Mysteries in History

• Access prior knowledge by reading from a narrative of an event
• Explain to the students that they will be using several documents to address a mystery or question.
• Use a map, broadside, poem, political cartoon, or journal entry to hook the students' attention.
• Target the inquiry with a focus question.

• Teachers or students collect relevant and sometimes conflicting primary and secondary sources that provide intrigue.
• Students read and analyze the documents in pairs or small groups and take notes based on the following questions (several different documents can be used):

THE INVESTIGATION

1. Clarify historic context (Who, What, When, Where)?
2. Explain the author's point of view. (Why was it written?)
3. How do you know this document is a reliable source?
4. How can this document help me answer the focus question? (Is this reliable to my investigative question? How does it stand up against other sources?)

Students should individually generate interpretations of the documents based on the focus question.

• Students will work together in small groups and share their interpretations of the focus question citing documents as evidence.
• Multiple interpretations can emerge and may or may not be accepted by all.

• Formulate a thesis that answers the focus question and explains what happened. Report in writing citing evidence for the documents:


• Write to Inform
  Summarize the thesis (position)
       Or
  Develop an action plan for presenting the report


• Write to persuade
  Make recommendations or arguments