Re: tanks: October 1970. I was five months old. :) Rambling below:
I think part of the problem (at least, in our school) was outdated textbooks. We missed large chunks of information (at least until Grade 13 Canadian History) regarding the 50s and 60s in Canada. I still know very little about that era, frankly (my parents came here in 1961, so though I do know a bit about what happened after that here in Canada, I know at least as much about Scotland in the first half of the 20th century as I do about Canada -- no doubt many immigrant and first-generation kids have the same kind of experience).
We regularly watched a CBC-produced kids' current affairs show in class (it was called "What's New?" and focused on "who, what, where, when, and why") and did work related to what we learned from it. I think that was in grade 5 and 6. We also did things like watch the first shuttle launch, watch a solar eclipse on TV, have speakers (in grade 1 we had a group of veterans visit for Remembrance Day -- WWI, II, and Korea), read newspaper articles, etc. Bringing history into the context of current events really made a difference. When Rene Levesque and the PQ first won Quebec, we studied the history of French Canada (the Acadians, the Plains of Abraham, the Metis Rebellion -- esp. in terms of how it polarized English and French Canadians, conscription, etc.) to try to gain some understanding of why they'd want to separate from the rest of Canada.
Part of the problem may be that, yes, we're so used to speaking to people of our own generation (or older) about various historical events, that it's hard to remember that kids have no clue. I have friends who were born in the late 70s and early 80s with whom I can't have certain discussions, because they just don't get it. Cold War? Nuclear threat? No clue. Some are more informed, true. But regardless, to them, it's history. To me, it was current events. They don't know what it is to wonder every single day whether the world's going to blow up. :(
I think context is important. If you can relate today to yesterday and to their own lives and experience somehow, it's all more likely to sink in than it is when read in isolation. Hands-on projects, plays, historical field trips (local museums and such), creative writing (placing themselves into a certain place and time), interactive stuff, A/V, etc. Bringing in speakers, people who were there or historical interpreters or museum outreach staff (who can do things like bring in items that relate to the period in question). Encouraging kids to do family history -- as far back as possible -- is good, too. One of the most memorable projects I ever did in school involved family history -- I brought in photos of my great-great-grandparents and did a family tree, one girl brought a quilt her great-grandmother had made, some of the Native kids brought in beadwork and sculpture their grandparents had made, and so on. It was fun for everyone, both to share their own family history, and to explore that of others.
Also, this may be a good time of year to relate history to science by planting heirloom flowers and vegetables. I don't necessarily mean on school grounds, but they can plant seeds in coffee cups with vermiculite in them (better to get that in a large bag, if possible, it's cheaper and reusable) so that even the prissy ones don't get too dirty. They can watch them grow, learn about the history of farming, and then when the seedlings are big enough, they can pot them up if they don't have a yard at home, or stick them outside in the ground if they do.
Straight book-learning of history is far too boring, dry, and irrelevant to most kids. Much more fun to get them to stick their hands into the past. Provided it doesn't cost too much, of course (donations! volunteers! yay!). :)
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Date: 2005-04-27 03:06 pm (UTC)I think part of the problem (at least, in our school) was outdated textbooks. We missed large chunks of information (at least until Grade 13 Canadian History) regarding the 50s and 60s in Canada. I still know very little about that era, frankly (my parents came here in 1961, so though I do know a bit about what happened after that here in Canada, I know at least as much about Scotland in the first half of the 20th century as I do about Canada -- no doubt many immigrant and first-generation kids have the same kind of experience).
We regularly watched a CBC-produced kids' current affairs show in class (it was called "What's New?" and focused on "who, what, where, when, and why") and did work related to what we learned from it. I think that was in grade 5 and 6. We also did things like watch the first shuttle launch, watch a solar eclipse on TV, have speakers (in grade 1 we had a group of veterans visit for Remembrance Day -- WWI, II, and Korea), read newspaper articles, etc. Bringing history into the context of current events really made a difference. When Rene Levesque and the PQ first won Quebec, we studied the history of French Canada (the Acadians, the Plains of Abraham, the Metis Rebellion -- esp. in terms of how it polarized English and French Canadians, conscription, etc.) to try to gain some understanding of why they'd want to separate from the rest of Canada.
Part of the problem may be that, yes, we're so used to speaking to people of our own generation (or older) about various historical events, that it's hard to remember that kids have no clue. I have friends who were born in the late 70s and early 80s with whom I can't have certain discussions, because they just don't get it. Cold War? Nuclear threat? No clue. Some are more informed, true. But regardless, to them, it's history. To me, it was current events. They don't know what it is to wonder every single day whether the world's going to blow up. :(
I think context is important. If you can relate today to yesterday and to their own lives and experience somehow, it's all more likely to sink in than it is when read in isolation. Hands-on projects, plays, historical field trips (local museums and such), creative writing (placing themselves into a certain place and time), interactive stuff, A/V, etc. Bringing in speakers, people who were there or historical interpreters or museum outreach staff (who can do things like bring in items that relate to the period in question). Encouraging kids to do family history -- as far back as possible -- is good, too. One of the most memorable projects I ever did in school involved family history -- I brought in photos of my great-great-grandparents and did a family tree, one girl brought a quilt her great-grandmother had made, some of the Native kids brought in beadwork and sculpture their grandparents had made, and so on. It was fun for everyone, both to share their own family history, and to explore that of others.
Also, this may be a good time of year to relate history to science by planting heirloom flowers and vegetables. I don't necessarily mean on school grounds, but they can plant seeds in coffee cups with vermiculite in them (better to get that in a large bag, if possible, it's cheaper and reusable) so that even the prissy ones don't get too dirty. They can watch them grow, learn about the history of farming, and then when the seedlings are big enough, they can pot them up if they don't have a yard at home, or stick them outside in the ground if they do.
Straight book-learning of history is far too boring, dry, and irrelevant to most kids. Much more fun to get them to stick their hands into the past. Provided it doesn't cost too much, of course (donations! volunteers! yay!). :)