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If you’re looking for a quick way to build curiosity, collaboration, and thoughtful discussion, the Four Corners Debate is one of my go to wrap up activities. This is one of my favorite ways to get students moving, weighing perspectives, backing up ideas with evidence, and listening to their classmates—without requiring extra prep. or grading. In just 5 minutes, students shift from passively absorbing information to actively engaging with it. What Is the Four Corners Debate?

Most of us have heard of Dr. Norman Webb's Depth of Knowledge (DOK) — the four-level framework that helps measure how complex a student’s thinking really is. But too often, it's treated like a staircase: start with recall, climb to analysis, and—ta-da!—you’ve reached enlightenment at Level 4. But we know that’s not how the brain processes information. Instead, learning is messy, iterative, and experimental. What DOK Isn't One of the biggest misconceptions about Webb’s Depth

When I first started teaching, I wasn’t crazy about textbooks, but they felt like the only option I had. They were structured, the...

Let’s be real: you can’t just load up a bus and take your students to the Roman Colosseum, the Great Pyramids, or the battlefields of...

I had a student once—quiet, sharp, the kind who aces every quiz but freezes the moment class turns into a discussion. One day, we were...

There’s a growing pressure in today’s classrooms to stay neutral. Don’t take a side. Don’t name the conflict. Don’t make it political....

Let’s be real for a second: showing a video in history class isn’t just about filling time—it’s about sparking curiosity, making...

I've never been the type of teacher who liked to stand up and lecture, nor did I believe that a silent class was necessarily a productive...

Debates in history class can be a powerful way to get students engaged. They encourage critical thinking, give students a chance to...

Facing the Challenge Head-On If you’re anything like me, teaching history has always been about more than just getting students to...