Sam Wineberg talks about the pictures from the past that interfere with student learning.  We tried to design activities that would explicitly uncover 1) student preconceptions about the past; and 2) problems reading beyond surface-level decoding of text-based sources.  In other words, how accurately can students imagine the past through the mental pictures that the author gives in any text or piece of documentary evidence?  A related question is no less important: how likely are students to revise their mental pictures of the past in the face of new evidence?

The following materials helped us in our classes with two or more elements of this "picturing the past" problem of practice.

Four-Square Charts

This strategy asks students to draw/describe memorable pictures from a piece of text or video.  The goals of this lesson are for the teacher to 1) check for reading comprehension; 2) discuss what effective writing or video production looks like; 3) uncover stereotypes or previous learning which may be enhancing or interfering with understanding of a text or video; and 4) use student interests and observations as a springboard for further learning.

Our team found that this strategy worked well with English Language Learners because it allowed them to demonstrate either basic or complex ideas gleaned from a source.  It helped teachers evaluate students with IEPs that had reading comprehension goals as well.  Although a few high-school level students resisted drawing a "picture" of the past, they frequently responded to the idea of bulleted note-taking that had to elaborate on a source.

               Samples of student work using this strategy

               A blank four-square/picturing the past chart that can be adapted for any unit/grade level.

               Quick start guide for this strategy with details about how to use it and debrief it