1. How to use a textbook in a History Class. 10 tips to help teachers to help learners to make the most of their textbooks.

2. 1. Give Learners a guided tour of their textbooks. Make sure that the learners know where to find and how to use the following: -The Contents Page -The Index -The Glossary of key terms -The Timelines for each Topic -The chapter overviews and summaries.

3. 2. Teach learners how to use headings Before starting each new topic read through the main heading, key question and sub- headings with the learners. Discuss the headings with the learners in order to help them predict what they will be learning about in a topic.

4. 3. Create a glossary of new words As learners work through each topic they should -Identify all new words. -Look up the meaning of any new words in the glossary or a dictionary. -Write down the meaning of new words in their notebooks.

5. 4. Ask Questions Encourage learners to ‘think aloud’ and to develop their own questions about the topic as they read each page of the textbook. Learners can write down their questions about a topic in their notebooks. Use the learners’ questions as the basis for class discussion and short informal writing pieces.

6. 5. Use the activities in the textbook. Every lesson should include a written exercise. So make a point of using the activities in the textbook. Informal assessments can be peer marked (divide the class into groups of four and swop notebooks) Take in and sign a sample learners notebooks every week to check that they up to date.

7. 6. Analyse the source material Use any one of the following strategies to create your own activity based in source material in the textbook. (The templates are available on the WCED History website) For example -Analyse a primary source using SOAPS -Analyse a cartoon using BASIC -Compare two sources using APPARTTS

8. 7. Ask More Questions After studying a topic ask learners to re-read the textbook version and to write down any questions about the topic which do not feel have been adequately answered. These unanswered questions could be the basis for further research (for example the History research project which must be completed by June in G10-G12)

9. 8. Use a graphic organiser to make meaning of the text. Use one of the following graphic organisers (GO) available on the WCED website to help learners summarise and organise the information in the textbooks. For example there a GOs for the following: -Cause and effect -Comparing two versions of events -Multiple perspectives.

10. 9. Draw, Act or Debate the events Some learners find it easier to remember and understand new content if they actively engage with it (rather than writing it down) Learners could re-enact an event or process from their textbooks Some learners find it useful to take notes with pictures rather than words. Putting key ideas, concepts or timelines into a song may help some learners to recall basic information…….EXPERIMENT

11. 10. Flipping the Class Give learners a section of the textbook to read and study at home. Next day - Set quick comprehension quiz on the reading homework (keep a record of scores to see who is struggling with reading for comprehension). - give the learners activities which draw on their background knowledge (basic comprehension) but which enable them to develop the higher order skills of interpretation and analysis.