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Developing Critical Thinkers via Social Studies through Art, Science, and Math 1

Developing Critical Thinkers via Social Studies through the Arts, Science, and Math

Danielle Huber

CSP 689: Methods and Techniques of Educational Research

June 28, 2011

Developing Critical Thinkers through Social Studies via Mathematics, Science, and the Arts2

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to find out if there was a correlation between

students that think critically to their exposure to inquiry-based instruction via social studies

aligned with the arts, mathematics, and science. Also, the amount of teachers that collaborate

and/or are willing to collaborate with colleague teachers outside of their specialty/ content area

was examined. The teacher participants in which stated that their students can think critically

with the frequency of integrated critical thinking instruction was measured. The results obtained

indicate that teachers do utilize inquiry-based instruction in their classrooms some of the time.

The data also significantly shows that teachers find this form of instruction vital to developing

critical thinkers. Finally, the research suggests that teachers do collaborate outside of their

specialty/content area, but they do not align curriculum. Although they do not align curriculum

they do see the need/ benefits of doing so. These results led to the conclusion that teachers

understand the significance of instructing to develop critical thinkers, but not all are effectively

executing the instruction or they are not doing it at all.


Literature Review

There are, historically and currently, numerous shifts that take place in our educational

system. The United States is a “world” of constant political change. The realm of higher

education faces a changing social climate, as well as a varying "toolbox" of teaching

methodologies. Our country has also faced numerous monetary deficits which meant the loss of

funding to schools and its programs along with formal state assessments, such as the fifth grade

Social Studies assessment. Many schools across the Nation are placing a primary focus on ELA

and math content components and are essentially cutting Social Studies instruction out of their

daily curriculum (Zwirn & Libresco, 2010; Koroscik, 1995). Providing students with the skills

learned via effective social studies curriculum is fundamental when instructing students to

become critical thinkers.

Throughout this Literature Review I will provide research that effectively supports Social

Studies instruction and a way to integrate and implement it into the Arts, Science, and

Mathematic while at the same time setting a fundamental focus on developing critical thinkers

(Johnson, 1998). Critical thinking enables students to elucidate, comprehend, analyze, and

critique their own deepest discriminations, biases, and misconceptions. Critical thinking requires

thought to be investigated and evaluated for its clearness, precision, significance, strength, and

coherence (Schneider, 2002). Since reasoning occurs within points of view and frames of

reference, students need to be aware of an author's approach to a particular problem/ question, as

well as their own.


Developing Critical Thinkers through Innovated Inquiry-Based Instruction

The integration of critical thinking skills into the daily content and lessons is essential.

“Student interest, readiness, and learning styles, provides the foundation and walls for raising the

ceiling of students’ scholastic growth and intellectual stimulation” (McCollister & Slayer, 2010,

p. 1). No matter which subject a student is focusing on, critical thinkers are capable of forming

connections across the disciplines. This skill expands their opportunities to find exceptional,

original, and realistic solutions to a problem (Hollingsworth & Hollingsworth, 1998).

Research also suggests that asking “probing questions” are a great way to differentiate

instruction while at the same time it can “stimulate deeper thinking, provoke interest and inquiry,

and spark additional questions, allowing for greater intellectual focus” (McCollister & Slayer,

2010, p. 4). Critical questioning increases the level intelligence in classroom. It opens the door

for inquiry-based projects and allows students to formulate their own questions, observations,

and explanations via the sciences, arts, mathematics, and conflict-resolution amongst peers.

Allowing students to become the decision makers in content-based dilemmas, gives them

the opportunity to analyze and weigh multiple outcomes and choose the one that they think is

best. This is a skill that is required across the content disciplines as well as in life itself

(Feldman, 1987).

Throughout the past few decades, the meaning, by experts, of “critical thinking” has

changed and will most likely continue to change. One thing continues to be consistent by

definition and that is in order to be classified as a critical thinker, you must be able to provide

effective solutions to complex problems. When student work is geared towards a purposeful


end, much gain in significance would generally occur. “When students are asked to address a

purpose and come up with a solution, they truly begin to identify, analyze, and solve problems

through critical thinking” (Schneider, 2002, p.1).

The Cornell Critical Thinking Test Series includes questions that are answered,

independently, by the student. They are expected to critically examine the question at hand and

answer it by circling “Yes” (It must be true), “No” (It can’t be true), or “Maybe” (It may be true

or it may not be true. You weren’t told enough to be certain whether it is "YES" or "NO"). The

test is not timed, but it is encouraged that students “move along swiftly.” An example of a

question that could be asked on a Critical Thinking Test is as follows:

Suppose you know that Jane is standing near Betsy.

Then would this be true?

Betsy is standing near Jane.

A. YES

B. NO

C. MAYBE

The correct answer is C, "MAYBE". Even if Jane is standing near Betsy, Betsy may be

sitting. Betsy might be standing near Jane, but she might be sitting near Jane, or

something else. You were not told enough to be certain about it, so "MAYBE" is the

answer.

Researchers have found that when integrating critical thinking instruction into a

classroom, it must be done holistically and not done in isolation. It should be implemented

effectively through curriculum and instruction from kindergarten through high school. The


fundamental task of teachers does not need to be intricate; rather a slight shift in a teacher’s

approach or methodology of teaching needs to occur (Schneider, 2002).

A shift in today’s philosophy of teaching is away from procedural learning to conceptual

understanding. This requires the ability to think and form connections. If students are

introduced to critical thinking skills at the inception years of education, then through time,

research suggests that they will be able to think for themselves (Bruce, 1998).

Utilizing Document Based Questions Effectively in a Classroom Setting

Higher education trends have made monumental, innovative pushes to have teachers

mainstream American history/ social studies education through the arts, science, and

mathematics (Zwirn & Lebresco, 2010). Teachers across the Nation have been offered the

ability to develop curriculum that integrates social studies with other subjects. The intent is to

utilize time properly, but its primary intent is to develop critical thinking in the young mind

(Ring, 2000). Document Based Questions (DBQs) have been being utilized since 1973, but have

been modified recurrently (Zwirn & Lebresco, 2010). They were included on the annual fifth

grade examinations until the exam was eliminated due to failing fiscal issues in 2009-10 school

year; however, DBQs remain on secondary examinations. Even though the fifth grade exam is

no longer utilized, it is still the teachers’ responsibly to develop critical thinkers. DBQs,

artifacts, and other primary sources can be used to complete this mission.

DBQs add intellectual value to an assessment, whereas a multiple choice examination

does not. Multiple Choice questions are easy to design, are cheap to produce, are easy to score,

and are easy to alter if needed from year to year. Multiple choice questions are just not allowing


students to develop critical thinking skills. No matter what form of examination-type assessment

is given to students, it is challenging to form authenticity (Grant & Gradwell & Cimbricz, 2004).

A DBQ is, currently, the closest way to assess students authentically. Authentic assessments seek

to simulate or replicate the kinds of challenges that face professionals or citizens when they need

to do something with their knowledge (Wiggins, 1993). The state of New York’s definition of a

DBQ is as follows

Document-based questions are for all students, from elementary school through high

school. They help prepare students to compare and contrast particular issues from

multiple perspectives, reconciling differing positions, evaluating the strength of particular

arguments, providing authentic opportunities at a high level of thinking, and developing

life skill.

DBQs provide students the opportunity to read, analyze, and synthesize primary sources. This

form of instruction and assessment ranks high in regards to Bloom’s Taxonomy (Bruce, 1998).

Some primary sources that students are required to analyze, interpret, and critique are historical

passages, graphs, maps, political cartoons, photographs, artworks, and eyewitness accounts.

(Zwrin & Libresco, 2010)

In order for students to get the highest score on a DBQ, they must answer all aspects of

the task by using the document that they were given. They may bring in outside information as

long as it is related to the essential question and the document. If asked to interpret and/or

compare data, students are required to use it accurately. They must develop ideas using

supporting evidence as examples, reasons, details, and explanations. Finally, their answers must

be relevant and cohesive. A DBQ is one component of three. The other two are multiple choice

and constructed response. The DBQ comprises of 30% of an assessment (Museumwise, 2005).


The task of preparing our Nation’s students to meet these expectations is tremendous but

achievable and worth while. In order to effectively prepare students for this form of assessment

and for success in school and life, math, science and art teachers should collaborate with the

social studies teacher. The collaboration should take place in two ways. One being curriculum

development and the other being assessment creation. An art teacher may even assist in the

analysis of the examination (Sorel, 2004; Zwirn, 2010).

Research has been completed that shows that American high school students require 0-2

years of history based classes to graduate, whereas in Germany and Japan they need 5-9 credits.

This data supports the fundamental reasons why American students need to be instructed in a

qualitative manner, providing daily opportunities to analyze and think critically. Prompting

questions can and should be asked to guide critical thinking, but once a student has become

fluent in this form of education, the students should be formulating the questions themselves.

This is referred to as inquiry-based education. Questions that can be provided to assist in this

include, “who or what is the document about,” “who was the original audience,” “what messages

are communicated or implied about certain people, places, events, behaviors, lifestyles, etc.,”

“how current, accurate, credible is the information in the message,” “what is left out of the

document that might be important to know,” and “when and where was the document

produced?” These questions are essential when looking at documents and artifacts and trying to

pull information from them (Grant & Gradwell & Cimbricz, 2004).

A DBQ is one way to assess student at a more analysis level. A DBQ assessment,

however, is not the only answer to forming our youth to become life-long critical thinkers. They

are the most authentic form of assessing, but students need to be engaged in critical thinking


activities throughout the day mainstreamed amongst other content areas, such as mathematics,

science, and the arts (Grant & Gradwell & Cimbricz, 2004).

Integrating Social Studies into the Arts, Sciences, and Mathematics

Teachers are continually challenged to give sufficiently rich circumstances for their

students to confront. A practical question that is often asked is how do we design lessons and

provide the settings that facilitate higher order thinking in our students? The constant focus on

cutting or minimizing social studies education out of the curriculum is going to significantly

hinder our students’ ability to think. It is fundamental and essential to mainstream Social Studies

skills into the arts, sciences, and math as much as possible. When integrating the subjects, it

needs to be done in a fashion that will make the students formulate their own questions based on

data, paintings, drawings, images, charts, tables, political cartoons, historical texts, etc (Zwirn &

Lebresco, 2010; Ring, 2000).

Typically, content based teachers do not consider collaborating with the art teacher as a

catalyst for engagement with social studies issues. Our country’s Constitution supports freedom

of expression and that is precisely what people have been doing since the inception of our

country through ways such as paintings and other visual arts. The art teachers should provide

students opportunities to interpret American history and culture as the “arts promote alternate

perspectives on historical events. By stimulating emotional connections to the past, art works

motivate young people to relate past issues to those in their lives and potentially make

connections to events in the present” (Zwirn & Lebresco, 2010, 29). Artists have been inspired


by issues of power and government and have created stimulating works due to it. The visual

world could be portrayed from legacies of slavery, the holocaust, Japanese internment, and even

more current history with the Obama presidential nomination. All have provoked artists to paint,

draw political cartoons, or capture the moment through photograph. Students in a classroom

should view this visual history and formulate questions and observations from it (Ring, 2000).

The arts and history are connected in critical ways. Like a historian, an artist studies

media of the time, as well as writings. “If art teachers and their social studies colleagues work

together, students in U.S. History classes can benefit from analyzing images in lessons and

assessments” (Zwirn & Lebresco, 2010, 32). Since the usage of DBQs on assessments in NYS

became mandatory in 2001, document based instruction has evolved and become a way drive

instruction (Grant & Gradwell & Cimbricz, 2004). Art and history teachers must select works of

art for study that are appropriate with respect to complexity, historical context, subject matter,

and relevance, as well as the design of associated learning activities, when developing lesson

plans of instruction (Ring, 2000). Discipline Based Art Education now calls for the teaching of

art criticism and aesthetics, in addition to art production and art history (Stout, 1995). The

national standards for the visual arts include an understanding of art in "relation to history" and

students "reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and merit of their work and the work

of others" (VanTassel-Baska, 1998, p. 466). Comprehension of art expression is an inquiry based

approach that allows students to predict, form opinions, collaborate with peers to exchange

personal views, initiate civil debate and discussion, and reflection (Ring, 2000). Learning how to

read a painting, according to Ring, is as fundamental as learning to read a book. It is even more

fundamental than reading a text and spitting back information that will be forgotten shortly after,


whereas if one learns to think critically, the skill will follow them through life (Clark & Day &

Greer, 1987).

Like the arts, science is also linked to social studies education in relation to the

development of analysis level thinkers. Schools in Brooklyn, NY have already been working

towards the development of integrating their science curriculum into their existing social studies

curriculum. It is the school’s mission to have the teachers “see” science within their social

studies units (Sorel, 2005). Just like the arts, in science, students are asked to draw, describe,

predict, observe, explain, evaluate, hypothesize, classify, etc. All of those actions are

preparatory for developing students who think rather than just memorize. When relational to

social studies, students can formulate connections.

When children approach a topic from this [social studies and science] dual perspective,

history makes sense and science becomes relevant. When you show children how people

and the planet are interconnected, they begin to make connections themselves. When you

offer children multiple ways that they can approach a topic, you increase the likelihood

that more students will find angles that interest them (Sorel, 2005).

For example, the magnet school in Brooklym was learning about the fundamental role that silk

played in the Chinese economy while learning about silkworms in science. They performed labs,

classified kingdoms, made observations, etc. to make predictions on what the mystery creature

was. Most were able to predict that it was a silkworm due to learning about the importance of

and the intricacy of silk in China. Another circumstance related to China was when learning

about its architecture. Students viewed images of the zig-zag bridges in the city and formed

culturally-responsive guesses as to why they were built that way (predicting and observing).


After reading documents, they could explain the Chinese reasoning for doing so. This historic

context can be related to science because the Chinese believed that, like light, ghosts could only

travel in straight paths; hence the zig-zagged bridges. Students were then able to explore this

knowledge of light path and perform science labs showing how light travels (Sorel, 2005).

As in science and the arts, mathematic instruction can be aligned with social studies,

specifically social justices. In our current generation of Facebook, Twitter, WiFi, and mobile

phones, students have become sensible as to accessing the web anywhere that they go. It is

essential that students understand how to scrutinize the content on the web by critically thinking

about its authenticity. “Mathematics has an important place to play in the modern world

particularly when it comes to making sense of the barrage of quantitative information which has

become a part of everyday life [including research in regards to historic context]. Without the

proper mathematics foundations:

Students may lack the confidence to challenge propaganda or advertising because they

might feel the rigorous tools required to think critically are beyond their abilities.

Likewise when mathematics is taught as formal algorithms, with learning restricted to

successful computation without any requirements to apply this mathematics to the real

world, then it weakens the growth of knowledge for students (Sriraman & Knott, 2009).

Conclusion

“Whether working in science, math, social studies, or language arts, critical thinkers are

able to find connections across the disciplines. This broadens their opportunities to find unique,

creative, and practical solutions to the problems posed” (McCollister & Slayer, 2010, p. 3).


With the Nation’s monetary deficit, loss of resources and funding for schools, as well as “The No

Child Left Behind Act” some administrators have put an emphasis on ELA and math which led

to subjects such as social studies to be essentially ignored. By doing so, students are not being

prepared for life as a critical thinker. Social studies, if taught effectively, can be a gateway to

mainstreamed education via the arts, sciences, and mathematic while at the same time creating a

population of critically thinking young minds. Art, science, and math teachers should be

included in vertical alignment process for social studies curriculum and instruction. They should

also collaborate on mainstreaming the subjects with each other. This idea is fundamental to a

student’s ability to comprehend, analyze, and critique their own prejudices, preconceived

notions, and misconceptions. These skills are essential when examining data, paintings,

drawings, images, charts, tables, political cartoons, historical texts, etc., all of which are skills

that assist in making most successful.

Description of the Problem:

Due to the No Child Left Behind Act (2001), the new and innovative Core Curriculum,

and National monetary issues that cause cut-backs, many schools have been forced to cut back

on teachers, resources, and funding for testing. Without these essentials, students are condemned

to an education lacking social studies curriculum. Without this component of education, students

may not be able to develop successful critical thinking skills. Throughout my research, I will try

to prove that with or without direct social studies instruction, teachers need to prepare students to

become critical thinkers. If social studies continued to be taught in a district or school, teachers

outside of that content area could collaborate to align their curriculum with the analysis and


synthesis level of understanding as a focus. Teachers that “teach to the test” or that teach to the

lowest level of Bloom’s Taxonomy are providing their students a disservice. Students need more

than to be told or shown. They need to become involved in order to understand. Ways in which

they can become involved is through inquiry-based instruction where they can think critically,

form forming prediction, observations, explanations, and then synthesize it all. The final

objective is to have the students evaluate what they are examining at a grade appropriate level.

Research shows that this type of learning stays with a person a lot longer than just by

memorizing (Churches, 2008).

Purpose of the Study:

The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of integrating inquiry-based

instruction in a classroom, the effectiveness of Document Based Instruction in Social Studies,

Science, the Arts, and Mathematics, the frequency with which teachers collaborate amongst the

content areas with the intent to align curriculum, teachers’ willingness to align curriculum

amongst the content/specialized areas. The components were chosen all to prove or disprove

that inquiry-based instruction and teacher alignment plays a fundamental role in the development

of critical thinkers. A student’s ability to comprehend, analyze, and critique their own

prejudices, preconceived notions, and misconceptions is all based from this form of

development. These skills are essential when participating in life experiences such as the

examination of data, paintings, drawings, images, charts, tables, political cartoons, historical

texts, etc. (Schneider, 2002).

A large number of questions that students deal with in a classroom require the skill of

memorization. The memory level, knowledge level of Bloom’s, is essential; however, there are


drawbacks in pure memory that an instructional leader needs to think about. The memory level is

similar to a tool of the short term memory and information that is processed only on the memory

level is quickly forgotten by most. For example, students that take a multiple choice

examination in regards to a topic such as biology may do well, but they soon discover that they

do not retain the information for the future. A way to retain knowledge is to go above the level

of memorization. In addition, memory level does not warranty comprehension. When a student

can deliver content by telling you something such as their math facts, it does not mean that they

understand what the fact means. Speaking of mathematics directly, students can tell you that “5

x 3 = 15” but can they show you what that means? That it means 5 groups with 3 in each group.

Another example is the “Pledge of Allegiance.” Students as early as kindergarten can recite the

Pledge to the Flag, but do they know what the words mean that are comprised with in it?

Memorizing is needed in some regards, but unless a student understands the skill or idea

procedurally or visually, it does not do them much good. (Bloom, 1956)

Description of Site:

The survey that I developed was comprised of questions based off of literature that

suggested that critical thinking is vital for our young. The literature and the focus of my research

was to prove that with the alignment of science, mathematics, and the arts to social studies, you

can develop critical thinkers. This aimed me to acquire teacher participants from kindergarten to

grade eight teachers. The setting was an urban setting outside of the city of Buffalo, NY. The

school site is a charter school that employs approximately 45 teachers with approximately 630

students. The student-body population is diverse with a large number of Arabic speaking

students. The school emphasizes innovative standards-based curriculum with elements of global


education, such as world geography, history, culture, and language. Other fundamental elements

are earth science, character education, and the fine arts. The school strives to drive its instruction

off of the results-based delivery of instruction. Lastly, family and community involvement are

stressed at the school through programs such Parents Assisting Learners (PAL).

Methodology

I administered thirty Likert Scale surveys to the teachers. They were placed in the

teachers’ mailboxes in the main office. A formal e-mail was sent out to the staff explaining that

it would be there and what was requested of them to complete, as well as a return date. The

Likert scale consisted of 19 questions. In addition, there were 5 demographic questions. The

demographic questions focused on the amount of years that teacher has taught, the grade level(s)

in which they currently teach, weather they are a classroom, social studies, art, or math teacher,

and their gender.

The 5 point Likert scale survey examined three components. The first consisted of

questions that measure teachers’ knowledge of what inquiry-based instruction is and how often

they integrate into their instruction. More specifically, it measures weather or not the teachers

allow their students to predict, observe, and explain., collaborate amongst their peers, and form

curriculum connections without the need to be prompted. The second component questioned a

teacher’s integration of Document Based Questions (DBQ) into their instruction as well as if

their students are capable to answer the analysis level questions. The last section of the survey

questioned weather or not teachers collaborate outside of their content and/or specialty area, and

if they align their curriculum. A consistent question that was asked in each section asked the

teacher participant if they found the topic of the component beneficial to their student.


The survey was collected anonymously by being placed in a designated drop-off area.

Out of the 30 distributed surveys, 13 were returned. The survey was a pencil-paper style

document. The sample did not include a survey from the art or middle school math teachers.


Results: Data Collection and Analysis:

There were three questions on the survey in which focused on the participants’ beliefs of

that the particular component topic would beneficial to their students and to their personal

instruction. Those questions are as follows:

o I feel that my students benefit or would benefit from inquiry-based instruction

o I feel that Document Based instruction helps to develop critical thinkers

o I believe that alignment of the stated subjects would be effective for my students

Looking at Figure 1, I can tell that the participants strongly believe that this form of instruction is

valuable to their students’ success in their academics and in life. Also, that collaboration

amongst colleagues is essential. Finally, that all three components are congruently important,

needed and each assist in the over all picture of developing a critical thinker.

Figure 1.

Participants believe that it is essential that their students understand the world in which

they work and live, yet the participants indicated that their students do not understand that idea.


Participants believe that inquiry-based instruction will benefit their students. This tells me that

the participants strongly believe that if instruction was inquiry-based, their students may develop

a better understanding of the world in which they live and work (see figure 2).

Figure 2.

The levels of taxonomy do increase with difficulty, but if the scaffolding process is

completed effectively, students should be able to analyze, critique, and so on. According to the

data displayed in Table 3, the Participants believe that their students can decipher the message

being communicated in DBQs (e.g. certain people, places, events, behaviors, lifestyles, etc.) at a

developing to secure level. This type of question would be considered of analysis level of

taxonomy. Next, Participants believe that their students can tell how current, accurate, and

credible the information in the document is at a developing to secure level. This questioning

format is also at the analysis level. Finally, however, participants believe that their students can

identify what is left out of the document that might be important to know at a beginning to


developing level. This format of questioning is at the evaluation level of taxonomy. These

results indicate that the higher level of critical thinking that is involved to answer the question,

the less confidant the teachers are of their student’s abilities. All in all, the more critical the

question gets, the more the students struggle.

Figure 3.

Limitations:

The limitations in which I experienced while completing my research revolved around a

few factors. The timing of the academic school year caused it to be difficult for educators to

complete a survey. The academic calendar ends in this region in the month of June which is

when the survey was administered. Teachers’ priorities are completing report cards, organizing

student work folders, packing out their classrooms, etc. Even with thank-you token and

pleading, it was challenging to receive back even 50% of the administered surveys. In addition


to the time of year, I was limited by the amount of responses due to the size of my site. If I had

the opportunity to pick a larger district, I believe that I would have received more surveys back

to analyze. Finally, the time allotment in which I provided for the participants to return their

completed Likert Scale was only three days. Had the time allotment been a little more friendly, I

believe that I would have received more back, including a larger sample size. The sample size

would have been larger due to the fact that the school’s high school is in a separate location. I

received their surveys back after all of the data had been analyzed and processed.

Conclusion

In conclusion the survey did find that a majority of participants reported overall need for

inquiry-based instruction in order to develop critical thinkers in our classrooms. This supports

the basis of our research in that infusing social studies ideas and concepts in art, mathematics,

and science is an effective tool to effective instruction. My findings do indicate; however, most

teachers already implement some form of inquiry-based instruction with their students. This

suggests that these participating teachers may not be integrating it enough, they may not be

executing it effectively, or the students may not have received proper foundations to this type of

instruction in previous academic grade levels. All in all, the research does provide enough

evidence to implement it in a classroom.


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VanTassel-Baska, J. (1998). Excellence in educating gifted and talented learners. Denver, CO:

Love Publishing.

Zwirn, S., & Libresco, A. (2010). Art in Social Studies Assessments: An Untapped Resource for

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http://accelerateu.org/Assessments/SS/grade_5_elementary.htm#PartIII


Appendix:

Documents

Developing Critical Thinkers via Social Studies through ...€¦ · Web viewCritical thinking requires thought to be investigated and evaluated for its clearness, precision, significance,