As students begin to see their own stories in the historical narrative, genuine inquiry and a deeper understanding of historical thinking can develop.
We encourage teachers to use the Community Resource Reflection to identify the best ways to bring local and personal histories into your classroom and the Resource Guide as a starting point for generating ideas about how to access the history in your own backyard.
Lesson Templates:
- Ethnic Studies lesson template was designed to integrate students' own histories into what we consider amidst the range of sources in our classrooms.
- A People's History of Our Community, By and For Young People
Note: If you are teaching world history, there are many curricular connections you can make to local history or the histories of your students. Consider the history of indigenous settlements, patterns of im/migration, or how geography/culture has shaped the settlement and economy of your community today and in the past.