Synthesis of approaches to uncovering history with history labs. Students do the work of historians by constructing knowledge from primary sources. This presentation was used to kick off a teacher action-research group at Anoka High School (MN) that develops history lab activities. Some of their work can be seen at http://anoka.k12.mn.us/uncoveringhistory .

1. Uncovering History
Eric Beckman
Sources:
Lendohl Calder, “Uncoverage: Toward a Signature Pedagogy for the History Survey” JAH
Bruce Lesh, Why Won't You Just Tell Us the Answers?
Bruce VanSledright, The Challenge of Rethinking History Education
Sam Wineburg, “Crazy for History”
Stanford History Education Group
Powerful and Authentic Social Studies (PASS) program of the NCSS

2. What
Authentic historical practice
Interpretation, between fact and opinion
Weighing evidence
Student-centered inquiry
Deep learning
Fact Interpretation Opinion

3. Why
Deepen engagement
Develop literacy
Encourage higher Order thinking
Stop the madness!
Years of pursuing trivia has not gotten us very
far

4. New York Times Headlines,
Guess the years...
"Ignorance of U.S. History Shown by College Freshmen"
"Times Test Shows Knowledge of American History Limited."
From Sam Wineburg,
“Crazy for History”

5. New York Times Headlines,
Guess the years...
"Ignorance of U.S. History Shown by College Freshmen" 1943
"Times Test Shows Knowledge of American History Limited." 1976

6. Shift our understanding of history,
epistemologically speaking
The Deep
The Copier The Borrower Thinker
aka aka aka
Naïve Realist Naïve Relativist Critical
Pragmatist
Bruce Van Sledright,
The Challenge of Rethinking History Education

7. Epistemologies of History
Naïve Realist (copier)
History is a recording of what we objectively know
happened
Clear correct answers to specific questions
Naïve Relativists (borrower)
Different accounts and sources are just “opinions”
No correct or incorrect answers
Critical Pragmatist (deep thinker)
Interpretive tools to draw conclusions from multiple
accounts
Supports conclusions with evidence

8. Fact Interpretation Opinion

9. Thinking Historically,
two models, same ideas
Bruce Lesh: SHEG:
Text Close reading
What does it say? What does it say?
Context Contextualization
Relationship to time Relationship to time
period? period?
Subtext Sourcing
Influence of author's Influence of author's
POV? POV?

10. History Lab,
combining SHEG and Mr. Lesh
Establish context
Hook with a key visual or short text
Pose organizing question
Focus on history concept
Engage students
Students Read Documents
1-3 or Jigsaw
PQCS: Mark it up!
Interpret
Discuss
Formative Product
Students use evidence to support claims
Feedback
Summative Product

11. History Concepts that
drive history labs
Causality
Chronology
Multiple perspectives
Contingency
Empathy
Change and continuity over time
Impact
Intent/motivation
Contrasting interpretations
Mr. Lesh, p. 13

12. The Work to be Done
Select topics
Find sources
Select
edit
Formulate guiding question
Processing and formative assessments
Authentic Products