Here are the easy ways to learn History, it’s easy peasy! History- the first impressions which comes to our minds upon hearing the word are usually the dates or the past events ranging thorough study of kings, historical events and societies among others. History indeed, is a record of important events that have happened in the past and it is really unfortunate to see that such a knowledge enriched subject has lost its prominence and has got a tag of being boring!
History – Our Mirror
What makes this subject crucial is that it lays the foundation for a better future as we learn why our society is the way it is today, about our ancestor’s endevours and their consequences. History is about human struggles, deprivations and triumphs. Also, by studying history, we not only learn about the story behind our origins and get to appreciate our culture & heritage, but we also learn about the cultural history of other communities and society.
The ‘BORING’ Reality
Even though history holds such an important place in our lives, the, children often perceive history as boring. It is often observed that children study the subject only to pass examinations. This often leads to disinterest towards the subject and shows the subject in poor light! As a result, children fail to unlock the potential of the subject and miss out on the opportunity to understand positive long-term human and social implications of the subject. The monotonous and seemingly non-participative way of teaching along with plethora of dates, names, personalities, places and events are usually what makes students think that
History is an incomprehensible and boring subject matter.
There’s a quote “when a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.” Similarly, if we change our approach towards learning history instead of considering it as boring, we may unleash a pool of interesting and value based knowledge.
Beyond Lecture – A Few ways to make History interesting
Let’s face it, most of the history classes are not conducted in an interesting way. Since the classes are usually revolved around lectures, the students become passive learners as a result of lack of two way interaction. Students tend to learn better when classes are more interactive. Other than making the class interactive, there are many ways to make the learning a qualitative process.
Teachers can organise social exhibition and focus on creative project work: This will help students explore their creativity through the installation of models on civilizations, historical cities etc. Stressing on importance of historical figures is also crucial. Learning about personalities and their contributions sounds more interesting than merely studying about events. A fancy dress competition can be organised with ‘People from History’ as the theme for younger children. Educational Documentaries are great source of learning, the students can be made to watch some educational documentaries. These are not only informative but at the same time indulging in nature too.
Tips on tip for the students
One of the major problems faced by students is remembering the dates. Mugging or remembering the dates is indeed a challenging and tedious task which calls out for a solution. It is pivotal to note that we don’t always have 2+2=4 solution for everything. Each and every student is different and unique, which means they have their own unique way to learning things but what all the students can do to ease the task of learning the dates is to prepare “Mind Maps”. Mind maps are considered vital as it enhances the whole learning process.
In order to make learning history more interesting, students can travel to places of historical importance. As we are living in the era of technology, students can start a blog and upload photographs or videos captured during the visits or infact make a scrapbook on the city’s history too. These kinds of activities encourage children to take interest in the subject. Also, the students can watch news reels related to history shown on television.
This will add on to the existing knowledge of the students.
How can Parents contribute to grow interest in the child?
Learning doesn’t take place only between the teacher and the student. The parents have immense to do to inculcate learning interest in their child. Parents should appreciate the importance of learning crucial life lessons from history. In simple words, children can be encouraged to learn life lessons from history.
This is more useful for older children, who would have developed the ability to think rationally and be able to appreciate the nuances of a subject. Parents can make the child understand the connections between past events and present ones by holding discussions on how history tends to repeat itself. To make it more relevant they can give examples of behaviour patterns, decisions of past rulers and that of modern day administrators, and the consequences of their actions.
Why is it important to know History?
If we look around ourselves we will find that there is a history associated with every topic and field ranging from science to music to painting among others. It helps us to comprehend our world, societies, identity and present day issues. History also teaches us moral values and helps us become better citizens. If you are someone who doesn’t know history because it seemed boring, the activities mentioned above will definitely help you look at the subject in a new light.