DISCIPLINARY LITERACY IN HISTORY
1. STUDENTS LEARN CORE CONCEPTS AND HABITS OF THINKING IN HISTORY AS DEFINED BY STANDARDS.
What are Students Doing as Learners?
The students
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Regularly engage in historical inquiry, tackling
themes, concepts and content by reading and
analyzing multiple sources, both primary and
secondary.
Learn and use skills of historical analysis,
persuasion, and use evidence of reasoning, writing,
and talking about history in every unit of study.
Engage in explicating multiple historical roots of
current world and local events.
Engage in understanding historical events, people,
systems, and movements as historical phenomena
situated in specific time and place.
How are Teachers Supporting Students’ Learning?
The teacher
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NOTES
Weaves habits of thinking through each unit of study
and coaches students to utilize these habits with
increasing complexity and ability over time.
Engages students in lesson activities that address the
overarching concepts and guided inquiry questions of
the unit.
Selects text and documents that will engage students
in genuine analysis and historical interpretation.
2. LEARNING ACTIVITIES, INVESTIGATIONS, CURRICULA, TEXT AND TALK APPRENTICE STUDENTS WITHIN THE DISCIPLINE.
What are Students Doing as Learners?
The students
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Learn by “doing” history through engagement in
ongoing authentic historical inquiries.
Engage in discussion, tasks, and homework that
support student learning of concepts, processes,
and habits of thinking specified by learning
standards in history and current historical
scholarship.
Reflect on what they are doing and communicate
their work to others.
Share their interpretations of historical documents
and events, and/or challenge others interpretations
by making use of evidence, and asking questions of
others to ensure their own understanding.
 2007 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH
How are Teachers Supporting Students’ Learning?
The teacher
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Selects all materials, discussion, tasks, and homework
to support student learning of concepts, processes, and
habits of thinking specified by learning standards in
history and current historical scholarship.
Designs units and lessons that include multiple texts
and source documents.
Engages students in lesson activities that focus on
analysis and interpretation by providing an opportunity
for ongoing authentic historical inquiry through writing,
talk, and reading.
Provides students an opportunity to elaborate and build
on each others ideas.
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DISCIPLINARY LITERACY IN HISTORY
3. INSTRUCTION PROVIDES STUDENTS WITH MODELS, PRACTICE, AND COACHING IN RIGOROUS HISTORICAL LITERACY ACTIVITY.
What are Students Doing as Learners?
The students
How are Teachers Supporting Students’ Learning?
The teacher
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Engage in multiple activities utilizing different kinds
of texts (written, visual, statistical) where they are
supported to construct meaning of text, present
interpretations and defend those interpretations, and
engage in historical research.
Refine and extend their historical knowledge
through revision and revisiting guiding concepts and
habits of thinking.
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Uses various instructional approaches to teach
historical concepts, processes and habits of thinking
through structured long-term inquiries, direct instruction,
modeling differentiated coaching, scaffolded activities,
and independent practice.
4. INTELLIGENCE IS SOCIALIZED THROUGH COMMUNITY, CLASS LEARNING CULTURE AND INSTRUCTIONAL ROUTINES.
What are Students Doing as Learners?
The students
How are Teachers Supporting Students’ Learning?
The teacher
 Regularly participate in debating, discussing,
explaining, and analyzing historical problems and
issues freely within the classroom.
 Understand and value learning from one another and
from the teacher.
 Regularly reflect on their learning and their methods
of learning in class.
 Engage in sharing insights and challenge one another
within an atmosphere of mutual respect in which all
students are treated as smart and capable
participants, readers and writers.
 Creates a community within the classroom where
students are active participants.
 Treats all students as smart and capable learners who
are expected to contribute to class work and discussion.
 2007 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH
NOTES
DISCIPLINARY LITERACY IN HISTORY
5. INSTRUCTION IS ASSESSMENT-DRIVEN.
What are Students Doing as Learners?
The students
How are Teachers Supporting Students’ Learning?
The teacher
 Articulate why they are learning, why they are learning
it, and what this learning will lead to.
 Understand how rubrics serve as guidelines and
means of assessment for their learning and their
progress in apprenticing as historians.
 Research and assess student understanding of historical
events, ideas, systems, and people by analyzing
students’ use of inquiry strategies, reading,` writing, and
reasoning strategies, along with student knowledge of
historical content and concepts.
 Use multiple forms of formal, informal, and formative
assessment data to guide instruction.
 Design rubrics used as guidelines for assessing student
work products and student progress.
 2007 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH
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