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Helping Your Child
Learn History
with activities for children
aged 4 through 11
By Elaine Wrisley Reed
Edited by Jacquelyn Zimmermann
Contents
Introduction
History Education Begins at Home
Children and History
Parents Make a Difference
History Is a Habit
Enjoying Your Child and History
The Basics of History
The Meanings of History
A New Look at History
Asking Questions
Activities: History as Story
What's the Story?
Our Town
History on the Go
What's News?
History Lives
Cooking Up History
Rub Against History
Activities: History as Time
Time Marches On
Weave a Web
Put Time in a Bottle
Quill Pens & Berry Ink
School Days
Time To Celebrate
The Past Anew
Appendices
Parents and the Schools
Resources
Local and National Resources
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Imagine waking up one morning to find out that you have no
memory! You are not able to remember who you are or what
happened in your life, yesterday or the day before that. You
are unable to tell your children from total strangers, you
cannot communicate with people because you no longer know how
to greet them, or understand their conversation. You don't
remember what "the election," "war," or "the movies" mean.
Lack of historical memory is parallel to this loss of
individual memory. The link on which we depend every day
between the past and present would be lost if we had no memory
of our history. And we would miss a great source of enjoyment
that comes from piecing together the story of our past.
Today American educators are working to promote the study
of history in the schools and at home. Knowledge of our history
enables us to understand our nation's traditions, its
conflicts, and its central ideas and values. Knowledge of world
history enables us to understand other cultures.
We hope to encourage children to love history and to enjoy
learning about it. This booklet is a tool you can use to
stimulate your children's active involvement in the history
that surrounds them every day. It includes:
* Basic information about history, and approaches to
enjoying history with your children, aged 4-11;
* History activities that you and your children can do--at
home, in your community, and out of town--for no or little
cost; and
* History resources in your community and nationally, in
bookstores, and libraries.
History Education Begins at Home
Children and History
As parents we are in the best position to encourage our
children's natural interest in history. It is to us they
address their first historical questions: "Where did I come
from?" and "Was I always here?" These two questions contain
the two main meanings of "history": it is the story of people
and events, and it is the record of times past.
Now is the time to bring out the historical evidence and
to share family stories with your child. Birth and adoption
certificates, immunization records, first pieces of your
child's writing and art, as well as photographs all count as
historical sources that tell the story of your child.
The stories you tell and read to your children, or make up
with them, are part of their cultural heritage and reinforce
the two basic parts of history: "Once upon a time, and long
ago."
Parents Make a Difference
Your child is born into history. She has no memory of it,
yet she finds herself in the middle of a story that began
before she became one of its characters. She also wants to have
a place in it.
As parents we can prepare our children to achieve the
lifelong task of finding their place in history by helping them
to learn what shaped the world into which they were born.
Without information about their history, children don't "get" a
lot of what they hear and see around them.
Your attitude about history can also make a difference for
your child. Showing your interest in history--your belief that
knowing history makes a difference for your life--encourages
your child's own interest.
Many parents say they love history. If you are one of them
you can share your particular interests in history with your
children as well as help them develop their
own.
Many other parents say they find history boring. If you
are among these, try one of the following: start writing your
own life story; read the diary of Anne Frank, or the
autobiography of Frederick Douglass; read the Declaration of
Independence, or rent a video about the Civil War. As you
rediscover history your children may be inspired by your
interest.
History Is a Habit
The act
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