Multiple Intelligences Approach to Teaching Colonial America

Introduction

Many elementary schoolchildren in the United States lack a fundamental understanding of how this nation was created and what forces were at play during its founding (Davies, 2001). Furthermore, the increasingly diverse sociocultural composition of the nation's schools, together with additional focus on other cultures, has largely come at the expense of classwork concerning the cultural origins of the United States. Complicating the picture even further is the need to identify effective classroom instruction styles that can meet the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act while also addressing these key challenges.

The multiple intelligences theory proposed by Gardner (1983) suggests that children employ a variety of intelligences in learning situations; he originally proposed that children learn through seven intelligences, which are discussed further below. The following review of the relevant literature provides an overview of the issues involved, a description of the multiple intelligences approach, and how this technique can be applied to curricula designed to improve students' understanding of the people of Colonial America in general, with an emphasis on using these techniques in a third-grade classroom in particular.

Despite the increasing need for a more educated citizenry concerning the roots of their history and what their responsibilities as citizens are in a modern society, many elementary school students are not receiving an adequate education in the social studies. In fact, there remains a lack of consensus about which teaching technique produces superior results in the elementary classroom today.

Review of the Relevant Literature

According to Haas and Laughlin (2001), teachers employ a wide range of instructional approaches that largely depend upon their goals and the topic being studied. "The teachers reported using a variety of strategies in their teaching," the authors note. "The majority of the sample (65%) still taught in self-contained classrooms, and 47% reported teaching social studies as a stand-alone subject" (p. 122). When teachers were asked how frequently they used textbooks, media, and computers, 81% reported using maps, globes, or satellite images at least once each week, with 67% indicating use of these geographic tools several times a week; fully 90% indicated using a textbook for instruction, 45% said they used the book no more than once per week, and 8% used no textbook at all (Haas & Laughlin, 2001).

Media resources were used in 67% of the elementary classrooms surveyed; however, the teachers reported using film or video less than once per week. In addition, fewer than 25% of the respondents used available computers at least once a week, with many teachers reporting that the software programs available at the time of the survey did not correspond to the needs of their curriculum study units. Furthermore, a number of teachers listed several teaching resources they use frequently, and a total of 50 different resources were identified (Haas & Laughlin, 2001).

A wide variety of written materials were the most frequently used teaching resources, while the use of pictures and other graphics was reported somewhat less frequently. The surveyed elementary school teachers also noted that the skills required to interpret various forms of visual information were regarded as important when working with computer and Internet sources. "Geographic tools, specifically atlases and globes, likewise require additional skills for gathering and interpreting data and were among the more frequently used teaching resources. Resources involving human interactions — such as guest speakers, interviews, living experiences, role playing, and personal experience — were used much less frequently" (Haas & Laughlin, 2001, p. 122).

The table below summarizes the instructional resources typically used in elementary school social studies classrooms, as reported by Haas and Laughlin (2001, p. 122):

Table 1. Instructional Resources Typically Used in an Elementary School Social Studies Classroom.

Atlas or maps — 37 responses; Trade books (literature) — 34; Video, library/media center, news & film strips — 33; Computers and internet — 21; Textbooks — 22; Magazines and newspapers — 15; Simulations — 11; Reference books — 9; Teacher-created materials — 7; Cultural artifacts — 5; Charts or posters — 5; Primary documents — 5; Globes — 4; Hands-on projects (varied) — 3.

Taken together, these instructional resources represent an opportunity rather than a constraint if applied in a more effective manner. The studies to date suggest that the multiple intelligences approach to classroom instruction provides just such a method, and these concepts are discussed further below.

This alternative approach to the conception of intelligence was originally proposed by Gardner (1983, 1991). By using the multiple intelligences approach to teaching (Gardner, 1991), classroom teachers can identify and facilitate their students' multiple talents in a variety of intellectual areas. "Instead of simply imparting knowledge," though, "it is important for teachers to teach children how to think, so that children can learn to make use of information" (Rodd, 1999, p. 351). Indeed, in the Age of Information, helping young learners sort through the deluge of information and make sense of what is important and relevant has assumed great importance. According to Gardner (1999), "It is important for students to understand [that] the achievement of understanding is challenging, and there are a variety of means that might aid students. A generic approach would seem justifiable, since it is reasonable to approach a problem in terms of its fundamental constituents" (p. 166).

The multiple intelligences approach combines a product- and process-oriented view (Bialystok, 2001). This framework divides intelligence into seven domains that are relatively independent; these domains are based on a distinct set of processing operations implicated in each. As a result, each module can be circumscribed and quantified, though at least some of the criteria for determining the modules are the mental processes that accompany each. The seven domains, described as "culturally meaningful activities," are:

The Multiple Intelligence Approach

1. Linguistic. The ability to use words correctly and comfortably, either orally or in writing, and to express meaning.

2. Logico-mathematical. The ability to use numbers correctly and effectively; to think inductively or deductively; to categorize, classify, and generalize.

3. Musical. The ability to understand and use musical concepts in a perceptive or technical sense, and to develop an appreciation for music.

4. Spatial. The ability to understand, interpret, and model the visual world — for example, to represent spatial information effectively.

5. Bodily/kinesthetic. The ability of students to use physical means to represent their ideas and feelings.

6. Interpersonal. The ability of students to relate to and understand other people, and to possess good social and leadership skills.

7. Intrapersonal. The ability of the student to use self-understanding and self-knowledge; to monitor the self; to be self-disciplined (Bialystok, 2001, p. 186; Adams, 2000, p. 86).

Providing a comprehensive curriculum that satisfies all of these dimensions may appear daunting, but Adams emphasizes that students will frequently have strength in one or more intelligences, which will serve as a springboard for additional learning and result in improved cognitive ability. According to this author, "Each child may use a variety of these intelligences to learn mathematics concepts and skills, not just the logical-mathematical. The activity and lesson ideas presented in this article represent experiences from which all children can benefit, regardless of the intelligences they most favor" (p. 86). Consequently, elementary school teachers should not feel pressured to categorize students by intelligence, but only to provide a multitude of learning opportunities (Adams, 2000, p. 86). According to Rodd (1999), "By using the multiple intelligence approach to teaching, teachers can identify and foster pupils' multiple talents in a variety of intellectual areas. Instead of simply imparting knowledge, it is important for teachers to teach children how to think, so that children can learn to make use of information" (p. 351).

Conclusion

Taken together, these instructional resources and multiple intelligence components represent an opportunity rather than a constraint if they are applied in an effective manner. The studies reviewed here suggest that the multiple intelligences approach to classroom instruction provides a flexible, student-centered framework that can accommodate diverse learners while meeting curricular requirements such as those imposed by the No Child Left Behind Act. By systematically linking each of Gardner's seven intelligences to specific, historically grounded activities, elementary school teachers can deepen students' engagement with Colonial American history, foster a genuine understanding of the nation's origins, and provide every child — regardless of their dominant intelligence — with meaningful entry points into the curriculum.