Toronto change and continuity

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Change and Continuity

“Come on, Bart. History can be fun. It’s like anamusement park except instead of rides, you getto memorize dates.”—Marge Simpson in “Margical History Tour,” an episode of The

Simpsons that aired on December 22, 2004

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Human Timeline

• Begin with events, then add dates, people and time periods. Ask them how they will represent periods or events that stretch over time such as residential schools.

• Use cards, posters or tabards with visual images.• Finally, stick the whole thing on the wall (with blu-tack,

so you can take it down and get them to do it again in a few weeks – "Oh look kids, the cleaners have taken down our timeline – we need to put it up again.”)

(adapted from Ian Dawson, Thinking History)

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• If you have one big timeline, have students stand in a slight crescent so everyone can see everyone else. A straight line doesn’t work for visibility.

• Try two timelines face to face so students can compare.

• If you don’t have enough students in your class use chairs or stuffed toys to make up the numbers or to increase the length of the line if you venture back into time BCE.

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Options: focus on..

• chronological conventions such as BCE and CE or dates and centuries. e. g., 1867 is in the 19th century.

• key elements of change and continuity, e.g., turning points, progress and decline, periodization 

• "big pictures" such as themes and narratives and all the complexities involved, e.g., the story of work, democracy, the Canadian national identity, human rights, etc. Emphasize interpretation and diversity. Return to and revise regularly.

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Make History Meaningful by Building Connections: Exploring Continuity and Change through Enhanced Timelines

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Guideposts to Understanding Continuity and Change

1. Continuity and change are interwoven: both can exist together. Chronologies—the sequencing of events—can be a good starting point.

2. Change is a process, with varying paces and patterns. Turning points are moments when the process of change shifts in direction or pace.

3. Progress and decline are broad evaluations of change over time. Depending on the impacts of change, progress for one people may be decline for another.

4. Periodization helps us organize our thinking about continuity and change. It is a process of interpretation, by which we decide which events or developments constitute a period of history.

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Dodgy Questions Game

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Your Tasks (but for the first and last task, in whatever order suits you):

• Choose a historical thinking concept and a unit of study (new or old).

• Establish the big ideas, learning goals, and success criteria for the task/unit.

• Create an essential question/inquiry question.• Decide on how students will demonstrate their

learning. • Plan an introduction to the concept.• Outline subsequent activities.• Develop an assessment plan. • Report on your progress.