United States History
"History does not refer merely to the past,” said James Baldwin, “...the force of history comes from the fact that we carry it within us... History is literally present in all that we do."
In the past few years, Baldwin’s insight has been seen all around us. Americans have clashed over how history is presented in museums, what war memorials should look like, over the appropriate names on school buildings, and whether Southern states should still fly the confederate flag. Historical movies stir our passions (and cause debate!) when they tackle subjects like the Civil War, Civil Rights, Vietnam, and 9-11. Politicians debate historical issues such as reparations for slavery, and whether or not we should rename certain holidays. Did you know that even the way your textbook presents United States history is the subject of debate?!
Most importantly, though, history is the key to understanding the world around us. The environment we live in today, for example, is the result of historical causes, and studying history provides insight and gives us context to make meaning of our world. Therefore, when it comes to understanding today’s events – wars, elections, social or religious conflicts, etc. – the explanations can all be traced to the past. In this sense, history is more than just learning names, dates, and places. What history really does is shed light on the present. Simply put, history explains why the world – and the United States - is the way it is.
What we study in this class, from Christopher Columbus to current events, cannot change what happened. Yet our views and interpretations of these topics say a great deal about who we are today. History is ultimately about our values as a nation, and the meaning we give to the names, facts, and dates we feel are important.
Through the use of primary sources and texts that offer multiple perspectives, students become historians, and engage in earnest investigation and meaningful dialogue with each other over ideas and concepts, thereby making the study of history significant and relevant. In order to engage in the act of being historians, students must practice respect for each other and for the teacher in the classroom. The uniqueness of each individual is valued, as each member of the class contributes his distinctive experiences, knowledge and insight. Active participation is expected and curiosity and questions are encouraged! Further, I believe that historians and teachers have an especially evident and essential role to promote active citizenry (this is also explicitly stated in the CA State History-Social Science Framework). By developing critical inquiry while studying history, I seek to challenge and encourage students to be independent thinkers, and to distinguish themselves as people of integrity who have a vision of how to contribute to their communities and create positive social change. By crafting arguments with multiple pieces of evidence from diverse sources, students will be able to advocate for themselves and for people, policies, and outcomes they decide will help their communities.
I truly believe that the study of history is not only the best way to understand the world, but that the skills learned in this class - from academic literacy skills like reading and writing, to developing civic participation skills - will help all my students. I promise them a good mix of activities - reading from different sources, watching videos, moving around the classroom, interacting in groups, and especially discussing and interpreting ideas. My goal is for all students to become more knowledgeable, more thoughtful, and more mature - as well as learning the essentials of U.S. history.