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Chapter 1 & 2
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“…students learning history do not yet share the
assumptions of historians. They think differently about text,
sources, argument, and the structure of historical
knowledge…students may reject the transplanted
activity…Engaging students in some legitimate disciplinary
activity without restructuring the social interaction or
challenging students’ presuppositions may yield only
ritualistic understanding.”(Bain 2000, 335)
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To teach students that history is a discipline centered on
questions and encourage them to apply information to
generate interpretations about how those questions could
be answered.
To teach students to understand that history is a discipline
requiring its practitioners to question their sources.
To teach students that the history is alive, debatable, and
connected to the present. This helps students see how the
influence of the past influences the present and future.
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Nat Turner
Gets students
thinking about
text, context, and
subtext
Why does source authorship matter?
How does source authorship influence
historical memory?
http://dailyregiment.blogspot.com/2010/08/remembering-nat-turner.html
“By communicating at the birth of the
lesson that students are examining the
past with the intention of answering a
historical question, I am consciously
attempting to alter their perspective
from one in which history is a collection
of facts to one based on making
arguments based on these facts.”
(Lesh, 34)
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Students read carefully selected quotes about Nat Turner
ranging from contemporary editorials to historian’s
interpretations.
Each source satisfies two main criteria:
o They directly reflect the author’s view either of Nat Turner the
individual or the rebellion.
o The documents must contrast each other and show that
interpretations can change over time.
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Students examine the sources and identify the authors
main argument and fill out the following chart…..
Nat Turner’s Rebellion: Evaluating Historical Opinions
Source 1: John W. Cromwell
Source 4: The Richmond Whig
Adjectives
Adjectives
Quote
Quote
Term
Term
Source 2: Herbert Aptheker
Source 5: The Richmond Enquirer
Adjectives
Adjectives
Quote
Quote
Term
Term
Source 3: William S. Drewry
Source 6: Thomas R. Gray
Adjectives
Adjectives
Quote
Quote
Term
Term
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Nat Turner’s Rebellion: A Historical Marker
You have been commissioned by the state of Virginia Historical Trust to develop a historical
marker that will be placed along the roadside adjacent to the area impacted by Nat Turner and
his followers. Your task is to develop the inscription for the marker that describes your
interpretation of Nat Turner and his actions. Your inscription should take into account:
•The specific factors involved in the event
•The various reactions to Nat Turner (artistic and other)
Why I came to this decision (What documents most impacted your decisions and
why?):
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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Step One: Read each source and identify the author’s main
argument and phrases or adjectives to promote this
viewpoint. Please keep track of your observations on the
chart.
Step Two: As a table, discuss the legacy of Malcolm X. In
other words, how should he be remembered?
Step Three: Discuss Malcolm X’s legacy as a class.
Step Four: Create the text for Malcolm X’s historical
monument
Step Five: Share historical monuments
Malcolm X: Evaluating Historical Opinions
Use the following worksheet to record information from the various primary and secondary sources. When
deciding the term that best describes the document’s position regarding Malcolm X, consider hero, villain,
fanatic, religious, insane, leader, manipulative, brave, etc.
Source 1: Malcolm X “Message to the Grassroots”
Source 4: Malcolm X speech at Oxford Union
Adjectives
Adjectives
Quote
Quote
Term
Term
Source 2: Malcolm X interview with Kenneth Clark
Source 5: Article from the Daily Iowan, Feb. 1965
Adjectives
Adjectives
Quote
Quote
Term
Term
Source 3: Martin Luther King Interview with Clark
Source 6: “Actor says Malcolm X…Hero”
Adjectives
Adjectives
Quote
Quote
Term
Term
Watch Video Clip of Malcolm X at
Oxford Union, 1964
http://www.tubechop.com/watch/226466
Malcolm X: Historical Monument
You have been commissioned by United States National Park Service to develop a historical
monument in Washington D.C. to acknowledge the legacy of Malcolm X. Your task is to develop
the inscription for the monument that describes your interpretation of Malcolm X and his actions.
Your inscription should take into account:
•Malcolm X before and after his leaving the Nation of Islam
•The various reactions to Malcolm X (artistic and other)
Why I came to this decision (What documents most impacted your decisions and
why?):
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________