1. Teaching Argument Writing in the Social Studies Classroom Chauncey Monte-Sano University of Michigan NCSS-C3LC Webinar, June 2015

2. The following prompt and student essay are used with permission from the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media and the Stanford History Education Group. ”Rosa Parks, Paper A,” Historical Thinking Matters, http://historicalthinkingmatters.org/rosaparks/ 1/studentwork/paper1/. Accessed April 15, 2015. http://historicalthinkingmatters.org/rosaparks/ 1/studentwork/paper1/

3. Sample writing prompt Some books say something like this: "Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a White man. African Americans heard this and decided to boycott the buses." But this is a brief description of a complex event. Write a more complete answer to the question: Why did the boycott of Montgomery’s buses succeed?

4. Student A It is very common to hear that the incident, where Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man, is what started the Montgomery Bus Boycott. However, this is not the case. Though Rosa Parks’ arrest was the crowning incident in the history of civil rights and may have been what got the boycott started, the plans for a bus boycott had been talked about months earlier. This event was a highly organized and determined effort and planned through very carefully. A year before the boycott, discussions of changing the bus laws were proposed to the Montgomery City Council. These propositions were addressed, but only some of the laws were slightly changed. "Busses have begun stopping on more corners where negroes live than previously. However, the same practices in seating and boarding continue." (letter from JoAnn Robinson, President of the Women’s Political Council)

5. Common Core State Standards— Writing Overview, p. 63

6. ~CCSS, p.64

8. The“C3” Framework supports writing through Inquiry, Disciplinary Tools, & Communicating Conclusions ~NCSS, 2013

9. TEACHING PRACTICES THAT SUPPORT STUDENT GROWTH IN ARGUMENT WRITING

10. Teaching argument writing (1)“Do” history and social studies with students (1)Help students analyze, sort, and organize evidence (2)Provide explicit instruction in argument writing

11. (1) SET STUDENTS UP TO “DO” HISTORY & SOCIAL STUDIES

12. Premise If history is a “given,” there is no room for argument or evidence.

13. Strategies for “doing” history Present social studies as an inquiry-oriented subject by posing questions that can be answered in multiple ways. Give students a chance to read sources that present multiple perspectives.

14. Examples of “doing” history Watch this video from the Teaching Channel, “Reading Like a Historian: Focus questions.”video Pay attention to examples of central questions and document or source sets. Consider: How do these examples set up a class to engage in inquiry and argument?

15. A Central, Debatable Question Used with permission from the Stanford History Education Group, http://sheg.stanford.edu/rlhhttp://sheg.stanford.edu/rlh. Accessed April 2015.

16. Multiple Sources With Contrasting Perspectives

17. A Central, Debatable Question Used with permission from the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media and the Stanford History Education Group. “Rosa Parks, Inquiry,” Historical Thinking Matters, http://historicalthinkingmatters.org/rosaparks/0/inquiry/.http://historicalthinkingmatters.org/rosaparks/0/inquiry/ Accessed April 15, 2015.

18. Multiple Sources With Contrasting Perspectives

19. Good questions… Have multiple possible interpretations Require analysis and move beyond summary Are illuminated by looking at evidence

20. Considerations How should you pose the question? What kind of argument does this call for? Is the question clear and explicit?

21. Good source sets… Present multiple perspectives Support more than one interpretation Help students address the prompt

22. Considerations in preparing sources What are your students’ reading levels and background knowledge? How can you orient students to the text? What information in the source is key to the investigation? What could be left out?

23. Used with permission from the RRCHNM and SHEG. Historical Thinking Matters, http://historicalthinkingmatters.org/pdf/Edited-Doc.pdf http://historicalthinkingmatters.org/pdf/Edited-Doc.pdf. Accessed April 15, 2015.

24. (2) HELP STUDENTS ANALYZE, SORT, & ORGANIZE EVIDENCE

25. Strategies for helping students analyze, sort, & organize evidence A) Structure reading with focus on comprehension, analysis, reliability (e.g., reading guides, posters, annotations/talking to text). B) Discuss inquiry questions and sources. C) Keep track of ideas using graphic organizers.

26. Example of helping students analyze, sort, and organize evidence Watch this video from the Teaching Channel, “Reading Like a Historian: Philosophical Chairs.”video Pay attention to the opportunities for students to analyze, sort, and organize their ideas. Discuss: How does this lesson help students analyze, sort, and organize ideas? What would you add?

27. 2A) STRUCTURE READING Via reading guides with specific questions, background knowledge development, posters or worksheets with standard questions, annotations/talking to the text.

28. Used with permission from the Stanford History Education Group, http://sheg.stanford.edu/rlhhttp://sheg.stanford.edu/rlh. Accessed April 2015.

29. Used with permission from the Stanford History Education Group, http://sheg.stanford.edu/rlhhttp://sheg.stanford.edu/rlh. Accessed April 2015.

30. Used with permission from the RRCHNM and SHEG. Historical Thinking Matters, http://historicalthinkingmatters.org/rosaparks/0/inquiry/main/questions/19/. Accessed April 15, 2015.http://historicalthinkingmatters.org/rosaparks/0/inquiry/main/questions/19/

31. 2B) DISCUSS INQUIRY QUESTIONS AND SOURCES

32. The S.A.C. discussion model Form into teams of 4 Prepare positions– Pairs find evidence to support one possible argument in response to central question Position Presentations  Side A shares evidence for one argument  Restatement (by Side B)  Switch Consensus Building– What argument is best supported by the evidence?

33. An “Inquiry” discussion model Engage students in the inquiry Pose the focus question Elicit students’ initial hypotheses Evidence: Round 1 Elicit students’ revised hypotheses Evidence: Round 2 (you can use as many rounds as you’d like) Elicit students’ revised hypotheses Closure and assessment

34. 2C) KEEP TRACK OF IDEAS AND COMPARE SOURCES USING GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS

35. Used with permission from the Stanford History Education Group, http://sheg.stanford.edu/rlhhttp://sheg.stanford.edu/rlh. Accessed April 2015.

36. Used with permission from the RRCHNM and SHEG. Historical Thinking Matters, http://historicalthinkingmatters.org/rosaparks/0/inquiry/main/questions/19/. Accessed April 15, 2015.http://historicalthinkingmatters.org/rosaparks/0/inquiry/main/questions/19/

37. Used with permission from the RRCHNM and SHEG. Historical Thinking Matters, http://historicalthinkingmatters.org/rosaparks/0/inquiry/main/questions/19/. Accessed April 15, 2015.http://historicalthinkingmatters.org/rosaparks/0/inquiry/main/questions/19/

38. Example of helping students analyze, sort, and organize evidence Watch this video from the Teaching Channel, “Historical Detective Work.”video Pay attention to the opportunities for students to analyze, sort, and organize their ideas. Discuss: How does this lesson help students analyze, sort, and organize ideas? What would you add?

39. 3) TEACH ARGUMENT WRITING EXPLICITLY

40. Premise Students tend to be assigned summary writing, if assigned writing at all. Yet, argument writing is key for college readiness & Common Core. And argument writing pushes student thinking and helps them learn content.

41. Considerations What do your students already know about argument? How is argument writing being taught in other departments? What are your students’ incoming basic writing skills?

42. Strategies for teaching argument writing explicitly Define what a written argument should include and communicate those expectations to students (via graphic representations of “text structure,” rubrics, reflection guides). Share and dissect “mentor texts” to help students see what a good written argument looks like and involves. Model key aspects of writing, such as planning.

43. The following four slides come from Monte-Sano, C., De La Paz, S., and Felton, M. (2014). Reading, thinking, and writing about history: Teaching argument writing to diverse learners in the Common Core classroom, Grades 6- 12. New York: Teachers College Press (pages 181, 183, 185, & 188).

44. Graphic representation of a text structure

45. Reflection guide

46. Sample student essay as a “mentor text”

47. Modeling Name the strategy Explain why the strategy is important Use the strategy in a way that students can observe Think aloud while you use the strategy Summarize key things you did while using the strategy

48. Use a graphic organizer that reflects your text structure for planning. Model how to decide on a claim, select evidence, and organize ideas in preparation for writing by completing a planning sheet in front of students and sharing your thinking out loud.

49. TEACHING WRITING IS A PROCESS THAT REQUIRES ATTENTION TO READING, THINKING, AND WRITING IN THE CONTEXT OF INQUIRY!

50. (1) “Do” history and social studies  Pose debatable questions  Present contrasting documents (2) Support analysis, sorting, & organizing of evidence  Structure and support reading  Provide opportunity for discussion  Track and compare ideas (3) Teach argument writing explicitly  Define argument writing visibly  Dissect “mentor texts”  Model aspects of the writing process

51. Recommended reading SAC Inquiry Editing documents PDK- CM Social Ed- CM Book- CM

52. THANK YOU! cmontesa@umich.edu