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Growing up in the public school system means you have been taking some generic classes for most of your time in education. From the first grade on, your time is sectioned out between math, writing, spelling, science, and history. Even those studying for automotive & diesel technology degrees or theatre at a liberal arts university will probably have to take at least one course in English or math. While most people have been learning about our country and our world’s history since an early age, it is easy to feel bored by the constant conversations about past events and previous people. But what if there was a way to make history truly fun and entertaining for all generations? Surely this is history teachers’ ultimate goal. We are who and what we are because of our history. Whether it be ancient civilizations or a more recent social development, our history informs our future. Even if you were the kid in school who found the invention of the printing press and the Russian Revolution boring, there are many ways for you to start exploring again. The best way to learn is to make it fun for everyone.
Giving Stories to Classic Characters
We tend to feel extremely distant from historical figures. We exist in our own zeitgeist, our own place with certain limitations and beliefs and cultural parameters. Therefore, any time with different rules or social norms feels distant from us. For example, a woman in the Victorian age was destined to marry a rich man and bear his children, whereas today women have goals and careers of their own. So how can a modern woman or a man relate to a debutant in an 1800s London ballroom? The key to understanding history is understanding the emotion there, because human compassion and empathy hasn’t really changed much throughout time. She hurts, loves, and hopes in the same way you do, even though her surroundings are very different.
One of the keys to making history more interesting is digging into the stories of the people rather than just the facts. Memorizing dates and events is still important, but it can get monotonous over time. Plus, what is the good of knowing when Hawaii became a part of the United States without also learning the culture and traditions of surf Hawaii? Some teachers encourage the exploration of emotion through games, reenactments, or field trips. If you can find a way to put yourself in the middle of the action and consider the thoughts and feelings of people in history, you’ll start to understand the context and importance of these events.
To capture every point of view, history is explored through primary and secondary sources. Primary sources are key to gaining empathy with people’s past lives. Anything from a letter to a fossil count as primary sources. They are actual documents or pieces collected from the time period. A prime example of this is perhaps one of the most famous primary sources in existence – The Diary of Anne Frank. This popular story rose to fame, because we finally understood the family’s fear when hiding out from the Nazis. Anne has hopes and dreams like we do, but is struggling to survive in this horrible situation. We sympathize with her story. Through all primary sources, we can actually read and interpret their thoughts and feelings, and even touched artifacts that they touched, which piques our interest and allows for a more personal connection between us today and the societies of the past.
Museums
History doesn’t only have to be exciting from within a classroom. Think of how many museums have been established and historical sights have been preserved to help engage us in stories of the past. Most communities boast of their unique museums as something to experience North Bend, OR or as a tourist attraction in Chattanooga, TN. The beauty of museums is that they are built for lifelong learners. Kids on their school field trip or an 80-year-old couple can enjoy a nice stroll around a museum.
In this day and age interactive learning aids development. By visiting a new space with multimedia educational opportunities, you are broadening your mind. The purpose of museums is to express different stories of how man has evolved and survived throughout history. They promote unity and allow people to observe how the human spirit overcomes. Not to mention the diversity of museums out there. From natural history to technology to small town history, there are museums for anything that peaks your interest. You can even find museums on the history and significance of different careers from workers’ compensation lawyers to garbage collectors.
The Genre of Historical Fiction
Not only are museums peaking our interest about the past, but books, television, and movies are as well. The genre of historical fiction and nonfiction has given us a whole new world of entertainment. It is somewhat sneaky as well. The audience enjoys a heart-wrenching story, while also learning about the time period and significance of some events. In fact, at least seven Academy Award winning-films from the past 20 years have been based off of significant historic events.
Take James Cameron’s Titanic. Before the movie, everyone knew about the Titanic, which was deemed unsinkable until it ran into an iceberg and drowned in the middle of the Atlantic. Well, bring in Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet to play star-crossed lovers aboard the vessel, and suddenly you have a story that has everyone hooked. Of course, the story of the Titanic was always a tragic one, but when you give the audience someone to root for on board who, spoiler alert, doesn’t make it, the tragedy becomes real to us even today.
While you are worried about the story, you are subtly learning the norms of the time period and the cultural significance. While watching Jack and Rose yearn for each other, you also get to see how drastic the class difference was in early 20th-century London. Another show that does this brilliantly is Downton Abbey. You get all the twists and turns of a soap opera with this show, but you’re also constantly learning. This show, like most historical fiction or nonfiction, has a historical expert on set at all times making sure everything is completely accurate to the time period. The concept of English “upstairs” and “downstairs” society can be understood effectively by watching and becoming invested. Reading articles or textbooks on the same subject simply doesn’t do justice to the stories.
Using the Past to Inform the Future
Clearly, history can be fun, but what is the point in making it interesting in the first place? History informs the future. Obviously, our history as a civilization hasn’t always been sunny. There have been wars and corruption and heartache. Of course, this will continue to some extent because of who we are as human beings, but the trials of our past motivate us to never repeat them. On a lighter note, we would not be here if it weren’t for the brave men and women who paved the way for us. Technological advances and pioneering helped give us the world we cherish today and motivates us to create an even brighter future.
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This content made possible by site supporter Claire Peters.
Photo: Getty Images