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Why Study History?

By Peter N. Stearns
© 1998, American Historical Association.
Peter N. Stearns is Provost and Professor of History at George Mason University.

1.  History Helps Us Understand People and Societies

2.  History Helps Us Understand Change and How the Society We Live in Came to Be

3.  The Importance of History in Our Own Lives

4.  History Contributes to Moral Understanding

5.  History Provides Identity

6.  Studying History Is Essential for Good Citizenship

7.  What Skills Does a Student of History Develop?
The Ability to Assess Evidence.
The Ability to Assess Conflicting Interpretations.
Experience in Assessing Past Examples of Change

8.  History Is Useful in the World of Work

 

What is history?

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Define history from ggorospe

Technology: Using the Internet

The Monk and New Technology #1...or

The Monk and New Technology #2

Why infuse technology?

1. Greater resources (I don't have to be the expert)

2. Access to different points of view (great for history)

3. Students can focus on interest

4. Encourages Independence / Choice / Desire to learn

5. Student can learn at own pace

6. Address modalities

7. Learning beyond the walls of the classroom (access to information anytime, anyplace)

8. Communication

9. Quality of work / Creativity

10. Success rate

 

Affect on Role of Teacher

Before...
The content presenter / expert
Test giver

Now...
Co-learner
Facilitator
...and still the Teacher

* The Teacher designs the learning experience

* The Teacher teaches the foundational skills in using the Internet

1. How to find information.

2. How to determine if what is found is relevant to the task.

3. How to determine if the relevant information is accurate.

 

Observation...

1. How one uses technology is more important than if one uses it at all.

2. Learning does not take place better or faster simply by replacing instructional medium with another.

3. Technology cannot replace the TEACHER.

Creating lessons

Let's explore how to use the resources on the internet:

1. Start with what you got in your lesson bag...

2. Ask yourself: How can I infuse technology?

3. You do not want the internet to be just another textbook to fill out worksheets...

Think out of the box...be creative...wild...

 

Caution:
Web sites disappear and change
Check links before you do lesson
Have alternate sites

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Ways to use the internet...

1. Create a Teacher Web site: TeacherWeb.com

No need for students to type the URL, which can be a mile long

a. Communication: Eich School
Parents
Students
The World: Epals.com

b. Collect Sites for homework.....support / help.....or even day in the lab

Schoolwork.org
Homework Spot.com
Jiskha.com
Kidinfo.com

History
KidiPede: History for Kids

Geography
State Reports

Reading
Raz-Kids
StarFall
Storybooks online
More Storybooks online IPL

Science
Digestive System
Astronomy

Math
Ask Dr. Math 
2nd Grade Math
Cool Math.com

c. Practice Tests: Geography & Constitution test
Online Game: Identify the 50 states
Create your own: Constitution Practice Test

d. Projects Online:
Immigrant Scrapbook
Civil War Newspaper / Civil War PhotoBook


e. Collect web sites for student research
Invention Timeline: Download Instruction
Road Trip sites: Download Instruction
Native American Report
Mission Report

2. Use WebSites for Class Instruction
How things work: e.g. How the Erie Canal work

a. Create your own PowerPoints for teacher presentations
Lecture: Adding bells and whistles, music, visuals, sound effects
Correcting work

b. Interpreting History through Art/Photos / Drawings
* What's the Artifact? e.g. google "Egyptian Art"
* Manifest Destiny / Collage directions
* Pioneer Advice directions
* Four Square: Slavery

Middle passage

Manifestdestiny from ggorospe

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Manifestdestiny from ggorospe

c. Virtual Tours / Geography
Rome
Oregon Trail: Virtual tour

 

d. Use of Audio online:
Foreign languages
Oral history: Slavery

 

e. Use of Music online:
Underground Railroad: Drinking Gourd
Sing alongs
Japan: Musical Instruments

f. Use of Videos online
National Geographic Videos
Gold Panning

g. Student work...

Mr. Gorospe's Class: Web sites
Sioux

Wounded Knee

Chickasaw

h. Funtime

Hangman
Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
PowerPoint templates: Jeopardy

 

Observation...

1. How one uses technology is more important than if one uses it at all.

2. Learning does not take place better or faster simply by replacing instructional medium with another.

3. Technology cannot replace the TEACHER.

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Resources for the Teacher:

The Teacher's Corner.net: printable worksheets

Ready made lessons: A collection for teachers

Edhelper.com
Teachnology.com
School Discovery
SCORE
Schrock's guide
Education world.com
Educating.net
The Teacher's Corner.net
Discovery Channel.com

Special Education Links

Learning Disability Online

Special Ednews.com: Lesson Plans

Oops for Special Ed

Education World and Special Ed Teachers

SERI: Special Education Resources on the Internet

History and Drama