Designing Expository Writing Intervention for Students With Learning Differences Using Multiple Historical Sources

• In Event: Students' Histories and Experiences at the Center: Defining "Difficult" and Worthy Historical Investigations

Abstract

This study explored the effectiveness of a designed intervention on historical reasoning for 7th graders with ld. As a cognitive tool, expository/argumentative writing can facilitate critical thinking in the content area, particularly when engaging and interpreting multiple historical sources. Twelve seventh-grade students from a suburban area of Northern California participated in this study. A paired sample t-test was used to determine if there were statistically significant differences between pre and post writing tests. Results showed that there were statistically significant differences between pre- and post-intervention assessments with respect to students’ holistic quality of disciplinary writing, use of structural elements, and historical reasoning using multiple sources.

Authors

• Eric Claravall, California State University - Sacramento

• Mei Shen, California State University - Sacramento