"Why study history? I hate history! I don't get it!

These are three statements that students regularly make at the start of a class. Usually by the end of the semester or class their perspective will have changed for the positive. "Why study history?" begs the reply from philosopher George Santayana "those who fail to remember the past are condemned to repeat it." The greatest lesson history offers is the ability to avoid making the same mistakes. "I hate history!" usually stems from past experiences with teachers who over emphasize the rote memorization of dates, names and places. History is a story. There needs to be a flow to the story, connective tissue if you will that makes sense of those dates, names and places - especially when I help students make the link to them and their lives in 2014! "I don't get it!" this is where patience and the interest to learn pays off.

Besides having taught year long curriculum in American Studies II and social studies electives that are semester long, I have also created two courses: the first dealing with authentic civic education, the second addressing the foundations of homeland security.

While a student may not go on to become a historian, students will gain new appreciation for history as a discipline and understand its applicability to contemporary life." less...