Module 15 Introduction

Overview and Goals

Throughout the course, we have been looking at strategies, methods, and the reasons for “improving historical reading and writing” in social studies classrooms.  In Module 15, we will be exploring how teachers can facilitate independent student research.  Independent research projects take time and training, but play a valuable role in building students’ confidence and ability to, research, support claims with evidence, communicate conclusions, and in some cases, take informed action.  Research simulations, like documents-based questions, are perfect vehicles for training students to read, write, and research like a historian.  As we have discussed in earlier modules, DBQ’s can also be launching pads for further historical research.  At least once a year, students should complete an independent research project,  take a paper through all the stages of the writing process (prewriting, drafting, revising, editing and publishing), and present their work to an audience.

National History Day (NHD)  is a proven independent research program for elementary (intermediate grades) and secondary students.  Students who participate in NHD conduct historical research and share their findings through a variety of project options, including exhibits, documentaries, original performances, websites, and scholarly papers.  National History Day began as a small local contest in Cleveland, Ohio in 1974 and has grown into a national competition in which 600,000 students participate annually.  Research shows that students who participate in the NHD program perform better on high-stakes assessments than their peers, can effectively digest, analyze, and synthesize information from multiple sources, and are stronger and more capable researchers and writers.  Above all, the completion of independent historical research projects help students have a greater understanding of the world and how to actively participate in civic life.

After completing this module, you will be able to:

• Explain / defend the value and purpose of implementing independent research projects and/or participation in National History Day to a colleague or building administrator.

• Build on the historical thinking skills your students learned in class and guide students through a National History Day Project.

• Selecting and Narrowing a Topic

• Gathering and Recording Information

• Analyzing and Interpreting Sources and the Topic's Significance in History

• Developing a Thesis and Writing the Paper

• Finalizing the Project, Paper, and/or Presentation

• Reflect and determine which methods, strategies, and tools would be (or are) the most effective for coaching your students and facilitating the process of completing an independent research project, like a National History Day Project.

Introduction Lecture

Advice from Experts

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