Using Biography and Diversity to Increase Relevance in the Social Studies Classroom Gretchen Winch NOT JUST HIS STORY

Statement of the Problem “I am not concerned with diversity.” – White male student All students can benefit from studying diverse people (Benjes, 2012) I want my history classroom to be inclusive The LHS School Improvement plan calls for diversity- based lessons

Statement of the Problem Today’s history classes focus on White males Curricula & textbooks exclude many groups Women, people of color, & non-heteronormative people (Heilig, Brown, & Brown, 2012; Shipley, 2012) Courses focus on political leaders Students have trouble relating to historical figures (Benjes, 2012)

My Intervention I planned a research-based intervention I compiled a list of diverse historical figures My students chose individuals to study Each student conducted independent research Students created digital biographies

Example Digital Biography

Methods th -grade World History students Mixed-methods data collection Collected qualitative & quantitative data Pre-/post affective survey Asked about representation of different groups Post-intervention open-ended questionnaire Asked about the intervention unit

Research Question 1 How do classroom materials affect the potential for including diverse and relevant models in the students' possible research candidates?

Findings (Research Question 1) Historical Figures in World History Textbook Textbook FeatureIndividual’s Race, Ethnicity, and Gender White MaleAll Others “History Makers”4826 “A Voice from the Past”24 “More About...” (Teacher's edition)64

Research Question 2 When presented with a diverse list of possible historical figures, does the students’ selection reflect that diversity?

Findings (Research Question 2) Students’ Choices of Historical Figures to Research Race & Ethnicity of Historical Figures Percentage of ListPercentage of Selections White (non- Hispanic) Black2516 Native American (including Hispanic) Asian/Pacific Islander Hispanic

Findings (Research Question 2) Why did students choose certain individuals? Top Five Reasons for Choosing Historical Figures Type of ReasonOccurrences Basic Knowledge121 Occupation115 Curiosity98 Significance70 Geography/Nationality58

Research Question 3 Will using sources from cultural and gender minorities increase the extent to which students feel that they can relate to history?

Findings (Research Question 3) Affective Survey: Questions 1 – 3 QuestionPre-Survey Average Post-Survey Average P-Value People of my race, ethnicity, and gender are represented equally in this class Certain groups are over-represented in this class Certain groups are under-represented in this class

Findings (Research Question 3) Affective Survey: Questions 4 – 5 QuestionPre-Survey Average Post-Survey Average P-Value I can relate to the historical figures we study I can relate to the historical topics and subjects we study

Research Question 4 How will students react to the inclusion of diverse sources in the history curriculum?

Findings (Research Question 4) Types of Diversity Mentioned Type of Diversity Occurrences (out of 22) Occupation8 Non-Specific7 Race4 Geography/Nationality4 Ethnicity2 Socio-Economic Status2 Gender1 Culture1

The Big Picture Students enjoyed the research project They liked learning about diverse people Students especially enjoyed learning about non- politicians However, they view White male history as normal Teachers should include more diverse voices

Limitations The main limitation was time I was teaching full-time during the intervention Another limitation was resources The textbook was old and lacked diversity The library had less sources about minorities I was also teaching research skills Focusing solely on diverse voices might have helped

Moving Forward The librarian is ordering more diverse sources In future, projects like this will be easier I plan to use my intervention project again I will continue to seek out diverse sources I want to show students many perspectives

Special Thanks Thank you Mrs. Hager and Mr. Bloch! I could not have done this project without you.

References Benjes, K. E. (2012). Making history not boring via multicultural education. A Rising TIDE, 5. Heilig, J. V., Brown, K. D., & Brown, A. L. (2012). The illusion of inclusion: A critical race theory textual analysis of race and standards. Harvard Educational Review, 82(3), Leonardtown High School. (2013). School Improvement Plan. Leonardtown, MD. Shipley, S. (2012). Teaching advocacy, respect, and support: One teacher's reflection on her lesbian identity. A Rising TIDE, 5.