History is one of those subjects that can be fascinating to those who are drawn to it, but which may be viewed with suspicion by people less spontaneously attracted and more doubtful as to its usefulness. It is the study of what happened in the past and how it has shaped the world we live in today. It is also a subject that demands a considerable amount of time and energy. In the end it is a subject that, if embraced and practiced with cumulative skill, can provide an understanding of the way the world works.
Unlike the study of science or mathematics, where the objective of knowledge is obvious, in the case of history there are many ways to approach it. Some historians focus on individuals – think of Cleopatra, Boethius, Joan of Arc, Martin Luther King Jr., and many more besides – and try to understand how their ideas and actions changed the world around them. Others take a more thematic approach and look at historical factors that don’t emanate from important individuals – such as economic changes or social conditions. Some even study what might be called ‘winds of change’ – powerful ideas or forces that develop and grow into political, economic and social changes.
Whatever the approach, most historians would agree that it is necessary to have a grasp of what actually happened in order to make sense of the present. This is why it is so important that the subject be studied as part of a broad liberal arts education.
Despite being a discipline that can be viewed as dull and uninteresting to many, it is something that every student should have the chance to explore. Those who do will find themselves better equipped to live in a modern, diverse society that embraces difference. They will be able to learn valuable lessons about how the world has interacted with and supported different beliefs, traditions and lifestyles throughout history.
In this article we’ll look at some of the best and most effective ways to teach history so that students will be able to place what they have learned into context, and make it relevant to the modern world. Whether it be through books, podcasts or TV shows, we’ll examine what makes a great learning tool in history.
A good place to start if you want to begin exploring a new period or subject is with a popular history book. These will usually be fairly accessible compared to academic texts and they will give you a feel for the era and the main events that took place. Once you have a feel for the period you might then move on to reading more academic sources. These are likely to be more dense and require a greater level of commitment but are generally worth the effort in order to get a better insight into how historians have approached the question of what actually happened. This can be done by looking at primary written sources such as letters, diaries and documents as well as secondary writing like biographies.