“Opening Up the Textbook” (OUT) Lesson

Juxtapose a short excerpt from a textbook with additional documents.

Six ways to “open up the textbook”1. Comparison (comparing two textbook accounts, e.g., U.S. to non-U.S.; old to new)2. Direct Challenge (using primary documents to challenge textbook facts or interpretation)3. Narrativization (where does a textbook begin to tell the story, where does it end it?)4. Articulating Silences (who is left out of the textbook's narrative; bringing in voices of the silenced; bringing to the surface issues of narrative choice)5. Vivification (breathing life into a text that only mentions, or omits)6. Close reading (careful, attentive focus on word choice, including adjectives, titles, and the like)

Comparison OUT Lesson

Inquiry Question: Who was at fault for the prolonged hostage crisis in Iran?1. Make preliminary hypothesis2. Read American textbook excerpt3. Make revised hypothesis4. Read Iranian textbook excerpt5. Make revised hypothesis

Direct Challenge OUT LessonInquiry Question: Who was responsible for the Battle of the Little Bighorn?1. Make preliminary hypothesis2. Read a textbook version of the battle3. Make revised hypothesis4. Read a letter to the President from the Secretary of

War a month after the battle5. Make revised hypothesis6. Read the recollections of a Native American woman

about the battle from 19227. Make revised hypothesis

Narrativization OUT LessonInquiry Question: Was the Monroe Doctrine beneficial for Latin America?1. Make preliminary hypothesis2. Read 1873 textbook excerpt3. Make revised hypothesis4. Read 1930 textbook excerpt5. Make revised hypothesis6. Read 1970 textbook excerpt7. Make revised hypothesis

*Use Not Written in Stone book to assist you in creating this type of OUT lesson

Vivification OUT Lesson

Inquiry Question: How and why did the United States fight the Cold War in Guatemala?1. Make preliminary hypothesis2. Read modern textbook excerpt3. Make revised hypothesis4. Read declassified CIA documents5. Make revised hypothesis

Close Reading OUT Lesson

Ideas: Compare textbook treatments of Mormons, Native Americans, African Americans across time.

*Use Not Written in Stone book to assist you in creating this type of OUT lesson

Articulating Silences OUT Lesson

Inquiry Question Who was responsible for the My Lai

Massacre?

Textbook Account

Who wrote this textbook selection? What do you know about these people?

Whose voice is missing from this account?

Missing Voices

• Lt. William Calley• Other American Soldiers at My Lai• Citizens of My Lai• American Public

Read each source…

…record conclusions

Assessment

Rewrite the textbook selection.

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