The Enduring Importance of History Education
In a world increasingly focused on STEM fields, the humanities, particularly history education, remain fundamentally important. History provides context, fosters critical thinking, and cultivates empathy, shaping informed and engaged citizens. From understanding global issues to appreciating personal identity, the study of history offers invaluable benefits for individuals and society as a whole.
Understanding the Present Through the Lens of the Past
One of the primary goals of history education is to understand our world. Humans have always sought to understand their origins and how they arrived at their present state. History provides the answers. By examining past events and societal evolution, we gain insights into current social and political issues. As the University of the People blog notes, understanding why something happened requires looking at earlier factors. Realizing ways of the past also opens the doors to consider and improve the present and, naturally, the future. Historical comparison helps us to innovate better questions, initiate new inquiry lines, and generate fruitful hypotheses,” write the authors of Study.com. Education history is essential to this pursuit. It’s imperative to look at the past critically and to understand that history is not static.
Germany offers a compelling example of the transformative power of historical awareness. After the devastation of two World Wars and the horrors of the Holocaust, Germany embarked on a path of conscientization. Under slogans such as ‘Never Forget’ and ‘Never Again,’ activists, thinkers, civilians and politicians alike began a movement of conscientization. Memorials were erected and integrated into the cities’ landscapes, and students began learning about their ancestors’ harsh realities. Germany has become one of the most forward-thinking countries and is at the forefront of the fight against social injustice. This collective reckoning with the past has enabled Germany to become a leader in promoting social justice.
Developing Critical Thinking and Analytical Skills
Studying history is not just about memorizing dates and names; it's about developing critical thinking skills. History teaches us to analyze information, evaluate evidence, and form reasoned conclusions. Students learn to distinguish between facts and opinions, interpret different perspectives, and make connections between events across time and place.
Larry Wisdom, a teacher at Van High School, emphasizes that through the humanities, one learns to think not only creatively but also critically. A humanities education allows one to gain new insights into everything from poetry and paintings to business models and politics. A humanities education preserves the great accomplishments of the past, provides insight into and understanding of the world we live in, and provides the tools to imagine the future. It is through a humanities education that students are empowered to make moral, spiritual, and intellectual sense of the world. In addition, a humanities education enables students to weigh evidence skeptically and consider more than one side of every question. The humanities truly develop informed and critical citizens, thus insuring democracy.
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Wes Watters, from Colleyville Heritage High School, adds that a well-rounded humanities education fosters a deeper understanding of our nation's history, the structure and function of our political system, and how current events are related to both. A strong focus on the relevance of current events should be the foundation of any course in the humanities. Further, the speaking and writing skills that are conducive to the effective expression of one's ideas are at the heart of a humanities education and should, in fact, be stressed in all academic disciplines. Humanities educators must be at the center of a movement to instill in Americans the importance of not only knowing our history but how to commmunicate effectively and discuss ideas in a positive manner that will lead to change rather than division.
Paula Dolloff, from Harlandale STEM Early College High School, notes that as we ready this generation's young thinkers for an ever-changing job market, it's a mistake to believe we need to prepare students for more "real-world" skills with only science, math, and computer engineering. A student inclined toward science or math needs a flexible mind to solve problems creatively. Nothing builds flexibility or creativity in thinking more than studying humanities.
Fostering Empathy and Understanding of Diverse Perspectives
History is replete with stories of people from different cultures, backgrounds, and time periods. By engaging with these narratives, students develop empathy and a broader understanding of the human experience. They learn to appreciate diverse perspectives and challenge their own biases.
Ryan Sprott, from The International School of the Americas, argues that teaching world history provides me with continuous reminders about the importance of a humanities education. History shows that, when people fail to see what connects us to our global neighbors, we have ventured down our most shameful paths. And it is the humanities-our collective stories, art, histories, and songs-that illuminate what binds us to one another. In this way, by increasing our ability to see ourselves in others, the humanities are the foundation of global empathy and peace. In our rapidly globalizing world, it is essential that we study the humanities to build a more compassionate, thoughtful, and prosperous future.
Nicole Brisco, from Pleasant Grove High School, states that the humanities set into motion ways for students to consider our world, learn empathy for others, and process ideas. Creativity, originality, and differences are encouraged. Without the humanities our world and schools would be bland and lack innovators that can and will change the world.
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Katie Carrasco, from A. N. McCallum High School, says that her experience has been that, through exposure to other cultures' literature, history, art, music, and religion, students learn empathy. They begin to see themselves as having a unique story to tell, and the lines between what is foreign and what is familiar begin to disappear. Humanities education provides the common ground for cooperative globalization for the seven billion of us humans on this planet.
Sharon Snowton, from Higlands Elementary School, likes her students to understand each other and appreciate each other's differences and learn from each other. So, we focus a lot on the cultures of the different groups in my classroom. I teach writing, social studies and science in Spanish. My students write and share of themselves. This year we wrote our bilingual newspaper using the theme "Tell My Story," and we published a book, Diga Mi Historia. My students told their stories. Humanities education is very important as it helps us understand not only others but also ourselves.
Developing a Sense of Identity
Aside from the reasons necessary to society as a whole, on a more personal level, studying history also gives us a personal sense of identity. Looking at past figures and connecting them to their struggles, wants, needs and ways of seeing the world can make us feel less alone. An advanced degree in history can prepare individuals to consider these important questions in their work and personal lives. History helps us understand where we come from, connecting us to our ancestors and cultural heritage. By learning about past figures and their struggles, we can find inspiration and feel less isolated in our own experiences.
Elizabeth Close, from L. C. Anderson High School, believes that an education based on the humanities helps to produce better people. Learning through the human experience provides opportunity for students to broaden their perspectives and cultivate deeper understandings in a world that greatly needs it. The best way to evaluate the decisions we make today and have made historically demands an examination of human cultures and artifacts. I am truly fortunate to work in a school district that values a diversity of the human experience.
Natalie Fontenot, from Reagan Early College High School, loves teaching the humanities because I have a passion for studying the world and how people interact and organize themselves in it. Once we understand social structures and the history of the world, it helps us to find our place in it. We realize that as individuals, we are important to the world. This realization helps us discover what we have to give and can inspire us to become a scientist, an engineer, a writer, an artist, or a teacher.
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Yvonne Kaatz, from Dripping Springs High School sees her job as using literature, history, art, [and other humanities subjects] to create a picture of where we have been that influences where we are going. [My students study] literature, history, art, and current events. All these puzzle pieces fit together to make us who we are. The humanities are what give us our life lessons and our blessings and our reminders of who we do not want to be as well.
Preparing Active and Informed Citizens
History education plays a crucial role in preparing students to be active and informed citizens. By understanding the past, students can better grasp current events and make informed decisions about public policy issues. They learn about the principles of democracy, the importance of civic engagement, and the consequences of political apathy.
Wes Watters emphasizes that a strong focus on the relevance of current events should be the foundation of any course in the humanities. Further, the speaking and writing skills that are conducive to the effective expression of one's ideas are at the heart of a humanities education and should, in fact, be stressed in all academic disciplines. Humanities educators must be at the center of a movement to instill in Americans the importance of not only knowing our history but how to commmunicate effectively and discuss ideas in a positive manner that will lead to change rather than division.
Victoria Longoria, from Del Valle High School, argues that While STEM seems to garner all the glory these days, the humanities hold the human context of education. Without the humanities, students-our future-operate disjointedly and remiss of social consciousness. It is imperative that education embrace the humanities in order for future generations to promote the betterment of people, social equity, and responsible global and local citizenry.
Patricia Ritchie, from Arlington Classics Academy, states that our history is so rich in exploration, religion, culture, architecture, and patriotism. By teaching Texas history, you can also teach grit. Students learn the importance of taking a stand and fighting for what you believe in. There are many examples in our history of people who showed determination to overcome the hardships of the times. I believe that this helps the students of today learn lessons of the past that they can relate to in today's world.
Addressing Omissions and Inaccuracies in Historical Narratives
In Canada and America, history or social studies is a mandatory course throughout most of the formative years and high school. History is taught to have students learn about how the past has shaped the present, on local, national and global scales. Learning about historical events helps students develop a much better understanding of why events today are happening. It was over 100 years ago when over half of the American states made the teaching of American history in elementary school required by law. In standard classes, student’s are guaranteed to learn about confederation and the world wars. Some schools even teach about ancient Greece and Egypt.
However, there is a specific part of history and type of history that is not taught nearly enough in schools: Indigenous history. The omission and lack of Indigenous history taught in schools is inexcusable on many levels. Indigenous history is an integral part of the history of Turtle Island and has been long before this land was colonized. There is something to be said if students learn about world history before learning the history of the people who’s land they live on. The whitewashing and inaccuracy of Indigenous history:Even though more Indigenous history is being taught today in schools than it was a mere ten years ago, it is not enough and it is not always accurate history.
In 2019, a Canadian children’s textbook sent the internet in a frenzy when it stated the following when talking about the arrival of European settlers: ‘When the European settlers arrived, they needed land to live on and the First Nations peoples agreed to move to different areas to make room for new settlements.’ In reality, when European settlers colonized modern day Canada and America, they terrorized and killed countless Indigenous peoples. They pushed Indigenous peoples into poor and infertile parts of the land making living off of the land hard and treated Indigenous people with little to no respect. The narrative of the textbook made colonization sound friendly and easy, completely contrasting the truth. It is imperative that when students learn Indigenous history it is accurate history and not ‘whitewashed’ history.
An example of whitewashed history is a story from the first encounter between the Nuu-chah-nulth peoples and Captain James Cook over two hundred years ago in present day Vancouver Island. Upon arrival, Captain Cook misunderstood the Nuu-chah-nulth peoples’ language and presumed their name to be ‘Nootka’. Up until the 1970’s people would incorrectly refer to the Nuu-chah-nulth people as Nootka due to Captain Cook’s recording of the wrong name. There are always two sides to a story and it is seen throughout history. Without knowing the history of an issue and the two sides presented, people aren’t able to truly understand how the issue came to be- hence the need for teaching Indigenous history in schools. It is rare that students in schools will learn about specific tribes and Indigenous nations. Indigenous peoples’ history is often generalized and spoken as though Indigenous people no longer exist. This should not be the case. The poor attention to accurate details seen when in teaching Indigenous history could be attributed to some non-Indigenous people’s lack of empathy and willingness to address biases and unlearn as well as relearn what they thought was true.
In November 2020, a British Columbia middle school student was given an assignment asking students to ‘Write at least 5+ positive stories/facts from the residential schools’. For most of the students, this was the first time they were learning about residential schools and Indigenous people. Though the rest of the assignment was not published to try and understand the context, it could be assumed that students didn’t learn about the atrocities of residential schools. That residential schools were created to assimilate Indigenous children into the Euro-Canadian/Euro-American culture because Indigenous people and their culture were seen as less than. Families were torn apart, Indigenous cultures and languages were lost and thousands of children died- these examples are just the surface of the horrible aftermath caused by residential schools. In response to the assignment, the school district made sure to make clear that the insensitive assignment question ‘is not a reflection of its teaching workforce’. The minister of education echoed this saying ‘Any teachings that detract or dismiss the realities of residential schools have no place in our education system. It is critically important for students to learn that this past legacy of abuse has created and continues to present a devastating legacy of the multi-generational impacts of residential schools.’ Despite this statement, quality Indigenous history is not being taught in schools.
A Canadian study done on 100 non-Indigenous teachers between 2012 and 2014 showed that a majority of them wanted to teach about Indigenous history and culture, but felt too uniformed and uncomfortable to talk about it. One can hope that in 2021, after the racial reckoning incited by the death of George Floyd, teachers will no longer be content with being complacent and not teaching diverse histories. The resources on how to teach Indigenous history are out there.
A University of Victoria study offers different ways to teach Indigenous history in schools:
- Acknowledge the source of teachings (or even bring in subject matter experts)
- Foster respect and create culturally safe spaces
- Focus on holistic education
- Incorporate learning by doing
- Include storytelling and sharing or talking circles
Formative years are where kids form opinions that they keep with them as they grow up. Learning different histories helps make kids culturally competent and acceptant early. Cultural competence is the ability of a person to effectively interact, work and develop meaningful relationships with people of various cultural backgrounds. Introducing the stories and histories of Indigenous peoples early helps sow the seeds of curiosity. More and more students will want to further their knowledge on learning about the people who lived on the land before them. Whether they do so by taking Indigenous studies in post secondary or reading books after school about Indigenous people or by them.
Well known physicist Lawrence Krauss once said, “The purpose of education is not to validate ignorance but to overcome it.” One of the biggest tools to fight against racism is education. By learning more diverse histories in schools, students can become more informed and work toward Indigenous reconciliation, and be advocates for anti-racism, all in their own right and capacity. Indigenous history is a part of American and Canadian history.
Moving Beyond Traditional Textbook Narratives
Traditional history textbooks often focus on the actions of a few prominent figures, neglecting the contributions and experiences of ordinary people. A people’s history flips the script. When we look at history from the standpoint of the workers and not just the owners, the soldiers and not just the generals, the invaded and not just the invaders, we can begin to see society more fully, more accurately. This approach stands in direct contrast to the traditional textbook history. As anyone who has ever cracked a history textbook can affirm, they’re boring. Passionless, story-poor, the books feign Objectivity.
Howard Zinn offers clear examples of how history teachers can help students think outside of the box. A long list of “good guys” with no one to struggle with is neither a true story nor a good story. It doesn’t resonate because it leads the student to believe that we are all waiting for the next exceptional leader, instead of becoming a force for change in our own communities. Knowing that resources like the Zinn Education Project exist make me feel so hopeful about the network of people who are engaged in this kind of dialogue with their students.
The Ongoing Debate and the Path Forward
Progressives have succeeded in adding a deeper awareness of culture and incorporating that into social studies instruction. This has been part of a larger movement that began in the 1960’s and continues to this day. With this movement came greater emphasis on acceptance of various cultures. social studies curriculum built on these themes and instruction took on a wider scope. Multiculturalism eventually became an accepted aspect of social studies classes. This wasn’t without controversy. This debate has only intensified over the years; the failure of progressives and conservatives to reach practical solutions and compromise has thrust public education into the political spotlight. It is vital for students to understand the historical basis and foundation of the rights enshrined in our Constitution. Without the proper historical context, there can be no understanding of the origin of these rights.
tags: #history #education #importance
