Taking in the keynote from Andrew Coyne at the BCSSTA fall 2025 conference. #bced #bcsocialstudies #bcssta

Sometimes when conducting research, you get a glimpse into the imaginations of former readers. The legacies of shared textbooks. #Kilroy, bookworms and pencil imprints of pennies❤️.
archive.org/details/hist... #cdnhistory #historicalthinking #sschat

Is Mackenzie King frustrated with European politics, or completely opposed to Canadian participation in a looming conflict? CHATs can serve as both formative assessment and an entrance point for deeper historical inquiry. #sschat #iteachsocialstudies #bced #cdnhistory

tothepast.ca/close-readin...

Like "discrepant events" in science class, reading conflicting accounts of a historical event generates the types of questions and curiosity that drive historical enquiry. (@kcbarton.bsky.social). #SSchat #CdnHistory #CanadianHistory #bced #HTchat #Iteachsocialstudies

tothepast.ca/corroboratio...

Determining the best structure of an assessment can be challenging. Would it be more effective for Ss to evaluate the Champlain's depiction of the Battle at Ticonderoga in isolation? Or would adding CW Jeffrey's interpretation generate a more robust exploration of strengths and weaknesses? #sschat

Inferential statements suggest ideas, connections, and interpretations not explicitly stated in a text. Knowing the difference between inferential/non-inferential statements helps Ss better evaluate interpretations and generate their own. #sschat #cdnhistory #HTchat

tothepast.ca/inference-ma...

Teaching the difference between questions that require the recall of factual information and those that require judgement is an important step towards students engaging in disciplinary inquiry. #sschat #cdnhistory #bced #historicalthinking #HTchat

tothepast.ca/questioning-...

Teaching the history of the Métis in the Northwest in the 1800s? Invite your Ss to practice sourcing, close reading, and contextualizing on a daily basis using our CHATs focused on The Battle of Seven Oaks, Laws of St. Laurent, and Métis resistance! #sschat #cdnhistory

tothepast.ca/assessing-hi...

Students encounter an unfamiliar word in L.J. Montcalm to the Marshal de Belle Isle during the Seven Years War. The dictionary provides two possible meanings. Can they identify the likeliest usage based on a close reading of the source? #sschat #cdnhistory #historicalthinking

bit.ly/MontcalmtoBe...

Seems legit. Aggressive bunny behaviour seems to be strongly corroborated by source B and C as well.

Invite students to draw upon their background knowledge (or use that which is provided in the assessment) to predict the date of a source's creation: tothepast.ca/contextualiz... #sschat #cdnhistory #canadianhistory #bced #canada #tothepast

Hi Shirley,

Thank you for your thoughts regarding the assessment. I couldn't screenshot the entire assessment, and so was posted was slightly modified. This is the full question format that I usually use:

Asking students to compare two inferences from a single text and determine which is more plausible is a simple but important exercise in close reading. It also serves as a regular reminder to students re: the interpretive nature of history.
#sschat #CanadianHistory

tothepast.ca/392-2/

Asking students to identify whether accounts are complementary, contrasting, conflicting, or corroborating (Thx @arthurjchapman.bsky.social) draws students in to a close reading of texts, and often into rich discussions of sourcing as well.

Try it with your students: bit.ly/tothepastCA #sschat