Every history teacher knows how hard it is to entertain students to read. They holding every research project exclusively to the web and it leaves them with little patience of extended argument or responsiveness for buried scholarship. Using books as a resource has become a extensive unemotional for teaching and learning.
Trained is no charm bullet. But some strategies can balm. Number one, distinguish distinctly which research tasks are to be done on - line and which through books. If you set a sort to write a note about women in 1920s USA, then do it on - line, where crackerjack is a mass of colourful material and pictures they can download. With a shortlist of recommended sites a spanking class can get it done in a lesson. If you set the same American history class to analyse the problems created by Prohibition, then the web will give them endless vivid anecdote with too little reliable analysis. This is one for the books. Explain why and ban the web completely.
Second, set out from where they are. Many students do in fact read. The problem is that they don ' t read the dense historical stuff we want to set them. No surprise. So give them a mixture. Our American history group could read Steinbeck ' s Of Mice and Men or Harper Lee ' s To Kill a Mockingbird. But add Bill Bryson ' s Made in America and then Lucy Moore ' s wonderful Anything Goes and you have arrived at a highly readable, informative and well - argued historical text. Mix it up.
Third, and especially at 16 - 18, set them short ( 2 - 5 page ) extracts from a number of books each time you set an essay. If your budget allows, photocopy the extracts and hand them out as a booklet. Teach them how to make good, concise and usable book notes and take them in to mark regularly. Discuss the different authors ' views.
Persuade your librarian to shift some or all of the history books into your history classrooms. Build using your history library into your lessons and set them to borrow and use library books for personal study.
Alternatively - and in my experience most successfully of all - create teaching and learning units in each year that are studied in the library, exclusively using library books. You need a sympathetic librarian. I ' ve had classes building cardboard castles in the library, or making presentations about design, fashion or sport. Give your librarian plenty of notice so that there will be a sufficient range of books and they are not out on loan when you need them. Study the Tudor court, aspects of Empire or women or medicine in history. Wars are always well covered. Think also about using the art of the period you are studying. Transfer examination classes to the library while they are researching and writing coursework.
There will always be students who are reluctant to read. The web is a wonderful resource. But reading adds essential depth. Construct fun tasks with an obvious purpose and your students will surprise both you and themselves. It won ' t be long before every department in the school is scheduling library units. Make sure you get the credit.
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