EDSITEment at the College Level: Use and Alteration of Existing Lessons in the Undergraduate Survey Course

Students in United States survey courses typically view history as a “bulk-listing” of facts and events. One way to introduce students to “what historians do” is through use of material posted at EDSITEment. In my use of EDSITEment assignments, which are typically completed in class, a group of students works cooperatively to interpret the given question or primary document material. As one example, students might work to compare public reaction to financial disasters such as the 1837 panic. Feedback on the exercise from students is encouraged and recorded to see which aspects of the lesson are effective.