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Goal

History You Can Hold will establish a shared, reusable American History Investigation Lab serving approximately 500 sixth- and eighth-grade students across six classrooms. The project will improve students’ ability to examine historical evidence, evaluate the reliability and perspective of sources, distinguish evidence from inference, and construct conclusions supported by evidence.

Students often encounter history after a textbook or teacher has already explained what happened. This project will reverse that sequence. Students will first encounter replica artifacts, primary-source reproductions, maps, letters, images, and competing accounts. They will use that evidence to develop hypotheses, reconsider their thinking as new information is introduced, and defend their conclusions.

Historical costumes and character-based storytelling will create an immersive entry point, while investigation kits will place the intellectual work in students’ hands. The project will be led by two teachers and shared across six American History classrooms during a two-grade-level curriculum transition.

By April 2027, at least 75% of participating students will demonstrate growth in their ability to interpret historical sources and support a conclusion with relevant evidence, as measured through a common pre- and post-performance task and an evidence-based response rubric. The project supports campus goals related to student achievement, critical thinking, literacy across subject areas, collaboration, and active engagement in learning. 

 

Category

Books - BEST Books, Approved Books 

 

What will be done with my students

From January through April 2027, participating teachers will use shared historical costumes, replica artifacts, primary-source reproductions, maps, and investigation kits to transform selected American History topics into evidence-based mysteries.

Each investigation will begin with an immersive historical problem. A teacher may enter in character, place an unfamiliar object or sealed envelope before the class, and announce, “Something has happened. I need you to find out what.” Rather than receiving the event’s name and explanation immediately, students will work in teams to examine the available evidence, record observations, develop hypotheses, compare competing accounts, and identify questions that remain unanswered.

Evidence will be released in stages so students can revise their conclusions as historians do when new information becomes available. Investigations may include colonial survival, taxation and resistance, conflicting accounts of the Boston Massacre, the causes of the American Revolution, the division of the nation before the Civil War, wartime experiences, and the meaning of freedom during Reconstruction.

Grant funds will purchase a shared historical wardrobe, character accessories, replica artifacts, maps, document-production materials, protective sleeves, evidence envelopes, investigation containers, and reusable analysis supplies. Primary sources from reputable archives and museums will be reproduced for classroom use, allowing grant funds to focus on durable objects and materials that cannot be created through ordinary classroom printing.

Two lead teachers will coordinate purchasing, organization, and initial lesson development. Materials will be stored as a shared departmental collection and made available to all six American History teachers. Participating teachers will implement the investigations with sixth- and eighth-grade students, collect common student work samples, and document student participation and growth.

January will be used to organize materials, assemble the case files, and administer the common pre-assessment. Investigations will be implemented from February through April. Students will complete a parallel post-assessment and engagement survey by April 2027. Because the materials are durable and reusable, the Investigation Lab will continue serving future American History students after the grant year. 

 

Benefits to my Students

Approximately 500 sixth- and eighth-grade students currently study American History across six classrooms. Many of these students find history engaging when it is presented as a story, but they need additional opportunities to examine evidence, question differing accounts, and develop their own supported conclusions. Traditional materials often present historical events as settled information to remember rather than problems to investigate.

History You Can Hold will give students repeated practice with the work historians actually do. Students will examine replica objects, maps, images, letters, public records, newspaper accounts, and other primary-source reproductions. They will determine what each piece of evidence reveals, consider whose perspective may be missing, compare sources that disagree, and explain how the evidence supports or changes their conclusions. Historical clothing and character-based introductions will create curiosity and context, while the investigation materials will place the responsibility for thinking and discovery in students’ hands.

The project will also make complex historical content more accessible to students with varied reading levels, language needs, disabilities, and learning strengths. Physical objects, enlarged images, maps, short document excerpts, collaborative discussion, and structured evidence organizers will provide multiple ways for students to enter the investigation and demonstrate understanding. Advanced students can extend their thinking by evaluating reliability, identifying limitations in the available evidence, and developing competing interpretations.

Student growth will be measured through a common pre- and post-performance task scored with a shared rubric. The rubric will measure students’ ability to interpret a source, distinguish evidence from inference, recognize perspective, and support a historical conclusion with relevant evidence. Our goal is for at least 75% of participating students to improve by at least one performance level between the pre- and post-assessments. Teachers will also collect investigation responses, document participation, and administer a brief student survey measuring engagement and confidence when working with historical evidence.

Approximately 500 students will benefit during the 2026–27 school year. Because the costumes, replica artifacts, maps, document sleeves, storage containers, and investigation materials will form a reusable departmental collection, the project is expected to reach at least 1,500 students during its first three years and continue benefiting future classes beyond the initial grant period. 

 

Budget Narrative

Grant funds will establish a shared, reusable historical investigation lab serving approximately 500 sixth- and eighth-grade American History students. Requested items include historically grounded teacher clothing and accessories, replica coins and currency, founding-document reproductions, working cipher disks, period maps, navigation tools, Civil War and Revolutionary-era objects, and shared investigation equipment such as magnifiers, clipboards, evidence trays, document sleeves, and protective storage.

These materials work together as one instructional system. Teachers will use period clothing and selected artifacts to introduce historical problems in character, while student groups examine physical evidence, primary sources, maps, and competing accounts. Evidence will be released in stages so students can develop hypotheses, revise their thinking, evaluate source reliability, and defend conclusions with factual support.

The budget prioritizes durable resources that can be shared among six teachers and reused across multiple units and school years. Small artifacts and investigation tools will be available to student groups, while larger items will serve as central evidence or teacher demonstration pieces. Existing classroom funds and free archival collections will supplement the project with consumable stationery, evidence envelopes, printing supplies, engravings, newspaper excerpts, and other primary-source reproductions. This approach stretches the grant investment while ensuring that the funded materials directly support inquiry, collaboration, historical reasoning, and measurable student achievement. 

 

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