Selected social media for classroom use: Wikipedia

An exploration of Wikipedia and what it has to say about Nazareth, PA

Top-level entry
- ...in English
- ...in Spanish
- ...in French
Focusing on the top-level entry in English, note the
- Length
- History: How long has it been around? Who created it? How many edits since then?
- Cross-referencing. For example, the current article mentions George Whitefield and links to a separate entry on Whitefield.
Taking a close look at entries
- Look at the entry on George Whitefield.
- Why doesn't it (as of this writing) mention Nazareth? The Whitefield House?
- Examine the Talk page for this entry – has it at least been discussed?
- Can we edit the article to improve it? Can we at least put a note on the Talk page?

Why bother with Wikipedia?

Content = patchy, sometimes incorrect, vandalized, etc. (On the other hand, often far, far more thorough / current than textbook....)
Vehicle for developing students' historical thinking skills (diagram of WP structure and HT-as-applied-epistemology)
Opportunity for 'doing' history? For example, I wrote the first version of an entry on a Bethlehem history topic, steelworker Henry Noll.
And a short digression into cultural geography
- Multiple WPs = different communities' voices, views.

Re-capturing the point of this: Can you envision some possible use of Wikipedia for teaching a concept or skill in the coming school year?

Browser not supported