Week 3 Reflection

In reflecting on yesterday’s class, I think historical thinking is important for students to try. I also like the idea of exploring several types of documents regarding the same subject. Not only does it allow students to understand biases, but also see the same story from several perspectives. Before yesterday’s class, I only heard the story of Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat on the bus, but I never heard about the events happening a year or a few years beforehand that led up to her refusal. I also did not know the mass participation of the bus boycotts in Montgomery. It really makes me wonder about events in history I have taken as true without seeing it within a larger context and what might have influenced such events. I want my students not to learn only facts from a single perspective but multiple perspectives. History is much more complex and interesting in this light. The only thing I did not enjoy about historical thinking is the pacing. I think the slower pace made my thoughts wander quicker rather than stay on task. All in all however, I liked the structure of this class because it was much different from what I did in my social studies classes as a student.