As a history major in college, it’s easy for me to sit through a discussion of past events – especially those related to American history. It was one of my favorite subjects in high school, and it still is today.
But what if you have a student who loves math or science and finds studying history to be a chore? I’ve found that instead of focusing on facts and dates, I can make learning history more enjoyable by teaching it as it actually is – a story.
The book series The Story of the World presents world history in this way. Divided into four sections (ancient history, medieval history, early modern times, and the modern age), The Story of the World presents engaging accounts of historical figures. Read it aloud with your elementary and early middle school students, and history becomes a subject they all will enjoy.
You can supplement your elementary history studies with nonfiction picture books. Look for ones featuring the people and events you’ve been talking about. As we were studying the Civil War, I found a book about the C.S.S. Hunley, the Confederate submarine that sank after firing on a Union ship. While my children may not remember the date it went down, they’ll remember the gold coin the captain kept in his pocket that had once saved his life in battle.
For older students, you can assign biographies of historical figures for them to read. For example, during that same time, I chose age-appropriate books about some of the Union and Confederate generals for my seventh grader to read. You can also find books about army spies, women who fought in battle or nursed the wounded, and abolitionists who helped escaping slaves. Whatever your child shows interest in, you can probably find a book about it.
And don’t forget about historical fiction – made-up stories about real eras in history. While your students won’t learn about actual people, they will learn all about that particular time period: what culture was like, what people did, and what struggles they faced.
Even if your child isn’t a history buff, he can still find studying it enjoyable. After all, who doesn’t love a good story?
Guest Blogger: Samantha Bell
Photo by SnoShuu
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