How Do We Teach History to Today’s Kids?

When I was in school, history was taught through books and lectures. I learned names, dates, places, and events, but now, many years later, those details escape me. As we were preparing for our recent travels with our grandsons, I realized how little I actually knew aside from the basic facts. I realized that visiting those places as part of our travels with our grandsons this summer would be as much a learning experience for me as it was for them. It was eye- and mind-opening to walk the Freedom Trail, to learn more about the Salem Witch Trials, to interact with content at the various museums, or to stand on the grounds of the Gettysburg battlefields. I hope that Jace and Jayden will remember their travels when they continue to learn in school about the history of our country.

Social studies, like science, math, and language arts, is essential in a school’s curriculum. (So are the arts and physical education.) Social studies standards for our youngest students focus on a sense of self, then on their family and their community and working outward to their state, nation, and then the world. Within social studies, though, the National Council for Social Studies framework organizes the standards into ten themes such as Culture, Global Connections, and Civic Ideals and Practices. It can be overwhelming to find the time to address these standards especially for an elementary teacher with many conflicting priorities during the day.

Oftentimes, as well, we view history through one set of lens. Teaching history is complicated. There is more than one perspective to issues, and we don’t know how the events impacted the people who were living during that period of time. Sharing this slide show (thanks, Esther!) and discussing each slide helped Jace and Jayden to realize that not all colonists wanted to fight the British. They also realized the sacrifices and impact of war on people, ordinary families whose lives were suddenly disrupted by events over which they had no control, people like the Shriver family who lived in Gettysburg or family members who fought on opposite sides during the Civil War.

We cannot change history; it is in the past. We can educate ourselves and learn what others went through at the time by visiting museums, reading books, or watching videos, but we cannot experience what the people involved went through. When we discuss history, we need to ask questions and research to find answers, and we need to discuss why the events unfolded as they did. We need to understand the impact of events on the people who were affected and discuss how those events impact us today.

And we must vow to learn from the mistakes of our past. Unfortunately, I am not confident that we have done so. There was a wall at Salem Witch Museum that stated “Fear + Trigger = Scapegoat.” How many examples can we think of from our country’s history that had its beginnings in fear? Is it still happening today? Why is it important to not repeat our mistakes from the past?

I know that our recent travel experiences to Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. have made me think much more deeply about our country’s history. I realize that if our forefathers had not had the courage to break away from Britain and fight to create a new nation, our own history would be much different than it is today. That’s what I want Jace and Jayden to realize.

Experiencing History

When we decided to take our grandsons Jace and Jayden on a trip to experience history, I wasn’t sure how it would go. I spoke with a travel consultant from Travel Happy, and she did the research regarding where to stay as well as suggestions of places to visit in Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.  I had never used a travel consultant before, so this was a new experience; I would definitely do it again! She made reservations at the hotels we would stay at, and all of them were in close proximity to walk or to use public transportation or Uber.

As I mentioned in previous blogs, my husband Randy is a history buff so this Revolutionary Civil War Tour was an attempt to have our grandsons experience history and to gain a better understanding about our country. They are still young - Jace just turned 12 and Jayden will be 10 later this summer - so we didn’t know what they had already learned in school since we live in different states. Now that the historical portion of the tour is over, I can say that I am pleased that Jace and Jayden have truly experienced history. I don’t expect that they will remember all the details of what they learned, but through all the “field trips” we took, they are better able to communicate big ideas. They understand the sacrifice it took to fight the British and to form a new nation. They understand that our founding fathers had to come to a common understanding about the ideas that our country would be founded on. They walked the battlefields of Gettysburg and realized that America came very close to becoming two nations instead of one. They understand the important role that Congress plays in making laws that impact all of the people of our country. When I asked Jace and Jayden separately about who they felt was the greatest leader they learned about on this RCW Tour, they each immediately answered, “Abraham Lincoln” because he freed the slaves and was successful in keeping our country together.

I think I was most proud of how attentive Jace and Jayden were throughout the tours even though there were many days when we were out all day. Never once did they say they were bored, and they answered respectfully when adults asked them questions. Of course, there was the time the park ranger asked Jayden what his favorite part of school was, and his response was “Recess!” I am sure he was just being honest. On the last day when we were out all day touring several national memorials, a lady took the time to go up to Jace and Jayden at the end of the tour to compliment them on their respectful and attentive behavior.

We are now in Orlando; since we were already on the East Coast, how could we not stop here to enjoy some fun? I believe that Jace and Jayden earned this “reward” to relax after experiencing history for eleven days. I also learned so much and gained new understandings about the events and people that are so crucial to the understanding of what makes our country great. Hopefully, we will all have more opportunities to experience history in the future.

 Jace and Jayden learned how a civilian family was impacted when 90,000 Union soldiers and 70,000 Confederate soldiers overran the town of Gettysburg with a population of 2,400 people. 

 They got to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg and learned how the Union Army took advantage of their position on Little Round Top to win the decisive battle that ultimately determined the outcome of the Civil War.

Jace and Jayden stand by the statue of who they consider to be the greatest President of our country. 

What an Experience so Far!

Well, my intention to have Jace and Jayden keep a travel journal went down the drain. I think I was treating this like an educational opportunity, getting them to practice thinking and writing skills. However, I didn’t want to nag them, and we were doing a lot of reflecting after each of our trips. We have been to Boston, Philadelphia, and half of our Washington D.C. travels so far. Tonight we discussed their reflections. Here are some of their thoughts:

• So far in Washington D.C., walking up to the top of the Capitol was the most amazing experience for Jace and Jayden. They learned that it took lots of effort and skill to be able to build, work, and do the artwork on the dome. Jayden shared that he was petrified of falling, but going up the 300 stairs and finishing the trip all the way up and down helped him with his fear of heights. Jayden was happy that his brother gave him confidence to finish and to take the stairs on. That helped him a lot. Jace was excited to make it all the way to the top and to see the amazing view of Washington D.C. and buildings like the Washington Monument and the Supreme Court. Jace was wondering how the workers felt to be working on and fixing the dome, standing on such a tiny ledge! He probably wouldn’t want to do that job!
• Both boys are respectful of the patriots who risked their lives so people in America could have less dangerous and greater lives where they could do what they liked without being afraid.  If Jace and Jayden had been living back then, it might have been a difficult decision on how much to get involved with the patriots. They feel that it was unfair for the King to rule over America when he was so far away in England.  Walking on the Freedom Trail and being in Independence Hall made Jace and Jayden realize that they are grateful for the soldiers who fought for the 13 colonies against the British because we would not be living in our country today if they had not done so.
• Jace and Jayden learned that Congress makes laws that are good for the country and they should be working together to get the job done. Right now according to the news, they are fighting each other and not getting things done for our country. Jace knew about the three branches of government, and that no one has complete power over the U.S. So they feel that Congress should be working together for the people and the President should be doing so, too.

Learning about those who fought to form our country has been an eye-opening experience for Jace and Jayden. They are learning about history, government, and famous people like George Washington, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John F. Kennedy who have helped America become a better place for everyone including them and all of their friends and family. Tomorrow, the boys will learn about Abraham Lincoln who was the President who ended slavery and kept our country together. They are excited; Abraham Lincoln is one of their heroes, and they read books about him. 

Choosing Experiences Over Things

I recently read a blog, “7 Reasons Why Spending Money on Experiences Makes Us Happier than Buying Stuff,”  It’s something I never thought about before, but it certainly makes sense.  Coincidentally, when Randy and I retired, we decided to take a trip with our son and grandsons, and that trip is almost here!

Justin and the boys don’t live in Hawaii; they moved to Las Vegas about 8 years ago, so we only see them about 3 times a year. It is hard; I know we are missing out on so many of their activities. Phone calls, FaceTime, or texts are nice but being there would definitely be nicer. We thought about different places we could go, and we decided that Jace and Jayden should experience our country first before traveling to a foreign country.

Randy named our trip the RCW Tour - Revolutionary Civil War Tour. He is a history buff and wants the boys to learn about our country’s history and government, so we decided to visit Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington DC traveling by Amtrak between the cities. Once an educator, always an educator so I already informed the boys that they will be keeping a reflective journal. We will have discussions each day and allow Jace and Jayden time to share their learnings and memories in their journal. They’ve decided to create a slide show so they can include photos they plan to take with their phones. It is our hope that after this trip, our grandsons will be more aware of our country’s history and to be proud to live in the USA.

Since we will be on the East Coast, we will spend a few days in Orlando. I’m sure Jace and Jayden will love this part of the trip! We’ll spend two days at Disney World and one day at Universal Studios before heading back to Las Vegas.

We will be making memories. I cannot wait!