Delving Deeper into Standards and Implementation

Objectives identify opportunities for embedding reading and writing literacy standards in history and social studies instruction. gain understanding of the purposes and benefits of using both primary and secondary sources to enhance the study of historical time periods. analyze both primary and secondary sources on the Battle of Antietam. integrate visual information from charts and photographs with other information on the Battle of Antietam.

Materials Copy of Confederate Dead along Hagerstown Pike by Alexander Gardner Copies of a letter from William Child to his wife Copies of a primary source map of the Battle of Antietam Copies of Antietam National Battle Field map Copies of the Gettysburg Address Copies of Battle of Antietam: Morning Photograph to project of Antietam National Cemetery

The intent of the literacy standards is to ensure that literacy instruction is a shared responsibility between all content teachers. In the context of the standards, students will read Founding Documents for their historical significance in the history/social studies classroom. In the English classroom, students will read Seminal US documents to explore the rhetorical devices and rich syntactical structures.

In terms of college readiness, almost all universities require students to take two semesters of history or government related courses. Students must be able to read independently complex historical texts, as well as interpret other types of historical documents.

Confederate Dead along Hagerstown Pike Reflect individually on the photograph. Comment on strategies you currently use to help students analyze a visual text.

Strategy for Analyzing Visuals O—overview, write a brief description of the scene; P—parts, list the images or details in the picture; T—title or text features, consider the information they provide; I—interrelationships, how the parts come together to convey an idea, an argument, a tone; C—conclusion, write a statement about the image as a whole.

Questions…. What does Gardner’s photograph tell us about the Civil War in general? What can we infer about the military strategies used in the Civil War? What conclusions can we draw about September 17, 1865, from this photograph?

Guidelines Some guidelines for the selection of primary photographs. The document or photograph should support or enhance the understanding of the time period or historical event. Some primary photographs or pictures contribute to a student’s cultural literacy, such as the Migrant Mother by Dorthea Lange.

Battle of Antietam Map What exposure do students have with maps? The viewpoint of Simon Garfield, author of On the Map, who writes: “not so long ago, we placed Jerusalem at the centre of our maps; or if we lived in China,Youzhou. Later, it might be Britain or France, at the heart of their empires. But now we each stand, individually, at the centre of our own map worlds. On our computers, phones and cars, we plot a route not from A to B but from ourselves (‘Allow current location’) to anywhere of our choosing; every distance is measured from where we stand”

Questions for A Map Activity What do we learn from the legend? What inferences can we make from the placement of Union and Confederate soldiers? What conclusion can you draw from the representation of the headquarters for the commanding generals? What does the blue/gray color represent? And what is the significance of this to the situation?

Soldier Writes Home: Letter from William Child, Major, 5th Regiment New Hampshire Volunteers

Questions… What insight might be gained about husband wife relationships? Summarize the philosophy the major is trying to express in the second paragraph. Other than the war, what concerns does William Child have (paragraph 5)? What can we conclude about the war from the last paragraph?

Writing Standards for History and Social Studies Writing standards also align across disciplines. The first ELA writing standard and the first HST writing standard both require students to write arguments to support claims. The second standard requires students to write expository text. Standard 3 for ELA writing deals with the narrative.

The Gettysburg Address Requiring students to identify an author’s purpose and/or point of view. Identify any “loaded language” used by the author

SOAPPStone Subject (S), Occasion (O), Audience (A), Purpose (P), Point of View (P), Speaker (S).

Questions… What do students gain from the inclusion of primary sources that cannot be gained from the study of a social studies textbook? What considerations should be made when selecting primary documents?

Secondary Sources maps photographs visual texts

Map of Antietam National Park What additional insight does the secondary source map provide that we did not glean from the primary source map?

Tables Which skills do students need to accurately interpret information in tables? Write one question you might ask students about information in the table.

Writing Opportunities Consider the activities and documents used during the lesson. How might writing be used to extend and enhance student learning?