“After looking at the evaluations and interviews, we recognized that students in each class gained proficiency in three key historical skills: their ability to (1) closely analyze primary and secondary sources, (2) draw novel conclusions from evidence, and (3) communicate their findings.” (Saladin & Crosson, 37)
This quote sums up perfectly why doing history is important. For students to gain historical skills by using interdisciplinary skills is to create habits that will guide them in other academic research, through multiple disciplines. Creating maps may seem like a geological skill, but doing so involves heavy history-centered research based on primary sources. Evaluating evidence and creating something based on gained knowledge is the goal of Bloom’s Taxonomy!
“This assignment only took approximately two weeks, but students’ resulting story map applied a new geographic lens to secondary scholarship that led them to both confirm and challenge the underlying claims of that scholarship.” (Saladin & Crosson, 38)
Challenging scholarship is an incredible accomplishment, especially when that is not the end goal for any given assignment. Students can be hesitant to criticize scholars, which is logical, but not always helpful for developing historical skills. By challenging scholarly authorities on any given topic, students are showing that they are getting their metaphorical hands dirty with primary sourcing and the historiography of the scholarship. This is exactly what doing history means!
“…one student was able to pin a piece of religious art to the specific monastery for which it was made…” (Saladin & Crosson, 52)
I appreciated this quote because it shows that story maps do not have to be actual cartography. Story maps are useful for a variety of different projects, assignments, and situations. The reading shows us this by the diversity of assignments that were based on story maps. Being able to associate different forms of art with the time period and region where they were created is an incredible historical skill, and one that I would like my own students to be able to do one day. Art is incredibly valuable to contextualizing any given historical period, and this project shows exactly why.
