I chose this meme both for the awareness and message that I hope to express to students and the personal experience that I’ve had in the past. I want students to understand how history is not only things that are ancient or which took place in the past. History is alive and present today in some sort of way, even if it happened a couple of hundred years ago. There are still effects from the civil war that we see in our country today across multiple formats. Even more so, I want to get to the part how certain aspects of history, whether events, actions, or others, can be understood through one’s own similar context and awareness. To elaborate on this, I explain why I chose the photo of football and war. While to some from afar these two elements might not be related and they question why they are put together, I see ways how they can be related and built off each other. I had a high school history teacher who did this practice very well and made history more relatable and understandable for her students. In particular, we had a class full of both Oregon State Beavers and Oregon Ducks football fans. When talking about certain battles or instances where two differing sides were going at it, she would make comparisons of certain aspects to football and the rivalry. This allowed us to see it in a more relatable and fun manner. So in conclusion, I hope students can see that history is alive today and it can be related to an individual and their experiences in different ways.
The art and craft of teaching
Hi Jarrett, thanks for sharing your perspective! I couldn’t agree more, I always found my classes more engaging when I was able to incorporate my own interests. I also appreciate your own example of how your history teacher made learning more fun and engaging. Lessons can always be connected with student interests – I guess this highlights the importance of getting to know your students early on!
Hey Jarrett! I thought your meme does a great job illustrating how many people view social studies as a dense subject and don’t think there’s a way to make it interesting and relevant. But, like you allude to in your explanation, if you connect what you are teaching to what your students find interesting, they are more likely to pay attention to the material. It’s all about keeping lessons fresh and exciting, and incorporating things your students like is a great way to do that! Super job! 🙂
Insights on the power of analogies to help explain.
Could even ask students to create their own. “What current event or practice reminds you of this historical event?”