Our department's 9th grade foundational course is interdisciplinary and uses the C3 Framework; its called Geographic Cultural Studies. Courses and curriculum are always works in progress. This course has been successful so far and I am very happy with the rigor it has added to our curriculum, however, there are some adjustments needed to make it better. Some of the adjustments were related to content, so that it aligns better with our 10th grade World History course, and others are related to prioritization of the C3 standards and unit structure to support a transition to standards-based / competency-based instruction and assessment.
Harkness
Continuing with the Harkness Method in Social Studies
The last couple weeks I have been doing Harkness discussions in all my classes, 9th, 10th, and 12th graders. This has been an expansion from last year, where I just used it in my AP World History classes. I have continued to appreciate how Harkness discussions provide opportunities for engagement, application of learning, analysis, and student voice.
Teaching Material Culture and the Dutch Golden Age in AP World History
The Netherlands in the seventeenth century was the center of a series of economic and social transformations that would redefine the way Europeans viewed the world around. This first age of truly global commerce saw the exchange of objects of commerce, objects of beauty, and objects of science. This moment cannot be understood without considering Dutch historical trends alongside the simultaneous power of the Scientific Revolution, the rise of the Atlantic World, and the nature of global exchange. Through the exploration of changing material culture in this moment, students can be exposed to deeper historical analysis and higher order thinking.
I tried Harkness in AP World… it went great!
My teaching partner and I decided to try a Harkness Discussion in AP World. After two attempts we love it and will continue with it as a core practice. Here is what came out of our first two attempts.