For examples of SoTL using these materials see Slatta, Guest editor, special issue on “Teaching about the West.” Journal of the West, 46: 2 (Spring 2007).
Slatta “Introduction: Teaching about the West.” Journal of the West, 46: 2 (Spring 2007): 11-13.
Slatta with Maxine P. Atkinson, “Using Primary Sources Online: An Inquiry-guided Approach to Teaching Western History,” Journal of the West, 46: 2 (Spring 2007): 14-21.

Academically, I’m interested in how kids learn generally, whether young or older, in all settings. More specifically, however, most of my experience and interaction is with fairly young children (say up to 10 years old or so) in informal settings.

You’ve both given me a lot of food for thought, the idea of “identity” and what you describe, Leah, as “the basis upon which they take a position in relation to things happening in the world” … I need to think some more about this.

Also the idea that role-playing is something one needs to be careful with is good to remember. I don’t know if you’ve heard about the American teacher who used to teach the children about racism by doing a two-day exercise where blue-eyed children and brown-eyed children were alternately treated preferentially and the opposite? It was really interesting, when I watched the program at first I thought it was a terrible idea and would do the kids more harm than good, but afterwards I could see that it had been successful. If you’re interested I think there might be part of the program on youtube.

Cassie

I might go and look for a picture for my post too!

Cassie

It is very much worthwhile talking to teens and other children about what is going on in the world today, but if you want them to think about it historically, you would have to ask them to think both ways, not only about what future people might think, but also about what people in the past might think. And a really important question for them to think about is the basis upon which they take a position in relation to things happening in the world (the assumptions and presuppositions they bring to that decision-making process).

Histories are stories we tell ourselves about the past to help us make sense of the present. The _Child’s History of England_ was written for Victorian children to tell them about where they fit in the world. But the really important thing about history is that it isn’t a done deal. The “judgment of history” changes all the time, depending on what those doing the judging need from the past.

I really want children to understand that about history. That said, trying to understand why people in the past did the things they did and thought the things they thought is really valuable (and has obvious modern applications). So good role-playing can work, but bad role-playing tends to reinforce presentism–judging the past by the standard of the present.

Leah Shopkow