The Mountain Light School Project's excellent guide to asking questions shows the inductive process at work for students (Scheuerman, 2015). Knowledge based questions such as, "What color is it?" or "How long did it last?" establish basic facts around a subject. One level of sophistication beyond those questions offers challenging comprehension questions such as, "How is this organized?" or "Why did this happen?" Learners reach the final stage of inductive teaching when faced with questions such as "Is this useful, meaningful, beautiful, or right?"
Charlotte Mason's emphasis on using original source material for teaching history struck a chord for me, mostly because I still feel true, human stories are the most powerful way to learn (2015). When Humans of New York ran story after story on Syrian refugees a few months ago, the sense of connection and humanity was incredibly strong--much stronger than my experience through the dozens of articles I'd already read about the crisis. I can picture a high school class using these stories to think more broadly about their political, social, and cultural perspectives--experiencing induction through the challenging conversations surrounding current events like this one.
Taking a subject as complex and divisive as war, and first of all making it human, and then asking questions about the journalism used to deliver the stories means students will quickly find themselves answering difficult questions about morality and values. I believe that the incredible storytelling made possible through web journalism makes for a great exercise in inductive teaching, and I am hopeful for a chance to practice with my own students someday soon.
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| This man's story from Humans of New York caught the attention of the White House. |
References
Scheuerman, R. (2015). Session 2: Strategy and Induction. Retrieved from: https://bbweb03.spu.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-1129472-dt-content-rid-2467028_1/courses/EDU6526_27922_201562/SIS.%20Session%202%20Outline%20%28Induction%29.pdf
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