The document provides background information and objectives for a lesson on teaching critical thinking skills to students. It includes testimonials from two students, Luke and Sydni, explaining how they used skills like sourcing, contextualization, corroboration, and close reading during educational trips. The document also provides metaphors and examples to help teachers apply these skills, such as comparing sourcing to a sports announcer and contextualization to a movie scene. The overall goal is to demonstrate how to incorporate critical thinking into lessons and check students' understanding.

2. Objectives
1. Explain how students use critical thinking skills
outside of the classroom (testimonials).
2. Share how students think through sourcing,
contextualization, corroboration, and close
reading.
3. Help teachers apply these skills in a lesson.
4. Demonstrate how to check for understanding,
including the use of technology.

3. Student Testimonial – Luke
On my trip to Pearl Harbor, I was able to go out to the
site of the Japanese attack on the U.S.S. Arizona, where
the ship still lays. However, before my trip, I researched
Pearl Harbor and I found that President Roosevelt may
have known of the attack before it happened. I found
this out by using skills from Social Studies and I created
a brief timeline (contextualization) of the before and
after events of the attack, and found that when his
third draft of the Infamy Speech was written, FDR
states that the Philippines and Pearl Harbor were both
attacked, but the Philippines was attacked eleven hours
after Pearl Harbor, and Roosevelt only wrote the draft
two hours after the attack, meaning he did at least have
knowledge of an attack in the Pacific.

4. Student Testimonial
To continue, although I did as much corroboration as
I could for FDR’s knowledge of the attack, I still could
not find enough to back up my theory 100%.

5. Student Testimonial - Sydni
On my trip to Homestead National
Monument with my grandparents, I used
the skills I learned in Social Studies to help
me understand if the monument gave an
accurate version of Homesteading. I had to
think whether the stories gave all different
perspectives of a pioneer’s life. The
perspectives varied from Native Americans,
to women, to children of Homesteaders. I
had to decide whether the stories were
primary or secondary sources and if they
corroborated what I learned in school. Also,
I had to see whether the stories were
telling the facts or if their strong
perspective included some hyperbole (like
John Smith!).

6. A Student’s Perspective on
Historical Thinking Strategies

7. Sourcing: A Metaphor
Sourcing is an NCAA basketball
game. We think this because
the author is the announcer
who throughout the game
illustrates one perspective of
the game through his words to
paint a picture in the viewer’s
mind. Furthermore, the
interview after the game is
usually the motive on why the
player had such a great game,
or what was going on in their
mind. To continue, the live
game is the primary source and
the secondary source is the
tape after the game.

8. Sourcing: An Example
"George Percy's Account of the Voyage to Virginia and
the Colony's First Days", 1607.
“Thanks to God, our deadly enemies saved us by
bringing food - great amounts of bread, corn, fish, and
meat. This food saved all of us weak and starving men.
Otherwise we would all have died. Leaders from other
tribes also brought us food and supplies which made
us comfortable.”
Primary source
because the
words
“Account” and
“1607”

9. Sourcing: Tips
 Identify the author, when the document was
written, and whether it is a primary or secondary
source document (Do this FIRST!)
 Identify the author’s purpose and perspective
(think about the perspectives left out).
 Use schema about the source to consider how it
will influence the interpretation.

10. Contextualization: A Metaphor
Contextualization is a movie
scene of Titanic because it is the
setting of a movie.
Furthermore, the timeline to
provide context is the script.
The setting impacts where it
takes place and how realistic it
is. It provides information
about this event because it tells
the setting of the night and sea.
Also, perspectives on the same
event are different because
understanding of an event
changes over time, like two
versions of a movie.

11. Contextualization:
An Example
Records of the Federal Convention of 1787
Resolution Proposed by Mr. Patterson (New Jersey), June 15, 1787
Mr. Dickenson (from Pennsylvania) said to Mr. Madison, “You see
the consequence of pushing things too far. Some of the members
from the small States wish for two branches in the General
Legislature, and are friends to a good National Government; but
we would sooner submit to a foreign power, than submit to be
deprived of an equality of suffrage, in both branches of the
legislature, and thereby be thrown under the domination of the
large States.”

12. Contextualization: Tips
 Figure out what perspectives should be
considered for this time period.
 Explain how perspectives have changed or
remained the same.
 Identify the events going on before, during, and
after the document (make or use a timeline).
 Think of your schema you have about the time
period.

13. Close Reading: A Metaphor
Close reading is a spy
message because the
reader has to assess what
the spy claims he or she
saw. Also, there is a
hidden perspective of the
spy, like there are some
hidden perspectives of the
author of a document.
Reading in between the
lines is like the inferences
that the spy has to make
about the subject,
focusing on key evidence.

14. Close Reading: An Example
Patrick Henry answered George Washington’s letter
(October 19, 1787):
"I have to lament that I cannot bring my Mind to agree
with the proposed Constitution. The Concern I feel is
really greater than I am able to express. Perhaps
mature Reflection may furnish me Reasons to change
my present opinion into agreement with the Opinions
of those persons for whom I have the highest
Respect.”

15. Close Reading: Tips
Highlight key words/phrases/strong
connotation.
Write notes of important information/your
thinking/schema.
 Make inferences about what the author
doesn’t write.
Identify the author’s claims and find evidence.
Reread the highlighted words or sentences.

16. Corroboration: Metaphor
Corroboration is a set of
fraternal twins because they
both have many of the same
genes but also many
differences, just like
documents often have
similar but different
perspectives. Furthermore,
the twins compare and
contrast who has the better
presents/items, just like the
students have to compare
and contrast the documents
that they have read and
analyzed.

17. Corroboration: An Example
James Barrett, Colonel of Concord Militia
“I, James Barrett of Concord, Colonel of a
Regiment of Militia in the County of
Middlesex, do testify and say, that on
Wednesday morning last about daybreak I
was informed of the approach of a number of
the Regular Troops to the Town of Concord,
where were some magazines belonging to
this Province. When there was assembled
some of the Militia of this the neighboring
Towns, I ordered them to march to the North
Bridge (so called) which they had passed and
were taking up. I ordered said militia to march
to said bridge and pass the same, but not to
fire on the King’s troops unless they were
first fired upon. We advanced near said
Bridge, when the said troops fired upon our
militia and killed two men dead on the spot,
and wounded several others, which was the
first firing of guns in the town of Concord. My
detachment then returned the fire, which
killed and wounded several of the king’s
soldiers.”

18. Assignment:
What REALLY Happened at
Jamestown in 1610??
Historians Debate

19. Overheard at the Historians’ Convention
in the Hilton Omaha…
I totally need a I just got a text
new iPhone app It’s called the message from a
for historians who “starving time” historian who
don’t get it! It’s for a reason. thinks it was a
so obvious that Obviously, the Powhatan seige.
the “starving colonists starved Um, so wrong!
time” at to death. Come GTG.
Jamestown the on, everyone
winter of 1610 knows they
was really weren’t
sabotage by the prepared for the
Spanish. The winter!
forensic evidence
proves it! Ugh!

20. So…They Did What All Good Historians
Do…They Had a DEBATE!
Your task:
1. Read independently and apply historical thinking
skills to the documents!
2. On your notecard, write down 3 key sentences or
phrases from the documents that guide your
thinking about the question (each person should
do this!).
3. Form a group of FOUR. Complete “First Turn,
Last Turn” discussion.
4. Write a thesis with at least three supporting
details. Use evidence from the documents
whenever possible.

21. Notecard Example
Doc. C: “I wish the Constitution which is offered had been made more
perfect, but I sincerely believe it is the best that could be obtained at this
time; and, as a Constitutional door is opened for amendment hereafter,
the adoption of it under the present circumstances of the Union is in my
opinion desirable.”
Doc. D (2nd paragraph): “I have my fears that the remedy will prove worse
than the disease.”

22. Example
In my humble opinion, what really happened in Jamestown is
that the colonists lacked sufficient leadership to deal with the
challenge of lacking supplies. After Captain John Smith
returned to England, the leadership failed to adequately
prepare for the winter, despite having asked the Powhatan for
supplies just the winter before. Captain Smith himself in his
Travels and Works blamed the “stupidity of our leaders” for
the “starving time.” Further, if Smith had been there, he
probably could have made a deal to get food with the
Powhatan like he did in January 1609 when he said, “I will not,
nor dissolve that friendship we have mutually promised, unless
you force me” (also from Smith’s account in Travel and Works).
From the painting created by colonist John White, the
Powhatan obviously knew how to live successfully in Virginia’s
environment, and might even have helped the colonists again if
they had had better leaders.

23. At the Historian’s Convention Three
Historians Debate…
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED IN JAMESTOWN IN THE
WINTER OF 1609-1610??
After reviewing
a collection of Listen as each
primary and group shares,
secondary and then YOU
sources, each decide!
historian gives
his or her
opinion…

24. Later that same day…Sigh…
I have tried telling Captain John LOL. Now that
them a million Smith rocks! If same historian
times. Jealousy. he hadn’t gone thinks thinks it
The Spanish were back to England, was the plague.
jealous of the the starving time make up your
English colony would never mind already or
and wanted to have happened. I’ll unfriend u!
protect their I bet they have
empire. Thus, some John Smith
SABOTAGE. Trust T-shirts for sale
me, it was that at the
competitive Convention Gift
between the two Shop…
nations. Just a
little poison…

25. Checking for Understanding
1. Debate
2. Technology
3. GoogleDocs
4. Posters/Projects

26. Debate
 Say thank you to the person who calls on you by
name.
 Stand up if you are called on and present your
opinion with supporting details.
 Make sure to be polite and do not interrupt.
 Think about what you are going to say before you
raise your hand.
 Make sure to have a strong single-sided opinion.
 Don’t talk until called on.
 If you strongly disagree with an argument, then use
a counter argument.

27. Using Technology
SCRUMBLR

28. Using Technology
Popplet

29. Using Technology Jump
Code:
Wallwisher PGBA

30. Using Technology
Fakebook JUMP CODE: PPRA

31. Our Projects
 What really happened in  The Constitution: A
Jamestown? Spectrum of Beliefs
When we did this project we acted When we did this project, we
like we were historians and took it identified each author’s
from what we thought their perspective about the
interpretations might be. Constitution, and then we
arranged them on a spectrum to
 The Midnight Ride of Paul show the many different beliefs
and the challenge of
Revere: Fact or Fiction? compromise.
When we did this project, we read
many documents from both British,
Minutemen, and family-member’s
perspectives. Then, we graded each
document by credibility. Finally, after
mashing the credible sources, we
used corroboration to make a
judgment of what really happened
on April 18,1775.

32. Questions!
 How will you take what you
learned to teach your class?
 Ask Us Some!
 Will you have your class
read documents now?
Briefly explain. Answer on
Wallwisher!
 How do you use sourcing
to identify the author’s Jump Code:
claims about the event? PAGP
 What do you use
contextualization for? http://wallwisher.com/wall/max
s