Review by Patricia Monticello Kievlan, Common Sense Education | Updated May 2015
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Quist - Today in LGBTQ History

Get it now
  • Download on Google Play
  • Download from App Store

Explore LGBTQ history, access great learning and teaching resources

Subjects & skills
Subjects
  • Social Studies
Skills
  • Character & SEL
  • Communication & Collaboration
Grades This grade range is based on learning appropriateness and doesn't take into account privacy. It's determined by Common Sense Education, not the product's publisher.
6–12
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Price:  Free to try, Paid Pay $4.99 to remove ads from the bottom of the screen.
Platforms:  Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch

Take a look inside

5 images
Quist lets users explore historical events related to the LGBTQ community.
Users can view today's event, explore events by date or by country, and learn more about the app.
An "about" page describes the app's content and mission.
Stories explore how LGBTQ community members contributed to major world events.
The developer website has extensive resources about the app's development, its mission, and other ways to get involved.

Pros: Good images, huge volume of content, and great developer website tell a powerful (and sometimes overlooked) story.

Cons: Inconsistent interface interrupts engrossing content; external links have a wide range of quality, reliability, and appropriateness for kids.

Bottom Line: A fine reference tool that's best used to introduce kids and adults to the LGBTQ community's history.

How Can I Teach with This Tool?

As the included activities recommend, use Quist as a jumping-off point for research and exploration. Let kids explore particular dates in history -- today's date, their birthday, or other notable dates -- and see what happened. Use the map to explore where events took place.

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Standards:

Quist (a contraction of "queer history") is a reference app for exploring historic events that involved members of the LGBTQ community. Quist's developers created the app to build awareness, engagement, and support for the LGBTQ community and the history of the community's struggles. On launch, users see events that occurred on this date; then, users can tap that story to view a longer entry and to browse other entries from that date. Each entry includes its date, its location (tagged by country), and relevant links. Some links head to profiles on Wikipedia, while others link to videos, outside websites, or commercial sites selling items related to the story (for example, a story about a genderqueer author winning an award includes a link to buy the book from Amazon).

In addition to navigating to today's events, users can tap to display a navigation bar and explore events by date or browse them by country. There's additional information about the app available, and users can link to the developer's website or recommend a new entry for the app via the Contact option. There's also an option to remove ads; the app is free to download, and users can pay $4.99 to disable the ads across the bottom of the screen. Note that some ads have mild swear words (one frequently displayed boasts, "Dammit, I'm a unicorn!").

Quist is a good first step for learning about LGBTQ history. The volume of stories here might be the app's most powerful message; search any notable date or browse any country's entries and you'll learn about members of the LGBTQ community who were involved in major world events throughout history. Stories also highight civil rights tragedies and triumphs, including landmark court cases and famous firsts. Interestingly, the developer's website might be an even better resource: There, kids and teachers can learn more about the developers and their work to tell the LGBTQ community's story and honor its champions and allies. You'll also find links to teaching resources, activity ideas, and other high-quality resources that can help teachers navigate how to tell stories that aren't widely known or commonly shared.

While the volume of stories is great, navigating the app can be unpredictable. It's not always clear where to click, and it's inconsistent which stories remain as you view one story and then move back to a page of search results. More clear, consistent navigation features and a simpler interface would make exploring these stories more enjoyable. Also, keep in mind that the links out to other websites have inconsistent quality. You'll know what you're getting into with Wikipedia, but some external sites include profanity or images that may not be appropriate for your class. Make sure to preview anything you plan to use in class, and maybe set good ground rules (like which links are okay to click) if you set your students loose to browse.

Overall Rating
Engagement Is the product stimulating, entertaining, and engrossing? Will kids want to return?

Images are good, and stories are brief and interesting, but the sometimes unpredictable interface can get in the way of intentional browsing.

Pedagogy Is learning content seamlessly baked-in, and do kids build conceptual understanding? Is the product adaptable and empowering? Will skills transfer?

Short entries give rich information and offer tons of links to learn more. Today's events, the map, and the search feature give users lots of ways to browse and explore.

Support Does the product take into account learners of varying abilities, skill levels, and learning styles? Does it address both struggling and advanced students?

The developer website is terrific: Tips for using the app abound, plus there's a strong feeling of connection to the history and to a broader supportive community.

Common Sense Reviewer
Patricia Monticello Kievlan Foundation/nonprofit member
About our ratings and privacy evaluation.

Key Standards Supported

Reading History/Social Studies

  • RH.6-8.1

    Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.

  • RH.6-8.2

    Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

  • RH.6-8.3

    Identify key steps in a text’s description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how interest rates are raised or lowered).

  • RH.6-8.4

    Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.

  • RH.6-8.5

    Describe how a text presents information (e.g., sequentially, comparatively, causally).

  • RH.6-8.7

    Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.

  • RH.9-10.1

    Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending to such features as the date and origin of the information.

  • RH.9-10.2

    Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text.

  • RH.9-10.3

    Analyze in detail a series of events described in a text; determine whether earlier events caused later ones or simply preceded them.

  • RH.9-10.4

    Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary describing political, social, or economic aspects of history/social science.

  • RH.9-10.5

    Analyze how a text uses structure to emphasize key points or advance an explanation or analysis.

  • RH.9-10.7

    Integrate quantitative or technical analysis (e.g., charts, research data) with qualitative analysis in print or digital text.

  • RH.11-12.1

    Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.

  • RH.11-12.2

    Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.

  • RH.11-12.3

    Evaluate various explanations for actions or events and determine which explanation best accords with textual evidence, acknowledging where the text leaves matters uncertain.

  • RH.11-12.4

    Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including analyzing how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).

  • RH.11-12.5

    Analyze in detail how a complex primary source is structured, including how key sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text contribute to the whole.

  • RH.11-12.7

    Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.

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