Historical inquiry in a jigsaw format

“Walter Röhrig, The Idiot (Irrende Seelen), 1921” by Walter Röhrig, Public Domain

Activity

This jigsaw activity is done in groups and will involve you researching a perspective and/or cultural expression from Germany 1919 – 1933 but everyone in the group will be researching a different perspective and/or cultural expression. Your information will be presented in a multimedia presentation to your group and your presentations will be marked by the peers in your group using a rubric developed by the group.

Step 1: Choose a focus

Move into home groups and decide which perspective each group member will research. The group or whole class then needs to develop a rubric by deciding on key criteria and achievement standards.

Step 2: Researching

Find other people in the other groups who are doing the same perspective with you and work with them as an expert group. When you have completed your presentation, you will move back to present to your home group. Use the, who, what, when, where, why, how question structure to begin planning historical questions for your historical inquiry.

What if I’m stuck and don’t know where to start researching? Use these questions to help form your base research:

Who contributed to the perspective/cultural expression present in Germany from 1919 – 1933?

Who was influenced by your perspective/cultural expression?

What are the main views of your perspective?

What is your perspective/cultural expression trying to say about life in Germany?

When did your perspective/cultural expression first emerge in Germany? Was there an initial person/group who brought this perspective/cultural expression to Germany?

Why is this perspective/cultural expression important to social, cultural and/or political development of Germany?

Why did you chose to research this perspective/cultural expression? Why is it important to you? What do you think other people should know/learn about this perspective/cultural expression?

Step 3: Designing presentation

Develop a multimedia presentation, remembering your home group will be your audience. See your teacher about how it should be referenced.

Step 4: Presenting and peer feedback

Back on your home groups, take turns to present and use the rubric to provide peer feedback.

Step 5: Discussion

Use the following question to frame your group’s discussion:

To what extent were these perspectives/cultural expressions significant to social, cultural and political change in Germany from 1919 – 1933?

Which perspective/cultural expression was the most significant to the social, cultural and political change in Germany from 1919 – 1933?

Develop an argument in response to one of these questions. Include a contention and supporting evidence.