January was a long month. Still, there were two incredibly bright spots that I want to draw attention to.
On January 24th, Thinking Nation spent the day at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Then, on January 28th, I had the privilege to work with the social studies leaders representing all of the Regional Education Service Centers in Texas in Waco, TX. Both instances were unique and yet there was a unifying principle that was woven through each: setting the tone for historical thinking.
The National Archives
First, our experience at the National Archives was incredible. As many readers know, Thinking Nation is partnering with several Charter School LEAs in D.C. to provide a custom curriculum that is both aligned to the new standards for the District and designed to empower students to think and consider the diverse stories throughout history.
Our Group in the Rotunda at the National Archives
Our Director of Curriculum, Annie Jenson, and myself had the privilege of walking through the new curriculum with almost 40 middle and high school teachers who serve students throughout D.C. We started our morning hearing from the National Archives’ education team about the wealth of great primary sources accessible through DocsTeach. Then, before the building opened to the public, we were welcomed into the Rotunda to see the original Founding Documents and into the Records of Rights exhibit that houses many fascinating documents around human rights, including a 1297 copy of Magna Carta.
To have that time at the start of our day with such important documents was really such a special experience. I’m so grateful to the National Archives for hosting us.
The rest of our time was leading a professional learning day for the teachers using our curriculum. We explored the thinking behind the curriculum, walked through some of the resources, and practiced the types of thinking that the curriculum demands of students. There was so much energy and collaboration in the room. It was such an exciting way to kick off the curriculum that students are now engaging with across Washington, D.C.
Our professional learning day in the Jefferson Room of the National Archives
The Texas Regional ESC Collaborative
Just four days later, I was in Waco, TX working with regional social studies leaders from across the state of Texas. Together we explored two questions:
1. How do we build a common language for what it is we do as social studies educators?
2. How can we incorporate a common language for success for our students across social studies?
Using Thinking Nation’s resources and assessments, we walked through ways to effectively answer both questions. Without getting too much in the weeds, the throughline answer to both of these questions is historical thinking.
At Thinking Nation, we define historical thinking as:
The disciplined process of properly analyzing and interpreting sources, events, and their outcomes in order to better understand the past and the people who shaped it.
Perhaps we can unpack this definition in another post, but I hope it serves as a helpful grounding to what we explored in Waco, and four days prior, in Washington, D.C.
As anyone who has spent any time with me knows, I think alignment is critical to social studies’ longevity and success. This naturally means that alignment in social studies is critical to the preserving and protecting of democracy. If we can’t align around what it is we do and how we measure success in what we do, we can not appropriately collaborate across our discipline—a discipline that empowers students with the skills and dispositions to contribute to a flourishing democracy.
We are living in polarized and unpredictable times. But historical thinking can unify our pursuit for a healthier democracy. When teachers in Washington, D.C. were analyzing primary sources in order to determine their historical significance, they were practicing historical thinking. When leaders in Waco, TX were evaluating the evidence behind certain historical claims, they were practicing historical thinking. In both cases, the thinking processes practiced served to empower the learner as an active participant in the learning process. Moreover, the learner’s agency in the process provided them with the necessary skills and dispositions to contribute to our democracy (Check out this past blog post to download free historical thinking posters!).
We all teach in diversity of contexts. Still, if we can collaboratively set the tone of our classrooms around historical thinking, we can better serve our students and prepare them for civic and life success. I was so encouraged through my experiences in Washington, D.C. and Waco, TX that there are so many of us seeking to do that.