.org.uk/Online/

Metropolitan Museum of Arthttp://www.metmuseum.org/

Guided Practice

3. Scaffold student analysis by asking guiding questions. These questions should follow Bloom’s taxonomy and ask students to analyze artifacts in terms of their social, political, and economic significance.

A. Description (Knowledge, Comprehension)

-“What is this? What purpose did it serve?”

B. Application and Analysis

-“What values, if any, does this artifact suggest?”

C. Analysis

-“What does this suggest about government in the society that created it?”

-“What does this suggest about the economy of the society that created it?”

-“Who made this? What does this suggest about the society that created it?”

✤ https://docs.google.com/a/tandemfs.org/document/d/1JAD2RtV_Qifhh484AvBPutrR14aPA2479r32nqm6AfI/edit

Guided Practice

3. Scaffold student analysis by asking guiding questions. These questions should follow Bloom’s taxonomy and ask students to analyze artifacts in terms of their social, political, and economic significance.

A. Description (Knowledge, Comprehension)

-“What is this? What purpose did it serve?”

B. Application and Analysis

-“What values, if any, does this artifact suggest?”

C. Analysis

-“What does this suggest about government in the society that created it?”

-“What does this suggest about the economy of the society that created it?”

-“Who made this? What does this suggest about the society that created it?”

✤ https://docs.google.com/a/tandemfs.org/document/d/1JAD2RtV_Qifhh484AvBPutrR14aPA2479r32nqm6AfI/edit

Guided Practice

3. Scaffold student analysis by asking guiding questions. These questions should follow Bloom’s taxonomy and ask students to analyze artifacts in terms of their social, political, and economic significance.

A. Description (Knowledge, Comprehension)

-“What is this? What purpose did it serve?”

B. Application and Analysis

-“What values, if any, does this artifact suggest?”

C. Analysis

-“What does this suggest about government in the society that created it?”

-“What does this suggest about the economy of the society that created it?”

-“Who made this? What does this suggest about the society that created it?”

✤ https://docs.google.com/a/tandemfs.org/document/d/1JAD2RtV_Qifhh484AvBPutrR14aPA2479r32nqm6AfI/edit

Guided Practice

4. Project the live Google Doc in the classroom so that students are able to see their progress.

5. Offer feedback to students in realtime (via Google Doc) to foster deeper analysis

a. This will allow for a realtime dialogue between students and teacher to interrogate the artifacts and mine student responses for analysis

b. Similar approach could be utilized whereby students respond to each other (leaving comments)

6.https://docs.google.com/a/tandemfs.org/document/d/1JAD2RtV_Qifhh484AvBPutrR14aPA2479r32nqm6AfI/edit

Guided Practice

4. Project the live Google Doc in the classroom so that students are able to see their progress.

5. Offer feedback to students in realtime (via Google Doc) to foster deeper analysis

a. This will allow for a realtime dialogue between students and teacher to interrogate the artifacts and mine student responses for analysis

b. Similar approach could be utilized whereby students respond to each other (leaving comments)

6.https://docs.google.com/a/tandemfs.org/document/d/1JAD2RtV_Qifhh484AvBPutrR14aPA2479r32nqm6AfI/edit

Independent Practice

1. A similar approach may be utilized to delve deeply into a people, culture, or time period.

2. Select artifacts which will facilitate social, political, or economic analysis of the target.

3. Develop scaffolding questions to aid in analysis.

The MayaMetropolitan Museum of Art

The British Museum

Canadian Museum of History

The Maya

The Roman EmpireMusei Capitolini

Metropolitan Museum of Art

9/11

September 11th-Bearing Witness to Historyhttp://amhistory.si.edu/september11/collection/record.asp?ID=49

9/11 Memorialhttp://www.911memorial.org/