The Puzzle Analogy Lesson

I am sure that all of you have heard about the puzzle lesson plan. Linda and I first heard about it from a colleague we met while attending a National Endowment for the Humanities workshop in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 2004. Of course there are variations, but the version we heard about goes something like this:

The American History teacher displays a large puzzle for all students to see; it is very intricate and obviously will present a challenge to put together. Then, the teacher states that when this puzzle is completely put together, the students will have completed their work to receive credit for their course. She announces, “We are going to learn more about putting history together by putting the puzzle together.” Of course, the students accept the challenge.

First, the teacher grabs a handful of puzzle pieces and puts them in a drawer. When she is asked why she did that and made their task much more difficult, or impossible, the teacher explains that it is harder to put the puzzle together in a coherent fashion because some pieces were lost along the way, so we just have to do the best we can at interpreting what remains.

Then, the teacher grabs another handful of pieces and puts them in the waste basket, explaining that some pieces of the puzzle never were discovered because maybe a person who knew what happened never told anyone else about the person or event being studied, and maybe the key to unlock the sequence of events went to the grave with the person who would otherwise have provided what we call primary source documents.

Then, the teacher grabs another handful of pieces and puts them aside, explaining that some pieces of the puzzle may have been lost in a fire or ship wreck or other disaster, or remain stored in someone's attic or safety deposit box, perhaps to be brought to light after being purchased in a garage or estate sale.

Then, the teacher adds pieces from another puzzle, obviously distinct from the first (a wooden puzzle's pieces being added to a heavy cardboard puzzle, for example), because maybe there is information that is not historically accurate, either because of error or other circumstances, that contradicts much of what we know, or think we know.

Well, we're sure you get the general idea.