So…What’s the Right Answer?

Ann Carlock, NCDPI Social Studies Consultant

Middle School ConferenceMarch 16, 2015

Section Chief K-12 Social

Fay Gore Fay.Gore@dpi.nc.gov

K-12 Social Studies ConsultantsAnn Carlock

ann.carlock@dpi.nc.govJustyn Knox

Justyn.knox@dpi.nc.govMichelle McLaughlin

Michelle.McLaughlin@dpi.nc.govScott Garren

Scott.Garren@dpi.nc.gov

Program AssistantBernadette Cole

Bernadette.Cole@dpi.nc.gov

Our Team

Expected Outcomes

Gain a mutual understanding of:• the inquiry process• how to DO HISTORY & effectively

research• how to create a compelling question• how to evaluate evidence• how to facilitate authentic student

thinking in which the student arrives at their own truth

Activity

• What is inquiry?• What are components of a compelling question?• What should teaching and learning look like?• How should valid and credible resources be selected?

Inquiry

• Inquiry is defined as "a seeking for truth, information, or knowledge -- seeking information by questioning.“

• As a general instructional strategy, it is a complex process that allows students to make deeper connections with what they are learning.

• From a Social Studies perspective, it is the hope that this understanding will lead to students taking more informed action as an engaged citizen.

C3 Framework (2013)

Components of a compelling question?When determining if a question is compelling, ask yourself whether it allows students to:

❏ Focus on enduring issues and concerns?❏ Explore curiosities about how things work?❏ Interpret and apply disciplinary concepts?❏ Construct arguments in response to unresolved

issues?❏ Ask additional questions? What Supporting

questions need to first be answered?❏ Is the question relevant to contemporary times?❏ Is the question debatebale?❏ Will the question hold the sustained interest of the

grade level student for which it is intended?❏ Is the question challenging?

Is a compelling question critical to the inquiry

process? C3 Framework (2013) & Lesh (2011)

What should teaching and learning look like?

“In history courses I took in school we read about history, talked about history and wrote about history; we never actually did history. If I had learned basketball in this way, I would have spent years reading interpretations and viewpoints of great players, watching them play games and analyzing the results of various techniques and strategies.”

-Anecdote from a teacher in Stephane Levesque’s Thinking Historically

❏Identify if a source is categorized as primary or secondary

❏Determine the relevance of a source both in print and in digital formats

❏Determine the disciplinary context

❏Identify the author’s bias, motive and point of view

❏Make a claim with an awareness of the counterclaim and know how to defend against a counter claim

❏Reconcile multiple perspectives on the same content

❏Identify both consistencies and inconsistencies in evidence

❏Articulate how other experts regard the source's value, validity and credibility

❏Cite sources in order to avoid plagiarism

❏Identify when and why evidence may have limitations

How should valid and credible sources be selected?

The results of validating evidence:

❏ Students should be able to provide well-reasoned explanations, claims and arguments that are supported by valuable evidence.

❏ It is not only important that students be able to analyze a source through multiple disciplinary lenses, the student should additionally be able to evaluate the source and determine its credibility, value and validity.

❏ Students will know the difference between an opinion, an explanation and an argument.

❏ This is an opportunity for the student to reflect as to if the selected sources represented all of the available and valuable evidence that is needed to answer their compelling question

http://ssnces.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/Evaluating+Sources+and+Using+Evidence (2014)

Free Your Mind

Shape Shifters

Describe What You See

Describe What You See

Describe What You See

Describe What You See

What does this mean?

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with inherent and inalienable Rights; that among these, are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness...”

What does this mean?

“The most fortunate of us, in our journey through life, frequently meet with calamities and misfortunes which may greatly afflict us; and, to fortify our minds against the attacks of these calamities and misfortunes, should be one of the principal studies and endeavors of our lives.”

Practice

Generate at least one compelling

question that this evidence could help

answer?

Public History Assignment

Having absorbed all the evidence, create the historical marker (less than 100 words) that should be placed at the entrance of Monticello. Describe your interpretations of Thomas Jefferson. Taking into account specific factors involved in the events and the publics opinions and conflicting perceptions of Thomas Jefferson.

Finally, be prepared to explain why you came to this decision and which document had the most influence and why?

Classroom Tips

Classroom Tips

❏ How to create your own Google Search Engine❏ Practice document

❏ Evaluating Valid Websites ❏ Source Code Meta Tags ❏ Resources

Resources

http://ssnces.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/Evaluating+Sources+and+Using+Evidence

Lesh, B. A. (2011) Why don’t you just tell me the answer? Portland, ME: Stenhouse

Publishers.

VanSledright, B.A. (2014). Assessing historical thinking and understanding: Innovative designs for new ` standards. New York: Routledge.