Empowered Thinkers

Learners have spent the last couple of weeks taking a deep dive into the one-term presidency of John Adams, the tumultuous presidential election of 1800 and the personal and political life of Thomas Jefferson and his attempts to unite a nation. Did these two presidents follow the advice of George Washington? What impact did these men have on the new republic in those formative years and the years to follow?

We can learn a lot about the beliefs and values of other people by listening to the words they say and paying close attention to their actions. What can be said about someone who acts in a way that is inconsistent with, or even the opposite of, their stated beliefs?  Learners examined a variety of primary source documents containing statements made by Founding Father and third U.S. President, Thomas Jefferson, and investigated his actions to determine if he lived up to his word. Careful consideration was taken not to lead their thinking or offer any preconceived notions (my job is to teach children how to think, not what to think). This exercise was simply meant to offer students an opportunity to further develop their critical thinking skills and offer them opportunities to analyze and evaluate information so that they are able to make their own informed judgments about their research - one of the most important literacy skills we can develop in learners. The conversations during the Gallery Walk were certainly worth listening to. In hindsight, I should have recorded some of their exchanges. They were that good. They were most thoughtful in their evaluations and were careful to hone in on the evidence that would support their conclusions. Their discussions were less about opinion and more about facts - they were modeling for one another the type of thinking that happens when one feels empowered to choose their own thoughts about the information they are receiving. While students came to different conclusions about Jefferson's beliefs and values, each had solid evidence to support their thinking.

The BIG questions: What do we do with this information? How does this help us as learners? 

Learner Reflection: 

• I feel like I can decide for myself about how I think about information. I don't have to let someone else tell me how to think about what I read.

• This was challenging, but not frustrating. I was able to make sense of all of the information and decide for myself what it meant.

• This was kind of hard, but I did learn two new things: 1) that Thomas Jefferson's actions didn't always match up with his words and 2) that I can look at information and decide for myself what it all means.

• I feel smarter now that I can look at information and decide what it means. I'm a good bias detective and know that someone else's opinions and beliefs don't have to be my own opinions and beliefs.

This is what twenty-first-century literacy looks like.