Teachers have always struggled with finding a way to make teaching and learning history fun. Some interesting history resources include Teen Second Life or materials from the National Archives. As teachers continue their search for engaging ways to make history fun the amount of materials available may become overwhelming. This causes most teachers to return to the textbook in order to avoid this overwhelming feeling. Professors at the University of Kentucky have found a solution to this problem that many teachers face.

Dr. Kathleen Owings Swan and Dr. Mark Hofer created a valuable resource that many teachers can integrate into their history lesson plans. H.S.I: Historical Scene Investigations is a great teaching resource which allows students to solve "crimes" like a CSI using evidence (historical documents). All of the historical cases on this website offer accurate documentation and primary sources and in turn prompts students to rely on their analytical abilities in solving and determining outcomes.

Integrating innovative lesson plans such as this requires your students to "think outside the box" and apply critical thinking skills in order to solve these cases. Students use their critical learning skills to analyze primary and secondary sources to help them accomplish the required expectation of the lesson. In conclusion, finding unconventional methods to teach subjects such as history is a creative way to engage students and helps them think beyond dates and times.

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/teaching-history-csi-style/

As history teachers, we sometimes get lost in teaching the "big p picture" of history. This as a result, often causes our students to lose interest and become disengaged in the subject area of teaching. As educators it is our responsibility to bring history alive through engaging stories and dramatic presentations. This will create passionate learners who exercise critical thinking skills by asking questions that require them to "think outside the box".

Instead of teaching history as a series of dates and events focus on the drama behind historical events through an event centered standpoint. Finding dramatic events is an interesting way to engage students. By focusing on an event centered standpoint this is will capture student's curiosity of the past. Secondly, teachers must create a link between students and a personal meaning to the subject area. By creating meaningful context, students will find it easier to remember the information being taught to them. In conclusion, by incorporating some of these helpful suggestions teachers will bring the subject of history alive through interesting techniques and strategies.

http://www.fossils-facts-and-finds.com/history.html

When President Bush enacted the, "No Child Left Behind Act", he created a large hindrance of learning for the subject area of history and other humanities. This act primarily focusses on the subject areas of math and literacy. With the recent election of President Obama, similar patterns have continued to exist concerning the area of history. President Obama's policy concerning education focusses on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Author, Chelsea Gibson, states, despite the continued emphasis of math and literacy and the support these subjects receive from the government, history and social studies will always teach our children important life lessons. This in turn will create responsible and informed critical leaners. Gibson states 4 reasons as to why the application of history in schools creates critical and informed lifelong learners: 1. History teaches analytical skills. History requires students to make connections and allows them to ask question. Gibson states, critical thinking is the foundation for history therefore, making critical learning an essential learning tool. 2. History is also integrated into other curriculum areas such as the Arts, psychology, philosophy, and modern languages. 3. History teaches and improves writing skills. 4. Finally, history makes students more aware of their heritage.

George Santayana coined the phrase, "Those who cannot remember history are condemned to repeat it." Author David Crabtee states, that the past greatly influences decisions and actions for the future. This article takes the perspectives and opinions of important authors and professors concerning the significance of teaching history in our classrooms. These authors discuss common misconceptions, benefits, considerations, limitations, and effects of teaching our students history. Having a curriculum that stresses the importance of history creates critical thinkers. Teaching history is an effective teaching and learning skill for both student and teachers. Crabtee helps us understand this through his example of Christopher Columbus. History helps students learn about different perspectives and opposing point of views. Stacia Deutch also lists several reasons as to why it is important to teach our children history such as, teaching our students good and bad decision making, learning from past examples, and a better understanding of people and culture. These authors also presented some limitations and considerations teachers can think about when teaching history. Professor John Fielding states that teachers need to engage students in learning history. Teachers need to teach history with the goal and focus of engaging their students. This can be done through: debates, role playing, artistic posters, and projects, the use of historical fiction.

Recent years have seen a sharp decrease in social studies subject areas. Studies have shown that students are not properly informed or educated about our countries political system and its operations as we would hope them to be. Classroom time has been focused on literacy and numeracy. This negatively influences a student's critical thinking skills as future voters. Steve Goldberg stresses the importance of restoring social studies at the forefront of the curriculum in order to shape our students into responsible and civil citizens. This article does a great job of discussing how the discipline of social studies creates critical and informed thinkers. Social studies provide a platform for discussion concerning our country and the global world. Students are able to critically think outside the box and make sense of the world. They are taught basic skills that they can apply to their everyday lives such as, learning through a historical context and interpreting graphs and charts. Steve Goldberg states that these are numeracy and literacy skills that can be applied to the real world.

In this article, Graeme Paton reports that the Historical Association found extensive evidence that history is being marginalized in all stages of secondary schools in the United Kingdom. Most schools teach history as a distinct subject in the first three years of secondary school before students are given options at the age of 14. Recently, research shows that a growing number of schools are removing the three year course by 12 months so that they can find more space for other curriculum subjects. 31% of schools are now merging history and geography to form a humanities subject. Many educators that support this new movement view history as a subject that creates and encourages generic thinking skills.

The information found from this article proposes serious problems concerning a child's learning development. Dr. Richard Harris, a history professor at Southhampton University, stressed his concern over the growing problem, ""If you have less specialist teaching, children pick up less enthusiasm from the teacher. The Government must make a decision about what children are entitled to do; we think this should be at least three years of history teaching by a specialist." The subject of history teaches students crucial concepts that they can apply to their everyday lives. History help students understand the world we live in today through its past experiences. Students are taught about the development of communities, identities, and many civilizations. It also helps them understand concepts such as, "power", "authority", and government. And further emphasizes ideas such as, environment, technology, society, and culture. Therefore, diminishing the influence of history in classrooms can have a detrimental impact in the development of many children.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/7994502/History-disappearing-from-schools.html

As TEC's we are being taught how to become critical thinkers and how to integrate and reinforce critical thinking in our classrooms. This article discusses the crucial role that social studies plays in teaching students how to be well-informed, critical thinking citizens.

Social Studies prepare and teach students how to discuss and analyze societal issues. The interdisciplinary subject of, social studies, covers and integrates areas such as, geography, literacy, history, government, and current issues.

Brittany Goss, continues her article by further discussing these subjects in detail. Students who are educated of how the past influences today's society and current events, become well-informed citizens. Most importantly, Goss stresses how social studies encourages and teaches students to become understanding, compassionate, and tolerant people. Learning about a diverse range of societal issues and history reinforces an inclusive learning environment.

http://www.ehow.com/about_6547605_importance-social-studies-education.html

This paper discusses the role of social studies in preparing elementary school children for the 21st century. Technological and social changes are increasingly becoming important features and characteristics to our society. Therefore, it is extremely crucial that children are receiving a proper education in social studies so that they can become active, informed, and responsible citizens.
Social studies help children understand their personal and social worlds. These concepts must be taught to children from an early age so that they can begin to form a broader and more structured thinking and learning frame. Social studies is critical in helping children to understand the world we live in today. Without social studies children will not be prepared to understand or participate effectively in a progressively complex world. This paper then continues by stating the advantages of teaching social sciences by discussing the type of knowledge, attitudes and skills students gain through this subject. Finally, this paper discusses how social studies prepare students for the 21st century by helping them to form their economic understanding by developing their critical-thinking skills.

http://www.socialstudies.org/positions/elementary

This article discusses the recent decline in social sciences in Elementary schools in the last decade. Prior to this decline many elementary school teachers viewed social sciences as a significant component to the teaching curriculum. However, recently, teachers have seen a shift from social sciences to literacy, mathematics, and science. Standardized testing, assessments, and evaluations are now focused on literacy, math, and science. This shift has negatively affected the influence of social sciences in the classroom. The concentration on other subjects has left a lot less time for teachers to focus on social sciences.

The decline of social sciences in the classroom is an essential problem that all teachers and PLC's should be aware of. It is imperative that all teachers remember the significance of social science content. The audience for this article is intended for other teachers. Professor Andrew Brewer wants to emphasize and remind teachers of the significance of social sciences in the classroom. Social sciences help students understand the world we live in today. Students are taught about the development of communities, identities, and many civilizations. It also helps them understand concepts such as, "power", "authority", and government. And further emphasizes ideas such as, environment, technology, society, and culture. For this reason there should be an increased emphasis on subjects relating to social sciences in the classroom. All of the concepts and ideas discussed previously help students understand the formation and development of their country and makes them into tolerant, knowledgeable, and forbearing citizens.