Introduction Teaching Interpretation

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1 Intrductin Teaching Interpretatin AUTHOR: Kyle Vanderwall Grandville High Schl, Grandville, MI Intrductin The AP U.S. Histry Curriculum Framewrk defines interpretatin in the fllwing way: Interpretatin Histrical thinking invlves the ability t describe, analyze, evaluate, and cnstruct diverse interpretatins f the past, and being aware f hw particular circumstances and cntexts in which individual histrians wrk and write als shape their interpretatin f past events. Histrical interpretatin requires analyzing evidence, reasning, determining the cntext, and evaluating pints f view fund in bth primary and secndary surces. Because the skill f interpretatin requires students t judge histrians arguments and cnstruct arguments f their wn, it is best t wrk n it after students have been intrduced t the cntent. Having histrical cntext enables students t better interpret the secndary and primary surces used. In the first activity, students wrk n diverse interpretatins n the causes f the Civil War. Lking at causes helps instruct students n the histrical thinking skill f interpretatin; particularly since questins abut the cause f the Civil War is ne f the central questins t any U.S. Histry curse. This activity wuld wrk well in any perid with a rbust histrical debate abut causatin. A few pssibilities wuld be: Wrld War I, The Great Depressin, Wrld War II, and The Cld War. In the secnd activity, students grapple with anther f the central questins in U.S. histry: whether r nt Recnstructin shuld be cnsidered a failure. This activity asks students t cmpare a histrian s interpretatin with the perspective f varius histrical actrs f the perid Cllege Bard

2 Activity: Interpretatin Matching Prcedure Part I: Analyzing evidence In rder fr students t analyze an interpretatin, they need t have an understanding f the evidence and hw it can be used t supprt an argument. In this first part, students wrk with evidence t understand fur cmmn histrical interpretatins f the causes f the Civil War. Intrduce students t the essential questin, What are the mst significant lng-term causes f the Civil War? Essential questins help fcus students attentin t the ver-arching gal f the lessn. Next, give students fur categries that relate t fur cmmn histrical interpretatins f what caused the Civil War: Slavery, Ecnmic Differences, Cultural Differences, and Fear. NOTE: Students have already encuntered these categries in whle-class discussins prir t this activity. Thse discussins shuld be used t help students cntextualize each f the categries t the time perid. The idea f fear as a categry is based n David Blight s explanatin f the Fear Thesis the argument that the Suth seceded due t fear f racial uprisings that might result frm the end f slavery and fear f what Sutherners believed was an ablitinist cnspiracy in the Nrth. Students culd als include in this categry Nrtherners fear f what they believed was a slave-pwer cnspiracy. Give students a graphic rganizer and a list f twenty specific factual terms t categrize. These terms are the evidence they will use t analyze the histrical interpretatins. This list and the graphic rganizer are prvided as a resurce in this mdule. Guided Practice In guided practice, the teacher clsely mnitrs and directs the students as they practice a task fr the first time independently. Purpse In this activity students wrk thrugh evidence t develp their wn interpretatin f the causes f the Civil War. They then use their interpretatin t analyze histrians interpretatins. Finally they match their interpretatin with a histrian s. Essential Questin What are the mst significant lng-term causes f the Civil War? Objective After this activity, students will be able t: Identify the strengths and weaknesses f varying histrical interpretatins. Supprt and refute varying histrical interpretatins using evidence. Students then take at least twelve f the terms frm their list and, using the graphic rganizer, categrize them under ne f the fur interpretive categries (slavery, ecnmic differences, etc.). Sme terms may be used mre than nce. This step gets students thinking abut what evidence wuld be used t supprt each f the interpretatins. Students shuld als indicate which terms are shrt-term r lng-term causes f the Civil War. This keeps the students fcused n evidence that helps t answer the essential questin: What are the mst significant lng-term causes f the Civil War? Cllege Bard

3 Althugh students are wrking in grups, each student must fill ut the graphic rganizer individually. This nt nly ensures full engagement but gives them the resurce they will need t cmplete the next part f the activity. Part II: Chsing an interpretatin Once the grups have cmpleted their graphic rganizers, students return t their riginal seats and cmplete the next task individually. The next step fr students is t lk ver their categries f interpretatin and select which interpretatin they think is best supprted by the evidence they have gathered in their graphic rganizers. Fllwing that selectin, students are given a chance t write their wn interpretatin using the essential questin: What are the mst significant lng-term causes f the Civil War? Students are instructed t center their respnse n ne f the categries; i i i i Slavery Ecnmic Differences Cultural Differences Fear Students write ut their answer in tw r three sentences. They must include what they cnsider t be the best evidence frm their graphic rganizer t supprt their chsen interpretatin. Pair-Share: After they write the respnse, students d a pairshare t check in n their thinking. Student A shares which interpretatin s/he has chsen and why. Student B respnds with questins nly Student B shuld nt share her/his chice yet. The idea is t frce Student A t clarify the chice and supprt it with evidence. The students then trade rles. Once students have had the pprtunity t pair and share, students share their interpretatin in a whleclass discussin. Use this discussin t check fr any misunderstandings befre the students lk at the histrians interpretatins. This is anther pprtunity t re-center the students n the riginal pint f the lessn Cllege Bard

4 Part III: Matching Interpretatins The next step invlves having students match their interpretatin with a histrian. Give students fur separate histrical interpretatins abut the causes f the Civil War. Each f the interpretatins matches ne f the fur categries they used in the anticipatry set. Each excerpt is abut 150 wrds lng. It is imprtant that the readings are shrt and fcused s that the students can read them in abut 10 minutes. The surces are prvided in the bibligraphy that accmpanies this mdule. Instruct students t first identify the argument f each histrian. They shuld anntate fr this argument. Once they have identified the arguments fr each reading, the student shuld identify which histrian matches their chsen interpretatin. After identifying which histrian matches their interpretatin, students reprt t a crner f the rm labeled with the histrians name and the title f the excerpt. The gal is t have students accurately match their interpretatin based n categries (Slavery, Ecnmic Differences, Cultural Differences, and Fear) with the varius histrical interpretatins. Check fr Understanding In each crner, students cmpare which categry they chse. In their crners, students may discver they have incrrectly matched their interpretatin. This is a great pprtunity fr students t physically as well as mentally crrect their misunderstanding. If they realize they have misinterpreted, they need t mve t a different crner f the rm. D nt be cncerned if yur students d nt match each crrectly the first time. Wrk with them t crrect their understanding and mve t a different part f the rm. This last part f the activity serves as a check fr understanding fr bth yu and the student. In the prcess yu nt nly check their understanding f the histrical interpretatins but als the pssible causes f why the Civil War happened Cllege Bard

5 Activity: Using primary surces t analyze interpretatins Prcedure Assign the article by James MacGregr Burns, Recnstructin: The Revlutin that Failed as hmewrk. Befre students read, they shuld be familiar with the fllwing grups: Radical Republicans Freedmen The Recnstructin Presidents Redeemer Gvernments In rder t give student purpse fr the hmewrk reading, give them the fllwing hmewrk questins: What were the gals f Recnstructin fr each grup? What were the utcmes f Recnstructin fr each grup? What is the legacy f Recnstructin fr each grup? At the beginning f the lessn, prject r write n the bard the three guiding questins. Talk with students abut the relevance f the questins fr the activity and hw the three questins are ging t help them extend their analysis f each dcument. Students shuld use these questins t guide their wrk thrugh all three steps f the lessn. What were the gals f Recnstructin fr yur respective grup? What were the utcmes f Recnstructin fr yur respective grup? What is the legacy f Recnstructin fr yur respective grup? Divide students int grups. Each grup is given ne f fur perspectives regarding Recnstructin that are addressed in the article and that they read fr in the hmewrk reading: Radical Republicans Freedmen The Recnstructin Presidents Redeemer Gvernments Guided Practice In guided practice, the teacher clsely mnitrs and directs the students as they practice a task fr the first time independently. Purpse This activity builds students understanding f a histrical questin and prepares them t cnstruct their wn interpretatin. By using an article that addresses a fundamental questin assciated with the perid and that takes a strng stance n the questin, students will naturally be invited t debate the psitins that the authr makes. Furthermre, by tying the primary surce analysis t the histrians interpretatin, students engage in analysis f the interpretatin using primary surces as evidence. Objective After this activity, students will be able t: Analyze and interpret the histrical actrs and their perspective, thrugh the use f primary surces. Cnstruct their wn interpretatin f whether r nt Recnstructin was a failure. Essential Questin Was Recnstructin a failure? SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT Lng Essay questin Sme histrians have argued that Recnstructin shuld be deemed a failure. Supprt, mdify, r refute this interpretatin prviding specific evidence Cllege Bard

6 Students are then asked t brainstrm, based n the James MacGregr Burns article, what they already knw abut their assigned grup s perspective regarding Recnstructin. Students must cme up with at least eight specific factual terms as evidence f their grup s perspective. In additin t the article, they may cnsult any f the readings they have read in the unit (textbk, secndary surces, ther primary surces, etc.) t create their list. After students cmplete their brainstrm, give each grup a set f fur primary dcuments that illustrate their grup s perspective. Fr each dcument, the grup will write a pint f view statement. Students are given the fllwing dcuments: Dcuments Recnstructin Presidents Dcuments: Lincln s Secnd Inaugural; Jhnsn s Cleveland Speech, 1866; Lincln s Letter t James C. Cnklin; August 26, 1863 [Disagreement ver Emancipatin]; Jhnsn, Octber 1865 [Speech titled, Danger in Negr Suffrage ] Radical Republican Dcuments: Oppsing Images f the 15 th Amendment Matthew Brady Images f Richmnd, 1865; Language f 14 th Amendment; Thaddeus Stevens, 1865, The Cnquered Prvinces Suthern Redeemers: KKK Cartn, Thmas Nast; Alexander H. Stephens n Readmissin, 1866; Map f Readmissin Dates; Mississippi Black Cdes Freedmen: Sharecrpping Cntract; Cnventins f Freedmen example, 1865; Jurdn Andersn, Letter t My Old Master, 1865; Frederick Duglass, The Cmpsite Natin Recnstructin Gallery and Thesis Statements Once the grups have cmpleted their POV statements they mve t create a presentatin abut Recnstructin, frm their assigned POV. The presentatins are n a large pster bard and, when cmpleted, are displayed thrughut the rm. The primary surces are left with the finished prduct s ther students can reference the dcuments when they view the finished prduct. There are three requirements fr the finished prduct: Each grup must integrate the three essential questins in their finished prduct. Each grup must integrate their primary surce pint f view statements Cllege Bard

7 Each grup must find and display anther primary surce that is a graph, map, cartn, chart, r picture t be included n their pster bard. N text-driven dcuments may be selected. Interpretatin invlves understanding a variety f perspectives. The gal f having them display their pster is t allw each grup t develp a deep understanding f ne perspective, while being expsed t ther perspectives. Als, students take mre wnership when they must present t their peers. Other than that, students are encuraged t be creative and create a unique prduct that synthesizes their assigned pint f view n Recnstructin. It is imprtant t emphasize t students that the final prduct shuld cnvey a message thrugh pictures, graphic rganizers, art, cartns, and very little text. Check fr Understanding Fllwing the cmpletin f the pster bards, the class has time alltted t walk the Recnstructin Gallery. Fr each presentatin, students must write in their ntebk a thesis that they believe is supprted by the pster presentatin. That thesis must reflect that particular grup s answer t the third essential questin: What is the legacy f Recnstructin fr this grup? Finally, using James MacGregr Burns interpretatin and the varius histrical actrs interpretatins, students must turn in a thesis that answers the summative assessment questin and a list f at least fur pieces f evidence that supprt their thesis. In ther wrds, they must cnstruct their wn interpretatin f the questin Was Recnstructin a failure? This gives an pprtunity t check their understanding befre assigning the summative assessment essay Cllege Bard

8 Causes f the Civil War Graphic Organizer Name: Using the graphic rganizer belw, categrize at least twelve f the terms n yur list under ne f the fur interpretive categries. Be sure t write the term in the crrect clumn indicating if it was a shrt-term r lng-term cause f the war. Sme terms may be used mre than nce. Slavery Ecnmic Differences Cultural Differences Fear Shrt-Term Lng-Term Shrt-Term Lng-Term Shrt-Term Lng-Term Shrt-Term Lng-Term 2015 Cllege Bard 8

Interpretation. Historical enquiry religious diversity

Interpretation. Historical enquiry religious diversity Name: Year 8 Histry Prject 3: D The Cmmnwealth Games Still Matter In The 21 st Century? Mdule: Date Set: Deadline: Descriptin f the task: The prject is split int three separate parts: The prject is split