What matters most here
| Rank | Practice | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frequent low-stakes quizzes on course content (principles 6, 7) | Evidence grade: Proven in classrooms Proven; 6th grade social studies quizzing improved chapter and semester exams (Roediger et al. 2011(opens in a new tab)) |
| 2 | Clear narrative explanation before sources and discussion (principle 2) | Evidence grade: Strong Strong in general |
| 3 | Spaced review of earlier units through the year (principle 7) | Evidence grade: Strong Strong |
A lesson in this room
Brain dump on last week's causes of the Revolution. Teacher tells the story of 1775, pausing for whole-class questions. Students read a short primary source with two guiding questions they can now answer. Exit: one-sentence claim with evidence.
Leader look-fors
- Questions from earlier units in quizzes
- Students can tell the story before they analyze sources
Stop doing
Projects as the main way to learn new historical content before it has been taught.
Where the evidence runs out
Most classroom studies come from a small number of schools working with researchers. Effects on state social studies tests are less studied.
Principles
Sources
- Roediger et al. 2011 (opens in a new tab)
profiles.wustl.edu