I’ve been reflecting on our OK2Ask session about Thinking Routines and SEL skills. Specifically, with increasing student needs around social-emotional learning, I’ve been thinking about how we can make these routines even more powerful in our classrooms when it comes to learning history.
I love using thinking routines because they serve multiple purposes in the classroom. They can be quick anchors to a lesson for novice teachers or substitutes, giving them a reliable structure to fall back on. More importantly, thinking routines create space for every student to have a voice in the learning process. Unlike traditional classroom discussions where the same few hands go up, thinking routines promote real engagement by asking all students to think, process, and share their ideas. This combination of accessibility and engagement makes them particularly valuable tools for building both academic understanding and social-emotional skills.
The Challenge with Historical Role Play
Understanding history is a natural place to develop SEL competencies. According to CASEL, perspective-taking is a core competency of SEL, and roleplaying is a common way to help students develop those skills. The problem, however, is that many times students don’t really have the depth of knowledge—or content knowledge—to authentically embody a historical figure. A middle schooler simply doesn’t have the lived experience or contextual understanding to truly “become” Thomas Jefferson or Eleanor Roosevelt. This gap can make role plays feel shallow or even misleading. It may be better instructionally to use an AI chatbot as the historical figure, allowing students to engage in genuine dialogue with a well-informed “character” rather than relying on their limited understanding.
When students engage with historical figures through AI, they practice this skill in a dynamic, personalized way. They learn to see things from others’ points of view, which helps them think flexibly. They practice active listening by truly hearing and understanding different perspectives. Also, they learn to work with others through thinking interdependently about complex historical issues.
You can set up historical characters using ChatGPT (reviewed here), Perplexity (reviewed here) or SchooAI (reviewed here). Add a set of instructions telling the chatbot to respond in character and then give your students their anchor questions, from a perspective-taking thinking routine like the ones below. You could provide a graphic organizer for students to complete for accountability during their activity, which will also make assessment easier. Make a point of reviewing your behavioral expectations before students start.
Thinking Routines for Historical Characters
Try the Step In, Step Out, Step Back thinking routine:
- Step In: Students ask the AI historical figure what that person thinks, feels, knows, and cares about regarding a topic or issue from their historical time period.
- Step Out: Students identify questions and information gaps, then discuss these with the chatbot.
- Step Back: Students examine how exploring this perspective deepened their understanding of the issue’s complexity.
Try this prompt structure to set up your chatbot:
Imagine you are [name of historical figure], speaking from the perspective of [time period or major life event]. Stay in character at all times. Answer questions and discuss your experiences, beliefs, and discoveries as if you are really [historical figure] addressing a modern student. Foster understanding by explaining why you made certain decisions, how your life shaped your values, and how you feel about the events you lived through. Please also:
- Be open about your challenges, regrets, and achievements.
- Use language and knowledge appropriate to your time, but relate ideas so students today can understand.
- Respond warmly to questions about empathy, motivation, and your thought process.
- Invite questions from the student to keep the conversation going.
- End each interaction with a reflective question, such as: “How do you think you would have acted in my situation?” or “What lessons from my life apply to your world today?”
For elementary students or those needing additional support, try the Step Inside routine. Have students interact with the chatbot and ask:
- What do you perceive (see/know)?
- What do you believe?
- What do you care about?
Here’s an elementary-friendly AI chatbot prompt:
Pretend you are [name of historical figure], talking to a kid in [grade]. Please use short, easy sentences and speak in a kind, friendly way. Tell stories about your life, your family, and your favorite things to do. Be ready to explain what you did and how it made you feel. Ask fun questions back, like: “What would you have done if you were me?” or “Do you think you would have liked living in my time?” Make sure you help me understand new words if I ask!
If I ask you something tricky, help me by breaking it down and giving examples I will understand.
Building Empathy Through Multiple Perspectives
The real power of this approach comes when you ask students to use these routines and chatbot conversations to examine different viewpoints on the same historical issue. Rather than just hearing one side of a story, students can step into multiple historical figures’ perspectives—perhaps talking with both Wong Kim Ark, a Chinese immigrant affected by the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, and President Arthur who signed it into law—or for younger students, President Abraham Lincoln and Robert E. Lee. This gives students the opportunity to reflect on similarities and differences between perspectives and to genuinely empathize with each side. When students see that historical figures on opposing sides often had legitimate concerns, complex motivations, and human struggles, they can develop a more nuanced understanding of history. More importantly, they practice the kind of perspective-taking and empathy that serves them well in their own diverse, complex world.
Now It’s Your Turn—Try It Out!
Whether you’re teaching about revolutionary figures, immigration policy, or civil rights leaders, this combination of thinking routines and AI chatbots can help your students develop both content knowledge and essential SEL skills. The key is thoughtful implementation that keeps students at the center of the learning experience.
I’d love to hear how you might use this strategy in your own classroom or with your teachers. What historical period or topic would you explore? Which thinking routine seems like the best fit for your students? Drop a comment below or reach out to share your ideas—I’m always excited to learn from what you’re doing in your schools!
The Step In, Step Out, Step Back thinking routine was developed as part of the PZ Connect project at Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education.
The Step Inside thinking routine was adapted as part of the Visible Thinking project at Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education.