The Study of history is an important educational endeavor. Through a deep understanding of history we learn who we are as a people and develop our intellectual skills. Regrettably, many students do not engage themselves in history studies and thus are handicapped in fully understanding history and lose an opportunity to develop their natural interests and higher-order thinking skills.

NewsBank-Big6ers often compare these two contrasting ways of teaching/learning history. Note that the characteristics of "Doing History" are much closer to what actual historians do.

Together, NewsBank and many talented educators, have found the Big6 process to be a highly effective process for making history instruction engaging and authentic.

A key ingredient, according to Margaret Lincoln (Library Media Specialist, Lakeview High School, Battle Creek, Michigan), is that the Big6 "promotes a self-directed learning experience in which the student is asking interesting questions, rather than being told what to do."

"With the enormous amount of information, begin by filtering and helping determine the best sources. Narrow things down through asking good questions."

Here are some examples of good research questions that engage learners and promote effective Big6 thinking:

• What remnants of hope might a teenager in the Warsaw Ghetto have clung to?
• Why was MLK a great leader?
• What if Kennedy had not been assassinated?

• What will happen in Cuba after Castro?
• How would you have survived the Great Depression?
• Were the "good ole days" really good?