Learning history is not about just memorizing facts of events. It is about teaching them to learn from the past. We must give every student the ability to learn and succeed. In my classroom, I want to give my students the gift of learning through art!
"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow; the important thing is not to stop questioning." ~ Albert Einstein.
I want my students to want more after I have taught them. I want to leave them with a hunger to want to go past the lecture, the presentation, the notes, and dig deeper into the history that has shaped not only our nation but all of humanity.
Primary and secondary resources are an important part of learning American history. However, who wants to sit at a table, and just read historical documents? Not my students! They want color and interaction with their peers.
Gist Graffiti is a shared learning space where students come together to explore and question primary and secondary sources.
As they read their resources, they draw their own conclusion from their sources. On their whiteboard table, they then each write a few sentences that tells about their individual documents. Talking amongst themselves, they identify how these documents are similar and different. Using color coded dry erase markers, they are able to draw, circle and analyze multiple primary documents in one setting. Working together, they then write a statement linking the primary idea of their documents. The best part is they have fun with different colors and lines and circles and squiggles, making their table a work of Graffiti art! Shhh, don't tell them there is learning involved! Keep it our Secret!
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