Do dates really matter?

Ask people why they don't like Social Studies and it wont take long for the "it's all just memorizing dates" answer comes up.  On day two I like to address the issue of dates head on.

I start class by distributing text books and having the kids fill out their book cards (remember this, it's going to be "important" later).  After they finish filling out the cards I distribute a work sheet called "Do dates matter"?  The sheet lists fifteen important dates from the 9th grade curriculum and fifteen corresponding events.  The students are then given five minutes to match up as many of the dates with their matching events as possible.  I tell the students that they can work with their neighbors and they are free to use whatever resources they may have to help them to answer the sheet (remember they all just got textbooks and in most cases those text books are still sitting on their desks - in some cases the students even have the worksheet on top of their textbooks.)

I give the kids a few minutes to struggle with the sheet.  Some talk with their neighbors, others will try to wrestle with the clues and figure out where the dates fall, still others will randomly guess.  Eventually one or two will actually open up the text book and begin looking for some of the answers.  Once I see the kids open up the text book I stop them and we begin to discus the strategies they used.  I'll immediately commend the students who turned to the text book.  I'll remind the class of the instructions "...free to use what ever resources you may have available...".  I do this to let them know that in my class I expect them to use the tools they have at their disposal to answer questions.  In my class they can take out their phones to find answer (so long as it's not on a test and so long as they're not claiming to look for an answer when in fact they are actually twittering or snap-chatting or what ever the social media flavor of the minute may be.... does anyone even blog anymore?  Sheesh).

I next ask the kids what strategies they used to find the answers.  Some kids will say that they remembered doing the Neolithic Revolution near the start of the school year so they knew it had to be the oldest date.  Some students will recognize 1492 (there seems to be this poem about Columbus and the ocean blue.  If only we could make all of history rhyme :)  ).  We'll spend some time talking about the meaning of A.D. (Anno Domini - the year of our lord) and how it is possible that Jesus was actually born in 4 B.C. or in other words four years before he was born.  (It's a pretty good story about a Bishop named Dionysius the Short who was not as good at math as he thought he was.)  At this point I'll ask the kids why we even need to know dates if the entire system is four years off?  Before they can answer I move to an experiential lesson.

I ask them get up and organizer themselves in alphabetical order by last name along the back wall of the classroom.  To make things a bit more interesting I'll instruct them that they have to do this in complete silence.  I'll also remind them that they can use whatever resources they may have at their disposal to complete the task.  Generally one or two students will realize that they each have a book card of their desk with their last name written out.  In no time all of the students will have their book cards in hand and they will quickly alphabetize themselves.  In a matter of minutes the students are in the correct order and I have collected and alphabetized my book cards (I told you to the book cards would come back).  Next I'll ask the kids if that was hard.  They'll tell me it was easy and cause they all know the alphabet.  I'll say ok and I'll challenge them again.  This time they need to put themselves in age order, oldest to youngest.  Because they no longer have the book cards I'll allow them to talk as they do it.  Again it only takes a matter of minutes and they are in the correct order.  I'll ask the kids which was easier and they'll tell me that they were both easy cause they know the order of the months and they know the alphabet.  At this point I'll challenge them.  I'll ask "which letter comes first J or L?"   There is a noticeable delay as the kid think about the answer or even begin to go through the alphabet (By the way, I deliberately choose J, K or L because there is something about those letters that makes it hard to instantly remember).  I point out the lag to the students.  I'll then ask them which number comes first 57 or 32?  This time the answer comes instantaneously.  I now ask the kids what is important to know a handful of dates and generally the answer apparent to all; Knowing a handful of dates makes it easier to put events in order and in context.