Digital Posters: Digital Posters allow students to manipulate and create virtual posters that include pictures, text, audio, video, and links to other sources. This strategy not only allows students to produce and create posters about historical events, but it also provides students practice and engagement in digital tools that are vital to success for 21st century learners. Students can focus in on one historical figure and go in depth about that individuals historical significance and place within the big picture of history. It can also provide students a way to explore historical topics that are complex or provide students a way to synthesize their learning.
Digital Storyteller: This strategy has students create a digital story about a historical figure, event, movement, or any other historical topic of the students' choice. It is extremely interactive and easy to use, allowing students to include pictures and other digital media to create personal stories. The strategy has students create their own narration with their voice. This is a powerful tool that can support historical empathy.
Communication Strategies:
Gallery Walk:This strategy has students explore multiple text or images that are placed around the room. It is an effective strategy to have students examine various historical documents, share peer work, or reflect and respond to quotes and text. It involves moving around, which can help kinesthetic learners. The "gallery style" display will allow students to freely roam the room while keeping space between the multiple texts or images. It can be informal, guided, or highly structured depending on the teacher's preference or method for learning.
Organization Strategies:
Timelines: Timelines help students to map out events and gives them a perspective on the curriculum. It is a valuable visual tool that demonstrates what students understand about a specific time period in history. The research and creation of timelines allows student to engage in kinesthetic, visual, and mathematic learning abilities.
Foldables: Foldables is a student-made graphic organizer that allows students to engage in quick, kinesthetic activity. This activity helps students to organize, collect, and display content. They typically highlight main ideas, key points, and can serve as a study guide for students. They can also be used to have students explore topics in depth.
Interaction:
Simulation and interactives: Simulations and interactives allow students to engage in games, crossword puzzles, geographic displays, explore artifacts, quizzes, and much more. They allow for students to engage in historical empathy, revisit material, and expand their knowledge about particular subjects.
Collection:
Document Analysis: Document analysis are graphic organizers that help students identify key background information about a particular document. In turn, this helps students identify bias, perspective, purpose, and other meaning within the document or text.
Finding Primary Sources: Primary sources are critical for students to gain perspectives and deeper knowledge about historical actors. They are the fundamental source that makes up history. In order for students to truly gain perspective, knowledge, and understanding about history, primary source researching is critical. This site provides starting points for students.