Reflect on Your Practice

In this section, you will reflect on ways that you have activated students' current knowledge and understanding of history topics and vocabulary that may not have seemed relevant to them. You will explore specifically how you "break the ice" with students and bring them to the study of history topics that seem disconnected from their own lives. Discuss the following questions with your colleagues or reflect on them in your journal. Use specific examples wherever possible.

1. In the case of the Progressive Era -- and other broad history topics -- students may believe that they have no prior knowledge (or misinformation) about the topic. How do you help students recognize that they do in fact know something (or think they know something) about the topic/era/historical period? What are some methods that you use to bring out their prior knowledge? (For example, regarding civil service, child labor regulations, school attendance, health regulations, zoning, and cleaning up cities.)
2. Why is it important and helpful to the learning process to show students that they have prior knowledge?
3. How do you incorporate the information or misinformation you get back from students?