Module 5 Introduction
Overview and GoalsIn Module 5, we will be taking a closer look at the first three steps/components of the Reading Like a Historian Approach: Sourcing, Contextualization, and Close Reading. Sourcing and Contextualization are the first skills that students need to exercise in the Reading like a Historian process. During the Sourcing and Contextualization stage(s), students ask who, what, where, when, and why questions about the document and its author. The next stage the Reading Like Historian heuristic is close reading. In Module 6, we will look at how to scaffold and modify documents to ensure that all students are ready to closely read documents as part of document-based lessons. Close Reading of informational text is also one of the processes emphasized by the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, but the way historians read documents differs from the way professionals in other fields read other forms of informational text. Historians always keep the authors perspective and historical context in mind when examining documents. In other words, they are trying to figure out what story the author is trying to tell. In his book Building Students' Historical Literacies Links to an external site., Jeffery Nokes goes as far as saying that "in the study of history there are no such thing as informational text," and he promotes "health skepticism" of historical texts and documents. To round out this module, we will look at the variations of the Reading Like a Historian Approach and document analysis tools from the National Archives. In Reading, Thinking, and Writing About History Links to an external site., Chauncey Monte-Sano, Susan De La Paz, and Mark Felton describe the iREAD process, and in Why Won't You Just Tell Us the Answer Links to an external site., Bruce Lesh explains how he uses "text, content, and subtext" to help students analyze documents. Finally, the National Archives has several analysis tools to help students source, contextualize, and close read documents and artifacts, including the traditional NARA Document Analysis Worksheets Links to an external site. and historical thinking tools at docsteach.org Links to an external site.. After completing this module, you will be able to:
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