History, in Curriculum

The study of history has long been a part of schooling. With children and youth, history has been expected to acculturate students and develop responsible citizens. Today, the aims of history teaching are similar, yet they have expanded to include critical thinking and making connections between what students know and learned in the past with what they are learning currently.

Not unlike the discussions in science and other content areas, there is controversy over depth versus breadth. Should the “story well told” be used to engage and encourage students to pursue one area deeply? How important is the chronology of history? Are dates, places, and even people irrelevant or insignificant when compared with the major movements of history, or are they necessary handholds for students to use as they climb the mountains of those major movements? Still, we, in the twenty-first century, grapple with why we teach history.

Global conflicts, economic interdependence, and the seemingly smaller world all contribute to a need for understandings regarding history, culture, geography, and politics. History is at the center of the study of social science in K–12. While there are many ways to approach the study of history, there is a chronological underpinning to help make the broad vistas and intersections of history relate to each other. History teaching reflects both the diversity and common experience of the nation.

Deepening and enriching history teaching is the acknowledgment that history, without culture, is little more than memorized dates and facts. History in contemporary classrooms where students are engaged is imbued with stories and relationships. While the framework of chronology is present, there is depth. Controversial issues are considered, discussed, and pondered while the contexts of the time are noted. Concepts of democracy, freedom, individual rights, and personal responsibility are part of the discussions. Students are encouraged to view events from multiple perspectives. They look at situations and employ problem-solving techniques.

History teaching itself has become a controversial issue. State or regional boards anticipate the adoption of history materials will be questioned and considered by more than just the members. Ethnic, cultural, religious, and other groups vie to have what they consider accurate become part of the history being taught in the schools. Even the numbers of pages or references are compared to support claims of slighting. Fair and balanced portrayals of events are necessary. Community review and input is increasingly important as materials are selected.

Others are concerned about what and how history is taught. History often is a subject where special education students are mainstreamed. Materials and teaching methods must accommodate a differentiated curriculum. Children and youth learn in a variety of ways, and they are sophisticated in the technologies of today.

History courses no longer can depend on lecture and reading alone. They must be enriched by a variety of tools. Kits and Internet sites provide rich primary source materials. Simulations, both technology based and paper, are in wide use from primary grades through high school. Cross-curricular connections also encourage engagement. While most frequently involving literature, these connections also may include subjects from mathematics to physical education. Relating history to other areas promotes systems thinking and looking at knowledge as a whole rather than a series of random pieces.

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