History is Alive!

One of the most annoying aspects of teaching history in school is the restrictions and demands on the coursework from textbook based curriculum. History is not sub-headings and review questions, words to know and pie charts, multiple choice tests and short answers. History is alive! When something is alive, you interact with it, nurture it, and have experiences with it. So, too, must the curriculum for history be expanded.

First of all, the mandate for teaching children history is not the sole responsibility of the teacher in the classroom. Parents must become involved in teaching history. Often, parents do not realize that they represent whole history lessons themselves. Take out the old photo album passed down from the grandparents. Find old letters, clothes, dishes, toys, any artifact that has been passed down through the generations and share them with the children. Tell the story of where those artifacts came from, how they were used, what they represented. There is a pantheon of historical knowledge sitting in plain view in most every household.

When the home and family history is exhausted, move outside. History is responsible for the names of streets, the style of housing, the cars on the roadways, the founding of the city, and the people who populate each neighborhood. Take children to the local Founder's Day celebration. Nearly every city has one, and, unfortunately, many of them are poorly visited. Visit museums, parks, roadside attractions. These trips are cheap, good family bonding, and, most importantly, activities like these instill the attitude of learning outside the classroom as a life long lesson.

In the classroom, work with the teacher. When projects are sent home, do not just get involved, get interested. Learn with the students. Share the enthusiasm for the projects. Communicate with teachers on elements of the curriculum that students find most challenging. Parents communicating their children's successes and struggles often help to guide teachers to building stronger, more engaging curriculum.

Teachers need to be diligent as well. Students will not be engaged by textbooks, no matter how much money the states poor into the pockets of the textbook publishers. Students, like people in any endeavor, need to be enticed by the material they cover. Multi-media projects, such as virtual tours or documentary production, guest speakers and field trips all do much more than reviewing textbook information ever can to engage students. While these projects and events do take up valuable time, the results of enhanced student interest and understanding more than make up for any loss to the curriculum calendar.

Students who understand how history is alive in their daily lives are more likely to be interested in current events and social concerns. The future depends upon children who are able to recognize the importance of their own communities, and can use their skills of historical analysis to extrapolate solutions to problems as they arise. History teaches that, but only if the ideas are activated in the imagination.

Learn more about this author, Matthew Huddleston.
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