Saturday, January 8, 2011

D.C. Everest Social Studies infuses DBQ writing 6-12


Document-based writing, which is a staple of the College Board Advanced Placement assessments, have been implemented in high school AP classes at D.C. Everest over the past two decades. Over the past two years, DBQ writing has been practiced in the junior high at 8th grade U.S. History and 9th grade American Institutions. Recently the process of writing essays with primary sources has been extended to the Middle School as well. The D.C. Everest Social Studies Department 6-12 held a one day workshop on DBQ writing for its staff 6-12 and invited Phil Roden to speak about the DBQ Project. DBQ writing is a fabulous way to improve writing skills while promoting thinking in the social studies classroom! Historyteacher.net as well as Peter Pappas' blog are two outstanding sites to learn about DBQs.

Students Make History in Weston, WI.

The Oral History Project students at D.C. Everest have been recognized by the Portal Wisconsin blog. According to their website, www.portalwisconsin.org is a Web site created by the Wisconsin Cultural Coalition to support the state’s culture, arts, humanities and history. Our culture and arts blog, begun in February 2009, offers site visitors a new place to discover Wisconsin’s rich resources in the arts and humanities. Recently the D. C. Oral History Project published Zaj Lus: A Hmong Children's Story Collection as well as a Collection or veteran interviews on the Iraq War titled The Iraq War and Occupation: A Struggle for Democracy. The Club is currently working on a new collection of oral interviews on Wisconsin Women: Celebrating Their Contributions. The D.C. Everest Oral History Project was the 2009 recipient of the American Historical Association's Albert Beveridge K-12 Teaching Award!