I have been playing around with some ideas on how to use AI tech tools in class. I don’t want to use a tool just for the purpose of trying something new, but want to find a creative way of adding value for my students. Not every student has access to the various tools that can be found online, so I am not doing anything yet that is a required assignment; just thinking about enrichment options.
Most of what I have explored recently has been a result of purchasing a premium subscription to ChatGPT. The additional GPTs that this offers access to are incredibly useful. The featured image for this post was created by AI.
1. Historical Document Analyzer (ChatGPT)
I discovered this historical document analyzer when I was looking for AI options to assist with student research. As my students were finalizing their National History Day projects over the last month there have been a number of handwritten 19th-century primary sources that they found but struggled to read. After joking with them about their inability to read cursive, I looked at several of the sources and realized I too struggled to read what was written. I tested out several documents, surprised at what it could do. In those moments where the tool failed to pick up certain words or sentences, there was still enough to help deduce the main idea or provide me enough context to figure the remaining pieces out on my own. The tool also provided context and significant about the document. An example of a document I asked the AI to read, and what it produced, is below.
This image shows a historical military telegram from the War Department of the United States, dated July 17, 11:30 AM, 1864. It reads:
Time Received 11:30 AM Cipher 7 Outlet
United States Military Telegraph, War Department.
July 17, 11:30 AM, 1864
To Lieut. Gen. Grant City Point, Va.
In your despatch of yesterday to Gen. Sherman, I find the following, [quote]: “I shall make a desperate effort to get a position here which will hold the enemy without the necessity of so many men.”
Pressed as we are by lack of time, I am glad to hear you say this; and yet I do hope you may find a way that the effort shall not be desperate in the sense of great loss of life.
2. Historical Image Analyzer (ChatGPT)
Another GPT offered through a premium subscription with ChatGPT is a historical image analyzer. This has been useful to help students provide historical significance, detailed descriptions, or general analysis for any image. I’ve used this AI tool with historical photos, paintings, political cartoons, and more. Some of my students have also used this to support their research. Below is an example of what one of my students asked the GPT about an image of students at the Carlisle School.
Prompt: What is the historical significance and context of this picture of the Carlisle School?
The photograph you’ve shared appears to be of a group of Native American children at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, which was the flagship Indian boarding school in the United States from its founding in 1879 until its closure in 1918.
The school was located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and was established by an Army officer named Richard Henry Pratt. His philosophy was embodied in the phrase, “Kill the Indian, save the man,” which succinctly captures the ethos of the era’s cultural assimilation policy towards Native Americans. The intent of this and similar institutions was to forcibly assimilate Native American youth into Euro-American culture, believing this was the only way they could be integrated into American society.
At Carlisle and other boarding schools, Native American children were taken from their families and communities, their names were often changed, and they were prohibited from speaking their native languages or practicing their cultures and religions. They were dressed in uniforms, as seen in the photo, to enforce conformity and erase individual and cultural identities. The curriculum focused on vocational training and the inculcation of values and behaviors deemed appropriate by the dominant culture.
The historical significance of this photo lies in its representation of a controversial chapter in U.S. history where the government and various institutions actively worked to suppress indigenous cultures. The legacy of boarding schools like Carlisle is a painful subject for many Native communities, as it involved loss of language, culture, and familial bonds, and for some students, it included experiences of abuse.
Today, such images serve as powerful reminders of the past injustices faced by Native Americans and are used to educate and inform discussions about the ongoing process of reconciliation and cultural preservation.
3. Historical Voices (ChatGPT)
I have seen several historical chatbots of varying quality. I have not used them for formal activities yet, but they have been fun to test. I have waded in to some conversations to explore how tools such as this one can be used for point-of-view and contextualization practice. The obvious risk with these is a failure to fact check specific claims. However, as long as the prompts are well crafted, I have not noticed any tendencies for misinformation or incorrect historical details yet. I have also been wondering if I can use this tool to create some simulated historical debates. This is definitely something I need to play around with a bit more.
4. Otter.AI
This tool is not connected to ChatGPT nor is it specific to the social studies classroom. My tech integration specialist brought it to my attention in our PLC when I was complaining about the necessity of listening to the recordings of my student’s Harkness discussions. Otter.ai will take the recording and turn it into a easily readable transcript. Since I often break my classes into smaller groups for discussions, asking one of the groups to record themselves while I engage with the other, this has been an excellent time saver.
5. GPTs for AP World History
Last school year I wrote a post that explored the limits of ChatGPT in writing DBQs and LEQs for students. While the free version of ChatGPT still has those struggles, there are a number of tools unlocked with a premium account that can do far more.
My favorite ones are those designed to help teachers. I have had the AI write reading quizzes for me, help me construct my own DBQs, write review material, fine tine activities, and more. Many of these GPTs seem to be designed specifically with teachers in mind. However, there are some that are built for students and serve as tutors and review support specifically for AP World.
Thankfully, I have not found one that will write a 6/6 LEQ yet, though I am sure someone is working on it. My final take-away is that the tools I have discovered through the premium subscription with ChatGPT these last few months has been well worth it. I promise I have not been paid to say that…
AI is not going away. So we may as well use it as effectively as we can!