Chronological vs. Thematic Approach to U.S. History

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Chronological vs. Thematic Approach to U.S. History

by curiositycat

Apr 12, 2011

I'm currently with a team from my independent school visiting three other independent schools that our headmaster recommended as exemplary schools. The first middle school we saw uses the traditional chronological approach to U.S. history whereas the second one uses a thematic approach (in this case, they begin with an intro to American citizenship and then move into the American experience from the perspective of a variety of different groups: Native Americans, Latin Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, and immigrants; this study is tied to their literature in their English class). I'm well familiar with the chronological approach, but I'd love to hear more about the thematic approach if anyone else out there is using it, especially if it's connected to the students' English class in some way. Thanks!

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Lynde I think it would be terribly confusing for many if not most students to go back and forth. I also have a tendency to feel that "themes" are somewhat dubious. The people who experienced the events of the past had no idea or way of having an idea that they were living a "theme." They were simply reacting to the problems they were experiencing at the ...See MoreI think it would be terribly confusing for many if not most students to go back and forth. I also have a tendency to feel that "themes" are somewhat dubious. The people who experienced the events of the past had no idea or way of having an idea that they were living a "theme." They were simply reacting to the problems they were experiencing at the time. I'd be much more interested in helping students "experience" history in the sense of developing a sense of empathy with what these folks were going through. I'm reminded of a diary I've inherited from a great-great-great-great?? grandmother who immigrated across the Appalachians into the Ohio River Valley in 1767. She tells of conflicts with the Native Americans (I now teach on a reservation, by the way). Her stories are not racist--simply factual. She was afraid for her life and the lives of her husband and children. Her perspective was that the land was available to whoever came there, and everyone just has to move over a few feet to make room for newcomers. But she was well aware that her family was hated--thus the fear. I get the feeling that she did not see herself as part of a trend of racism or greedy English. Anyway, just my thought.

On 4/12/11, Joe/HS/CT wrote: > My school's U.S. History course is organized thematically. > There is a different theme every nine weeks. (I don't teach > the course, so I can't remember the themes off of the top of > my head.) To be honest, most of the teachers in my department > would prefer to go back to a chronological approach. Students > have a hard time making the connections within each theme, > and especially struggle with going back and forth in time so > much each unit. I teach primarily World History, and organize > my course chronologically with a major theme emphasis for > each time period. I find that to be much more manageable for > myself and my students! Joe > > On 4/12/11, curiositycat wrote: >> I'm currently with a team from my independent school >> visiting three other independent schools that our >> headmaster recommended as exemplary schools. The first >> middle school we saw uses the traditional chronological >> approach to U.S. history whereas the second one uses a >> thematic approach (in this case, they begin with an intro >> to American citizenship and then move into the American >> experience from the perspective of a variety of different >> groups: Native Americans, Latin Americans, African >> Americans, Asian Americans, and immigrants; this study is >> tied to their literature in their English class). I'm well >> familiar with the chronological approach, but I'd love to >> hear more about the thematic approach if anyone else out >> there is using it, especially if it's connected to the >> students' English class in some way. Thanks!

Apr 12, 2011

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curiositycat Thanks so much for the input, Joe and Lynde. Since you both pointed out the students' tendency to get temporally confused, that is certainly something to consider. I saw a thematic-approach curriculum online in which the teacher has the students keep a running timeline all year, adding events all year so that the students can get a visual sense of ...See MoreThanks so much for the input, Joe and Lynde. Since you both pointed out the students' tendency to get temporally confused, that is certainly something to consider. I saw a thematic-approach curriculum online in which the teacher has the students keep a running timeline all year, adding events all year so that the students can get a visual sense of how events relate. That seems like it would alleviate the confusion to some extent (heck, my kids use an ongoing timeline now, and we're working chronologically!). Thanks again!

On 4/12/11, Lynde wrote: > I think it would be terribly confusing for many if not most > students to go back and forth. I also have a tendency to feel > that "themes" are somewhat dubious. The people who experienced > the events of the past had no idea or way of having an idea that > they were living a "theme." They were simply reacting to the > problems they were experiencing at the time. I'd be much more > interested in helping students "experience" history in the sense > of developing a sense of empathy with what these folks were > going through. I'm reminded of a diary I've inherited from a > great-great-great-great?? grandmother who immigrated across the > Appalachians into the Ohio River Valley in 1767. She tells of > conflicts with the Native Americans (I now teach on a > reservation, by the way). Her stories are not racist--simply > factual. She was afraid for her life and the lives of her > husband and children. Her perspective was that the land was > available to whoever came there, and everyone just has to move > over a few feet to make room for newcomers. But she was well > aware that her family was hated--thus the fear. I get the > feeling that she did not see herself as part of a trend of > racism or greedy English. Anyway, just my thought. > > > On 4/12/11, Joe/HS/CT wrote: >> My school's U.S. History course is organized thematically. >> There is a different theme every nine weeks. (I don't teach >> the course, so I can't remember the themes off of the top of >> my head.) To be honest, most of the teachers in my department >> would prefer to go back to a chronological approach. Students >> have a hard time making the connections within each theme, >> and especially struggle with going back and forth in time so >> much each unit. I teach primarily World History, and organize >> my course chronologically with a major theme emphasis for >> each time period. I find that to be much more manageable for >> myself and my students! Joe >> >> On 4/12/11, curiositycat wrote: >>> I'm currently with a team from my independent school >>> visiting three other independent schools that our >>> headmaster recommended as exemplary schools. The first >>> middle school we saw uses the traditional chronological >>> approach to U.S. history whereas the second one uses a >>> thematic approach (in this case, they begin with an intro >>> to American citizenship and then move into the American >>> experience from the perspective of a variety of different >>> groups: Native Americans, Latin Americans, African >>> Americans, Asian Americans, and immigrants; this study is >>> tied to their literature in their English class). I'm well >>> familiar with the chronological approach, but I'd love to >>> hear more about the thematic approach if anyone else out >>> there is using it, especially if it's connected to the >>> students' English class in some way. Thanks!

Apr 13, 2011

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Griot An important aspect of teaching history is the sense of time. It is also important to link current study on that timeline to incidents and people of the past who affected them. That seems confusing to do without logical time progression. I am sure there are some interesting teachers who enjoy thematic approaches and probably do a good job - it just...See More

Apr 14, 2011

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Lynde Good point! Never thought of it quite that way before. Logical perspective.

On 4/14/11, Griot wrote: > An important aspect of teaching history is the sense of time. It is also > important to link current study on that timeline to incidents and people > of the past who affected them. That seems confusing to do without > logical ...See More

Apr 14, 2011

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Kelly Trachta On 4/12/11, Lynde wrote: > I think it would be terribly confusing for many if not most > students to go back and forth. I also have a tendency to feel > that "themes" are somewhat dubious. The people who experienced > the events of the past had no idea or way of having an idea that > they were living a "theme." They were simply react...See MoreOn 4/12/11, Lynde wrote: > I think it would be terribly confusing for many if not most > students to go back and forth. I also have a tendency to feel > that "themes" are somewhat dubious. The people who experienced > the events of the past had no idea or way of having an idea that > they were living a "theme." They were simply reacting to the > problems they were experiencing at the time. I'd be much more > interested in helping students "experience" history in the sense > of developing a sense of empathy with what these folks were > going through. I'm reminded of a diary I've inherited from a > great-great-great-great?? grandmother who immigrated across the > Appalachians into the Ohio River Valley in 1767. She tells of > conflicts with the Native Americans (I now teach on a > reservation, by the way). Her stories are not racist--simply > factual. She was afraid for her life and the lives of her > husband and children. Her perspective was that the land was > available to whoever came there, and everyone just has to move > over a few feet to make room for newcomers. But she was well > aware that her family was hated--thus the fear. I get the > feeling that she did not see herself as part of a trend of > racism or greedy English. Anyway, just my thought. > > > On 4/12/11, Joe/HS/CT wrote: >> My school's U.S. History course is organized thematically. >> There is a different theme every nine weeks. (I don't teach >> the course, so I can't remember the themes off of the top of >> my head.) To be honest, most of the teachers in my department >> would prefer to go back to a chronological approach. Students >> have a hard time making the connections within each theme, >> and especially struggle with going back and forth in time so >> much each unit. I teach primarily World History, and organize >> my course chronologically with a major theme emphasis for >> each time period. I find that to be much more manageable for >> myself and my students! Joe >> >> On 4/12/11, curiositycat wrote: >>> I'm currently with a team from my independent school >>> visiting three other independent schools that our >>> headmaster recommended as exemplary schools. The first >>> middle school we saw uses the traditional chronological >>> approach to U.S. history whereas the second one uses a >>> thematic approach (in this case, they begin with an intro >>> to American citizenship and then move into the American >>> experience from the perspective of a variety of different >>> groups: Native Americans, Latin Americans, African >>> Americans, Asian Americans, and immigrants; this study is >>> tied to their literature in their English class). I'm well >>> familiar with the chronological approach, but I'd love to >>> hear more about the thematic approach if anyone else out >>> there is using it, especially if it's connected to the >>> students' English class in some way. Thanks!

Oct 27, 2014

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