Join us for an engaging and immersive series of four in-person sessions designed to enhance your expertise in teaching Document-Based Questions (DBQs) while fostering advanced inquiry and writing skills in your students. Whether teaching DBQs is new to you or you are looking to reinvigorate your practices and enhance your instructional toolkit, this cohort series will provide you with the strategies, resources, and collaborative environment needed to elevate your teaching and inspire your students to thrive in historical inquiry and effective writing.
Oct 2: An Introduction to Engaging Students with Historical Inquiry
Looking for ways to teach history through an inquiry approach? Looking for strategies to engage students with primary sources and historical thinking? Document-based questions (DBQs) are often used as a way to assess a student's historical and analytical thinking skills and argumentative writing abilities. DBQs can also be used to teach historical content, literacy, and thinking skills in a student-centered approach. This session will take teachers through all the steps of the DBQ process in a lively, interactive way, providing strategies and approaches for teaching with DBQs to all students. |
Nov 13: Overcoming the Challenges by Scaffolding the Inquiry Process
This session is open to participants who have attended an introductory DBQ session, have implemented a DBQ in their classroom, and looking for ways to take the next steps in teaching with DBQs. Continuing with the notion that DBQs can be used to teach historical thinking and literacy skills in a student-centered approach, this training will focus on ways to utilize bits and pieces of a DBQ unit in short one- or two-day lessons. The goal of these smaller lessons is to target and build skills. We’ll also take a closer look at student essays, scoring and grading, and how to advance that writing from good to great. |
Feb 6: Leveraging the Inquiry Process to Meet the Needs of All Students
“I read it, but I don’t get it” sounds very familiar if you teach struggling readers. Document analysis is difficult for students of any age and ability, as they not only have to read the document but also dig deeper for meaning using background knowledge and context, source analysis, and their inferencing skills, not to mention corroboration between documents. This session dives deeper into differentiating and scaffolding document analysis and the writing process for all learners. A special focus will examine how teachers can leverage DBQs for the new STAAR exam requirements and question types. |
Apr 2: Evaluating DBQs and Using Data to Drive Inquiry Instruction
Dispelling misconceptions about rubrics, this session reframes their purpose: rubrics are not just tools to prove, but to improve student skill development and performance. Explore how rubrics serve as guiding lights, not hammers, illuminating student growth and providing effective feedback. Dive into the art of data-driven instruction, empowering educators to harness insights that tailor teaching strategies to individual student needs, thereby transforming classrooms into vibrant collaborative learning hubs where every student thrives and reaches their full potential. |
