Group items tagged

Diaries can be an effective tool to connect readers/students to the emotions, motivations and thoughts of the people who were living in the historical events that we are studying. The author of this article discusses four topics that are valuable for us to study as history teachers. 1) importance of historical perspective taking as an aspect of historical thinking and the obligation of educators to assist learners in developing their capacity to engage; 2) outline why and how teachers could assist learners in using diaries as evidence for reconstructing historical perspectives; 3)layout excerpts from three published diaries to demonstrate how these provide evidence of classed, gendered, ethnic/religious points of view within the time periods they were written; 4)provide some specific suggestions as to how teachers can use examples from these diaries to spark deeper probing of ideas and time periods.

This opinion article touches on the pros and cons of Black History month. While the author does not agree that Black History Month should be removed from schools, he challenges us to reconsider how we present Black History Month, the content we include, and how we can change the current program to make it more effective. The article asks why slavery is rarely discussed in depth during Black History Month, then immediately after, asserts that Black History does not begin with 17th century slavery - did black people not exist before this time? The author is concerned with how Black History Month approaches the issue of black inequality as if it is completely disconnected with the present - the issues are still relevant and should be taught as such. As well, the author recognizes that discussing black history in the classroom should not be restricted to one month of the year - Black History month is a great opportunity to celebrate the past from the perspective of African Americans, but this perspective should not be lost for the rest of the year. Weighing the pros and cons of having 'Black History Month,' or any month dedicated to one ethnic group, will be important to consider when developing your own social studies program.