From kindergarten through fifth grade, the Common Core State Standards focus mainly on basic math, reading and writing development. Beginning in middle school, however, the Standards also require students to have literacy in other subject areas, such as history, social studies and science. For history specifically, by eighth grade, students should be able to read and analyze historical texts and understand differing viewpoints of historical events, among other standards. History can be difficult to teach, though, and history texts are often complicated to read and understand. Therefore, here are four ways teachers can make history more exciting for middle and high school students:
1. Find current relevance
History is a subject that many students find uninteresting. For some pupils, that's because all of the topics happened well before they were born and may not seem to have any relevancy to their lives. That's why it's so important for teachers to make history relevant to the students in the classroom. A discussion about America's foundational documents, for instance, still might have relevancy when you consider how the Bill of Rights and the freedoms granted by the Declaration of Independence apply to current political issues.
2. Teach what you love
When teachers aren't engaged in what they're teaching, it can be difficult for students to get excited about the subject matter at all. While history teachers will have to provide comprehensive lessons that cover everything students need to know before leaving grade school, the more they focus on what interests them, the more likely students are to enjoy the lessons. Additionally, a focus on "fun facts" or interesting historical characters is a great way to grab students' attention and create memorable lessons.
3. Act it out
Historical texts use complex language and talk about complicated topics, so they can be difficult for students to comprehend. Make the topic easier to understand by having students act out different events or scenarios. This kinetic and visual lesson will be a little more comprehensible for many students.
4. Watch it
If you've ever been a teacher, you know how excited students become when they get to watch movies or videos as part of lessons. Because there are myriad movies surrounding historical events, they can be a great way to engage your pupils. Shorter videos from history websites and YouTube can teach difficult history subject matter in a visually interesting and catchy way, too.
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