Viewing history through the lens of multiple perspectives can be beneficial anywhere but especially in the classroom. History is not a singular narrative but filled with varying experiences and points of view that determine how we view the past today. This process creates well-rounded individuals that look at a well-rounded, realistic past. This is the goal, after all, to shape students into thinkers so that they can find out the entirety of a situation and have controlled and civilized discussions with their peers. Our perception of the past is very much controlled by general assumptions when this is not the case. By looking at primary sources and first-person account’s a specific person’s values is addressed. This widens the narrow view we have and can be shocking to students. be prepared for this as a teacher and allow the surprises and shocks to be learning opportunities for critical thinking. Even though altering preconceived notions can be frustrating, it allows for the truest form of what history is.
An example of how this can be done is by choosing a battle in a war. Have the students then look at different primary sources that support both sides. When doing this it shows the students what each party was feeling and why the event happened. This eliminates the common practice of telling information as being completely solid and immovable. History is a mystery and sometimes it involves solving them. Yes, difficult varies based on the event and involved parties so it is crucial to keep in mind a growth process and encouragement. This builds the students skills and it is what they desperately need!
Planning strategies is absolutely needful when doing these kinds of assignments. Like mentioned before, they can be confusing, shocking, and frustrating, so it is important to know how to approach the situations when they arise. Gathering information such as the sources, their origins, and the structure of the document and analyzing the context prior is vital. Focus the analysis on the “Arc of Inquiry” which encourages intellectual growth and problem solving, this also includes creativity and making the process fun and exciting. The material can be used in different ways to promote different kinds of learning such as didactic, reflective, and affective that encourages the understanding of material, adapting as more is learned, and then evaluating the conclusions made. Never forget though, the greatest and most effective lessons involve student participation!
Having students analyze primary documents is a great strategy. It will expand their academic thinking, give them a broader perspective of history, and help inform their own opinions and decisions inside and outside the classroom. I think teachers can often get too caught up in the content aspect of teaching. The content, of course, is essential. However, when too much emphasis is placed on lecturing, students cannot actively participate in learning and only retain information (or maybe not) because they have to. In order to optimize student learning, as you mentioned, teachers must plan! Students will not learn much from a lesson that is thrown together in 20 minutes right before the class starts. It takes time and dedication to determine the best methods of teaching certain topics.
In addition to having students look at primary sources that support both sides of a war, they can take on the role of either side and participate in a discussion/debate to communicate what they have learned (and what ideas they developed).
I enjoyed your battle example, and think that would be an effective way to build both student understanding and analysis skills. Taking the role of the other is often omitted in education, but it is important to history to understand multiple sides of a story or event.
I really liked how you mentioned students analyzing documents. I think it is a good way to get people to think outside of the box. I think it allows students to form an opinion.