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A British teacher writes, "One of the ways we teach history to the under 13s at least, is to get them to compare their lives with those of people in other eras. About 2 years ago
I had a mixed group of 11-12 year olds who were really keen to explore Tudor times but went off the idea when they realised the long school hours and regime the boys were subjected to. The girls thought we should still do a re-enactment until it was pointed out that their lives would have been worse in many respects. I am not teaching history at the moment but have just been to see a new touring exhibition about the Tudors and just wish it had been available for that class. I really like interactive and immersive ideas like that as history can be very dry without making it more people centred." Actually this is part of the genesis of HBC. As a young teacher in America, I noted how students would often ask about children and life-style type questions. Yet their history was full of illustrations about adults--often beared white men. Thus HBc focuses on children over the ages. We emphasize clothing, but deal extensively with culture and life style of ordinary people. Of course we have far to go, but there is now quite a bit of information aechived in HBC on childhood throughout the years and in different countries and societies. Hopefully some teachers will give us an idea of methods they found effective in teaching history to children
A British teacher writes, "One of the ways we teach history to the under 13s at least, is to get them to compare their lives with those of people in other eras. About 2 years ago
I had a mixed group of 11-12 year olds who were really keen to explore Tudor times but went off the idea when they realised the long school hours and regime the boys were subjected to. The girls thought we should still do a re-enactment until it was pointed out that their lives would have been worse in many respects. I am not teaching history at the moment but have just been to see a new touring exhibition about the Tudors and just wish it had been available for that class. I really like interactive and immersive ideas like that as history can be very dry without making it more people centred." Actually this is part of the genesis of HBC.
As a young teacher in America, I noted how students would often ask about children and life-style type questions. Yet their history was full of illustrations about adults--often beared white men. Thus HBc focuses on children over the ages. We emphasize clothing, but deal extensively with culture and life style of ordinary people. Of course we have far to go, but there is now quite a bit of information aechived in HBC on childhood throughout the years and in different countries and societies.
I began teaching in South Carolina during the early 1970s a few years after the schools were integrated. I taught American history among other subjects. The history course was American history, a required subjects for yniors (11th graders about 16-17 years old). History was not a popular subject and as a new teacher I struggled to capture the students' interest. The school was in a formerly rural area that had become a white-flight suburban community. Most of the students were white and very conservative. Another problem I had was that conservative attitudes were so dominant and fervently held. There were usually a few students with liberal attitudes in each class, in several cases the children of professors at the University of South Carolina in near by Colombia. I had assumed that the teacher's role was to present information and serve as a moderator as the students discussed the various historical issues we considerd. I soon changed mu mind, because there would have been no class discussion--they mosly agreed with each other. So I shifted gears and served as a agent provatour. I would challenge some of their asertions and encourage the students to chalenge me. Then periodically we would have a linrary day. With each student having a very specific question to research. Then we would go over the results the next day. I remnember the children scoffed whrn I gold them that there were black cowboys and calvary soldiers. (Before the 70s you never saw black cowboys or calvalry soldiers in the movies or television.) Or I told them that black people plsayed a major role in building industrial America. (The major export crop of the United States in the 19th century was cotton. Almost all of which was planted, cultivated and harvested by black slaves. It was the export earnings of black slaves that financed the development of the United States in the ante-bellum South.) The students were so outraged by some of the things like this I told them that they were very anxious to prove me wrong. Here the assignments I gave them were looking up facts that were fairly easy to find. I think some real learning gook place during these sessions.
A British teacher writes, "History is always as presented by the victors and the dominant so will
invariably side with the popular beliefs. With the emergence of the
Internet as a very easy way to access information from different viewpoints,
especially cultural ones, it is a useful tool to get a truer picture of many
events. One has to be careful to check credibility of course; the Internet
equally being the home of many untruths but it does allow a far greater
range of information to be put forward in an easily accessible arena. I was
taught history from a British viewpoint but nowadays I can look at the same
events from other European or global perspectives which is very
enlightening. It also means I can learn from people with very different
views, beliefs and cultures from my own. No bad thing. I teach history as
one of my main subjects and endeavour, especially with younger pupils to
encourage them to learn about prior times and events by how they may have
been perceived by the people or children at that time. Some topics do have
to be taught in a blow by blow these are the facts approach but it is far
better whenever possible to look more widely at the socio-economic factors
and other factors which lead up to events. My pupils must sometimes think I
have gone completely mad as I will have them re-enact the battle of 1066,
turn big historical events into a gameshow format or do just about anything
to get them to think further than a few pages in a book and get the message
to stick. One of the most fun parts of teaching. In the UK there is great
use made of re-enactment societies who visit schools or who will get the
children into character on actual historical sites complete with period
costumes etc. 1066 is usually has the main aim to get them to understand who the main
players were, where Britain was under attack from and the tactics used in
the actual battle. We cover who the various claimants for the thrown were
and discuss their various pros and cons. I'm just as likely to have them
standing on desks in the classroom as acting in the hall or outside. Much
depends upon the group dynamics. I work in a similar way with most subjects
when I can get away with it and it's likely to support my teaching plan as I
know which lessons captivated my interest and the things I learnt. Such
dynamic teaching does have to be moderated and is balanced by other methods
including pupil led research and even the dreaded 'chalk and talk'."
A reader writes, "I have a lesson plan for introducing the idea of primary and secondary
evidence to primary-age children. The idea is to help them learn how to judge the reliability of 'evidence'. I have the children take on the role of police detectives or newspsaper reporters which they are all eager to do. I then slowly release information, statements and other bits of information to them. You can chose a historical event here if you want to use it in a history class. Good fun and plenty of acting potential. And with computers you can make it really exciting by using photographs and drawings that you can work up."
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