Let's learn about this structure. To get started, navigate back to the top bar of the main page. Once again, hover over U.S. History Investigations: Counterargument in the bar at the top of the page. This time, select the first Investigation: Was there a common experience for women in colonial North America?  (or click here)  This is the Investigation we will be using to explore the RIW process. 

Once you are on the page, take note of the following sections:

• Prepare to teach: This is where you will find instructional guidance, suggested questions, answers, and annotated materials. There is also a slide deck that you can use, as well as a video showing some of the work in action.

• Student Materials: In addition to the materials will need to use through this process, you will find an option for Read-Alouds. We love this option, as the ability to read well and the ability to process information are not necessarily linked. With this tool, a student who struggles with reading still has access to the source materials that you will be exploring. Note that there is a Video overview that you may choose to use with the students.

• Materials Accommodated for Language Learners: This is just what it seems to be. Note that there are options for Spanish and Arabic which are the two most common first languages of English Learners (ELs) in Michigan where this process was developed (40% and 28% of ELs, respectively).

• Assessments: There is a rubric for the final writing piece and slide deck with some annotated student samples.
  A quick note here: Remember that as students are doing this work, they are in the process of learning a skill set. To that end, we strongly advise that you do NOT grade that process. After all, you weren't graded on driving a car until you reached the point where you were pretty sure that you had it mastered. In fact, you may not want to record the grade on the first essay or two... the students are just learning the process.
  Should you evaluate it? Yes. Put comments and maybe even a grade on it? Yes. But carefully consider whether the students have had enough exposure and practice to hold them accountable in your grading programs.   

• Standards Alignment: In addition to aligning to the Common Core ELA standards, you will note that the process is aligned to the C3 Framework standards. As a reminder, the C3 standards focus on skill sets and thinking processes... not on content. The NYS Social Studies Framework was built on the foundation of the C3 Framework, with the skills embedded in the six Social Studies Practices.

Now that you have the basic layout of the webpage, we are going to make accessing materials a bit easier as we move forward. From this point on, we will provide you with direct links to the materials that you will be exploring along with the specific  page/slide numbers that you should be looking at. 

At the beginning of each Investigation's Teacher Guide, you will find a preview of the Investigation and some guiding questions for you--the teacher--to consider. Below are links to the Teacher Guide for the Colonial Women Investigation along with the pages that you should explore. Before you begin, examine the questions in Task 1 at the bottom of this page and keep them in mind as you read.

Teacher Guide -- pages 1-11 

Student Guide ("Investigation Sources," when prompted to review them) -- pages 4-20

Social Studies Practices -- pages 100-101 (Grade 8 Practices)