Edgerly Portfolio 1

4d. Candidates demonstrate understandings, capabilities, and practices associated

with the central concepts and tools in Civics, Economics, Geography, and History,

within a framework of informed inquiry.

Social studies is a subject often underappreciated by both students and teachers. It

is often thought of as a textbook-driven subject that emphasizes names, dates, and a string

of facts. In reality, however, it is a subject centered on “building citizenship along with

critical thinking skills…” (Lesh, 2011, p. 1). It is a subject that allows us to interact with,

critically think about, and investigate the world around us: past, present, and future. As

Bruce Lesh (2011) points out, students learn about the world best “by discovering its

patterns and secrets for themselves” (Lesh, 2011, p. 1). My belief is that social studies is

not something that students simply learn, but rather is something that they do. This lesson

and PowerPoint demonstrate how I allow students to actively engage with meaningful

materials in an inquiry-based investigation in order to learn content as well as the critical

thinking skills and empathy that will allow them to be responsible and compassionate

citizens.

The attached lesson is centered on the 1962 riots at The University of Mississippi

in Oxford after the admission of their first African American student, James Meredith.

This lesson fits into a unit on Civil Rights, or a unit on music as history. (This

PowerPoint explores other songs I have compiled that can be used as historical sources

and as the basis of a historical investigation).

This lesson is opened by playing the song, Oxford Town by Bob Dylan. Bruce

Lesh (2011) explains, “music is an amazing tool to use in the classroom…[and it] can

form the basis of an investigation” (p. 105). That is certainly the belief behind this lesson.
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By presenting music as a primary source for a historical investigation, students are not

only engaged, they also become active seekers of the meaning and context behind the

song. In order to develop a sense of inquiry, students are given the lyrics to Oxford Town,

and are asked what they think the song is about. By asking them to try to make sense of

the song, students are able to interact with the material in a more active and meaningful

way. Asking students to think about potential meanings of the song also prompts think-

pair-share discussions with partners. As Peter Johnson (2012) explains, “learning is

fundamentally social” (p. 42), so it is important that we integrate discussions into our

social studies lessons.

Once students have made their guesses on the meaning of Oxford Town, they are

given a “James Meredith at Ole Miss” write up on the 1962 roits at The University of

Mississippi, and a T-chart to that includes key lyrics from the song Oxford Town.

Students use the write up to as a resource in filling out the T-chart by explaining the

meaning behind the different lyrics in Oxford Town. This allows student engage in

research and also think critically about the song and its message. “We know that learning

is the consequence of thinking” (Miller, 2013, p. 12), so this lesson puts students in the

driver’s seat of the historical investigation. After all, “students benefit more from

engaging with the text than passively listening” (Lesh, 2011, p. 127). This event could

easily be taught in the form of a lecture, however by structuring the lesson so students are

playing an active role in constructing meaning and knowledge, it allows students to

practice both research skills and critical thinking skills.

Once students complete their T-charts, they first share with partners, then in a

class discussion. “Inviting students to turn and talk with each other and participate in
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class discussions are two ways to embed guided practice opportunities into lessons,

giving students a chance to practice in a supportive context and me a chance to find out

what they’re thinking and where they are in the learning process (Miller, 2008, p. 88).

This written lesson plan offers leading questions to ask the students in the discussion to

encourage them to think more deeply about not only this particular song and event, but

also how it relates to, and is highly relevant, still today. To make the connection between

history and present, the “James Meredith at Ole Miss” write up includes a quote by Bob

Dylan, "I wrote that when it happened. I could have written that yesterday. It's still the

same" (Grimason, n.d.).

Connecting a historical event to current events has several purposes. First, it

makes the lesson more relevant to students, as it connects to world they currently live in.

“Learning is maximized when the lessons I design are purposeful, interactive and

engaging, with real world applications” (Miller, 2008, p. 17). Additionally, connecting

past to present asks students to think critically and empathetically about the world around

them and people’s experiences in it. “Empathy is the ultimate by-product of the historical

investigations model” (Lesh, 2011, p. 177), as students are asked to look at events and

ideas from multiple perspectives. Furthermore, by making these connections, students are

transferring their understandings of an event, which allows them to understand the event

and context around it with more depth. As Jo Boaler (2016) explains, “If you learn

something deeply, the synaptic activity will create lasting connection in your brain…but

if you visit an idea only once or in a superficial way, the synaptic connections can “wash

away” like pathways made in the sand” (p. 1). Asking students to participate in

discussions and to transfer their understandings ensures that they are learning with more
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depth. “Research in cognitive psychology clearly illustrates that student learning is

optimized when depth replaces breadth” (Lesh, 2011, p. 194). So although this lesson

focuses on only one event, the exploration and discussion around the event offers more

depth and meaning than quickly and superficially studying many different events.

In the attached lesson, I demonstrate my philosophy and practice when teaching

social studies. In short, I believe the social studies is best taught as a highly relevant

platform for investigation, critical thinking, empathy, and understanding. The presented

lesson is specifically a history lesson, but my philosophy remains true for all realms of

social studies, from geography to economics. In all aspects of social studies, it is a subject

best taught in a way that lets students be active rather than passive in their learning. By

using inquiry-based investigations as the center of social studies lessons, the subject gains

more depth and become more engaging and meaningful to students, and prepares them to

be responsible citizens.
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References

Boaler, J. (2016). Mathematical mindsets: Unleashing students’ potential through

creative math, inspiring messages and innovative teaching. Jossey-Bass.

Grimason, M. (n.d.). Oxford town-Oxford mississippi. Song Facts.

https://www.songfacts.com/place/oxford-mississippi/oxford-town.

Johnston, P. H. (2012). Opening minds: Using language to change lives. Stenhouse

Publishers.

Lesh, B. A. (2011). “Why wont you just tell us the answer?”: Teaching historical

thinking in grades 7-12. Stenhouse Publishers.

Miller, D. (2008). Teaching with intention: Defining beliefs, aligning practice, taking

action, K-5. Stenhouse Publishers.

Miller, D. (2013) Reading with meaning: Teaching comprehension in the primary grades

(2nd ed.). Stenhouse Publishers.