High school history class is too often not engaging, and because it's taught chronologically, much of our modern history - the history most relevant to our students today - is too frequently not given the attention it deserves.
Race relations are at an all-time low in America, and yet talking about it in class is fraught with challenges. But how can we heal and progress as a people if we don't address the intolerance of our past?
Students face many challenges in the future, including dealing with propaganda, mis- and disinformation, and conspiracy theories. How can we pass along our wonderful American story to our youth, and reinforce our values and strengthen our Democracy? How can we arm our students to be critical thinkers and carefully informed consumers of information?
These are several of the themes addressed in,
Do Your Students Know Who They Are? Teaching U.S. History to Give Students Identity and Voice
, by Brad Capener. Mr. Capener is a professional educator, and former high school history teacher, who believes that U.S. history should be one of the most engaging and purposeful classes students take in high school. He believes in pulling common threads throughout American history to support relevant and engaging themes, students can relate to. He believes in helping every student see themselves in our history, so they can feel a sense of connection to the American story.