Presentation slides for a breakout session for the National Council for History Education's (NCHE) 2022 conference. Features 3 strategies to introduce students to the discipline of history.

1. BIAS IS UBIQUITOUS
3 strategies to introduce students
to the discipline of history
Spiro Bolos, New Trier High School
boloss@nths.net || www.spirobolos.com

2. BEGINNER
“Trivial Pursuits”

12. “bias of (length of) inclusion
or exclusion”

13. INTERMEDIATE
“Secret Messages”

14. SOURCE

22. “bias of diction”

27. “bias of
inclusion/exclusion”
“bias of diction”
“bias of voice:
active vs. passive”

28. Indians Fight Back.
The Indians fought on and off from 1862 to 1890.
Leaders in the struggle against the encroaching
Americans were the Sioux and the Cheyenne.
The struggle began in 1862 when a small band of young
Sioux, while searching for food, killed five whites near a
reservation in Minnesota.The white farmers in the area
promptly fled for their lives. Equally frightened, the Sioux
split into two groups. One fled the vicinity, but the other,
afraid of retaliation, decided to attack first. Hundreds of
settlers were killed and their farmhouses burned before
the state militia succeeded in defeating the Sioux.

29. Indians Fight Back.
The Indians fought on and off from 1862 to 1890.
Leaders in the struggle against the encroaching
Americans were the Sioux and the Cheyenne.
The struggle began in 1862 when a small band of young
Sioux, while searching for food, killed five whites near a
reservation in Minnesota.The white farmers in the area
promptly fled for their lives. Equally frightened, the Sioux
split into two groups. One fled the vicinity, but the other,
afraid of retaliation, decided to attack first. Hundreds of
settlers were killed and their farmhouses burned before
the state militia succeeded in defeating the Sioux.

30. Most of the Indians who were taken prisoner were later
pardoned by President Lincoln, but thirty-eight were
hanged “at a great hanging-bee”the day after Christmas,
1862. In 1863 the remaining Minnesota Sioux, defeated,
were forced to yield their land and leave the state.

31. Most of the Indians who were taken prisoner were later
pardoned by President Lincoln, but thirty-eight were
hanged “at a great hanging-bee”the day after Christmas,
1862. In 1863 the remaining Minnesota Sioux, defeated,
were forced to yield their land and leave the state.

34. Chivington Massacres the Cheyenne.
Farther south, in the Colorado Territory, the situation was
quite different.There, miners had forced the Cheyenne
into a barren area known as the Sand Creek Reserve.
Short of food, bands of Indians began raiding nearby trails
and settlements. Colorado Governor John Evans
immediately called out the militia. At the same time, he
urged those Indians who did not want to fight to report to
Fort Lyon where they would be safe from harm.

35. Chivington Massacres the Cheyenne.
Farther south, in the Colorado Territory, the situation was
quite different.There, miners had forced the Cheyenne
into a barren area known as the Sand Creek Reserve.
Short of food, bands of Indians began raiding nearby trails
and settlements. Colorado Governor John Evans
immediately called out the militia. At the same time, he
urged those Indians who did not want to fight to report to
Fort Lyon where they would be safe from harm.

36. In the fall of 1864, some five hundred Cheyenne were
encamped on Sand Creek.Two flags fluttered above the
camp: the Stars and Stripes, and a white flag — both
symbols of the Indians’desire for peace. In the meantime,
General S. R. Curtis, United States army commander in
the West, had sent a telegram to the head of the Colorado
militia, Colonel J. M. Chivington: “I want no peace till the
Indians suffer more.” So at daybreak of November 29,
Chivington and his troops fell upon the sleeping Indians
and killed about four hundred fifty of them.

37. In the fall of 1864, some five hundred Cheyenne were
encamped on Sand Creek.Two flags fluttered above the
camp: the Stars and Stripes, and a white flag — both
symbols of the Indians’desire for peace. In the meantime,
General S. R. Curtis, United States army commander in
the West, had sent a telegram to the head of the Colorado
militia, Colonel J. M. Chivington: “I want no peace till the
Indians suffer more.” So at daybreak of November 29,
Chivington and his troops fell upon the sleeping Indians
and killed about four hundred fifty of them.

38. Summative Assessment:
Focusing on the six paragraphs under the subheadings,
“Indians Fight Back” and “Chivington Massacres the
Cheyenne” (pp. 415-16), rewrite the history textbook
selection without changing the factual aspects of it.
Meaning, after identifying the bias of the current text,
think about how you might use diction, voice, and
inclusion/exclusion to create a different bias in your
own version.

39. You may confine your writing to any three contiguous
paragraphs for this assessment. In a fourth and
separate paragraph, you will need to explain which
method(s) you employed (inclusion/exclusion, diction,
voice, or other) to substantively change the bias, citing
specific examples (i.e., quotes) from the text.

43. ADVANCED
“The Death of Mr. Bolos”

44. The Death of Mr Bolos:
An Exercise in Analyzing Artifacts

47. Task:
In a group of no more than 3-4 students, you will be
writing a biography (or personal history) about the
late Mr. Bolos. Somewhere in this essay, you should also
speculate as to the cause of his death. Your essay
should be well-structured, cohesive, and coherent. It will
be based on the following sources:

48. • Personal artifacts (from the provided box)
• Interviews with his colleagues/friends/enemies/
former students
• Other types of information (including the Internet)

49. What is an artifact?

50. What is an artifact?
How old?

51. Primary vs. Secondary
<SOURCES>

52. 1) Artifacts

54. 2) Interviews

56. 3) Other

58. Collaboration and Corroboration
<SKILLS>

60. and

65. Debriefing

73. Why Day 1?

74. Know me

75. Know them

76. A reason to work together

77. Class Climate

78. A “disciplined mind”

79. A bookend of inquiry

80. BIAS IS UBIQUITOUS
3 strategies to introduce students
to the discipline of history
Spiro Bolos, New Trier High School
boloss@nths.net || www.spirobolos.com