journal article
Beyond Reading Comprehension and Summary: Learning to Read and Write in History by Focusing on Evidence, Perspective, and InterpretationCurriculum Inquiry
Vol. 41, No. 2 (MARCH 2011)
, pp. 212-249 (38 pages)
Published By: Taylor & Francis, Ltd.
//www.jstor.org/stable/41238379
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Abstract
Basic reading comprehension and summary tend to be the focus in social studies and history classrooms, if reading and writing are included at all. But such a focus inhibits a conception of history as an interpretive discipline grounded in evidence that is analyzed, not simply accepted. Understanding the past is impossible without such historical reasoning, as is advanced literacy. This study examines the disciplinespecific literacy instruction of one history teacher and the simultaneous growth in his students' historical reasoning and writing. Student data included pre-and post-instruction writing samples as well as regularly assigned essays, interviews, and annotations of readings. Teacher data included observations, interviews, and artifacts such as assignments and feedback from one term of a required llth-grade U.S. history course. Analysis included developing codes based on patterns, testing propositions, and searching for alternative explanations. Through a focus on historical evidence use, perspective, and interpretation students learned to construct more accurate, grounded interpretations of the past. Three teaching strategies emphasized these aspects of historical thinking: annotating primary source readings; regular informal writing prompts that focused on historical perspectives followed by writing prompts that called for a synthesis of major issues; and feedback focused on evidence use and accuracy of interpretation. This study suggests that discipline-specific ways of reading and writing can help students understand history and learn to think historically while developing advanced literacy skills.
Journal Information
Curriculum Inquiry is dedicated to the study of educational research, development, evaluation, and theory. This leading international journal brings together influential academics and researchers from a variety of disciplines around the world to provide expert commentary and lively debate. Articles explore important ideas, issues, trends, and problems in education, and each issue also includes provocative and critically analytical editorials covering topics such as curriculum development, educational policy, and teacher education.
Publisher Information
Building on two centuries' experience, Taylor & Francis has grown rapidlyover the last two decades to become a leading international academic publisher.The Group publishes over 800 journals and over 1,800 new books each year, coveringa wide variety of subject areas and incorporating the journal imprints of Routledge,Carfax, Spon Press, Psychology Press, Martin Dunitz, and Taylor & Francis.Taylor & Francis is fully committed to the publication and dissemination of scholarly information of the highest quality, and today this remains the primary goal.
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