SCIM-C was designed by to help students develop the skills of historical inquiry, critical thinking, and intellectual flexibility. (Hicks, Doolittle, Ewing, 2004) Using a fluid “frames” approach, students read the source then perform the following task:
Summarize information about the author, audience, purpose, content, and type of source.
Contextualize or place the source in context based on the era, events, and geographic location related the source.
Infer the variety of perspectives and/or interpretations implied by the source.
Monitor or determine the additional evidence needed to check inferences, define terms, and clarify any information about which there are still questions.
Corroborate by comparing additional sources and drawing conclusions.
