Should I choose this template?
Do you have a complex primary or secondary source with lots of elements–people, places, things, events–that students struggle to keep track of? This network lets students track the many kinds of connections that are possible in complex historical sources. This network facilitates students to:
- make connections between elements within a source or topic
- make connections between elements of a source or topic and themselves
- make connections with their peers
Teachers who have used this type of network have created purposeful environments where students were able to see how they are engaged by sharing about themselves and connecting to their learning and peers.
When should I use this template?
When you have a lesson with a barrage of names, dates, and places, and you want students to find one or two connections that will help them better engage with the readign.
What sources work best?
- Primary sources or secondary sources that have a lot of historical detail and a lot of interaction
What’s the investment in time and effort for this network?
Time: From one class period to many. This activity is especially helpful for integrating several different readings. Used across several sources, the network can help remind students of previous historical events or figures they encountered months or weeks ago.
Teacher support: Teachers will need to
- understand the basics of Net.Create (node and edge entry). See this basic-data-entry video!
- how to toggle between network view and table view and sort columns in table view.
- how to use one network filter (the “?????” filter). See this ?????-filter video!
How should I use this template?
Network Details: What should my students and I be tracking?
What learning goals does this template support?
- Disciplinary goals
- State-standard-aligned goals
- What kinds of student identity are present?
What data literacy outcomes does this template support?
- Data literacy outcomes and questions (for the VFOI team)
Resources for classroom use
Teacher Resources
- Classroom management recommendations
- Network-analysis learning Resources
- Simple Net.Create documentation
- Videos of new node/edge, table sorting, filters, etc.
- 5-moves-to-make video
- 1-pager lesson plan
- “Good questions to ask” guide for teachers
- What network-data moves (viz, tables, filters) to use as network gets big
Student Handouts
- “Good questions to ask” guide for teachers
More about this item
Dublin Core
