Transcript Teaching American History

Stacy Drum, Striving Readers
Katie Anderson, C&I, Social Studies
WORKING AGREEMENTS
STRATEGIES FROM MARCIA TATE
As we are working today, look for the following strategies:
• Strategy 1: Brainstorming and Discussion
• Strategy 5: Graphic Organizers
• Strategy 13: Reciprocal Teaching and Cooperative
Learning
• Strategy 20: Writing and Journals
DO YOUR CLASSROOM DISCUSSIONS LOOK LIKE
THIS? OR THIS?
OR THIS?
BENEFITS OF DISCUSSION
•
Student Engagement
•
Democratizing the classroom
•
Clear articulation of
complicated ideas
•
Listening carefully and
intentionally
•
Better content knowledge
•
Dialoguing across differences
•
Civic knowledge, skills,
democratic values,
participation
Nystrand (1997) and his colleagues
measured the relationship between
the amount of classroom discussion
and student performance on
knowledge exams and found a
positive correlation. The “bottom
line” for learning, they write, is “the
extent to which instruction requires
students to think, not just report
someone else’s [the teacher’s]
thinking. (Hess, 2011)
DISCUSSION STRENGTHENS WRITING
Prewrite
(research
and organize
research)
Edit, Submit
Revise
(refine and
incorporate
new
information)
Draft
(organizing
and
articulating a
position)
Discussion
CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE DISCUSSION:
THE NON - NEGOTIABLES
•
Focus on an interpretable text, issue, idea, etc.
•
Thorough preparation.
•
Student driven. Teacher facilitated.
•
Sufficient time spent on topic before going to another point.
•
Whole group participation.
•
Participants and facilitator ask authentic questions and refer to previous points made
in the discussion.
DIANA E. HESS, 2010
WHAT IS A SAC?
Structured
•
Small group
•
Timed
•
Precise, planned, systematic procedure
Academic
•
Text based arguments
•
Reasoning based on claims and evidence
Controversy
•
Debatable question or topic
•
Students take sides and work towards consensus
Building capacity for
discussion requires the
use of multiple
methods. Structured
Academic Controversy
(SAC) is a great entrance
model.
SAC: GOALS FOR STUDENTS
1. To gain deep and nuanced understanding of an issue;
2. To make a reasoned argument based on text-based claims and
evidence;
3. To find common ground within a controversial topic.
TEACHER PREPARATION OF SAC
1.
2.
Choose a historical question or policy issue that lends itself to contrasting viewpoints.
E: Was the Code of Hammurabi just?
M: Should America have declared war on Germany, 1917?
H: Was slavery the main cause of the Civil War?
Select one to three documents (primary or secondary sources) that define the
argument.

See “Resources for Building a SAC” for suggested websites in your packet.
3. Consider:
 Timing (initially, it will take longer for you and your students). Plan on using about
two class periods for your initial SAC – make adjustments as needed
 Modify time allotments according to the needs and experience level of your
students
 However, keep times shorter rather than longer to insure that students are staying
on task
 Grouping Strategies
 Classroom Set Up
 Quiet Signal/Timer
SCAFFOLDING & DIFFERENTIATING
Use ACCOUNTABLE
TALK prompts to
foster positive
“smart” student
interaction
ANNOTATION:
provide
students with
a directed
process for
annotation of
their texts.
VARY SOURCE
TYPE: image,
maps, charts,
and text
LIMIT
number of
documents
1-3
Have all
“YES’s” and
“NO’s” meet
together prior to
SAC to
strengthen
argument
FLIP FLOP the writing task:
students write first to
process the argument
individually.
(creates confidence)
Rewrite following SAC
SAC STEPS

Organize students in groups of four. Split each group into two pairs.
 Pairs read, study, and formulate arguments on opposing sides of the
controversy.
 Pairs organize their argument on their SAC Organizer.

Pairs take turns presenting their argument
 The pair not speaking listens and takes notes on the other position.

Pairs take turns questioning and asking for clarification as necessary

Groups work together to synthesize arguments:
 Groups build consensus on at least one major point.
 Groups create questions identifying where they need more information.

Whole Class Debrief
 Content Evaluation
 Process Evaluation
“WHO WAS A MORE EFFECTIVE PRESIDENT:
JFK OR LBJ?”
SAC QUESTION FOR TODAY
Was the
Code of
Hammurabi
just?
BREAK INTO GROUPS
Assign sides in your larger group:
A. Yes. Hammurabi’s Code was
just.
B. No. Hammurabi’s Code was not
just.
THE SAC
(TIMES ADJUSTED TO MEET OUR NEEDS TODAY)
5 min
Read silently through the text .
3 min
With your partner outline the evidence for your position.
2 min
Meet with other A’s/ B’s to share evidence and add to your own note taker.
1 min
Move back to foursome and introduce yourselves.
3 min
A’s share their position (claims, reasons, evidence).
2 min
B’s demonstrate their knowledge of A’a position by repeating back claims, evidence,
reasoning and asking for clarification as needed.
3 min
B’s share their positions (claims, reasons, evidence).
2 min
A’s demonstrates their knowledge of B’s position by repeating back claims,
evidence, reasoning and asking for clarification as needed.
4 min
Foursome openly discusses the issue. Your goal is to find consensus (something
you can agree upon) and note any clarification you need or questions you now have.
4 min
Whole Group Content Reflection: Share out ideas of consensus or sticky points
4 min
Whole Group Process Reflection:
REFLECTION
•
What do you like about this discussion strategy?
•
Write down two or three different controversial topics within your content that you
could implement within this discussion format.
•
What type of writing assignment would you add?
•
How is this related to writing?
•
Why is the student reflection crucial to the SAC process?
•
Which of Marcia Tate’s strategies did you notice? Where did you notice them?