Using BIG IDEAS to teach history

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Using BIG IDEAS to teach history

• 2007 HTAV Annual Conference

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Whats a BIG idea?

• A big idea is a concept, theme or issue that
  gives meaning and connection to discrete facts
  and skills.
• Wiggins McTighe, Understanding
• by Design 2e, 2005

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Some simple analogies

• Cake recipe a big idea that gives meaning to
  a pile of
• ingredients
• Car manual a big idea that gives meaning to
  the clump of nuts, bolts, tubes and metal under
  the bonnet
• Love a big idea that gives meaning to random
  acts of kindness, temporary insanities and
  assorted physical manifestations
• Reconciliation a big idea that gives meaning
  to disparate examples of difference and union

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Some features of BIG ideas

• Central concepts and procedures at the heart of
  a topic not necessarily the main ideas being
  discussed
• Hub for separate, sometimes seemingly
  unconnected detail
• Rarely overt best uncovered or discovered
  through inquiry
• Essential for a deep understanding
• Universal and timeless in their application
  lend themselves to transfer to other content or
  situations

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BIG ideas for understanding

• An understanding of fundamental principles and
  ideas appears to be the main road to adequate
  transfer of training.
• To understand something as a specific instance
  of a more general case is to have learned not
  only a specific thing but also a model for
  understanding other things like it that one may
  encounter.
• Bransford, Brown and
  Cocking, How People Learn, 2000

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Some applications

• Understanding how to ...
• use a cake recipe lets the young cook apply this
  learning to make a meat pie
• interpret a car manual allows the novice
  mechanic to change the spark plugs AND the air
  filter and to better understand the computer
  manual.

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• Understanding what
• love means helps the forlorn appreciate why it
  didnt work, and try again and to learn to love
  himself/herself
• reconciliation means increased understanding of
  the limitless possibilities of living together in
  diversity within the family, the classroom and
  society at large

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Essential questions

• Big ideas are usefully explored with essential
  questions - focused, pertinent questions designed
  to foster inquiry
• into the essence of the topic.
• Why does the
• Tower of Pisa
• lean?
• Why were castles built?
• What was a city-state?

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Now some BIG essential questions

• What causes wars?
• What makes a strong leader?
• How are societies controlled?
• Why is history a story told by
• winners?
• Why does discovery change
• how people live?

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And some more

• How do values develop?
• Why do people have different opinions
• about past events?
• How do societies protect
• their traditions?
• How has religion helped to
• shape history?

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Relevance for history

• History is more than facts and figures or
  stories about dead people.
• Core ideas provide a linchpin, giving meaning to
  the narrative of history.
• Understanding how the detail links with the big
  ideas helps to cement it in memory.
• Understanding a big idea in one historical
  context makes it easier to transfer that insight
  to a new historical scenario.

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When one understands

• One can explain How does it work?
• Why is this so?
• One can interpret Why does it matter? Why is it
  needed? What makes sense?
• One can apply Where can I use this skill or
  insight? How should I adjust my thinking for this
  new situation?
• From Wiggins McTighe,
  Understanding by
• Design 2e, 2005

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• One can develop perspective Is it reasonable?
  What is being assumed?
• One can empathise How does this seem to you?
  What am I missing?
• One can gain self-knowledge What are my blind
  spots? What am I prone to misunderstand?
• From Wiggins McTighe, Understanding by
  Design 2e, 2005

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But hold it!

• Lets NEVER forget engagement!!
• Engagement is the key understanding the door.
  Engagement hooks and holds the learners interest
  while he/she explores and discovers meaning in
  big ideas.
• Engagement is critical but not enough in
  itself.
• The skill (and the challenge) of using big ideas
  lies in not letting on that it is all about
  learning. Students discover that for themselves!

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What about VELS?

• Lets take Level 5 What does VCAA say about
  this age bracket?
• growing self-awareness
• strengthening ability to think about ideas
• developing awareness of inquiry methods and
  principles
• developing ability as a self-learner
• growing social and ethical awareness
• increasing ability to make judgements
• about what they see is worth learning.

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More on VELS

• The ability to think beyond the detail of the
  content at hand across bits and pieces of
  knowledge, experience and skills of learner and
  pull them together in a meaningful way is a key
  foundation of VELS.
• Its about deep understanding and being able
  to put that understanding to good effect as a
  learner.

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And a bit more

• BIG ideas promote deep learning. They
• construct an inquiry framework conceptual lens
  that forms a focus for a learner working with mix
  of disparate sources of evidence, opinions and
  hypotheses
• articulate broad, central issues helpful in
  framing essential (research) questions and when
  thinking and reasoning about issues at the heart
  of a topic
• are a tool for applying understanding helpful
  when examining change and continuity, cause and
  consequence and the cyclical patterns of history

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Coming up with BIG ideasFirst step brainstorm
questions using how, what, when, where, why, who,
which and verbs such as is, was, did, have etc.

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• Next step Tease out some of the dominant themes
  or concepts buried in the brainstormed questions.
  
• Look for ideas that are broad,
• abstract and more universal in
• their application
• power and authority
• economy
• values and beliefs
• social structure
• social attitudes

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• Next step Arrange brainstormed questions
• under these conceptual headings.
• Power and authority Social structure
• Why were slaves disadvantaged? How rank did
  slaves have in society?
• Why was slavery adopted? Who were the slaves?
• How did slavery influence politics?
• Why were some slaves given their freedom?
• How did people become slaves?
• Social attitudes
• Was slavery accepted as the norm?
• Why was slavery adopted?
• Why were some slaves given freedom?
• Values and beliefs
• How did slavery influence the culture?
• Was slavery accepted as the norm?
• Why are some slaves given their freedom?
• Why were slaves disadvantaged?
• Economy

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• Next step Distil at least one BIG idea from
  each cluster. Helps to frame an essential
  question. Look for key words and concepts.
• Power and authority
• Why is slavery an abuse of power?
• Values and beliefs
• Can slavery exist in a society that values
• freedom?
• Social structure
• How does slavery influence social behaviour?
• Social attitudes
• Is slavery always wrong?
• Economy
• How can slavery impact on an economy?

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I have a big idea what now?

• Next step organise content so it is framed
  around big idea. Take one Why is slavery an
  abuse of power?
• Why is slavery an abuse of power? is a lens
  through which to consider the discrete facts and
  skills of the topic. It helps learners connect
  the dots the fragments of information that
  might otherwise risk being seen as unconnected.
• Its a BIG picture analysis designed to foster
  deep understanding.

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Heres an example
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Transferring understanding

• Learners who study the topic of slavery in
  ancient Greece through the lens of big ideas are
  better placed to apply that understanding for a
  study of
• Slavery in the USA
• Working children during Englands Industrial
  Revolution
• Treatment of some contemporary workforces
• Changing roles of women
• Learners apply their understanding of BIG ideas
  that are broad, timeless and universal in their
  construct to the mix
• of facts and skills of new contexts.

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To sum up

• Big ideas go beyond discrete facts or skills to
  focus on larger concepts, principles, or
  processes. These are applicable to new situations
  within or beyond the subject.
• Wiggins McTighe, Understanding
• by Design 2e, 2005