Doing History: Investigating with Children in Elementary and Middle Schools

by Linda S. Levstik, Keith C. Barton

Overview

Doing History: Investigating With Children in Elementary and Middle Schools, Third Edition offers a unique perspective on history instruction in the elementary and middle grades. Through case studies of teachers and students in diverse classrooms and from diverse backgrounds, the text shows children engaging in authentic historical investigations, often in the context of an integrated social studies curriculum.

The authors begin with the assumption that children can engage in valid forms of historical inquiry-collecting and analyzing data, examining the perspectives of people in the past, considering multiple interpretations, and creating evidence-based historical accounts. Vignettes in each chapter show communities of teachers and students doing history in environments rich in literature, art, writing, discussion, and debate. Teachers and students are shown working together to frame and investigate meaningful historical questions. Students write personal and family histories, analyze primary and secondary sources, examine artifacts, conduct interviews, and create interpretations through drama, narrative, and the arts.

The grounding of this book in contemporary sociocultural theory and research makes it particularly useful as a social studies methods text. In each chapter, the authors explain how the teaching demonstrated in the vignettes reflects basic principles of contemporary learning theory; thus they not only provide specific examples of successful activities, but place them in a theoretical context that allows teachers to adapt and apply them in a wide variety of settings.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415737326
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	02/27/2015
Edition description:	Revised
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	8.25(w) x 11.00(h) x (d)
Lexile:	1280L (what's this?)

About the Author

Linda S. Levstik is Professor Emerita in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Kentucky, USA.

Keith C. Barton is Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and Adjunct Professor of History at Indiana University, USA.

Table of Contents

	Preface	xi
Chapter 1	Past, Present, and Future: The Sociocultural Context for Studying History	1
	History Involves Multiple Activities and Purposes	2
	History Helps Us Picture Possible Futures	3
	History Is About Significant Themes and Questions	4
	History Is Interpretive	4
	History Is Explained Through Narratives	6
	History Is More Than Politics	7
	History Is Controversial	8
	The Goal of History Education	9
	Conclusions	11
Chapter 2	It's Not Just a Mishap: The Theory Behind Disciplined Inquiry	13
	Teaching and Learning Must Have Purpose	14
	Learning Means In-Depth Understanding	15
	Instruction Must Build on Students' Prior Knowledge	17
	People Learn Through Disciplined Inquiry	18
	Teaching Means Scaffolding	20
	Constructive Assessment	22
	Conclusions	24
Chapter 3	There Aren't a Lot of "For Sure" Facts: Building Communities of Historical Inquiry	25
	Talking Historically	27
	The Importance of Questions	30
	Prior Knowledge	31
	Imaginative Entry	32
	Reflection and Assessment	33
	Conclusions	35
	Children's and Adolescent Literature	35
Chapter 4	To Find Out Things We Didn't Know About Ourselves: Personal Histories	37
	Asking Historical Questions	38
	Collecting Historical Information	38
	Drawing Conclusions and Reflecting on Learning	40
	Assessing Students' Learning	42
	The "History of Me" in the Context of Diversity	45
	Extensions	46
	Conclusions	48
	Children's and Adolescent Literature	49
Chapter 5	Tell Me About Yourself: Linking Children to the Past Through Family Histories	51
	Connecting Students to Important Historical Themes	52
	Imaginative Entry: Personalizing History	53
	Collecting and Interpreting Information	54
	Assessment and Feedback	56
	Linking Students to Larger Narratives	58
	Family History in the Context of Diversity	59
	Extensions	61
	Conclusions	62
	Children's and Adolescent Literature	63
Chapter 6	I Think Columbus Went to Hell!: Initiating Inquiry Into World History	67
	Start Locally, Connect Globally	69
	Start Globally, Connect Locally	70
	Scaffolding Inquiry Into Distant Times and Places	71
	The Persistence of Historical Myths	82
	Assessing History Outcomes	83
	Conclusions	85
	Children's and Adolescent Literature	85
Chapter 7	Rats in the Hospital: Creating a History Museum	87
	Imaginative Entry	88
	Turning Interest Into Researchable Questions	90
	Finding the Answers to Questions	92
	Reaching Conclusions	94
	Assessment and Self-regulated Learning	96
	Developing an Understanding of Time and Chronology	97
	Extensions	99
	Conclusions	100
	Children's and Adolescent Literature	102
Chapter 8	I Have No Experience With This!: Historical Inquiry in an Integrated Social Studies Setting	105
	All Questions Are Not Created Equal: Moving Beyond the Superficial	107
	Flexibility Is Essential: Building on Student Discoveries	109
	Maintaining Focus	111
	Now, What Does it Mean?	112
	Time for Reflection and Assessment	115
	Conclusions	115
	Children's and Adolescent Literature	117
Chapter 9	Why Isn't That in the Textbook?: Fiction, Nonfiction, and Historical Thinking	119
	Selecting Good Narrative History	123
	"I Did Not Panic": Creating Historical Narratives	128
	Analyzing Student's Historical Narratives	131
	Conclusions	133
	Children's and Adolescent Literature	134
Chapter 10	Oh, Good! We Get to Argue: Putting Conflict in Context	135
	Let's Talk: Preparing for Reasoned Discussion	137
	It's Happening Right Now: Starting With Current Events	139
	What If? It Could Have Been Different	143
	It Isn't Finished Yet: You Can Make a Difference	145
	Assessing Conflict in Context	145
	Conclusions	147
	Children's and Adolescent Literature	148
Chapter 11	In My Opinion, It Could Happen Again: How Attitudes and Beliefs Have Changed Over Time	149
	Changes in Names	150
	Changes in Social Relations	153
	Salem Witch Trials	158
	Long-term Assessment of Historical Skills	160
	Extensions	161
	Conclusions	162
	Children's and Adolescent Literature	163
Chapter 12	Nosotros La Gente: Diverse Perspectives in American History	167
	People in American History	169
	Using Literature and Primary Sources to Understand People	170
	Diversity in American History	172
	Building on What Students Know	174
	Scaffolding Students' Understanding	177
	Assessing Students' Knowledge of Historical Content	179
	Extensions	182
	Conclusions	183
	Children's and Adolescent Literature	185
Chapter 13	The Arts Make Us All Part of Humankind: Cognitive Pluralism in History Teaching and Learning	187
	The Arts Address Significant Historical Questions	190
	The Arts as Source Material for Historical Study	191
	Imagining in Your Mind: Learning to Read the Historic Arts	196
	The Arts as Vehicles for Expressing Historical Understanding	199
	The Arts as Problem Solving	200
	The Arts as Intellectual Risk Taking	201
	Assessment and the Arts	203
	Conclusions	205
	Children's and Adolescent Literature	206
	Epilogue	209
	References	211
	Index	229

Editorial Reviews

As a path-breaking, field-defining text, Doing History is a timeless, essential and mindful resource for social studies educators. In this revised edition, Levstik and Barton inspire teachers to confront the diverse realities of a complex and conflicted history by guiding students in the study of history as a multifarious array of choices complicated by social, political, and economic factors deeply rooted in cultural variation, controversy, perplexing dilemmas, and persistent historic issues. Grounded in authentic and research-informed classroom applications, each chapter presents tools to constructively empower students as transformative, agentic beings capable of engaging in historical inquiry which teaches them how to seek justice, learn from diverse people, exercise reasoned deliberation, intelligently participate in community-facing civil action, and live harmoniously in a complex, diverse world.

Tina L. Heafner, Professor of Social Studies Education, University of North Carolina-Charlotte, USA, and former President, National Council for the Social Studies

A foundational text for teaching history to elementary and middle school students! Through vivid teaching examples, Levstik and Barton show how young students can grapple with the complexities of history. The authors present theory-informed pedagogical practices for inquiry-based instruction, historical research, deliberation, and arts integration while also providing varied ways to assess students' historical thinking and disciplinary skills and methods to support English Language Learners. This new edition includes updated classroom examples and the latest scholarship to guide educators in teaching controversy and inclusive histories. All social studies educators need a copy in their professional library!

Sara B. Demoiny, Assistant Professor of Elementary Education, Auburn University, USA.

From the Publisher