Make History: A Practical Guide for Middle and High School History Instruction (Grades 5-12)

By Art Worrell and Paul Bambrick-Santoyo

Make History with Your Students

From bestselling author Paul Bambrick-Santoyo and Art Worrell, Uncommon Schools’ Director of History Instruction, comes Make History, an inspiring book on how educators can take history instruction to the next level. History teachers face unique challenges in introducing history lessons to students, and they are under increasing pressure to get it “right” in an age of social progress and social divisiveness. This book is a guide to bring the past to life while teaching students how to make sense of history.

Use the ideas and techniques to turn your history students into writers, readers, and thinkers who are ready not only to succeed in college, but also to become leaders and change agents. By showing how to teach rigorous, engaging lessons that center student thinking and voice, Make History turns history class into the most exciting part of a student’s day.

• Reimagine history education to help students build their own unique arguments about the past
• Ask tough questions to help students grapple with difficult historical periods
• Set the stage for authentic discourse that students remember long past the bell
• Give students the tools to become socially aware, build their own identity, and think and write like historians

Teachers and instructional coaches in grades 5-12 will love this new, insightful approach to history—one that works for today’s classrooms.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wiley
• Release date: May 3, 2023
• ISBN: 9781119989882

Book preview

Praise for Make History

You've heard about the Science of Reading. This is a book about the science of history: How to plan the knowledge students need to have the richest and most informed discussions of major historical questions. For a student whose experience of history has been carefully shaped by teaching tools that do those things, the sky's the limit and this book is your roadmap.

—Doug Lemov, author of international bestseller Teach Like a Champion

Worrell and Bambrick‐Santoyo put all the pieces together in this excellent book. They provide models and examples of techniques that get young people thinking, talking, and doing history. From retrieval practice to high‐level discourse, the book makes it all clear and accessible to teachers who want to take their game up a level.

—Jonathan Bassett & Gary Shiffman, authors of From Story to Judgment: The Four Question Method for Teaching and Learning Social Studies

"Make History brings an important and crucial perspective of historical context to light. It not only teaches the practical and essential way to learn, discuss, and understand history but also provides the significance of learning history through a variety of sources to affect student perspectives and, in turn, our future. As a History major and coach of teachers, Make History inspires me to get back into the classroom and utilize these replicable instructional strategies for bringing history to life!"

—Amanda McDonald, principal, Denver (Colorado) Public Schools

"Make History is a must‐read for all leaders and educators who are eager to increase the rigor in History for all students. The book gives practical, easy‐to‐follow guidance on best practices that will affect how you teach History with a focus on equity and high expectations."

—Laura Garza, associate superintendent, Dallas (Texas) ISD

When I was searching for what we were missing to help our students achieve, think, and learn, at a deeper level, the systems and tools of Paul Bambrick‐Santoyo gave us a base, a true north for what good instruction looked like. Who better than he and Art Worrell to finally provide History teachers a resource to help facilitate deeper thinking and high expectations for our scholars. This book is an exciting new tool in the arsenal of History educators around the world to maximize learning in their classrooms.

—Dr. Jimmy D. Shaw Jr., superintendent, Florence (Alabama) City Schools

Wherever I go, I bring my Paul Bambrick‐Santoyo library with me! The ideas and materials in this book are practical and field‐tested, and they provide all the required insight and resources needed to teach equity and high expectations without compromise.

—Joshua Zoia, country director, One World Network of Schools

Paul Bambrick‐Santoyo's research and subsequent teaching has lifted the quality of leader professional development in my school district. His ability to identify the levers that support improved student outcomes has changed the course of our work and the outcomes for our students.

—Jacqueline Glasheen, executive director of school leadership, Holyoke (Massachusetts) Public Schools

"Make History is an actionable guidebook for creating the rich, rigorous, and empowering History instruction that our young people deserve—and that our communities need."

—Rachel Willcutts, Director of Rhodes Scholarship, IDEA Public Schools

MAKE HISTORY

A Practical Guide for Middle and High School History Instruction

Art Worrell

Paul Bambrick-Santoyo

Logo: Wiley

Copyright © 2023 by Paul Bambrick-Santoyo and Art Worrell. All rights reserved.

Videos © 2021 by Uncommon Schools. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Published simultaneously in Canada.

ISBNs: 9781119989868 (Paperback), 9781119989875 (ePDF), 9781119989882 (ePUB)

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2022053827 (print), 2022053828 (ebook)

Cover design: Paul McCarthy

Photo Permission: JJ Ignotz Photography

A generation which ignores history has no past and no future.

— Robert Heinlein

History is not a burden on the memory but an illumination of the soul.

— Lord Acton

People are trapped in history, and history is trapped in them.

— James Baldwin

Online Content

This book is supplemented with videos and print‐ready materials. Visit this site for additional content: www.wiley.com/go/makehistory

APPENDIX—PRINT‐READY MATERIALS

These online resources are ready for you to print and use in your classroom.

VIDEOS

BUILD KNOWLEDGE (PART 2)

GRAPPLE WITH EVIDENCE (PART 3)

MAKE SENSE OF IT THROUGH DISCOURSE (PART 4)

STAMP AND MEASURE THE LEARNING (PART 5)

Acknowledgments

At its heart, teaching is a collective practice. And while the list of names we mention here is long, it is by no means exhaustive. Many have shaped our journey as educators. These acknowledgments shine a light on those who made Make History possible.

A special thank‐you goes to social studies and history teachers featured in this book: Amir Ballard, Brendan Kennedy, Cat Lum, Courtney Watkins, Dan Balmert, Duncan Miller, Edward Acosta, Jah'Nique Campos, Jillian Gaeta, Michelle De Sousa, Neha Marvania, Rachel Blake, Scott Kern, and Tom Brinkerhoff. Your dedication to your students and love of history gave this book life. We especially want to thank the associate director of 5–8 History at Uncommon Schools, Rebecca Gomez. Your creativity, insight, and passion for history have been invaluable in the shaping of our work over the past five years.

We owe an incredible debt of gratitude to Doug Lemov, Colleen Driggs, Erica Woolway, and the whole Teach Like a Champion team. Your partnership and research helped us set such a clear vision for our work in knowledge retrieval back in 2018. It has been such a pleasure to collaborate with and learn from your phenomenal team of educators.

Many of the best practices featured in their classrooms were finetuned in working groups over the years. Thank you to those indefatigable members: Brian Pullen, Daly Murray, Kacey Paige, Jeffrey Miller, John Fox, Joshua Sullivan, Erica Lim, Maya Park, Sara Burns, Shauntia Harrison, Stephanie Irving, and Stephen Cassady. You combed through countless sets of data, video, lesson plans, and student work to name the moves that would take our students from good to great. To Julie Jackson and Brett Peiser, co‐CEOs of our network of 55 schools and mentors to so many amazing educators throughout the country, thank you for your never‐ending support and encouragement and for creating the space for the completion of this book. The support and feedback of the Uncommon Schools Curriculum and Assessment Team, led by Christine Algozo and Erin Michaels, was invaluable to the creation of Make History. Thank you to team members past and present for the resources, ideas, and friendship: Aisha Butcher, Allison Johnson, Amy Parsons, Danny Murray, Emelia Pelliccio, Julia Addeo, Kevin Ozoria, Lauren Schmidt, Sean Healey, and Steve Chiger. Your work allowed us to innovate and codify what we do in history and social studies instruction.

Our colleagues in academia and education shared our vision for powerful history instruction and the toolboxes to make it possible. Their work made ours better. Kudos to Abby Reisman, Brenda Santos, Eric Foner, Grant Wiggins, Jay McTighe, James Verrilli, Jon Bassett, Gary Shiffman, Sam Wineburg, Sonia Nieto, and Zaretta Hammond. We give special thanks to Joel Breakstone and the Stanford History Education Group. Their work has fundamentally shaped the way we teach history.

Many thanks to the Wiley team: Kezia Endsley, Amy Fandrei, Pete Gaughan, and Mary Beth Rosswurm. Thanks to those who gave feedback to those early drafts: Brett Peiser, Charles Mahoney, Dave Marshall, Jamielee Green, James Verrilli, Justin Rose, Kim Marshall, and Shana Pyatt. Your insights made the book what it is today. We are also grateful for our writing partner, Morayo Faleyimu, who nurtured the book from its earliest beginnings to its final form.

Art: The path that led me to this book was paved with the work and influence of so many people in my life. To Michael Mann, who saw something in me as a 21‐year‐old college kid and hired me as his founding middle school history teacher, thank you for being the best school principal I have ever known, for always believing in me, for being my advocate, and for never settling for anything less than the best for our students. You continue to inspire me. To Emily Mann and Jesse Rector: you were the two most important mentors whom I learned from in my first years of teaching. What I have learned from you continues to shape my work as an educator. To Mike Taubman, thank you for your brotherhood during this 18‐year journey as educators. You have been there for me at my best and worst moments and your research and thought partnership helped to shape this book. To my mother, Joan Worrell, thank you for your quiet strength and undying love. The sacrifices that you and dad made for me gave me the chance to do what I love; there is no greater gift that I could have asked for. To my sister, Shana Pyatt, I am an educator because of you. Thank you for instilling a love of learning in me, for loving me unconditionally, and for being the best sister, mother, daughter, and aunt anyone could ask for. Thank you to my aunts Ana and Ina and my Uncle Fred. This book was written at a very challenging time in my life. Your love and support shepherded my mother, sister, and me through our darkest moments and allowed me the opportunity to complete this work. To Brian Worrell, the cousin who became my brother, thank you for always being willing to listen to ideas and share a laugh during the long hours of work on this text. To my amazing wife, Juliana, you've always challenged me to be my best self. I have learned so much from you as a transformative school leader and as the amazing mother of our three children. You are my muse. Without you, this book would not be possible. I love you and thank you for taking this journey through life with me. To my children, Arthur Jr., Gabriel, and Isabella. The joy that you three have brought to my life is immeasurable. This book has been a labor of love, and if I didn't have you three to escape to each day, I'm not sure that I could have done it. To Jay and Juliana Collins, thank you for your support and guidance and for being amazing grandparents to my children. To Jay Collins Jr., thank you for being a role model and uncle to my children and a brother to me. Last, thank you to my dad, Johnnie H. Worrell Sr., and my brother, Johnnie H. Worrell Jr. I miss you both beyond what words can describe. I write this book in honor of your memory.

Paul: I was only 17 years old when my high school teacher Donald Sprague pushed me to make connections between the past and the present, and I will never forget it. Such a seemingly small moment in class was a key turning point in the trajectory of my life. In many ways, this book is a tribute to all teachers like him. And what a beautiful moment, that while writing this book, my daughter Ana graduated from college as a history major. I give thanks to all the history teachers of my children, and I give gratitude for the history lessons my children have taught me—Ana, Maria, and Nico. Thank you for all your support to me over the years! And to my wife