History and Geograph

EDX2190 Australian History and Geography: Curriculum and Pedagogy Assignment 1: Geographical Inquiry
Length: 1200 words (+/-10%) & lesson plans Weighting: 25% Task Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to ensure that pre-service educators are provided with the opportunity to engage in an authentic inquiry. Students will develop the necessary skills and strategies needed to complete a geographical inquiry. This first-hand knowledge, experience and appreciation of the inquiry process and its complexities are vital learning for emerging professionals. Task Outline: Your task is to engage in a geographical inquiry and develop a short lesson sequence designed to enable school students to engage in a geographical inquiry into a specific place. Prior to developing your lesson sequence you need to engage with the various stages of geographical inquiry outlined in the Australian Curriculum: Geography (Version 7.5) in order to learn about the place that will be the site of the planned inquiry and to make connections with relevant geographical concepts, pedagogical strategies and curriculum requirements.
This assignment has two main components – field work with a series of journal entries based on your own inquiry into the place and its utility as a site for an F-10 geographical inquiry, and a justified lesson sequence for that inquiry. Task 1: Field work and field journal (700 words + photos and/or sketches) Step 1: Utilising the geographical inquiry model from the Australian Curriculum (observe; question; plan; collect, record, evaluate and represent; interpret, analyse and conclude; communicate; reflect and respond) you are required to explore a place that you believe has the potential to be a site for a geographical inquiry. When selecting a site make sure it meets the following criteria: a. The site is accessible from a school, b. Your students can engage in several stages of geographical inquiry at the site, and c. The site enables exploration of various relevant geographical concepts, pedagogical strategies and curriculum requirements.
Step 2: During your field work you need to keep a journal to record your thoughts and impressions regarding the potential of the site for a geographical inquiry according to the three criteria above. The first part of your journal should describe the geographical inquiry process you engaged with in order to explore the site’s pedagogical potential for a geographical inquiry for a class of school children.
Step 3: In the second part of your journal, you need to explain the connection between the fieldwork site and Australian Curriculum: Geography. You then need to justify your choice of site for the fieldwork with reference to that Curriculum and inquiry pedagogy. Your justification should consistently make connections between the site, geographical inquiry pedagogy, and the Geography curriculum. Task 2: Lesson plans (template completed) and justification (500 words) Step 4: Develop a sequence of two lessons to guide students in their geographical inquiry. Your lessons should refer to the location of the fieldwork, include information about how you intend to develop students’ understanding of geographical inquiry and geographical concepts during and before/after the field trip. Justify some key planning decisions in a 500 word document that can be attached to your lesson plan. The proforma below is included to assist in the development of the lesson plans. We have also included an example of a field journal to indicate one possible way of approaching that part of this assignment.
The Submission: One document consisting of: x a title page with your name, student number, course name, assignment number and word count, x the journal (this can consist of scanned, clearly legible copies of written work or a document constructed in Word) including justification for site selection, x completed lesson plan template (the template is a guide. You should add headings to it as you see fit, but you should not remove any sections) x written justification of planning decisions. Task Requirements: 1. Use of APA referencing conventions and style guide 2. The conventions of academic writing must be followed. Please visit the Learning Centre page for guidance. If you require support please contact Learning Centre and make an appointment to work with one of their staff. 3. Extensions must be requested before the due date. These will be granted in accordance with USQ assignment policy.
Sample Assessment
Lesson Sequence Template – Geographical Inquiry
Year Level: Content descriptions: Geographical concepts: Achievement standard:
Inquiry question:
General capabilities:
Cross-curriculum priorities:
Geographical data to be collected during field trip (include data collection method):
Outline administrative requirements associated with field work:
Plan to guide inquiry: (pre or post fieldtrip, and fieldtrip) Lesson 1
Lesson 2
***Plus 500 word justification***
Performance Criteria HD-B C F Mark Field journal Student has described their engagement with the inquiry process and has justified site selection by making sophisticated connections to the Geography curriculum and to geographical inquiry pedagogy Student has recounted their engagement with the inquiry process and has explained site selection and has made clear connections to the Geography curriculum and to geographical inquiry pedagogy Student has identified the inquiry process engaged with and has outlined site selection with reference to relevant aspects of the Geography curriculum and geographical inquiry pedagogy Student has made reference to the inquiry process and site selection with limited reference to the Geography curriculum and/or geographical inquiry pedagogy Planning and justification Student has justified their planning decisions by making sophisticated connections to the Geography curriculum and to geographical inquiry pedagogy Student has explained their planning decisions by making clear connections to the Geography curriculum and to geographical inquiry pedagogy Student has outlined their planning decisions with reference to relevant aspects to the Geography curriculum and to geographical inquiry pedagogy Student has made reference to their planning decisions with limited reference to the Geography curriculum and/or geographical inquiry pedagogy Communication Spelling, grammar, punctuation and referencing are correct. Spelling, grammar, punctuation and referencing are generally correct. Spelling, grammar, punctuation and referencing have some consistent errors. Spelling, grammar, punctuation and referencing have frequent errors. Overall Mark 0 (Automatic calculation)
Student Feedback:
Marker’s Name:
Assignment 1: Hidden Study Skills Before starting any assignment, it is vital that you have a good understanding of what you are being asked to do. The resources below have been collated to guide you through some key stages of the first assignment.
Understanding the task: This ‘Glossary of task words’ is a vital bit of reading. Apply this information when reading the task and criteria sheet. You should revisit it before starting each assignment in this course.
What are you doing? Unsurprisingly, geographical inquiry begins with…inquiry! You have to know what you’re trying to find out when undertaking tasks such as those in assignment 1. You should visit this page to get some further information about developing questions and this one to guide the planning of your inquiry.
Undertaking fieldwork: The quote below is from the QSA. In the last paragraph, several techniques for fieldwork are listed. We have included a link to a document that provides you with some information about geographical conventions. You should refer to these and be sure to employ them in your journal, and include relevant sections in your lesson plan. A teaching program in Geography should provide opportunities for fieldwork at all stages of schooling, as this is an essential component of working geographically. Consider the contexts for undertaking fieldwork and data collection methods when planning, teaching and assessing Geography. Fieldwork is any activity involving the observation and recording of information outside the classroom. It could be within the school grounds, around neighbouring
areas, or in more distant locations. It may occupy part of a lesson, a half-day or a whole day, or it may be an excursion conducted over a number of days. Fieldwork can be undertaken individually or as a group-based activity. Fieldwork opportunities may be provided at a site in the local area. Possible data collection techniques for fieldwork could include: observing, field sketching, taking photographs for labelling and annotating and labelling field maps.
Lesson planning: This resource, produced by the QCAA, has been designed to provide teachers with advice about assignment work appropriate for assessment in Geography. Visit the page to gain a sense of the kind of work students are expected to complete at various year levels.
https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/p-10/aciq/sample-assessments/p-10-geography
Stop working on your assignment: Once you’ve put your assignment together, leave it alone for a couple of days, so that you can return to it with a clear head. Too many assignments are submitted without having been through this vital step. When we constantly work on something we are too close to it to notice some problems with it. For example, the author might know what they mean when they use a particular phrase, but forget to explain it clearly so the reader understands it too. When you return to a piece of writing and read it from a more distant perspective you will pick up issues with clarity, structure and flow that often go unnoticed.
Ask someone else to read your assignment and provide you with feedback. You could ask them to identify the main point, the question you are answering, and your position on the topic. You could ask whether you have addressed various criteria from the marking rubric. Ask them to read part of the essay out loud so that you can hear how another person might be interpreting your writing. Think about what they’re emphasising, what they stumble over, and which parts sound really good.
Read your whole assignment out loud. Read it slowly so that you can pick up on any missing or misplaced words or punctuation.
If you’re finding parts difficult to read and you’re unsure about how to make them clearer you could try the links from the LTSU site: https://www.usq.edu.au/learningcentre/communicationskills/writing-grammar or contact LTSU https://www.usq.edu.au/learningcentre/support-yourself
Unsure about plagiarism? Check out explanation and some examples here http://www.usq.edu.au/plagiarism/infostud

EDX2190 Australian History and Geography: Curriculum and Pedagogy
Assignment 2: Planning and facilitating inquiries
Due Date: 7 January 2016 Length: 1000-1250 words (+/-10%) & lesson sequence Weighting: 25% Task Purpose: This task provides an opportunity for students to plan and facilitate an online Community of Inquiry (CoI) among their peers to develop understanding of a contentious issue associated with the Australian Curriculum: History. Students will then reflect on the learning and teaching skills they developed and utilised in the CoI. This experiential learning will then be combined with theories about inquiry pedagogy, and students will develop a sequence of two lessons to teach a component of the Australian Curriculum: History. Task Outline: x PLAN COI: Individually, or in your group, choose a contentious issue related to content, concepts or pedagogy within the Australian Curriculum: History. This issue will form the foundation of a community of inquiry that the group will plan and facilitate amongst other members of the class. Plan a community of inquiry that reflects your understanding of the information about inquiry pedagogies within Module 1. Facilitate the planned CoI within the designated forum on StudyDesk (online and on campus students are required to use the forum). x WRITE REFLECTION: Individually, write a 500 word reflection on the learning that occurred during the community of inquiry and explain how that learning will impact on your group’s lesson plans. x PLAN LESSONS: Individually, or in your group use the pedagogical understanding gained during the CoI to develop a sequence of two lessons to enable school students to engage in a CoI around the content that formed the foundation of your COI (modify the template from assignment 1 to suit this assignment). x WRITE JUSTIFICATION: Individually, identify a key decision you made related to curriculum requirements, and a key decision related to inquiry pedagogy made during the development of the lesson sequence. Justify your decisions (500 -750 words) with reference to what you learnt throughout the COI, the text book, and other relevant course readings. The Submission: While some of the work for this assignment can be completed within groups, the submission is an individual one. The COI reflection, lesson sequence and justification must be submitted as a Word document with headings for each component of the task. The CoI will be conducted online and is not to be submitted.
Online CoI: A forum will be established on the StudyDesk to enable other members of the class to engage with your/your group’s Community of Inquiry. When adding your COI to this forum please ensure you label the forum as follows: Group number/Name – “contention” e.g. Group 101 – Can we teach about X without first teaching Y?
Task Requirements: 1. Use of APA referencing conventions and style guide 2. The conventions of academic writing must be followed. Please visit the Learning Centre page for guidance. If you require support please contact Learning Centre and make an appointment to work with one of their staff. 3. Extensions must be requested before the due date. These will be granted in accordance with USQ assignment policy.
Example paragraph from a rationale section
Example paragraphs from a reflection section
Performance Criteria HD-B C F Mark Reflection Student explained what they learnt about COIs during their own CoI and how their new knowledge underpinned the development of their lesson sequence Student described what they learnt about COIs during their own CoI and how their new knowledge underpinned the development of their lesson sequence Student identified what they learnt about COIs during their own CoI and how their new knowledge underpinned the development of their lesson sequence Limited identification of what they learnt about COIs during their own CoI and how their new knowledge underpinned the development of their lesson sequence Justification Student has justified their lesson planning decisions by making sophisticated connections to the CoI they facilitated, textbook and relevant course readings Student has explained their lesson planning decisions by making clear connections to the CoI they facilitated, textbook and relevant course readings Student has outlined their lesson planning decisions with reference to the CoI they facilitated, textbook and relevant course readings Limited identification of lesson planning decisions with limited reference to the CoI they facilitated, textbook and relevant course readings Communication Spelling, grammar, punctuation and referencing are correct. Spelling, grammar, punctuation and referencing are generally correct. Spelling, grammar, punctuation and referencing have some consistent errors. Spelling, grammar, punctuation and referencing have frequent errors. Overall Mark 0 (Automatic calculation)
Student Feedback:
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Assignment 2: Hidden Study Skills
Community of Inquiry (COI) tips This page provides some helpful tips for planning and conducting a community of inquiry.
The following interesting suggestion highlights the need to prepare your COI participants because the work they engage in during the inquiry involves more than simply answering questions.
The thinking students do will be:
x caring (each member is an integral member of the community), x creative (new ideas will be sought and encouraged), x critical (good reasons need to be given for ideas and opinions).
Group work: Check out this page for some insight into the stages and processes involved in group work and how to make them work for you. The table below should serve as an easy reference to revisit during group work.
Socratic Method: This is an inquiry method named after Socrates, that provides opportunities to better understand the responses of others engaged in a COI. You can see that the questions are classified according to what they are trying to achieve. Use some of these questions during your lesson planning if you’re working in a group. Everyone should also use them in their COI because you are required to facilitate the COI, not simply post a question.
Conceptual clarification questions
y Why are you saying that? y What exactly does this mean? y What is the nature of …? y Can you give me an example? y Are you saying … or … ? y How does this relate to what we have been talking about? y Can you rephrase that, please? y What do we already know about this?
Questions to probe assumptions
y What else could we assume? y You seem to be assuming … ? y How did you choose those assumptions? y Please explain why/how … ? y How can you verify or disprove that assumption? y What would happen if … ? y Do you agree or disagree with … ?
Questions to probe rationale, reasons and evidence
y Why is that happening? y How do you know this? y Show me … ? y Can you give me an example of that? y What do you think causes … ? y What is the nature of this? y Are these reasons good enough? y Would it stand up in court? y How might it be refuted? y How can I be sure of what you are saying? y Why is … happening? y Why? (keep asking it) y What evidence is there to support what you are saying? y On what authority are you basing your argument?
Questioning viewpoints and perspectives
y Another way of looking at this is …, does this seem reasonable? y What alternative ways of looking at this are there? y Why it is … necessary? y Who benefits from this? y What is the difference between… and…? y Why is it better than …? y What are the strengths and weaknesses of…? y How are … and … similar? y What would … say about it? y What if you compared … and … ? y How could you look another way at this?
Questions about the question
y What was the point of asking that question? y Why do you think I asked this question? y Am I making sense? Why not? y What else might I ask? y What does that mean?
Questions to probe implications and consequences
y Then what would happen? y What are the consequences of that assumption? y How could … be used to … ? y What are the implications of … ? y How does … affect … ? y How does … fit with what we learned before? y Why is … important? y What is the best … ? Why?
Research has suggested that a significant cause of frustration for people working in collaborative groups is the sense that some put in more effort than others. Time management is vital for all
members of a group in order to avoid this, and the following tale (from James Cook University) provides some suggestions for making the most of your time. Message in a bottle In this exercise, the volume of the bottle represents the finite amount of time available to you to do all the things you want to do. You will have to choose how you use this time by filling up the bottle with the various sized rocks.
The gravel below represents small jobs which may be important but which may also be timewasters. The other sized rocks represent jobs of varying importance which also require varying amounts of time. In filling up the bottle (ie managing your time) select the type of gravel or rock (ie the size of project) that you would place in the bottle first.
Sometimes you have to be careful doing a lot of those little jobs first, especially if they are timewasters. You know the ones, like watching “just five minutes of TV” before you start studying!
The danger is that it’s possible to fill the whole jar up without ever finishing that major project.
Not a bad idea to start with some medium sized projects, but don’t forget to prioritise those major projects first, because they may not all fit in.
Remember too, that while some of those little jobs may be time-wasters, some may grow into major crises if not attended to (like taking the time to fill up the car with petrol!). If we decide that a mix of differently sized jobs have to fit in the bottle, the problem remains as to which size you should start with.
Yes, it’s probably a good idea to prioritise the major projects and get them out of the way first. You’ll notice that in the process of prioritising, we left one large rock out. We just haven’t got time to build that boat now!
By dealing with the “must do” projects first, you can vary your activities and fit some of the smaller projects in the gaps.
The message in this bottle is that we have a finite amount of time and that we have to plan to get the most important and urgent things done first.
EDX2190 Australian History and Geography: Curriculum and Pedagogy
Assignment 3: Critical analysis
Due Date: 2 February 2016 Length: 2000 words (+/-10%) Weighting: 50% Task Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to ensure that you have the opportunity to engage in an authentic inquiry that will help to prepare you to critically engage with pre-prepared teaching materials. You will need to critically analyse and evaluate a unit plan that has been designed to improve student learning related to the History curriculum. The inquiry question guiding this assignment is “How well have these lessons been planned to effectively teach history?”. To complete this assignment successfully, you need to analyse the unit plan as one representative of others offered by the teacher using it by making frequent reference to official curriculum documents, the text book, and relevant course readings. Task Outline: Your ultimate task is to critically analyse the unit plan relevant to your sector (you will find these on StudyDesk). The analysis will require you to consider how well the lessons address curriculum and pedagogy requirements, how accurate the resources are, and evaluate the evidence of the existence of community partnerships. Treat the unit plan as representative of the kind of approach adopted throughout the year. The following questions will guide your response. a) How well do these lessons align with the rationale of the Australian Curriculum: History V.7.5 and why does this matter? b) How well has the teacher engaged students in historical inquiry and why does this matter? c) How historically accurate are the resources and why does this matter? d) How well have the lessons embedded cross-curriculum priorities and why does this matter? e) How well has the teacher planned to develop the general capabilities and why does this matter? f) What evidence is there in the lessons of developing productive partnerships with the school and wider community and why does this matter? In writing your essay, you are required to: 1. Respond to each question (a-f), not necessarily in order, 2. Use scholarly evidence to support your response, 3. Explain how this evidence justifies your response 4. Connect your justified response to each question to the main inquiry question: “how well have these lessons been planned to effectively teach history?”
NB. When answering each question your task is not to simply criticise the lessons, nor is it to suggest alternative activities. Please see Hidden Study Skills section below for further information about critical thinking, analysis and essay writing.

You may wish to structure the essay in the following manner:
The Submission: Complete the critical analysis in the essay genre, third person only. Limited to 2000 words (+ or -10%). Headings are not recommended in an essay. If you find it difficult to write without using headings, ensure that your topic sentence is very clear.
Task Requirements: 1. Use of APA referencing conventions and style guide 2. The conventions of academic writing must be followed. Please visit the Learning Centre page for guidance. If you require support please contact Learning Centre and make an appointment to work with one of their staff. 3. Extensions must be requested before the due date. These will be granted in accordance with USQ assignment policy.
Reference material x Australian Curriculum: History x Professional support documentation e.g. o QCAA F-2 guidelines, Asia Education Foundation: History, QCAA Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives x Module materials; particularly those sections in which the assessment is explicitly mentioned, and resources associated with interpreting CCPs etc and putting them into practice
Introductory paragraph (see tips in Hidden Study Skills section,
Paragraph answering question (a) by working through steps 1-4
Paragraph answering question (b) by working through steps 1-4
Paragraph answering question (c) by working through steps 1-4
Concluding paragraph (see tips in Hidden Study Skills section, below)
And so on…

Performance Criteria HD-B C F Mark Explanation Student has explained the importance of relevant teaching and learning strategies by making sophisticated connections between reference materials and: x Australian Curriculum requirements x historical inquiry x appropriateness of resources x school community partnerships Student has described the importance of relevant teaching and learning strategies by making clear connections between reference materials and: x Australian Curriculum requirements x historical inquiry x appropriateness of resources x school community partnerships Student has outlined the importance of relevant teaching and learning strategies by making connections between reference materials and: x Australian Curriculum requirements x historical inquiry x appropriateness of resources x school community partnerships Student has made reference to the importance of relevant teaching and learning strategies with limited connections made between reference materials and: x Australian Curriculum requirements x historical inquiry x appropriateness of resources x school community partnerships Evaluation Student has evaluated teaching and learning strategies by making sophisticated connections between reference materials and: x Australian Curriculum requirements x historical inquiry x appropriateness of resources x school community partnerships Student has analysed teaching and learning strategies by making clear connections between reference materials and: x Australian Curriculum requirements x historical inquiry x appropriateness of resources x school community partnerships Student has identified teaching and learning strategies and made connections between reference materials and: x engagement with Australian Curriculum requirements x historical inquiry x appropriateness of resources x school community partnerships Limited or no identification of teaching and learning strategies connected with x engagement with Australian Curriculum requirements x historical inquiry x appropriateness of resources x school community partnerships Synthesis Student has synthesised their analysis and clearly explained conclusions to the main inquiry question Student has written a detailed summary of their analysis and explained conclusions to the main inquiry question Student has summarised their analysis and drawn conclusions about the main inquiry question Limited or no summary of analysis or identification of conclusions drawn about the main inquiry question

Communication
Spelling, grammar, punctuation and referencing are correct.
Spelling, grammar, punctuation and referencing are generally correct.
Spelling, grammar, punctuation and referencing have some consistent errors.
Spelling, grammar, punctuation and referencing have frequent errors.
Overall Mark
0 (Automatic calculation)
Student Feedback:
Markers Name:
Assignment 3: Hidden Study Skills Introduction to critical thinking This is Jo. He’s a trivia champion. Ask him any trivia question and he’s bound to know at least something about it. He knows all the high scores of 20th century Uzbekistan test cricketers, the middle names of all the pre-Raphaelite artists, and other equally obscure subjects. But does this make Jo intelligent? Whilst Jo’s trivia mates certainly think so, this does not necessarily mean that he is able to actively make connections between ideas, problem solve, discern the importance of ideas, or justify his own position on certain concepts. Jo’s accumulation of information differs greatly from critical thinking, a skill that is vital to take learners beyond mere cataloguers of information into active constructors of meaning. This booklet is designed to help you understand critical thinking: what it is, how we can develop it in ourselves and others, and why it is important to our role as teachers of History and Geography. What is critical thinking? We’ve just stated that critical thinking differs vastly from the accumulation of information. It would therefore be poor practice to begin with a definition of critical thinking for you to memorise. Facione (2011) agrees that a mere definition of critical thinking “plopped” onto the page for memorisation hardly helps us develop a deep understanding of what critical thinking entails. Instead, he asks us to engage in the process of critical thinking, so this is where we will begin in order to develop an understanding of what critical thinking is:
Imagine that you are in conversation with a friend regarding a film you are refusing to see, based upon your view that it is “offensively violent”. But what if your friend questioned you further? How would you define “offensive violence” as relating to this film in a way that other people can understand, and in a way that does not imply that all films with violence are included in this definition? Can you come up with a definition that works?
This process is very much what Facione (2011) recommends we do with the term “critical thinking”. He states: At one level, we all know what the term “critical thinking” means – it means good thinking, almost the opposite of illogical, irrational thinking. But when we test our understanding further, we run into questions… So how would you propose we go about defining “critical thinking”? You do not really want a definition plopped on the page for you to memorize do you? That would be silly, almost counter-productive. The goal here is to help you sharpen your critical thinking skills and cultivate your critical thinking spirit… Let’s ask ourselves to come up with some strong examples of critical thinking? … Or, considering the concept of critical thinking from the opposite direction, we might ask what the consequences of failing to use our critical thinking might be.  So, how did you go? Can you use this process to define what you perceive “critical thinking” to be? Define critical thinking.
How do we develop critical thinking in ourselves and others? Look at the following images: (images taken from Chaffee, 2012, 16 – 17)
” Answer the following questions:
x From what perspective was the first photo taken? x What makes this perspective compelling? x Compare with the second image – what is the different story being told? x Both of these images show the effects of war on children, what were the intentions of the photographers for each photo? x What meaning were they conveying and how did their approach differ? What did this activity show you about critical thinking? This activity takes you through the process about thinking critically about visual sources. You have looked at images and determined that there are different was of experiencing what is being communicated. You gathered information, analysed that information; synthesised the ideas that you have to draw conclusions. This mental mapping is a part of critical thinking. However, a key part of thinking critically is recognising how you are thinking, and not just what you are thinking about. What did you do to come to the conclusion drawn? Well you would have made connections; confronted your beliefs about the images and position of the photographer and questioned the evidence before you. Your mind generally works in a systematic way as you process what is before you and evaluate options. It is about evaluating how you think to clarify understanding and make more intelligent decisions (Chaffee, 2012, p. 49). How can you become a critical thinker? Chaffee (2012) as highlighted above sees thinking critically as “carefully exploring the thinking process to clarify our understanding and to make more intelligent decisions” (p. 51). Chaffee (2012) also outlines six cognitive abilities and attitudes that characterise critical thinkers. These are outlined below:
x Thinking actively – are you actively using your intelligence, knowledge and abilities?

x Carefully exploring situations with questions – do you know how to ask probing questions that allow you to understand the task at hand? x Thinking independently – do you accept the views of others or do you reason out conclusions for yourself? x Viewing situations from different perspectives – do you view your viewpoint as limited and one of many? Do you actively seek others perspectives? Are you flexible enough to modify your thinking in light of new information? x Supporting diverse perspectives with reasons and evidence – Do you understand why you believe something? Can you do the same for other perspectives? x Discussing ideas in an organised way – Can you exchange and explore ideas without degenerating into a shouting match? ” Which of these do you possess and which do you not? How can you develop the skills in these areas?
If you have identified several areas where you think you could improve, you are not alone. According to van Gelder (2005, p. 42), “mastering critical thinking is about as difficult as becoming fluent in a second language”. This is, in part, because you need a solid grasp of the individual skills that are required to think critically (some of which are described above), but also because those skills need to be skilfully combined in order for you to become a critical thinker. This is difficult and takes time. As van Gelder (2005, p. 42), says, however, “just because mastery takes such a long time, it is never too early – or too late – to start working on it” .
Asking ourselves critical questions Part of critical thinking is reflexivity, a process whereby a person explicitly reflects upon their “effect on the process and outcomes of research based on the premise that ‘knowledge cannot be separated from the knower” (Steedman, 1991, as cited in Thorpe and Holt, 2008, p. 184). In order to do this we need to ask questions about our values, assumptions, thinking processes and habits that have played a role in developing our understanding of something. Being a reflexive practitioner can help us avoid what Perkins, Allen and Hafner (1983, p. 186) refer to as a “makes-sense epistemology”, where people “act as though the test of truth is that a proposition makes intuitive sense, sounds right, rings true. They see no need to criticize or revise accounts that do not make sense – the intuitive feel of fit suffices”. This is perhaps the part of critical thinking that is the most difficult, asking questions of the things we believe, take for granted, or accept as true. The first reason this part of the thinking process is difficult is because those things that are common sense to us are the hardest for us to see and things that are invisible often take longer to critique. This is why having a broad suite of basic reflexive questions is useful – if we get into the habit of asking things like ‘what am I assuming?’, ‘what have I accepted because it sounds logical?’, and ‘are there other ways of understanding this issue?’, we will be developing critical thinking skills at a deeper level than if we just asked questions of sources and other people’s writing.

One way to evaluate your thinking is to reflect on the logic you are using to draw conclusions. The apple on the left will take you to a quiz that is designed to test your ability to determine whether a conclusion is valid based on a set of assumptions that are accepted as true. The apple on the right will take you to the answers.

Application of this information about critical thinking for assignment 3 If we assume that the lesson sequence associated with assignment 3 was developed in order to meet the requirements of the curriculum, we can infer that the unit plan reveals something about what the author believes, knows and assumes about relevant content and pedagogy. Consequently, when we read the unit plan, we should be able to identify points at which we can critique their interpretation of the curriculum by asking something like ‘what part of the curriculum does this refer to? What are the key concepts/events/skills involved? What assumptions has the author made with regard to this concept/event/skill? Does their interpretation differ from mine or from that in relevant literature? Where is the evidence to support a convergent or divergent view? How significant is this point in the context of teaching History in a F-10 classroom?
The questions around assumptions and inferences are associated with two key aspects of critical thinking: ambiguity and subjectivity (Judge, Jones & McCreery, 2009). The first concept, ambiguity, requires that both the literal meaning of a word be clarified as well as the meaning of the word in context. Since the Australian Curriculum was written in such a way that the resulting documents were succinct and easily understood by teachers, extensive definitions are not provided. Consequently, teachers need to understand the literal meaning of a word and then combine that with a contextual understanding about what that word means. A basic example of this can be seen in the Achievement Standards of the Curriculum: In both year 1 and year 4 students are required to explain how life has changed since the period they are studying. The glossary provides the literal definition of ‘explain’, but teachers will need to place that literal meaning within context in order to develop appropriate teaching and learning episode to ensure students are provided with ample opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills required to meet the relevant achievement standard by the end of the year. To do this, teachers will use their professional knowledge and judgement – they may reflect on their knowledge of students’ existing knowledge and skills; the academic journal articles they read recently that dealt with the topic of higher order thinking skills in the early years; and they would certainly be thinking about the context of the Australian Curriculum: History in terms of the year level, the rest of the achievement standard, and year level and content descriptions.
If you have trouble with the idea of being ‘critical’ because it feels overly negative, it might be helpful to look for the strong points in the lesson sequence. You could start your analysis by identifying activities and resources that you consider to be well chosen, and that align strongly with the principles of inquiry pedagogy and are suitable for teaching about a particular historical event or concept. Once you have done this, you can move on to identifying issues related to the lesson sequence that are more questionable. Rather than thinking of this as a negative critique of someone else’s work, you might think of it as thinking sceptically and in a reasoned manner (Ennis, 1997) or of approaching all documents and resources with “polite doubt” (Cottrell, 2011, p. 2). Tools to help you develop your critical analysis essay Just as it is important for you to learn how to undertake critical analysis, you must also be able to communicate your analysis and thinking. The following resources are provided to assist you in the communication process. Note taking: Making notes and summarising sounds like a pretty mundane resource but, if followed, the guide will help you to read and begin writing in a critical manner – something vital to get right at the outset of your assignments. https://student.unsw.edu.au/note-taking-skills
Critical thinking and analysis: In preparation for the development of your critical essay visit http://unilearning.uow.edu.au/critical/1a.html and complete the critical thinking and analysis exercises which you can find in the three parts of the triangle.
Thinking critically checklist:
This resource is full of checklists and strategies to develop your critical thinking skills http://www.d.umn.edu/~jetterso/documents/CriticalThinking.pdf
Writing an essay introduction Good introductions: 1. provide background information that engages the reader’s interest 2. indicate in general what the essay is about 3. outline briefly the main ideas dealt with in the essay 4. provide a thesis statement Activity 1 Read the introduction below. Identify which of the numbered sentences perform the functions listed above. Then go to the next page and check how well you did.
Activity 2 Read through the introduction below. As you read identify which functions the different sentences perform and decide for yourself how well the writer has succeeded in engaging the reader’s interest, limiting the scope, setting out the main ideas, and providing a thesis statement. Check your assessment against the feedback given underneath on the next page.
Answers to activity 1 Sentence 1 engages the reader’s interest. Sentence 2 indicates the general topic area. Sentences 3-6 outline the main ideas. Sentence 7 gives the thesis statement. There is no sentence which limits the scope in this example. Feedback for activity 2 Sentences: 1-2 Function: Introduces the reader to the topic and engages the reader’s interest.
1Information technology is having significant effects on the communication of individuals and organizations in different professions. 2This essay will discuss the impact of information technology on the communication of health professionals. 3The essay will begin by discussing how information technology provides for the educational needs of nurses. 4It will then explain how information technology can have significant effects on the role of general practitioner in the area of public health. 5The essay will then turn to consider the lack of knowledge about the potential of computers among hospital administrators and nursing executives. 6The final section will deal with how information technology assists health professionals in the delivery of services in rural areas. 7The essay will argue that information technology has significant potential to improve health care and medical education but health professionals are reluctant to use it.
1Popular representations of Australia like to portray it as the land of the “fair go”. 2However “a fair go” has proved elusive for significant groups in Australian society. 3This essay will examine inequality as experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 4Throughout Australia’s history, gender, access to education, unemployment and race have all been significant factors shaping inequality. 5The discussion will be restricted to the factor of race. 6After a brief look at nineteenth century ideologies of race I will present human rights as a more useful way to examine the relationship between race and inequality in Australia today. 7The measure of inequality used in the paper is educational participation particularly as it relates to unemployment. 8After examining the reasons for low rates of Indigenous participation in education and the effects upon employment rates, I will briefly discuss other indicators of inequality such as income, housing and health status. 9The essay will argue that race is still the most significant factor in causing inequality for Indigenous people in Australia.

Comment: The writer draws the reader into the essay by referring to a well known Australian myth. Relating the essay to something the reader is likely to know about is a good way to start an essay. Sentence: 3 Function: Sets out the general topic area. Comment: The writer lets the reader know that the general topic area deals with the factors which cause inequality for Indigenous Australians. Sentences: 4-5 Function: Limits the scope of the essay. Comment: Inequality is a very broad topic so the writer shows that she is aware of the different causes of inequality and then tells the reader which aspect will be dealt with in the essay. Sentences: 6-8 Function: Provides an indication of the main ideas and the order in which they will be addressed. Comment: The main ideas are clearly set out and provide the reader with a good idea of what the body of the essay will contain. Sentence: 9 Function: Provides a thesis statement. Comment: The thesis statement is rather general. The author’s position could have been stated in a more focussed way. For example: Institutionalised racism in the education system, even where it is not intended, continues to be the major cause of social disadvantage for Indigenous people. The Learning Centre. (2010). Writing an essay introduction. Retrieved from http://www.usq.edu.au/~/media/USQ/Learning%20Centre/Essay%20intros.ashx Writing an essay conclusion
In the following paragraph the sentence in red restates the main point, the sentences in black recap the most important main points and the sentence in green draws the essay to a close.
The Learning Centre. (2010). A sample conclusion. Retrieved from http://www.usq.edu.au/~/media/USQ/Learning%20Centre/Sample%20essay%20conclusionpdf.ashx
Gender bias in employment is still a key factor shaping inequality in Australia today. The feminist movement and relevant legislation have helped women move successfully into the workforce but women’s earning still lag behind those of men and women are underrepresented in senior levels of management and control. Traditional social views about women and their responsibilities as caregivers remain powerful obstacles to equality in the workforce. To aid progress and develop gender equality women and men must accept responsibility for what happens in the home as well as the workplace.
References
Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority (ACARA). (2011). Australian curriculum: History – Rationale. Retrieved 12 August, 2012 from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/History/Rationale Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority (ACARA). (2012).Western civilisation front and centre in new curriculum [Media release]. Retrieved 28 September, 2012 from http://www.acara.edu.au/verve/_resources/Media_Release__Western_Civilisation_Front_and_Centre_in_New_Curriculum.pdf Barton, K. C. & Levstik, L. S. (2008). Teaching history for the common good. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum. Chaffee, J. (2010). Thinking critically, (tenth edition). Australia: Wadsworth Cengage Learning Clark, A. (2004). History teaching: Historiography, and the politics of pedagogy in Australia. Theory & Research in Social Education 32(3), 379 – 396. Cottrell, S. (2005). Critical thinking skills: Developing effective analysis and argument, (second edition). New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Doolittle, P., Hicks, D., & Ewing, T. (2005). SCIM-C Explanation: A strategy for interpreting history. Retrieved 15 August, 2012 from http://www.historicalinquiry.com/scim/index.cfm Ennis, R.H. (1987). A taxonomy of critical thinking dispositions and abilities. In J. Baron & R. Sternberg (Eds.), Teaching thinking skills: Theory and practice. New York: W.H. Freeman, pp. 9-26. Ennis, R.H. (1997). Incorporating critical thinking in the curriculum: An introduction to some basic issues. Inquiry, 16 (3), 1-9. Facione, P. A. (2011). Critical thinking: What it is and why it counts. Insight Assessment. Retrieved August 28, 2013, from http://www.student.uwa.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/1922502/CriticalThinking-What-it-is-and-why-it-counts.pdf Gottschalk, L. (1950). Understanding history: A primer of understanding method. New York: Alfred A. Kopf. Howard, J. (2012). Sir Paul Hasluck Foundation Inaugural Lecture. Retrieved 10 August, 2012 from http://resources.news.com.au/files/2012/09/27/1226482/801957-sir-paulhasluck-foundation-inaugural-lecture.pdf Judge, B., McCreery, E., & Jones, P. (2009). Critical thinking skills for education students. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications. Pappas, P. (n.d.). Analysing primary sources. Retrieved 15 August, 2012 from http://www.edteck.com/dbq/more/analyzing.httm Perkins, D. N., Allen, R., and Hafner, J. (1983). Difficulties in everyday reasoning. In J. Maxwell (Ed.), Thinking: an interdisciplinary report. Philadelphia: The Franklin Institute Press.
Sharp, H. (2010). Constructing history: Selective representations of Indigenous Australians and British heritages in Queensland history curriculum. (Unpublished doctoral thesis). University of Southern Queensland, Australia. Thorpe, R. & Holt, R. (2008). The SAGE dictionary of qualitative management research [online]. Retrieved from http://srmo.sagepub.com/view/the-sage-dictionary-ofqualitative-management-research/n86.xml van Gelder, T. (2005). Teaching critical thinking: Some lessons from cognitive science. College Teaching, 53(1), 41-6.

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