History – Inquiry Teaching

The Power of Ideas – Database Project

Drew Story — Wed, 03 Feb 2021 21:19:32 +0000

Spreadsheets are perhaps the simplest form of a database and are excellent tools for introducing students to using technology for analysis. This lesson plan provides an introduction to using databases for a research project about “idea creators” from history; famous artists, scientists, politicians, etc.

While doing research about these individuals, students will learn about filtering, sorting, and other spreadsheet commands.

Subject Areas: Any really, but ideal for History and Social Studies.
Materials Required: Virtual classroom or other screen sharing tool, or a large screen display with a computer, plus either printed or digital copies of the provided handouts.
Time Needed: Typically two to three class periods.

We’ve included everything you’ll need in a single zip archive.

(Semester) Final Projects

Drew Story — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 17:14:20 +0000

This handout is geared towards Social Studies and provides a list of six research based projects that students can choose from to create a culminating final project, working as individuals, pairs, or groups. We always let students decide how they wanted to approach this task letting them choose if they wished to work in a group or individually.

These project ideas allow for various learning styles your students have to be utilized. Additionally, the projects themselves provide good review materials for the entire class.

Subject Areas: History, Social Sciences
Materials Required: Printed handouts, other materials may be provided by the students themselves.
Time Needed: At least two full class periods, plus homework, or more in-class work days as desired.

Postcards From History

Drew Story — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 16:53:37 +0000

Sometimes a simple writing and art project can act as a closure activity for any unit. We had students create a “postcard from history” with attention to details including the drawing of the stamp, who was the card written to and/or by, in addition to what was written and drawn on the card itself. This lesson always worked well and pairs well with a quick read-around follow up. See our free Teacher’s Guide for Read Arounds if you wish to add that feature to your lesson.

This handout is created to work with any history class and includes directions for students.

Subject Areas: History, Social Sciences
Materials Required: Printed copies of the handout, colored pencils/pens/crayons.
Time Needed: Usually a full class period or as homework.

The Flowers of Guatemala

Drew Story — Thu, 31 Aug 2017 03:50:32 +0000

This lesson uses the song and lyrics from R.E.M.’s “The Flowers of Guatemala” from their Life’s Rich Pageant” album to teach students about making deductive inferences and the limitations of using the Scientific Method with the Social Sciences.

Deduction uses only logic to explain an outcome when all other possibilities have been examined. Instead of this, social scientists must use deductive inference which is a conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning alone. Much of our study of history is based on inferences with incomplete facts. Even our understanding of recent history can be made more clear in the future as more information is revealed or discovered through diaries, additional eye witness accounts, and other records.

This lesson includes complete procedures and directions and generally runs for an entire class period.

Follow up this lesson with our role play and writing assignment lesson “Atlantis.”

Subject Areas: History, Humanities
Materials Required: Soap, water, small clear dish, whiteboard or display, song “The Flowers of Guatemala,” and its lyrics.
Time Needed: 30 – 40 minutes