Teacher

Research Project

Jeremy Mellema

Essen5al Ques5on
How can crea5ve wri5ng be used in history classrooms?
Sub-Ques5ons
Does crea5vity increase engagement? Can crea5ve wri5ng lead students to learn historical context?

Placement
Providence Career and Technical Academy 90% of Students qualify for free or reduced lunch 12th grade United States history
24 Students Vietnam War Unit

Deni5ons
Historical Fic5on Any text that blends context with imagina5on Historical Thinking Combing context with empathy
Colby

Ra5onale
Seniori5s

Students were crea5ve, but not necessarily historical Students = Storytellers Storytellers = Historians

Literature Review
Historians are storytellers
(Gra)

Reconstruc5ng the past is a crea5ve process (Colby) Reenac5ng events in their own minds enhances cri5cal thinking Tradi5onal research papers are cold and voiceless (Erickson)

(Gra)

 skill

product

process

Historical Thinking

Historical Fic5on

Crea5ve Thinking

Gra

Method
Use crea5ve wri5ng through imaginary role-play to learn historical context Presiden5al Dialogues Vietnam Le]ers Vietnam Teach-In
Seng Fong

Rubric

Modied: Webb

Hypothesis
Crea5vity is correlated to context because of student engagement

Not Crea5ve = Not Engaged

Lesson 1
Presiden5al Dialogue

Lesson 1

Remember when I kicked Vietnams ass?

Graphic Organizer

Presiden5al Dialogue
Historical Facts
correct not correct
4

Correla*on between Context and Crea*vity

Context

R = 0.75

42% 58%

0 0 1 2 3 4

Crea*vity

What I Learned
Students need explicit direc5ons

Scaold historical context, so students can mix crea5vity with facts

Lesson 2
Vietnam Le]ers

Graphic Organizer

Le]ers from Vietnam

Historical Facts
correct not correct
4

Correla*on between Context and Crea*vity

R = 0.76
3

27%

Context 73%

0 0 1 2 3 4

Crea*vity

What I Learned

Students scored higher when they wrote about their characters emo5ons

Lesson 3
Vietnam Teach-In

Graphic Organizer

Vietnam Teach-In
Historical Facts
correct not correct
4

Correla*on between Context and Crea*vity

R = 0.81
3

Context 82%

18%

0 0 1 2 3 4

Crea*vity

What I Learned
When students use their crea5vity in their historical wri5ng they add more context

Evalua5on of Method
Crea5vity in student work is correlated to their ability to have correct historical context Crea5vity is a way to measure engagement Expecta5ons of historical thinking need to be explicit

Recipe for Wri5ng Fic5on in History

1 tablespoon of inquiry
Have students answering a historical ques5on

1 cup of empathy
Students take the perspec5ve of a person who has experienced the event

A dash of crea5vity
Students use emo5ons and experience to engage with history

Mix together with context

(Colby)

Explicitly state the importance of context

Implica5ons
Further allow student movement, voice, and agency Get student work published and accessible

References
Colby, Sherri Rae. Contextualiza5on and Historical Empathy: Seventh- Graders Interpreta5ons of Primary Documents. Curriculum and Teaching Dialogue 12, no. 12 (January 1, 2010): 69-83. Erickson, John J. The Truth of Historical Fic5on: Researching Osseo Senior High. The English Journal 83, no. 2 (February 1994): 36. Gra, Harvey J. Teaching [and] Historical Understanding: Disciplining Historical Imagina5on with Historical Context. Interchange 30, no. 2 (June 1, 1999): 143169. Seng, Loh Kah, and Lee Si Wei. From Living Under A]ap to Residing in the Sky: Imagina5on and Empathy in Source-Based History Educa5on in Singapore. History Teacher 43, no. 4 (August 2010). Webb, Mary Theresa. Wri5ng historical c5on for mastery of 21st century social studies and language arts skills: Wri5ng history like it was then. The Georgia Social Studies Journal 1 no. 2 (Fall 2011) 24-30.

Acknowledgements
Jennifer Geller Brian Fong Allison Bryan Ben Abrams The en5re MAT program