Document-based
inquiry skills
using
the Library of Congress’s
Primary-Source Documents
Part II
Dutt-Doner, Cook-Cottone,
Allen, & Rech-Rockwell
(2003)
1
Overview
• Document-based questions
– definition
– required skills
– example
• Student readiness & grade level
– research
– developmental theory
– practical suggestions
2
Document-based Questions
• Enable students to work like historians
– analyze & synthesize information from a variety of
sources and media
• Evaluate students’ ability to interpret:
–
–
–
–
purpose
source
bias
date & place
of origin
– tone
– etc
Working Like Historians
?
Inquiry
Document
choice
Analysis
Product
creation
4
Students Working Like Historians
student completes
Document
Analysis
Skills
Document
Product
Analysis
teacher assigns
?
Inquiry
choice
our focus
creation
5
Analysis Skills
& Background Knowledge
• At any age, document analysis skills
vary with experience.
• Analysis skills can range from basic &
concrete to complex & higher-order.
• Background knowledge depends on
life & educational experience.
• Content knowledge can range from
no knowledge to complex & sophisticated
understanding.
• Cultural (time and place) viewpoints differ
and, at times, can interfere ideologically.
6
Student Readiness & Grade Level
grade level:
document as fact
2
5
6
7
8
10
12
understand bias
avg / count
stories are constructed
inquiry skills
historic abstract reasoning
author & context=>content
truth is subjective
understand validity of source
choose documents wisely
see multiple perspectives
7
Overview of research
• Purpose
– Identify differences in developmental
readiness between 5th & 7th graders
• Methodology
– Students reported prior knowledge
of subject
– Students analyzed each of 4
primary-source documents consecutively
– Students synthesized analysis
of documents as a group
8
Preliminary findings
5th grade
7th grade
Primary-source documents alone are insufficient to provide a deep understanding
Don’t know how to manage conflicting information
Rarely suggest primary source documents
as sources of additional information
Only occasionally suggest primary source
documents as sources of additional information
Believe that what they read
is true
Less likely to accept the credibility
of primary-source documents
Not able to analyze documents
without significant prior preparation
9
Practical suggestions
5th grade
7th grade
Primary-source documents alone are insufficient to provide a deep understanding
• Provide background information
Don’t know how to manage conflicting information
• Correct misconceptions in prior knowledge
• Incorporate other resources
Rarely suggest primary source documents
as sources of additional information
Only occasionally suggest primary source
documents as sources of additional information
Believe that what they read
is true
Less likely to accept the credibility
of primary-source documents
Not able to analyze documents
without significant prior preparation
10
Practical suggestions
5th grade
7th grade
Primary-source documents alone are insufficient to provide a deep understanding
Don’t know how to manage conflicting information
Rarely opportunities
suggest primary
source
Only occasionally
suggest
primary source
• Provide
to judge
thedocuments
relevance and accuracy
of historical
information
as sources
of additional
information
documents
sources
of part
additional
• Examine
documents
that provide
conflicting information
oras
only
present
of theinformation
story
Believe that what they read
is true
Less likely to accept the credibility
of primary-source documents
Not able to analyze documents
without significant prior preparation
11
Practical suggestions
5th grade
7th grade
Primary-source documents alone are insufficient to provide a deep understanding
Don’t know how to manage conflicting information
Rarely suggest primary source documents
as sources of additional information
Only occasionally suggest primary source
documents as sources of additional information
Believe
that whatsuccessful
they read use of primary-source
Less documents
likely to accept the credibility
• Provide
consistent
is true
primary-source
documents
• Consistently demonstrate
value of primary-sourceofdocuments
in determining
the “real story”
Not able to analyze documents
without significant prior preparation
12
Practical suggestions
5th grade
7th grade
Primary-source documents alone are insufficient to provide a deep understanding
Don’t know how to manage conflicting information
Rarely suggest primary source documents
as sources of additional information
Only occasionally suggest primary source
documents as sources of additional information
Believe that what they read
is true
Less likely to accept the credibility
of primary-source documents
•
•
•
Not able
to analyze documents
Provide
opportunities
to examine authors’ motivations and perspectives
without
significant
prior preparation
Understand
how personal
viewpoints color interpretation
Demonstrate necessity of multiple points of view to determine complete picture
13
Practical suggestions
5th grade
7th grade
Primary-source documents alone are insufficient to provide a deep understanding
Don’t know how to manage conflicting information
Rarely suggest primary source documents
Only occasionally suggest primary source
• Understand
original
purpose
of
documents
and
their value
to our understanding
as sources of additional information
documents
as sources
of additional information
• Provide experience with evaluation of documents’ relevance
• Provide guided questions to scaffold analysis
• Precede analysis with accurate background knowledge
Believe that what they read
Less likely to accept the credibility
• Model the process of analysis
is true
of primary-source documents
Not able to analyze documents
without significant prior preparation
14
Practical suggestions: before 5th grade
• Examine differing perspectives
of common experiences
• Use timelines & narrative
to examine sequence of time
• Provide opportunities
to retell personal stories
• Clarify objectives
before reading or listening
• Practice making observations
about pictures
• Use Constructed Response Questions
to develop analysis skills
– What is a CRQ?
Practical suggestions: high school
• Shift to student-led investigation
– Choose their own
documents
– Recognize & fulfill
need for scaffolding
• Replace analysis worksheets
with student-created formats
– Begin with a developed thesis
– Organize & connect relevant ideas
– Cite supporting source evidence
to create coherent text
that makes claims
Practical suggestions: high school
• Provide opportunities for collaboration
– Understand how personal viewpoints
color interpretation
– Evaluate strengths of differing arguments
about interpretations
– Identify contradictions within documents
– Recognize bias in interpretation
– Recognize multiple interpretations
Library of Congress
& American Memory
18
Preparing Primary Source Lessons
• What content base do students have?
– What is their prior knowledge of the topic?
– Can they read & understand the documents?
• What is the students’ attention span?
– How long can students pay attention to the
documents?
– How much can you do with a group that can only
concentrate for a few minutes?
• How can students develop inference skills?
– Can students infer from documents
– Are they prepared to take risks in developing
hypotheses?
– What brainstorming techniques can be used to
help them become risk-takers?
19
Preparing Primary Source Lessons
• Do students have the analysis skills?
–
–
–
–
–
–
What investigative methods should be encouraged
Comparing similarities and differences
Causes and effects
Analyzing bias
Defense of thesis – substantiating points
Social, political and religious causes
• How do we need to prepare them?
– Example from New York State Standards
20
Preparing Primary Source Lessons
• What writing skills do the students have?
– Should analysis be completed in writing?
– What level of support should you give to students
in writing about primary source documents?
• How do we manage the lesson?
– Should students work at computers or on paper?
– Should the work be collaborative or individual?
– How do you manage diverse abilities?
• What do we want students to demonstrate
during the primary source analysis lesson?
– What is the expected outcome?
– How can it be measured?
21