Hello! I'm a classroom aide and history/English subject tutor for students aged 12-15. They need to practice the following skills:
Do you have any recommendations for blogs, YouTube channels, or other accessible, online resources I could use to practice these historical skills with my students? I looked through the resources pages pinned in the sidebar, but they're clearly tailored to an older, more academic audience than 8th-10th graders. I work specifically with English Language Learners and students who've struggled in mainstream schools, so accessible language is a huge priority for me! This will probably mean a lot of pop history, but I'd like to serve up good, well-researched material instead of the sensationalized or indifferently researched stuff that's so easy to find.
We use a mix of primary and secondary sources in class. Our next in-class unit is going to be about revolutions and independence movements in the Caribbean, but I don't have to focus on those same topics in my tutoring sessions -- my focus is skills, not on subject material.
Sorry if this question is broad or difficult to answer!
Hey there!
I hope my experience and education allows me to provide an adequate and helpful answer. I am a trained high-school Social Studies teacher in Canada, with a B.A. in History and an in progress M.A. in History. My professional education program specifically focused on how to teach historical thinking and analytical skills, as opposed to content/curriculum knowledge. The revised curriculum in the province I teach in emphasizes critical thinking over content mastery.
While not entirely free resources, I can recommend a couple of books/websites that break down some of the concepts you have listed, as well as others. The full resources provide case studies for guided analysis, as well as black-line master worksheets for student use.
The first resource is a non-profit organization titled the Critical Thinking Consortium (TC2). They have published a number of e-books and print resources for practicing critical thinking skills with students at various grade levels. The below URL is for their Social Studies page. Other tabs of the website provide examples and further research links. https://tc2.ca/en/creative-collaborative-critical-thinking/resources/professional-books-anthologies-of-social-studies/
Under the "Resources" tab - they have sets of historical documents ready for practice analysis.
The second major resource/organization that I can recommend is a group called the Historical Thinking Project. The emphasis of the group, which is comprised of Social Studies teachers and professional historians, is to help break down and teach the skills that go into history to high-school aged students. The below URL defines and provides examples for what they classify as the "big six" historical thinking skills.
https://historicalthinking.ca/historical-thinking-concepts
Their "resources" tab has a set of templates for use with students to practice these skills (link below).
https://historicalthinking.ca/historical-thinking-concept-templates
Additionally, they have a searchable database of PDF lessons teachers have uploaded that focus on some of the "big six" skills. The emphasis is on Canadian curriculum and content, being a Canadian organization. But, the templates and broad themes might be of use.
https://historicalthinking.ca/lessons
I hope either of these are helpful! Or, at the least, point you in a direction that is useful.