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o difficult will
frustrate your child, an activity that is too easy will lose
his interest. Challenges bring feelings of accomplishment.
Have a goal. When you choose or begin an activity you may
not have a clear idea of where it's going. But keep in mind
that the purpose of doing the activities in this book is to
learn something about history. The first section of this book,
the introduction to each activity, and the question boxes can
help you. As you complete each activity discuss with your child
what you learned together. Making bread is one thing, knowing
that bread has historical meaning is another. Achieving a goal
for an activity also helps your child sense the pleasure of a
completed project.
The Basics of History
The Meanings of History
If you look for the meaning of "history" in the dictionary
you may be surprised to find that history is not simply the
past itself. The first meaning of history is "tale, story," and
the second meaning is "a chronological record of significant
past events." The opening of tales for children--"Once upon a
time"--captures both the story and time nature of history.
When we study history we are involved in a branch of
knowledge that records and explains past events. Many would say
that history is not just one branch of knowledge among others,
but that it is the most essential one because it is the
complete story of human endeavor. It happens that the word
"history" comes from the Greek "to know."
The activities in this book are organized according to the
two meanings of history as story and time in order to help you
explore these meanings with your child.
The Story in History
The work of doing history is to consider people and events
that are no longer in our presence. Unlike doing science, we do
history without being able to observe behavior and its results.
This work is fun when we make the past meaningful. We do
this by weaving together various pieces of information about
the past. In doing this we create a pattern that gives shape to
"just a bunch of facts." Doing history is a way of bringing the
past to life, in the best tradition of the storyteller.
But not just any story will do. While there are many
possible tales of the same event, good history is based on
evidence and several perspectives.
The history with which we are most familiar is political
history--the story of wars, peace treaties, and changes of
government. But anything that has a past has a history. This
includes the history of ideas, for example the concept of
freedom, and cultural history, for example the history of
music.
The story of history is interesting to us because it tells
us about real people who had ideas and beliefs, worked and
struggled to put them in action, and shaped the present in
which we find ourselves.
Time in History
Human events take place in time, one after the other. It
is important to learn the sequence of events in order to trace
them, reconstruct them, and weave the stories that tell of
their connections. Children need to learn the measures of time,
such as year, decade, generation, and century. When they hear
"Once upon a time in history" they need to be able to ask "When
did that happen?," and to know how to find the answer.
Time in history is a kind of relationship. We can look at
several events that all happened at the same time, and that
together tell a story about that period. Or we can look at the
development of an idea over time, and learn how and why it
changed. And we can consider the relationship between the past
and the present, or the future and the past (which is today!).
The present is the result of choices that people made and the
beliefs they held in the past, while the past, in being retold,
is in some way remade in the present. The future will be the
result of the coming together of several areas developing
today.
The main focus of history is the relationship between
continuity and change, and it is important that our children
understand the difference between them. For example, the
population of the United States has changed dramatically over
time with each wave of immigration. With the entry of these new
groups into American society, bringing their own ideas,
beliefs, and cultures, American democracy has continued and
grown stronger. It continues to function according to its
original purpose of safeguarding our basic values of freedom
and equality, even as the meanings and effects of these values
change.
A New Look at History
History is now understood to be more than memorizing names
and dates. While being able to recall the details of great
people and events is important, the enjoyment of history is
enhanced by engaging in activities and experiencing history as
a "story well told."
Original sources and literature are real experience
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