Engage the Maze....
A Teaching American History Newsletter from Dr. Christine Johnson
Hello fellow teachers! Welcome to the first installment of Engage the Maze. It is my hope that this monthly newsletter will add a spark to you and your students as you explore the world of history and the often scattered information on instructional support.
Christine Johnson, EditorSo here is where I am coming from...
History is a part of our being. It places us in relationship to our world. Historical thinking helps us understand systems in play and translates students into critical thinkers.
I rode my formative years in a car that should have had a bumper sticker that read “Brakes for Historical Markers.” My dad was a historian’s history teacher, if you know what I mean, and a good one at that! As we made a Sunday family ride near Oneonta, New York, I was in the back seat reading Drums Along the Mohawk*.
I was midway through (my mother, a third grade teacher, had given it to me to read the day before) and I looked up to read yet another marker set in stone with a minted metal inscription: “At this spot in 1777 was...” It was about what I had read about the two pages before! I was hooked on history. To this day, I thoroughly enjoy walking though a local historical museum exploring the archives of the locale, and even writing about events.But why did I not pursue my love of history with my formal education? Simply put, I was turned off by rather flat portrayals of what to me was exciting. It is my hope here that we have a forum to exchange ideas and strategies to make history strike students with that same excitement I experienced in the back seat of my parents’ car.
I propose the following: I will research and share with you the best practices for enlivening your history classroom and engaging your students whether it is through drama, media enhancement, or activities.
I will also include information that will help you work with the maze that is education. YOU contact me with ideas, thoughts, and/or reactions by email to the TAH2 listserv or at cj@alivelearn.com and I will pass them on to the rest of the crew. I hope you take some time to use/try the suggestions in your classroom.
Be sure to check the Resources section of this Web site for other additions to your classroom.
This month’s Maze Busters! SAVE OUR HISTORY GRANTS fund collaborative projects that connect students to their local history. The application deadline is June 2. Learn more about these grants (PDF).
You will find a free, printable lesson (PDF) to explore the American Revolutionary period portrait artist, Gilbert Stuart (1755-1638) famous for his Washington and Jefferson portraits.
*Cooper, Fenimore Go to a great Web site about the 1777 events complete with primary documents!
Don't forget to check out my other teaching suggestions on the Teaching Resources page of this Web site!
