Hello everyone,
Hope your weekend was splendid and not too windy.
It is my pleasure at this juncture to direct your attention toward the Week 5 pieces. They are:
1). Giving It a Second Thought: Making Culturally Engaged Teaching Culturally Engaging,
2). A Focus on Inquiry, and
3). Exploring Inquiry as a Teaching Stance in the Writing Workshop.
While we have two seemingly separate areas to discuss within these three pieces, I think it's still important to leave this open to incorporate any thoughts that arise. So, what do you think? What do you notice? What ideas intrigue you or give you pause? Are there any specific lines--"golden lines"--that linger as you wash dishes or wait for sleep to come? Share them with us. Perhaps we can eat away at this stuff by nibbling together, whether it be inquiry, culturally engaged teaching or both.
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35 comments:
First!
I could empathize with Kelly and Tonia in the article about culture as they examined their life experiences to better understand themselves. I believe that, “What I Am” determines “Who I Am” as a teacher. According to the article, “a teaching force that is over 90 percent European American” needs to change our “stereotypical thinking” on diversity issues. One needs to understand the dominant culture before teaching children from diverse backgrounds. The authors define culture as “a dynamic system of social values, cognitive codes, behavioral standards, worldviews, and beliefs used to give order and meaning to our own lives as well as the lives of others.” The examples presented seemed to be some of the same ideas presented a couple of weeks ago in the discussion of “real world” issues in the classroom. Perhaps this article can help us better understand who we are and what we are trying to accomplish in education.
I like to define culture more as “cultural heritage” such as Pow-wows or Bar Mitzvahs. Thus the examples used in the article dealing with drug use, socioeconomic status, or skin color would not be cultural issues, but issues based on biases, prejudice, or racism (which are addressed in the article). I prefer to discuss “culture” on a higher plane than the social ills mentioned in the article. Am I wrong? Are biases, prejudice and racism “cultural” attributes?
Follow-up to my article. Of course you are wrong, you idiot. Biases, prejudice, and racism are cultural attributes just as much as they are societal attributes and are used interchangeably in American society. Thus we talk about the “drug culture”, or “gang culture”and make no distinction when talking about “cultural heritage.” Besides it is quite difficult to separate “cultural heritage” from the definition for culture given in the article unless you are talking only about certain events such as Pow-wows. Indian dress for pow-wows is not their normal everyday clothes but is worn on special occasions. Yet the stereotype perpetrated by older movies and books would have us believe the Pow-wow attire is everyday dress. I do agree with my point, that the article, Giving It a Second Thought: Making Culturally Engaged Teaching Culturally Engaging, is a step toward recognizing biases, prejudice, and racism within the education system.
I really liked the op-ed genre analysis. I have been teaching First Year Composition at the University this year and the focus on genre has provided my students with a chance to see that academic writing is only one way to approach learning. By studying genres the students are able to see what goes into making good writing (of course you have to get them to read the materials - which is something I still struggle with). I also agree that it gives the teacher a more natural rubric to work with.
This year I also experienced the joys of teaching from inquiry.In the past I had felt so much pressure to "get through" the material that all information began with me. I found that in this process students were reluctant to revise. Once they finished the task they were ready to move on. This year I was allowed to let students figure out what they wanted to talk about. At first this was a daunting task for them. Many wanted assignments - "just tell me what to write about!" Eventually students found that they had important things to say and not only were the papers more interesting but students were much more likely to revise them.
Of course, this year I was teaching college freshmen not Brooklyn 8th graders, but I do believe that the connections to the real world that stem from genre and genuine inquiry would also work with my former students.
Norma, I love how you talk to yourself; you're a good model for reflective teaching practices. Keep up the good work ;-)
As we navigate all of the cultural issues and biases, we teachers need to keep reflection and inquiry in a dominant position of our teaching lives, not in abeyance. I wish the culture of school could change so much that we were not stymied by grades and so that we had research periods even at the elementary and the high school levels, not just at the college level. If we don't carve out time to read about promising practices, to learn new ways of knowing, to reflect on our own teaching practices, we lose opportunities for greater efficacy.
As the Amy Donnelly, et. al article says, we need to "look within ourselves, examine our philosophy of teaching and challenge it." That's daunting but exhiliarating. Carolyn Burke's caution that tension in education is heathy but stress is not, is another key point. Thus, we learn to "manage our dissonance so that it is constructive and transformative."
Attending MWP Summer Institute in 1988 did that for me. Since then, I have had to admit new ideas into my teaching philosophy and disregard others. I like the idea that much of my curricular work is now research based. I have anecdotal evidence and the data from the effort of others to validate my work.
The Allen and Labbo article challenges me to develop "cultural lenses." I like that notion, but it comes with the challenge of self-examination. My own cultural experiences predispose me to certain thoughts and attitudes, but I need to welcome other realities, to confront my biases and to assess my values before I can fully embrace diversity. In that regard, I recommend Peggy McIntosh's article "White Privelege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack." My first encounter with that article left me feeling disconcerted. I had not considered the notion of racism as an invisible exercise of unearned power.
I had not examined the advantages I enjoy at the expense of someone else's disadvantages. I had not fully explored the notion of white privelege, and as McIntosh writes, "Describing white privelege makes one newly accountable." Immediately the defense mechanisms kick in: "I am no oppressor." Well, not intentionally, but I do participate in a damaged culture; I do enjoy certain priveleges that I do not wish to give up.
With this knowledge, with this challenge, I can work with issues of identity in ways that may begin to break down stereotypical thinking.
The aspect of the Allen/Labbo work that intrigues me is the home visits concept. While "too intrusive" and "private" enter my mind, I guess students doing a photo essay would have to decide what they are willing to share. I like the idea of endorsing the home as a place of learning, as a place "rich in social and intellectural resources." Using these photo essays as a kind of gallery walk further intrigues me--of examining intial assumptions about photo contents and then adjusting those notions based on the story shared: the real versus the preconceived.
Donna L. Miller showed up as anonymous; sorry about that oversight.
Hi All,
There was a lot to bite off in these articles. In particular, I found "Giving it a Second Thought" challenging and fascinating. In particular, I think that the hard work that the pre-service teachers did in identifying their prejudices was laudable and really difficult. For me, at least, I know that this is probably some of the hardest writing that I've ever done--speaking honestly about things which you would rather gloss over. In particular, the last piece, written by Susan, had the unmistakable ring of truth and reluctance. Really powerful. I thought that the way that the authors were able to facilitate this self-reflection, and the courage of their students to do it, was really inspiring.
FOLLOW-UP TO SEAN:
I also really enjoyed the op-ed genre analysis--I thought that grounding the project in that kind of inquiry, and really allowing enough time to make it meaningful was super cool.
What impressed me most was that they were fifth-graders! I had to go back, after I started reading about the project, and make sure that they were really working with such young students. I guess that I was harboring the assumption that a strong focus on genre was something that you start in secondary school, and don't even really develop until college.
Wow! I loved the readings this week.
First, I liked the article on op-ed writing. And even more because it was with a fifth grade class. The part that really caught my attention was "to become a writer- you have to read". Having a vision I think is how they described it. Bringing actual articles written by writers in for students to read over. There are endless resources out there to show to students, so that they can see all types of writing.
I think back to the way I teach writing and how I will assign a persuasive essay and go through all of the steps to writing one and even model how to do one. But I never even thought about making them read many persuasive essays and then decide how they want to write their own piece. I even give them the topic sometimes. I should be giving them the power to make their own decisions. Exploring would be much more fun and interesting to read.
I'm a little too controlling sometimes as a teacher. I like to see nice "polished" pieces of work with correct punctuation. This goes back to the part in the article on "Expanding Knowledge Base". What a disservice I have done to my students. I have only depended on my knowledge of writing while teaching,which I'm embarrassed to say is not very good.
I'm excited to dive into some inquiry assignments next year with my students.
I tend to focus on the negative aspects of the writing piece instead what they did write. I'm not really sure how I came to be that way. Maybe because I'm not sure of myself as a writer so, therefore I don't have the knowledge to really point out the good points of their writing. Also, the point about how teaching the process is so much more important than teaching about the product. I am also guilty of that. I can't believe how undeducated I am on this. I guess that is why I decided to take the class!!
RESPONSE TO JONI:
I know what you mean about focusing on the things that they ARE doing on the page. Even essays that are literally laden with sentence-level errors generally have more right than wrong, and also are understandable.
I also think that your self-evaluation there seems a little harsh! People learn to write in different ways--I think that there are always ways of doing things better, but I also don't think that you've probably done your students "a disservice."
I'm off for Alaska in a few hours to visit my sister, so this will be my last post for this week. Catch up with you all next week!
Response to Sean
I to realize that it may be hard to get students to actually read the pieces so that they are exposed to good writing. I had trouble getting my kids this year to read leisurely. However, if it was an assignment it might be a different story. My question is, how do you get someone excited about writing. Most kids don't enjoy writing or are afraid of it.
I have also experienced the "just tell me what to write about" statement. Most kids don't know how to come up with their own ideas. I teach fourth grade, so maybe if we started in the elementary it would become more natrual to them. That way, by the time they get into college they would be that more farther along. That goes back to the article where it says that "it will takes lots of experience to get really good at it." That is so true for everything. Experience is everything!
Response to Donna.
I think that the cultural memoirs would be a great project for any age. It made me think about where I come from and why I do the things I do. I think that maybe it would give students an appreciation of who they are as well as where they come from. The only problem I see is time. I have had problems with parents wanting to help outside of school. Some think that once their child leaves the building they shouldn't be expected to do anymore school work. They don't realize the value of projects, they only see something more they have to do. Any ideas?
Response to Joni
I think one of the parts I like so much about Katie Wood Ray's approach to reading like a writer is that it lets me off the hook as being the "omnicient one". I can't know how to write in all the genres or types within genre.But by letting go of that and really participating in the inquiry with the students, I learn how to write within the genre as well.
I do not pretend to know it when we conduct the inquiry, but neither do I deny knowing. I guess that part of me that wants them to understand that I am in control is where that goes. Mmmm that doesn't quite sound the way I want it too. I am not by nature a teacher who cannot let go of that aspect of learning - I don't say or necessarily teach as if I am the all-knowing one, yet at the same time I do not let myself appear as if I am not the resource to go to or look as if I don't know what to do or what we are doing.
I don't know if this is even making any sense.
But I think that inquiry into genre and using those who "know how to do it well" as mentors so to speak, truly puts the kids smack dab into the middle of the kind of work we want them to do - figuring out individually and collectively the kinds of writing moves specific to genre as well as individual sylistic moves different writers use - and then trying those out to create their own pieces. It just makes so much sense to me on many levels and the kids take ownership of that knowledge through that discovery process and then the writing process. It also gives them the language to talk about that kind of writing because they've figured it out and named it.
Initial Response:
I, too, found both "big" articles this week compelling, but wish to react to Ray's:
I was glad to have participated in David's session at MEA last fall in Belgrade, because I had a view from the student's chair when I read this article. David lead us through a super-quick inquiry using one column, and I couldn't help but get interested in the things I "discovered" about the writer's choices.
With that experience in mind, it was easy for me to have an open and positive reaction to the notion of teaching writing in this way. I am honest enough with myself to recognize some pretty significant obstacles to overcome, however!
Sean's comment about his classroom, "...all information began with me," could have been written by me. I have lots of good ideas, but they are all MY ideas. I know I will need to move beyond my comfort zone to make a switch in this way. The other obstacle that I can not wait to discuss this summer is how to mesh an inquiry-based writing course into our curriculum and into our schools. It's embarrassing, after reading this article, to acknowledge that we are so committed to Step Up to Writing in Bozeman that teachers feel pride that their kids can write a paragraph with the following directions: "You'll need 3 yellows, with 2 reds each." How real world is that?! I am a cog in the writing instruction wheel, and I will need to work to become "empowered to demand [my] right to teach writing in ways that make sense." (Ray) Curriculum change on a district level is so sluggish that I understand I will have to work within existing parameters.
I'm interested in discussing the types of writing that could be used for models.
Response to Joni - I stopped and reread your comments about being too controlling, because my current worry is that I am too lax in some areas. At this time of year, placing writing samples in the kids' portfolios, I believe I have really short-changed kids in terms of basics like punctuation, usage, spelling, even handwriting, by not being more persnickity as the year went on. I get so excited when kids have good ideas that I tend to accept poorly edited work; I am always ready to move on.
I agree with Ray that it is essential that a teacher evaluates student writing in terms of what techniques students are trying out. I will also have to work on establishing "non-negotiables" for students' final product for my own comfort, however. I am looking forward to getting other teachers' ideas on this balance this summer.
P.S. - does anyone else get a chuckle out of this site's admonishment to "Choose an identity"? Maybe it's just my midlife crisis taking form, but I draw up short every time I see that phrase!
Yesterday was the last day of school for me and my students. I packed up, and forgot about my reading. So, as I sit here wondering and reflecting, I read “Exploring Inquiry as a Teaching Stance in the Writing Workshop” and I don’t know if it’s just the idea that I’ll be teaching Creative Writing next year, or what-have-you, but I was caught by the idea of gathering texts together with students in order to make a connection about what they want to write. I have been sitting here stressing what I would do with my students and how to make sure they come out of my classroom better writers, when, really, all I really need to do is ask them what kinds of writing interest them in the first place.
Montana Writing Project is supposed to be my time to figure out what works for me, so why shouldn’t my classroom be a place to find out what works for my kids. They have inquiry, they have insights, they know what does works and doesn’t work. So, maybe the most important thing I’ve learned this week is to trust my students, to hopefully encourage them to inquire. Not just me.
RESPONSE TO BOTH WENDY AND JONI:
I am also realizing from this year and wondering if I’ve been too lax in some areas or too staged in others. Okay, last week I had both Juniors and Seniors turn in their final research papers. Yikes! What I found out was that I haven’t spent enough time going over 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person because my kids used them interchangeably. Yuck! But, then I do know that I’ve spent quire a bit of time regarding the writing process: brainstorming, outlining, drafting, editing, proofing, final draft to publish, and strangely I receive many papers which weren’t even edited, let alone a final draft. So, I’m facing a conundrum – are my kids lazy, have they never seen the writing process, or I’m I not giving them what they need to become successful writers? Odd.
I have another issue I hope someone would like to discuss with me. I recently sat down with my mentor teacher and he mentioned the struggles he has with kids asking “poor questions”. I have some kids who just say “I don’t get it”, but basically just want you to do the work for them, while other kids who ask “thoughtful questions” like, “This is how I organized my paper, do you think that this is the best way to lay out my information?”. I’m catching flack from parents because I’m “helping” some students and “ignoring” others. But it comes down to the idea that students need to ask better questions which will actually help them rather than asking questions where they only want you (the teacher) to tell them the right answer.
How does one teach kids to ask the better questions?
Second follow-up to the people commenting on the inquiry approach article.
[ “of course you have to get them to read the materials - which is something I still struggle with”, “part that really caught my attention was "to become a writer- you have to read"., “making them read many persuasive essays and then decide how they want to write their own piece”, “I to realize that it may be hard to get students to actually read the pieces so that they are exposed to good writing. I had trouble getting my kids this year to read leisurely’, ] These are some of the quotes that resonated with me as I thought back to my days as a “reading” teacher and writing was taught by the “language” teacher (and that was a long time ago. I can’t believe we still do this in the 21st C). I recall spending many reading sessions on critical reading (inquiry, if you will) skills where I would try to get the students to understand why the author wrote what he did and how he framed the words. I also remember those exercises on “fact” or “opinion” and my trying to convince students that if you want to persuade people to your “opinion”, you better have some facts to back it up. Does any curriculum area still teach propaganda techniques that I learned a hundred years ago in high school? New techniques (swiftboating, straw man, etc.) have been added since then, but I think it is important to know how writers can manipulate readers, if we do not take an “inquiry stance” described in the article. (OK, so the article didn’t mention propaganda in op-ed pieces, but it should have ;-) )
Because of our previous discussions, I was also impressed with Katie Wood Ray’s many references to “real world” situations. This morning I watched an author on C-Span’s who was lamenting the fact that movies about the Civil War lack “truthiness” and our society’s perception of that event is based on erroneous information presented in films (and in books). If kids won’t/don’t read, maybe they will watch movie clips presenting different “realities” of a topic, and be inspired to write op-ed pieces based on images (which is the “real world” for many students).
RESPONSE TO JAIME
You pose such interesting wonderings Jaime. This summer will be a great time to talk our way around and in and across those kinds of things - share those kinds of strategies that are effective in our classrooms and find out what others around the country do that is effective as well. I relish those conversations and the readings and research that help deepen our understandings and sometimes muck them up a bit as well.
I look forward to that with you.
Whoops forgot to sign my name.
Dave
Sorry I have been so out of the conversation. I left for Switzerland on Mother's Day. I've been visiting my son and his family. I'll catch up on my return next Thurs. Your conversation is rich and intriguing. I will think on all you've said so I can repond thoughtfully. Auf wiedersehn auf die Schwiez.
I liked many of the ideas in the op-ed piece, especially the immersion idea for 'teaching'writing by reading. I am already turning some internal wheels with ideas for my class next year, which will be 6th grade. I am still wondering how all this is going to work if you can't get every student to buy into the process. I am also excited to find new ways to 'teach' writing in content areas such as social studies and science. Those 2 subjects are difficult to 'engage' and connect to elementary school lives.
The other long piece on culturally engaged teaching was off-putting to me. Although I definitely find value in examination of culture by both teachers and students, I found the article scattered and more about the value of reflection than about engaging students in cultural understanding. That being said, I think it would be a great idea to use students' pictures as a basis for writing.
How fun it is to read through all these postings.
In thinking about my 7th grade classroom for next year, these are some notes I wrote as I read:
I think it would be great fun for 7th graders to write Op-Ed pieces, and those students who aren't comfortable writing a "persuasive essay" style piece could choose instead to reflect on something they notice or find odd in the world around them--Andy Rooney style.
I've also never thought of the possibility of having 7th graders study and notice things about complete sentences, paragraphing and punctuation. Next year, I might present a short piece each day to "study" for a particular convention. What might they notice about sentences, for example? Would they identify compound/complex (without having he terminology)? I bet they would. What kind of rules might they come up with for "What is a sentence?" Interesting...
The "Culturally Engaging Teaching" article got me thinking about photo essays. It would be so fun to have kids bring in photos to write about. It might be a great lead in to talking about culture--even the cultures within families. I'm sure not every family has photos, though. I thought of giving out disposable cameras, but then developing the film is expensive. Do they make disposable digital cameras?? Maybe kids could cut out pictures from magazines or draw if we can't get a camera in their hands.
A multi-genre culture memoir--maybe a photo essay paired with a "Where I'm From" poem (like the one that opens the article) might be a good beginning of the year project. Then I want to have them continue examining influences on them by looking at media, as Norma suggests--focusing on stereotypes and the expectations they have for themselves and others without even realizing it. The DVD "A Place at the Table" (free from Teaching Tolerance) would be a good accompaniment. It features kids talking about their various cultural backgrounds (and one homosexual student), and things that have been difficult for them because of stereotypes. It's a powerful conversation starter.
For me, I am thankful that summer is here now so that I can focus on MWP. It has been impossible... again for me (the rest of you are amazing powerhouses)... to follow through with the personal reflection upon what does/doesn't work, interest me, confuse me, etc. while pushing on toward the end of the year horror that the vast majority of my students will not write one lick, one line, or lyric until they set foot back inside a classroom in the fall.
A major benefit to bringing inquiry strategies out of specific content areas and into writing instruction was not mentioned in the article. This benefit would also, in my opinion, be derived from internalizing culture, one's own or others', through writing.
The benefit would be (and I know this sounds audacious) that students WOULD actually write outside their classroom walls. How wonderful to empower a student, excited about an upcoming family event, to gather information and use it to further her excitement and improve her experience!
I have seen my own children, ages 22,15, and 12, utilize numerous and varied means of inquiry and create quite elaborate "presentations" toward accomplishment of personal satisfaction. Motivated? Certainly. Capable? Obviously.
I hope to learn more about how to increase capabilities of the students in my classes so that they, too, can use their writing to maximize their thinking and doing.
-Beth Sandoval
To Jamie Feeley
Re: Answering based on questions
First, let me say that I am so sorry, dear colleague, that you are 'catching flack' at all. That is always disconcerting, even when we know we are doing all that we possibly can to correct a problem or that the "problem" may not lie with us.
Next, to your concern regarding student responses to your thought-provoking/guiding questions lead absolutely nowhere: I was "blessed" with a youngster who said "I don't know" to any- and everything the entire first semester.
It took a lot of relationship building (and painful cheek chomping), but I did begin to get TINY murmurs when I started telling him that he did indeed know, but it was just not in an accessible part of his brain yet. I told him that we would use the free association technique (that we'd been using in our journal entries and a character was using in our novel) to get to it.
I would then start to throw off topic, random words his way before moving on to words related to his writing topic and then whichever trait I kinda wanted him to key toward.
I began using this anytime my kids were stuck expressing their confusion or were having trouble articulating their questions in writing, reading, or ancient history. It needs work, but it's a tool that I believe I can eventually hone to become useful.
Mind you this is slow and required a TON of one-on-one so if I was "blessed" with the parents of which you spoke, they'd probably fuss that I spent too much time with those kids. Catch! 22 kids all at once!
I hope this helps! -Beth Sandoval
I want to apologize because my postings often come up as anonymous because I KEEP DOING IT WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!! aaarrrrrrrgggghhh!
I have accepted my Alzheimer's and am writing it down so if this one posts correctly, I'll have it correct from here on out. If it doesn't, then I'm out from here! -Beth Sandoval, age 105
To Joni
Re: Cultural input needed from home
I can relate to and lament with you regarding the "absent parent syndrome" often faced during classroom work that would really shine with just a bit of assistance from home.
Ideas-wise: I believe that there are many ways to incorporate the 'cultural memoirs' concept without the need to gleen ANYthing from home. Especially in our population, many topics will present themselves that will lend well to this personal reflection.
While your intent/desire may be to steer toward cultural DIFFERENCES such as ethnicity, backgrounds, traditions, etc., their cultural SIMILARITIES with respect to other regions, times, situations would still result in your students exploration of self and individual identity. This, to me, would maintain the integrity of cultural memoirs concept.
I'm sorry if it seems like a 'cop-out' to say that I hear your disconnect with those parents that we most need to get involved, but I have learned to pick certain battles and strategically avoid others. My goal here would be the writing process and the individual child. I would save improving school-home communication for another (district-side) course of action altogether. -Beth Sandoval
As I tell my students when they don't do their homework, at least you're learning it, just a bit late. So I'm posting days after the deadline. I just wanted to show that I read all the postings and readings.
When Ray wrote about persuasive writing thesis statements, she brings up a great point. We teach the typical five paragraph essay, but sometimes excellent writing doesn't follow a typical format.
I often tell my students that they have to follow the rules until they become experts and can break free and beyond the rules. I hope I can learn to be a teacher that can get them to the "breaking free" point.
In response to Allen and Labbo's article, I'm already stealing ideas for Creative Writing class. I spend one day of class time having kids read examples of personal narratives and making their own definitions of the genre, not weeks! After reading the article I am excited to add photography to the mix. I loved the activity of taking photos of literacy mentioned in Hubbard and Miller's piece in the box (I know I teach my journalism class the technical term for the box, but I can't remember...)
All the reflection work is that "learning how to learn" process that I want my students to go through.
I am encouraged by reading these responses, seeing the questions that arise. I think we can all empathize in each other's struggles, and yet we can all find comfort in knowing that we aren't alone, there are others out there who run into what we run into. At any rate, continue on this questioning path--even if it leads us to more questions.
For me, I feel like I'm reaching a point where when it comes to culturally engaged learning that I'm starting to get it. But then again, I've been here before and found later I had a long way to go. The questions I wrestle with now is "What would this look like in my classroom?" I understand how this person and that person are doing it,. . . . I think, but what about in my specific surroundings with my specific students?
Sorry I haven't been contributing to discussions, I just got my new computer to start blogging up and running. I was interested in your comments on being too lax or too hard on grammar et al. We have a teacher in Cut Bank who was noted for being a Formal English writing teacher, that avoided informal styles of writing as being not necessary in the real world. While other teachers worked on creativity, he focused more on formality and sentence structure. He gets praise continuly from former students for his teaching them to be good writers that communicate what they want to say in the real world and when they went to college. I guess he did not care about the topic or subject or it's bias but focused on the structure and the making of sense in the writing. Does bias become important in that manner. He did not comment on their thought process just on the way they put it down on paper.
Comment to Joni
I agree that having the students explore the writing genre before writing on their own would be beneficial and would take some of the initial pressure off the teacher!
I really like the culturally engaged teaching idea. Students could learn so much about themselves and about each other. I don't think teachers can really teach students to appreciate their own culture, let alone someone else's culture, better than the students could themselves.
Comment to Norma
I agree that students should be able to distinguish fact vs. opinion, or at least question if something seems illogical. That is an exercise that could go across the curriculum as you stated with your Civil War/history example and could easily be used in conjunction with science as well.
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