Read+Like+a+Historian

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Even though we are not all historians, the skills that they use are beneficial to all citizens. Follow the link above to read the research covering struggling readers and how this approach can help them.

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There are many strategies to help engage __students__ so that they are active participants. The new learning standards cover primary documents in all social studies __classes__ with literacy as a requirement. So how do we help students read and then understand these documents? How do we help them write and express their ideas about non-fiction complex text?

We use strategies that keep them engaged and show what they are thinking. In this way misconceptions can be clarified and both, the student and teacher, knows what is understood.

Strategies :
1. Keep them engaged. a. On their sheet as they read, give them **symbols** to be used during reading. Symbols can be as simple as: '+' found interesting, '-' not interesting, '0' question about it and used by students during reading. Then these are discussed, after a set time, with another peer or two and then in the larger group for a consensus or clarification. b. Use the information to have the students write their **opinions based on facts** in an esay. What do they agree with and why. What don't they agree with and why. Lastly give points not sure of and give two sides to it which is why they didn't like it or not like it. If they have no '0''s, then they write to convince audience about another fact mentioned to sway opinion. This eliminates a lot of writing in the beginning. They discuss with no right or wrong answer being determined by the teacher. Information is then used by the student. 2. Build background knowledge. a. Find a **__video__**, like bubonic pague, on the **internet** or **picture books**, like Smocky Night about civil rights movement, to build words. in a textbooks or non-fiction books using the visuals, etc. to understand a concept. This gives them something to build and ask questions about. b. Pass out artifacts to sort/ categorize or an activity/game on the interative board that uses the concept to be learned. Then discuss why they completed the task as they did. Ask open questions to hear their thought process. Now they have information to build on or ask questions about.
 * background knowledge** and some **vocabulary**. The students can take a feature walk, lloking at pictures, graphs, bold face

[|Read Like a Historian] program is found under American History and teaching methods to see how the program in implemented. [|Teaching Channel]for videos on Reading Like a Historian.

Curriculum