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will feel full of pride as you watch history become their favorite subject, and you listen to them discussing events of your class in the halls.

Have them make many projects and have those projects reflect materials and methods of the time period in question. If you are making a medal, don't make it from foil. Try to make it from a metal such as copper. Use the time you are creating projects to introduce and incorporate other subjects into your lesson. For instance, if you are making a metal, this might be an appropriate time to discuss aspects of metalurgy. If you are making a piece of clothing, this would be the time to discuss fabrics and how they are made, or the chemistry of dying fabrics now versus the natural material methods used in the past. There are so many different projects to incorporate into every period of history. The trick will be narrowing the many choices down to those you are able to fit into your unit time frame. Make sure you incorporate the making of these projects into the role play you are participating in. This will make the entire unit more effective.

Finally, make sure to incorporate a lively piece of historical fiction into your unit. These books make history come alive in a way that children can understand and identify witih. If you are teaching Ancient Egypt, The Golden Goblet is an engaging choice for all ages. It can be read aloud to younger groups. Make sure to incorporate some of your projects into the story line of the literature you choose. This will make the book, the time period, and the unit more memorable for your students.

History may be about the events that have already transpired, but it is greatly relevant to our lives today. It helps us to understand so many aspects of society. It is the foundation with which are current societies are built on. We are creating history every day. It is important to know how important our current actions are to future generations. For it is now that we are creating their history. Teach this to your students through their eyes. Do not tell them, do not show them, but make them create the world that once was, so they can better create the world that will be.

Learn more about this author, Monica Tunnell.
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