5 Tips for Engaging History Lessons
By MARISSA DESPINS Updated April 04, 2024
If you’re a teacher, then you know that engagement is key to successful classroom instruction. When students are engaged, they’re more likely to retain information and be excited about learning. But how can you make sure your students are engaged with your history curriculum? Check out these 5 tips for engaging history lessons.
Interested in downloading some no-prep engaging history lessons for your next history unit? Click on the image or button below to see all of the history resources available in my TPT shop!
1- Start with the basics.
First, make sure your students understand the basic concepts before moving on to more difficult material. If they’re struggling with the basics, they’re not going to be engaged in the more advanced topics.
When teaching engaging history lessons, it is important to do a thorough introduction before moving onto more specific topics. This is a great time to go over the geography of the area you are going to be teaching about. In addition, reviewing key vocabulary that students will come across during the unit is also a great idea. This helps to ensure that students have a good understanding of the basics before moving on to more complex topics.
If you are looking for some FREE resources to help with history vocabulary instruction, check out these FREE word wall cards by clicking on the links below!
2- Use a variety of teaching methods.
Some students learn best by listening to lectures, while others prefer hands-on activities or discussions. To create engaging history lessons, try to include a variety of different teaching methods. By using a variety of methods, you’ll keep all of your students engaged.
3- Make it relevant.
Students are more likely to be engaged if they see how the material is relevant to their lives. When possible, work to find ways to connect the history you’re teaching to current events or the students’ own experiences. So many of the stories and events of our past can be seen replicated in our present experiences.
4- Include guest speakers and Historical Videos.
Hearing from someone who was actually there can bring history to life for your students. While this isn’t always possible, especially when teaching about Ancient History, there are a wide variety of different videos online that you can access. Seeing and hearing history through first hand accounts and video representations can help make history come alive, and is especially beneficial for auditory and visual learners.
5- Incorporate Technology
With webquests, interactive games, and a multitude of research opportunities, technology can really help boost student engagement. We live in a world where students have become quite tech savvy, allowing us to capitalize on their expertise.
Instead of always using reading passages and text books for students to gather information from, I like to have my students do their own online research. This is a great time to talk about looking for quality sources, as well as the importance of avoiding plagiarism.
Interested in having your students do some online history research? You can grab these Ancient Egypt history research templates for FREE by clicking here or on the image below!
By following these tips, you can make sure that your students are engaged in your history curriculum. A little effort goes a long way when it comes to keeping your students interested and excited about learning.
Looking for more ways to keep things exciting in your classroom? Check out this post on building classroom engagement!
For detailed information on teaching specific history topics, check out our posts on teaching Prehistory, Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Greece!
On the hunt for some Engaging History Lessons for your Social Studies Classroom?
Creative Classroom Core has you covered! Click here or on the image below to see all of the different Ancient History units I have available in my shop!
Looking for more information on teaching about Ancient History?
Check out these blog posts!
Ancient Civilizations: Free Resource Roundup
5 Ways to Make Your Ancient Civilizations Unit More Engaging
7 Essential Topics for your next Ancient Egypt Unit
9 Essential Topics for your next Ancient Greece Unit
Looking for some Free Activities for your next Ancient History Unit?
Click here or on the link below to grab this FREE Introduction to Ancient Greece Unit! It contains a COMPLETE unit with reading passages, graphic organizers, and more!
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