Such pleasure and pride to recall that we once published the first version of this excellent treatise on teaching history in engaging AND meaningful ways...and to read the new version. It's like extra sprinkles on our ice cream. Or attractively arranged fruit.
Thanks for writing such an important reminder on the importance and dignity of teaching history. For 17 years I’ve tried to keep present in my mind most of these tenets you write about. I think they’ve helped me reach many a reluctant student but you also provided insights that I hadn’t thought about much.
I read this with a lot of interest, Lauren, because we're chasing the same goal: getting kids excited about history. I think your thoughts around making history "relevant" touch on an important point, and how leaning into curiosity instead of forced relevance may be the better (if harder) path.
I'm trying to do both of these things: spark curiosity and still make kids feel connected to the past with a middle-grade time-travel series set during the Revolution. It's been a fun challenge figuring out how to let the past stay strange and complicated rather than smoothing it into something too familiar. Thanks for putting so much thought into helping other teachers get kids excited about this subject. It shows. Kind regards, Eileen Schnabel
Such pleasure and pride to recall that we once published the first version of this excellent treatise on teaching history in engaging AND meaningful ways...and to read the new version. It's like extra sprinkles on our ice cream. Or attractively arranged fruit.
Thanks for writing such an important reminder on the importance and dignity of teaching history. For 17 years I’ve tried to keep present in my mind most of these tenets you write about. I think they’ve helped me reach many a reluctant student but you also provided insights that I hadn’t thought about much.
Thanks, Daniel. So glad to hear that. There are probably others that I left out, too, but at some point I just have to hit "publish." ;)
I read this with a lot of interest, Lauren, because we're chasing the same goal: getting kids excited about history. I think your thoughts around making history "relevant" touch on an important point, and how leaning into curiosity instead of forced relevance may be the better (if harder) path.
I'm trying to do both of these things: spark curiosity and still make kids feel connected to the past with a middle-grade time-travel series set during the Revolution. It's been a fun challenge figuring out how to let the past stay strange and complicated rather than smoothing it into something too familiar. Thanks for putting so much thought into helping other teachers get kids excited about this subject. It shows. Kind regards, Eileen Schnabel