From Socrates to Fox News: Developing Historical Thinking Skills
Nothing frustrates a history teacher more than to begin reading an essay to discover not only does it not address the question, but the citations consist of Wikipedia and infoplease.com. Helping students develop and use the critical thinking skills necessary to analyze and understand complex historical questions is perhaps the most challenging aspects of teaching history. Based on methods promoted by the AP US History curriculum, this workshop will discuss ways to develop four key areas of historical thinking:
Crafting historical arguments from evidence
Historical Interpretation and Synthesis
Sample objective exam questions which utilize these skills will also be developed and well as potential essay assignments.
Crafting historical arguments from evidence
- how to construct a historical argument
- use of relevant and appropriate evidence
- historical causation
- continuity and change over time
- periodization
Historical Interpretation and Synthesis
Sample objective exam questions which utilize these skills will also be developed and well as potential essay assignments.