Students with learning, attention, and executive functioning problems may have difficulty recalling facts (dates, names, places, etc.) in history. To actively read a history textbook, struggling students are encouraged to organize those facts for an event as they read.
Teachers and educational psychologists suggest that organized information is retained and recalled better than disorganized input. The type of factual knowledge in history is thought to be best organized by event.
This is a sample of what students learn in Student Success!
Capture Event Details as You Read
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Download the “Event Clustering Chart.”
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As you read, write down the people, places, dates, etc. that go with each historical event by answering the following “Wh-questions.”
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When? When did the event happen?
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Who? Who was involved in the event?
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Where? Where did the event happen? and/or Where were people impacted by the event?
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What? What happened?, What was the event about?, and/or What happened because of the event?
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Why? Why did the event happen? Why was the event important?
For example, if you are reading in U.S. History about the Proclamation of 1763, you would record the following facts about that event. Do this for all the events during the time period 1763 – 1776, and you’ll have an organized study guide when it’s time to prepare for your test on why the 13 Colonies rebelled against British control.
Need Help Applying This Concept?
This is a sample of students learn in Student Success.
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(c) 2010-2019, Monte W. Davenport, Ph.D.
