Please scan the first two pages of the handouts before the presentation begins.

1. Please scan the first two pages of the handouts before the presentation begins. Thank You!

2. Boise History Conference October 6-7, 2011 TEACHING HISTORY AS MYSTERY (THM) History and Social Sciences Conference October 6-7, 2011 · Boise, Idaho Wayne Carroll, PhD

3. Boise History Conference October 6-7, 2011 • The Agenda • Formal Presentation • Breakout Group Activity • Group Spoaksperson Reports Out

4. Boise History Conference October 6-7, 2011 Assumptions of “History” As A Constructed Endeavor History is a study in time and space that seeks to identify and interpret trends, cycles, and cause-effect relationships. – Wayne Carroll “Our view is that history – the recapturing of our past, and our comprehension of the present – is a far messier and more complex affair than most texts make it out to be, and we push this point as advantageous to all teachers of history (p. x). Most of history consists of judgments, or values, and somehow in school these get passed off as facts (p. 3).

5. Boise History Conference October 6-7, 2011 Assumptions of “History” As A Constructed Endeavor (Continued) It seems that it is the historian, and not the evidence, that determines importance. The historian takes the way she thinks in the present and asks questions from the present about the past [Grele, 1991] ( p. 4). Teaching history as mystery is an attitude as much as a method. It is based on a respect for the evidence of the past, particularly primary sources; a suspicion of the ready-made interpretations of others, even noted scholars; and a recognition that you and your students have ideas to contribute to the process of understanding history” (p. 6). xt 2

6. Boise History Conference October 6-7, 2011 TeRecommended Reading Ward, Kyle (2010) Not Written in Stone: Learning and Unlearning American History Through 200 Years of Textbooks (New Press, Social Studies School Service – 284 pages $20.25) Text

7. Boise History Conference October 6-7, 2011 • TexGoal of Teaching History As Mystery (THM) • THM strives to educate students who can think critically. This is achieved by helping students to: • think creatively and analytically to solve problems; and • formulate and test hypotheses(generalizations); • identify, organize, and process information; • develop, defend, and present solutions to problems. • See elementary teacher Linda Cooper at http://teachinghistory.org/teaching-materials/teaching-guides/24295. • t 4

8. Boise History Conference October 6-7, 2011 Psychology of Teaching History As Mystery “Teaching history as mystery arouses curiosity. Mystery builds interest because a solution is its own reward. In effect, a good mystery is a puzzle, a game which beckons us to work out a solution” (pp. 7- 8). The Challenge Various individuals and groups support different interpretations of history for a variety of reasons. Offering alternative interpretations can bring criticism. Asking students to base their interpretations on available evidence without overt bias by the teacher is a professional and defensible instructional strategy. 6 5 4

9. Boise History Conference October 6-7, 2011 TTHM Takes Different Forms Haunted History – used with landmarks, buildings, parks, statues, etc. Teacher provides clues. Teaching U.S. History Beyond the Textbook by Yuhura Williams (Corwin, 2008 - Amazon $23.70). “What If Situation” – Change one thing in history and what would happen? What if the South Had Won the Civil War by MacKinlay Kantor, Dan Nance and Harry Turtledove (2001 – Amazon $9.65). How the South Could Have Won the Civil War: The Fatal Errors That Led to Confederate Defeat by Bevin Alexander (Crown, 2007 – Amazon $11.21). Crime Investigation – Histories: Solve the Crime of the Time by Felicia T. Perez and Rebecca Solomon (Interact, 2010 - Social Studies School Service, $29.95). ext Text Text 5 4

10. Boise History Conference October 6-7, 2011 TePlus A Baker’s Dozen More... 1. Identifying Cause/Effect 2. Producing Newscasts From The Past 3. Testing Hypotheses/Generalizations 4. Posing The Impossible Question 5. Backward Deconstruction 6. Debate Formats 7. Simulations 8. Role Playing 9. Archival Research 10. WebQuest Learning 11. Comparative History 12. Jurisprudence Model 13. Word Games (word origins, rebus) xt

11. Boise History Conference October 6-7, 2011 • Sample Exercise – A Medium Difficulty Level Mystery: Was the Vietnam War Constitutional? The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution pp. 41-47. • Please read the Mystery Packet: Gulf of Tonkin II. Select one of the following topics and discuss it in a group. Select a group spokesperson to report out succinctly and briefly. • Can any congressional resolution that does not contain the words “declaration of war” fulfill the obligation in the Constitution when Article I Section 8 enumerates that Congress has the power to “declare war”? • When you read the debate excerpts, do you think that a vote for the Tonkin Gulf Resolution is understood as, in effect, a declaration of war on North Vietnam? • Why did Congress not “declare war” on North Vietnam, North Korea, Grenada, Panama, or Iraq, Afghanistan or Libya??? • Forty-seven years have passed since the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was passed unanimously by the House and by 48 senators. Do you think in hindsight other politicians would share the regret Senator Byrd expressed for his “yes” vote on the Tonkin Resolution when he debated the Iraq Resolution? Does this devalue the efforts of our veterans in Vietnam? How might we bring our own present-day values to bear in consideration of these resolutions? Should Sen. Byrd’s views be included with the evidence given to the students? • Discuss how these materials or any topic might be presented in an elementary classroom or what special accommodations could be made for special needs students. 7 6 5 4

12. Boise History Conference October 6-7, 2011 8 7 6 5 4