Thursday, March 10, 2011

History Is Not Boring! Focus on Stories: Your Students Will Love It and They'll Remember

I people I history I am always amazed at how often your feedback Tell taught, "Oh, I hate history, I did not learn anything of substance, just dates and facts .." I am very sad that the biggest topic of the history of education and no one ever should find it boring. That's just wrong! I like a lot of history because the people that their teachers had not told enough stories suspect. The only time the story of people throughout history, and who is more interesting for us?

I for one always talking about the personal side of historical figures to humanize them and the children know that people will not have the right to make a difference in society given issue. Adolf Hitler wanted to be an artist. He was turned down for admission to art school and that her lack of depth perception and images. What if another person had their work evaluated and looked promising? Could Hitler rather than a dictator bent on conquering the world can become a star? WWII would have never happened? These kinds of questions I get kids thinking about loved. Such discussions can create great historical figures in the background watching.

Although for many years I taught Advanced Placement U.S. history, European history is my true love, 1700s, 1800, 1900 specifically. Many kings and queens and the court intrigue! Story after story! Humans have always learned best through stories. Before written language, our history was taken and passed on from storyteller. Still the best way to teach it. History is just a collection of stories. Therefore teach that! Stories stick in the minds of children, but not facts and dates.

But what about all those dates that everyone hates so much? Fortunately, history does not date as it used to be focused. I think it is very important for a specific date rather than a time of history to know. Civil War, WWI, WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War, Gulf War, Afghanistan War and the Iraq war: for example, all students should know the sequence of events. Other historical events hung on the framework. For example: When did China become a communist country? It was after World War II and the Korean War led to.

In addition students should be able to place events within the 25-50 years. For example, all students must understand that civil war was in the second half of the 19th century. WWI and WWII were both in the first half of the 20th century.

If students have a time of historical events and major events within the space of 25-50 years, so they can hang other information on this knowledge are. My AP U.S. history class I had missed them in order to the President. It will be important to history in a regular classroom. But my AP students, if they knew roughly what happened during the president's administration and they knew the President's order, the specific time period to deal with them to answer a basic question was the starting point.

Internet stories about historical figures is a good source. There are also many wonderful books that history and little-known facts Trivia expert. For example: William Howard Taft was our greatest president. Forever my wife was trying to make her food. Staff felt so bad for him that he would sneak food to him. She often would gain weight on these diets and his wife never knew why. Taft a specially designed, extra large to establish a regular White House after he became stuck in the tub tub was. A picture of people sitting in four corners of the large tub is featured in the paper. Taft very sensitive and always eat more to him was such embarrassments.

What makes this story a real person with emotions and weaknesses to make a president. Now kids do more of what happened during the Taft administration, because they have a bond with him are ready to listen. None of my students ever Taft, Archie Butt, and forgot the story of the Titanic.

To illustrate the main historical points to find the stories take time and more fun teaching you and your students will be learning more fun. Want proof? I still run into students I taught 20 years ago says, "You still remember the story I told you about that you know Catherine the Great." That it does not get better than that!


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