Critical Thinking In U.S. History

Description

History is a great place for Critical Thinking and recorded "fact" to meet! In a day when much of history is being virtually rewritten, it is important to question the historic "fact" found in history texts. Besides deliberate attempts to "change history," there are also the honest differences in recorded history depending on the narrator's point of view or bias. Even among eyewitnesses to an event, there are often discrepancies in what really happened. This series, then, presents students with differing viewpoints of historical events, using primary and secondary sources. This is not designed as a basal history course, but as a supplement to use along with your study of U.S. history. The first unit of each volume is devoted to a mini-course in critical thinking skills before getting into actual exercises. Each of the books on CD contains between 26-29 reproducible "quandaries" of history, including narrated excerpts from historic documents, maps, charts, and worksheets. Students are asked to apply their thinking skills to answer the questions posed. Each of the books is on CD-ROM. Simply put the CD in your computer and you can print out any page of the book you need. Requires Acrobat Reader.

Teaching Method
Traditional
Teacher-centered curriculum commonly used in classrooms that may include a text, teacher manual, tests, etc.
Charlotte Mason
A methodology based on the work of a 19th century educator who maintained that children learn best from literature (Living Books), not textbooks.
Classical
A methodology based on the Latin Trivium (three stages of learning), including the grammar stage (memorization and facts), logic stage (critical thinking), and rhetoric stage (developing/defending ideas).
Unit Study
A thematic or topical approach centered around one topic that integrates multiple subject areas.
Montessori (Discovery)
A methodology based on the work of a 20th century educator that emphasizes student and sensory-driven discovery learning and real-life applications.
Other
Other methodologies
Religious Content
Secular
Contains content contrary to common Christian beliefs (i.e. evolution).
Neutral
Avoids religious or theoretical topics or presents multiple viewpoints without preference.
Christian/Religious
Faith-based or including instructional religious content.
Learning Modality
Auditory
Learns through listening, talking out loud or reading out loud.
Visual
Learns through seeing, prefers written instructions and visual materials.
Kinesthetic/Tactile (Hands-On)
Learns through moving, doing and touching.
Multi-Sensory
Curriculum that employ a variety of activities/components.
Presentation
Sequential
Curriculum progresses through well-defined learning objectives. Emphasizes mastery before moving to the next topic.
Spiral
Topics and concepts are repeated from level to level, adding more depth at each pass and connecting with review.
Conceptual/Topical
Focus is on the “why,” often with a unifying concept as well as specific skills; coverage may be broader.
Teacher Involvement
Low Teacher Involvement
Student-led materials; parent acts as a facilitator.
Medium Teacher Involvement
A mix of teacher-led time and independent student work.
High Teacher Involvement
Teacher-led lessons; may utilize discussions, hands-on activities and working together.
Additional Materials Required
No other materials needed
Everything you need is included.
Other Materials Required
There are additional required resources that are a separate purchase.
Other Materials Optional
There are additional resources mentioned or recommended but are not absolutely necessary.
Consumable
Consumable
Designed to be written in; not reusable.
Non-Consumable
Not designed to be written in; reusable.