HISTORY: IMPROVING LITERACY and CREATING A CULTURE OF THINKING IN OUR HISTORY CLASSROOMS

What does literacy and visible thinking mean to you?

Cultures of Thinking; Visible thinking in action

• • • • •

Helps students to gain a deeper understanding of content.

Students have a greater motivation for learning Helps to develop the learners' thinking and learning abilities.

Helps to develop learners' attitudes toward thinking and learning and their alertness to opportunities for thinking and learning Helps to create a community of enthusiastically engaged thinkers and learners.

Literacy Elements

Vocab Schmocab!

Students with large vocabularies understand text better and score higher on achievement tests than students with small vocabularies

Stahl &Fairbanks, 1986

1. Securing the scene

Thinking routines and literacy strategies for lesson or unit starters.

3-2-1 Bridge

Chalk talks

Visual Glossaries with

When?

Great at the beginning of a unit, especially for holiday homework.

Why?

Students are creating word banks that are subject specific to assist in future readings.

Students are exposed to the content of the unit when researching their definitions.

Word Splash

The word splash activity supports students’ reading by helping to provide purpose.

Word Splash

example from AoS2 The Great Depression

Listed b elow are some of the words that feature in the following PowerPoint presentation. Do you know what these words mean? Write down any words you are unsure of, and find out their meaning. Write this ‘new’ word in a sentence to help you with your understanding.

Wall Displays

Creative classroom displays can capture students' attention and stimulate learning.

3-2-1 Bridge

thinking routine

Your initial (first) responses to the topic

3

Thoughts about the topic

I think that….

2

Questions you have about the topic

How/what/when/who/why/where

1

Analogy you can make about the topic Your new responses to the topic

3

Thoughts about the topic

I now think that…

2

Questions you have about the topic

How/what/when/who/why/where

1

Analogy you can make about the topic

2. Walk through

CSI- Colour Symbol Image

thinking routine Reading Strategy- Coding Text

Top Secret- reading

CSI- Thinking Routine What?

A

C S I

is a non-verbal thinking routine that can be used to see student’s thoughts and informally assess student understanding.

Great for use with EAL students or low level students.

When?

This activity is great for use after watching a film or documentary, after a museum visit, after reading or at the end of a unit.

It can also be used to get to know your students It can be used to better understand key historical figures.

Coding Text

Tired of students reading without purpose? Do you want students to be active thinkers as they read? Do you want students to react to what they are reading? Would you like to see student’s thinking as they read? Then these strategies are for you!

Reading Strategy for Cold War Case Studies

Task: Read the sheet provided using the reading strategy called; ‘Coding the Text’.

What you will need: 2 post it notes, cut into 4 pieces, each with a sticky on the end.

Coding the Text- Coding Key

Very important information, key concepts.

Information you find confusing or does not make sense?

Wow or AHA, things you find interesting, hard to believe, or was unexpected.

As you read

Use your post-it-note markers to mark sections of the text that you find to be: Key concepts or information (V.I.P.) Information you are confused about or that does not make sense (?

Information you find interesting, hard to believe, or was unexpected You may find that you need to move your makers as you read new information. Your goal is to use all 8 markers .

When you finish reading…

Go back to each marker and place the appropriate symbol on each marker: THEN do the following; For every V.I.P summarise the information in your own words.

For every (?) write a question to express what confuses you or does not make sense.

For every (!) summarise what/why you found that point interesting… Use the VIP chart provided to record your information

reading activity

 Students get in to groups and wait for their TOP SECRET instructions.

 Each group will receive an envelope with a Cold War case study reading inside. They must complete the reading in the allocated time allowed (1xperiod) using the ‘coding the text’ reading strategy mentioned earlier.

 To successfully complete each stage of the mission, each team must submit a completed VIP organiser. In return they receive either a 1,2 or 3 point card (the point card received is determined by the effort put in and the amount of harassment needed from the teacher to submit the work)  This is to be repeated over the course of the week so that each team has completed 5 missions ( 5 lesson activity)  The team with the most points at the end of the week is deemed ‘The Elite’ and their profiles are to be displayed on the ‘spy wall’.

3. Bag and Tag

Thinking routines and literacy strategies for ending the lesson .

Exit Slips What?

Used to get the students to summing up and capturing the essence of a concept, idea or topic.

How?

The routine asks one core question:

If you were to write a headline for this topic or issue right now that captured the most important aspect that should be remembered, what would that headline be?

in Use

Watch the following clip, then complete the exit slip provided.

Thank you for taking part in this workshop.

If you would like information on any other thinking routines or literacy strategies, please email: [email protected]

Acknowledgements

Visible Thinking Routines http://pzweb.harvard.edu/vt/VisibleThinking_html_files/03_ThinkingRo utines/03a_ThinkingRoutines.html

Vocabulary quotes http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/GeneralCapabilities/Liter acy/Introduction/Introduction Literacy Worksheets Handouts, courtesy of R Cooney, Literacy Coordinator at GWSC.

YouTube Clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=518XP8prwZo