Learn to Love History!

For those of you who have trouble coming up with ideas for history projects, here is an example of how you can put together different subjects that you already find interesting and put them together to create a fun history project! First come up with a list of things that interest you.   These could include your favorite sport, music genre, people, or even activities.  Take makeup artistry for an example of something I enjoy.  Next, come up with a question about how this topic has changed over time.  You might have to do a bit of research first to come up with some ideas.  To continue the example I am using, I also am curious to find out more about the ways in which women have utilized makeup throughout history for social or cultural purposes.  I also can identify a few historical figures who stick out in my mind as women who have made a significant impact on history, such as Cleopatra, Queen Elizabeth I of England, and Helen of Troy.  My next step is to come up with a fun way t

One of the most useful skills that history and historical inquiry teaches people is how to work well with others.  True historical study teaches students to consider multiple perspectives.  It also teaches how to pull information together to come up with a more complete understanding of an individual.  Why are these skills important?  I believe that understanding that there is more than one point of view can make you a kinder human being.  People often jump to conclusions about others without considering that they may have reasons for acting a particular way.  The events that people go through in life have helped shape who they are today and everyone has gone through different experiences growing up that have made them develop a unique perspective on life.  So, if you are having a disagreement with someone it can often help to consider how the other person is feeling and how their perspective might be different from your own.   Think about the times that you have been caught in the m

I have an assignment for you all!  Watch a movie! Yes, you read that correctly.  One of the best ways to get yourself started brainstorming historical topics that might interest you is to watch history movies.  One movie right now that I desperately want to see is the new Abraham Lincoln movie.  Although I am a self-proclaimed history nerd, I have heard wonderful things about this movie and I cannot wait to go see it.  I just need to find some spare time to go see it! While some people may not realize the benefit that movies can have on history education, there are in fact several movies that are great resources for helping people imagine what it might have been like to live during a particular time period in history.  Iconic movies like Saving Private Ryan and Black Hawk Down are great movies, but they also include scenes that are amazingly close to what it actually sounded like for the people who lived through the real life events that the movies are based on. So, if you and yo

Determining what makes history boring is the first step you must take to make history fun.  The things that make history boring for someone is personal.  They can differ depending on a person's interests.  For example, some people find learning about buildings boring while others find buildings extremely interesting.  Therefore, some of what determines whether you will enjoy studying a particular history topic depends on your personal interests. How do you make history fun if you cannot choose the topic? Making history fun to learn is often challenging when teachers have to focus on a specific curriculum.  There is less flexibility in the classroom to cater the topics to each student, because teachers have to make sure they make it through their lengthy curriculum before the end of the year.  When you have the chance in class to pick your own research topic, even if it still needs to be related to a particular class and curriculum, there are still some choices that you can

Historical fiction novels sometimes get placed in the bottom of the pile when history teachers are deciding what books are important for their students to read.  However, when used in the correct way historical fiction novels have the power of inspiring students to learn more about a specific time period, person, or event in history.  If you are a student who finds history boring, I would suggest finding a historical fiction novel and reading it in your own time for fun.  By reading several different historical fiction novels, you can gain a better idea of the different subjects out there that are available for you to study.  Not everyone is going to love reading about the same time period or same person.  Therefore, it is really important for people to consider their own personal interests, and find a book that will hopefully coincide with the interests you already have. There are a wide variety of historical topics that historical fiction authors write about.  Some topics that are