What Happened When I Blended Writing Research & History? You'll Want to Try It!

How I decided to merge Writing and History in my classroom for the month of February and to honor Black History figures.

I am going to be honest: It wasn't my idea. My social studies colleagues' idea ended up in this beautiful collaboration that engaged students and excited them about their projects.

I will share with you how this approach and why it became a hit and time-saving.

The Idea: Merging Argumentative Writing with History

Writing Research Project Black History Month MLK

We combined English Language Arts (ELA) with Social Studies to save time and minimize planning. This powerful approach broke down traditional barriers between subjects, helping students see the bigger picture of how knowledge is interconnected.

We used the significance of Black History Month as a foundation for research. Teaching the importance of this month was essential for our study. In January, covering Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) laid strong groundwork for the following research. Students began selecting figures based on their understanding of MLK's impact on creating a safe and tolerant society today.

MLK Research Project!

As students conducted their research, they focused on individuals who had positively influenced our culture and led to meaningful change rather than merely choosing figures based on personal preference. They selected a historical figure and prepared to conduct research in Social Studies.

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The Transition from Research to Argumentative Writing:

Students began their research during Social studies, which gave them a daily 40-minute block to focus on their work, something they couldn't do during an 80-minute ELA block or less.

•  The fact that they were focused helped them focus on finding reasons and evidence to craft strong claims. One of the most crucial aspects of argumentative writing, especially when blended with Social Studies, is teaching students how to support their claims with historical facts. Our excellent social studies teacher ensured students were not just writing their opinions about their chosen historical figure—they were learning to defend their stance using objective historical evidence.

The Power of Connecting Subjects: Why it Made Learning More Engaging:

Incredible things happened when we blended writing with history; students became more engaged than ever. Instead of treating research and writing as separate activities, they saw how one skill could enhance the other. Suddenly, history wasn't just about memorizing dates and facts; writing wasn't merely about filling a page with words. It all became more real to them.

Students did not simply record dates and events when researching their historical figures. They sought evidence—real moments that illustrated why their selected figures were influential.

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Why You Should Try This in Your Classroom:

I can't recommend it enough if you haven't tried blending writing with history (or any other subject). It completely changed the way my students engaged with both research and writing. Instead of treating subjects like separate boxes, they started seeing how skills from one area strengthen learning in another. And let's be honest—as teachers, we always look for ways to make learning more meaningful and engaging. This is one of those ways.

Here are some easy tips to help you get started:

Choose a Topic That Fits Naturally into Both Subjects and Break It Down:

- Day 1-2: Introduce historical figures and have students choose one.

- Day 3-4: Teach them to find credible sources (books, articles, primary sources).

-Day 5: Help them sort their information into reasons and evidence. Many students get confused, so I spent a whole day teaching this and then moved on to create two columns.

- Day 6: Assist them in organizing their research into key points (life, impact, lasting influence).

- Day 7-8: Start turning their notes into an argumentative outline.

- Day 9-10: Focus on writing and revising the essay.

- Final Step: Present their arguments in class.

The Takeaways from This Experiment:

By blending ELA and Social Studies, students don't just learn about historical figures—they analyze their impact, form opinions, and craft arguments about why they were influential. I can't recommend this kind of interdisciplinary project enough. It completely changed the way my students engaged with both writing and history. Instead of treating each subject as a separate, unrelated task, they saw how skills from one class could strengthen their understanding of another.

And honestly, it made learning feel more natural—because in real life, subjects don't exist in silos. This project showed them how writing, history, research, and critical thinking connect.

Finally, I can say that one of my favorite moments as a teacher was seeing them passionately present their historical figures. Also, they started debating with each other—"No, my person had a bigger impact because…" or "Well, actually, mine changed history by…"—that's the kind of learning that sticks.