Making History Lively

Sharon Hambrick, M.A.

If you've fallen into the spring doldrums in your teaching of history, consider the following tips. With a little effort history class can be an enjoyable time for both you and your student.

Acquire knowledge.

Naturally, you need to acquaint yourself fully with the information in both the student textbook and the teacher's manual. Then, to give yourself a little extra insight, read a book or watch a video about the topic. This extra familiarity with the subject matter will benefit you and your students.

Put passion in your voice.

To relate without a hint of sorrow in your voice that Great Britain sustained 60,000 casualties in one day at the Battle of Somme is to deny the significance of the event. Force yourself to get beyond the facts and to think emotionally. Ask yourself, "What if it had been my father or brother or husband?" It isn't necessary--or helpful--for your class to get into an emotional frenzy, but they do need to see that the events you are discussing were lived by people--individuals, families, communities--just like us.

Set the stage.

You can heighten interest by giving information about the time of a specific event. When studying the stock market crash of 1929, mention that the Phillies won the World Series that year and that your own grandfather turned 16. Bring in then-and-now pictures to show first of all, how much time has passed, and also, that this happened within the lifetimes of people still living. Relate history to the students themselves. How many years before they were born did this event happen? How old would George Washington be now, and what changes would he notice in the world? Are these good changes? Bring in the students' families as much as possible. Did someone's great-uncle fight at Normandy? Did your grandmother's sister-in-law watch the coronation of the queen on her black-and-white television back in 1953?

Create an event.

Take time to plan projects and activities and reinforce the story in their minds. You might construct a tepee in your classroom for the study of Native American peoples, and then lead the students in making paper-bag Indian vests to be worn during history time. Role playing is another wonderful way to involve students in the study of history. I remember clearly our class's reenactment of the battles of Lexington and Concord when I was in fifth grade. Time spent doing enrichment activities such as these will reinforce the history you are teaching and enhance classroom morale.

Bring in period times.

I have a box of newspapers saved over the years. My treasure is the December 12, 1936 London Daily Mail, the on-the-spot coverage of the abdication of King Edward VIII. Looking through this newspaper, students can read the news of the abdication, the king's speech, and the editorial comments. They can also see--through the advertisements--what people were wearing and how much things cost.

Another one of my favorites is the Los Angeles Times, December 1, 1963. It's a special pull-out section on the assassination of President Kennedy. Yes, students have seen all these pictures before, but knowing that this paper was printed one week after the President's death is riveting. You may have other items of interest from the time period you are studying. I like newspapers because even a Christian school teacher can afford them! Remember, whether you have newspapers or antique clothing or war memorabilia, these precious items are doing no one any good sitting in a box in your attic.

Set it to music.

Play the folk songs and patriotic anthems of the country you are studying. No people ever lived without music. No battle was ever fought without a patriotic tune. People celebrate all events with music. Branch out from "Yankee Doodle"!

Of course, it would be impossible to implement full-scale interactive teaching of history all at once. But you can gather one idea at a time and watch your enjoyment of history--and of teaching history--grow.

Reprinted from Balance, a publication of the School of Education, Bob Jones University. Used with permission of Bob Jones University. Please write BJU Press, for permission to reproduce this article.