Imagine it’s a few months from now and you are applying for a teaching position. You want to share an example of how you can design an engaging history lesson.
Students will design and publish a document-based lesson (DBL).
Note: You will not “teach” this lesson. But your post should includes the following:
Featured image and relevant title
Introduction of the DBL with brief historic context as needed.
Essential question. Open ended, invites discussion / debate. If possible phrase so it continues to be a relevant question.
Clear statement of what students will be asked to do. For example : What historical thinking skills will they be working with?
About 5 – 8 related documents (image, text, video, audio) that will support the essential question and task.
Each document must have a citation that includes a working hyperlink back to the source.
Scaffolding question for each document to assist the student in examining the document (Could be Sourcing, Contextualization, Corroborating or Close reading)
STUDENTS SHOULD PUBLISH THEIR FINAL PROJECT BY NOV 28TH.
Students will design and publish a document-based lesson (DBL) which includes the following:
Introduction of the DBL with brief historic context as needed.
Essential question. Open ended, invites discussion / debate. If possible phrase so it continues to be a relevant question.
Clear statement of what students will be asked to do. For example : What historical thinking skills will they be working with?
About 5 – 8 related documents (image, text, video, audio) that will support the essential question and task.
Each document must have a citation that includes a working hyperlink back to the source.
Scaffolding question for each document to assist the student in examining the document (Could be Sourcing, Contextualization, Corroborating or Close reading)
Students should publish their final project by Nov 28th.
Here are some samples from Fall 2020 class using just WordPress
Students are free to publish their document based lesson directly to our WordPress site. But if they want more “space” they can consider using Google Sites. Regardless of what format you choose – you will need to do a WordPress post on our site that links to your work elsewhere.
Google Sites: The tool allows you to have multiple pages and to organize your question into separate page / sections. Also good if you plan to integrate other Google tools – for example a Google form
Working as individuals or in 2 person teams, students will design a document-based lesson (DBL) suitable for inclusion in our iBook (available at iTunes).
See class 7 for recommendations for DBLs and Teaching with Documents. Your DBL will include:
Introduction of the DBL with brief historic context as needed.
Generative / essential question
About 5 – 8 related documents (image, text, video, audio) that will assist the students in answering the generative question
Clear statement of what students will be asked to do
Close reading scaffolding question for each document to assist the student in examining the document
A good example of a DBL is Progress and Poverty in Industrial AmericaThis is a pdf version of one of my iBooks. (note: you will not have full function of all the gallery and video widgets). It uses 11 documents, which is a bit more than I expect for your DBL.
The DBL Design Assignment will be accomplished in steps:
Step 1: Develop a brief proposal which will be submitted for peer review via a Google slide presentation that you will deliver to class on 10/24.
The goal of this phase is to brainstorm your lesson ideas and gather feedback from peers regarding the following:
You have an interesting generative / essential question worth answering. (content)
Your initial appraisal indicates there are suitable documents available.
You have an idea for how students will be asked interpret your documents using historical thinking skills (Sourcing, Contextualization, Corroborating or Close reading)
A broad description of “what are the kids going to do?” (process, product)
See my sample beginning on slide 6 in Google presentation.
Step 2: Begins Google site that presents a first draft your DBL design. Write a edMethods post that shares your idea for a lesson and points to Google site. Due 11/7
Google site start page that describes:
Intro to the lesson – Grade, course, etc and a broad description of “what are the kids going to do?” Essential question. One document as an illustration.
Blog post here on edMethods You should then take that content from the start page and use it as the basis of a blog post on our edMethods blog that shares the intent of your lesson. Please include a sample document (image) and a link from edMethods post to your Google site start page.
Step 3: By Friday night 11/19 – Finish your Google site version of document-based lesson with multiple pages, each page should be designed as one page of your final book with:
At least one suitable document (include links and info on source institution, collection number, creator, date).
Scaffolding questions for each document that guide students through historical thinking skills being taught.
Instructions for students / or teacher on using the lesson
Step 4: Prepare content for iBooks Author lab session on 11/21.
This is your first time to move content into the iBooks Author format. You will create a draft chapter that we will prepare for iPads
Step 6: Write a reflection on your DBL design process and post to our blog (your final post). It will also be added to your iBook chapter – due 12/4.
Step 7: Final design session in Digital lab 12/5
Title: “An A B C, for baby patriots”
Creator: Ames, Mary Frances
Publisher: Dean & Son
Place of Publication: London (160a Fleet Street E.C.)
Publication Date: [1899]
Archive: University of Florida UF00086056:00001
What I would like those who view my map to take away from the experience is the tension I feel between how much I love adventure and how much I love my home, the Pacific Northwest. I grew up just east of Portland, visited my grandma in Mt. Angel on the weekends, and vacationed with family in Lincoln City. For me, Oregon is the most important place because it contains the most important people and experiences to me, but I have been formed by other places, of course. Spokane, Washington treated me to my education, both in academics and relationships. Florence, Italy awakened my independence and gave me the confidence I need to negotiate all of the other places in my life. I hope my description of all of these places conveys a sense of fun, too, which can make any place in the world feel close to you. I view this map as a work in progress, as I become a part of more places and those places become a part of me.
The application of this project to our lives as educators and our practice in the classroom is clear. First, if computers are readily available for students (like in a 1-to-1 school), this could be a really powerful beginning of the year activity to introduce students to each other and the teacher. Allowing each student to make up their own map and show others around the place(s) that are most important to them would generate a sense of community and cultural responsiveness that would benefit the class dynamic. The opportunity for the individual student reflection that would be required to complete this project would also be invaluable. I can also see this having academic uses as well. For example, this could add a lot more depth to a lesson on the geographic concepts of location and place. Maybe a history lesson on WWII could benefit from a collaborative effort by groups of students to map the movements of different armies through Europe, Northern Africa, and the Pacific. In terms of educational technology, Google My Maps seems to be of very high value, most especially in its versatility.
