Teaching Strategies
Gallery Walk
Gallery walks provoke thought and discourse while engaging students visually and kinesthetically. I often use them to introduce a unit. This is a great way to spark interest in the topic and activate prior knowledge. I start by selecting images (e.g. photos of Freedom Day protests and the 1919 Chicago Riots, redlining maps, restrictive covenants and pages from the FHA Underwriting Manual) that are likely to elicit strong reactions and questions. I look for images that allude to the topic and its themes without revealing too much. Each image is mounted in the middle of a large piece of chart paper. Images are hung throughout the classroom. Students move around the room in small groups, visiting and responding to each image. I prompt students with questions like:
- What do you notice?
- What do you wonder?
- What might the image be depicting?
Students respond by writing directly on the chart paper with multi-colored markers. In addition to responding to the image, students are encouraged to read and respond to their classmates’ comments by making a connection, answering a question, or posing a new question. In this way it becomes a written conversation and a record of student discourse. As students respond, I circulate throughout the room, monitoring and observing. After every student has had the opportunity to respond to each image, they return to their seats. I prompt them to hold a brief discussion with their table mates, noting the images that stood out to them most, and why. While students are discussing in their groups, I visit some of the images and select notable insights, wonderings, and misconceptions. We then hold a whole class discussion using the selected responses to spark conversation. I also use gallery walk responses to assess students’ prior knowledge of the topic.
Four Corners Debate
In a four corners debate, students declare their position on a controversial issue by moving to a particular corner of the classroom. Each corner of the room in labeled with a different position (agree, disagree, strongly agree, and strongly disagree). This activity encourages active participation and discourse. It can be used as a warm-up activity to introduce a topic, or as a follow-up activity to help students think critically about a controversial issue they have studied.
When choosing a debate topic, the teacher should select a nuanced issue that does not have one correct or obvious answer, and represents respected values on both sides. Students are presented with a specific statement (e.g. The U.S. government should pay reparations to African Americans for the injustices of slavery, Jim Crow and de jure segregation) and are given several minutes to consider their stance on the issue. The teacher may prompt students to declare their position in writing before telling them to move to a corner of the room that matches their stance. Some students may have difficulty deciding on a position. There are several ways a teacher can support students facing this dilemma. The teacher may encourage students to choose a position, reminding them that their decisions are not set in stone. If a few students are still unsure, the teacher may allow them to declare their indecision by remaining in the middle of the room, with the caveat that they must choose a corner by the end of the debate.
After students have moved to their respective corners, the teacher will call on volunteers to justify their positions. Students should refer to evidence from prior learning or personal experiences when defending their positions. The teacher will encourage students to switch corners if they have been persuaded by their classmates’ arguments. Students may challenge their classmates’ ideas and evidence, as long as the discourse is respectful and constructive.
After each of the four stances has been adequately defended, and all students have arrived at a position, they will return to their seats and debrief in their journals. They will reflect on the activity and how it changed or reinforced their original viewpoints. Their peers’ arguments may have compelled them to switch sides. On the other hand, some students may be left with more questions than answers. The teacher will remind them that there are no right or wrong answers. Social issues are complex and nuanced, and one’s stance often evolves over time. After students have reflected in their journals, the whole class will engage in a discussion of the issue, and the teacher will use chart paper to record the key arguments “for” and “against” the original statement.
Close Reading, Viewing and Listening
Close reading is a popular comprehension strategy that encourages students to think critically and analyze a text on multiple levels. Students revisit the text several times, each time focusing their attention on a different aspect or feature. The purpose of the first read is to get the gist of the text and often involves some surface-level analysis. The second read calls for deeper analysis, and the third deeper still. The close reading strategy is not limited to written text and can be adapted for use with film, music, podcasts, photography, paintings and other forms of creative expression. Students show their thinking through text annotation and written analysis. Small and whole group discussions support and deepen the analysis. Following a close read, students are presented with writing prompts designed to assess their understanding of the text.
Multimedia Art Show
To bring about lasting social change, we must first raise awareness of the systemic oppression at the root of injustice. As a culminating project, my students will channel their newfound knowledge of de jure segregation into public works of art. Through their art, they will share their knowledge and passion with audiences, helping to raise awareness of the government-sanctioned racism that has long existed in Chicago and throughout the U.S.
Before becoming a teacher, I studied filmmaking and worked in television production. I have a deep love of music, film, photography and other visual art forms. In recent years, I have utilized my background in the arts to support my students as they share their learning through various forms of creative expression. My social studies units typically culminate in a public art show that displays student learning in dynamic and powerful ways. Audiences range from peers and younger students to families and community members. My students choose to express themselves through a wide range of mediums, including poetry, music, visual art, film, theater, dance, news broadcasting, blog writing and podcasting. Middle school students thrive when they have agency and choice. Holding a multimedia art show allows them to explore their unique talents and strengths and take ownership of their learning.
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