With the latest political election, American is divided more than ever in the realm of education. The same sentiment applies to homeschooling American History. There is a civil war in the homeschool community focused on traditionally taught American History versus a new push toward a truer yet often less patriotic point of view. As controversial as this topic must feel, I’d like to offer an alternative perspective.
I’m a military wife and mother, an American of African Descent, and a child of sharecroppers and immigrants born and raised in the Deep South. That was a mouthful. When your spouse and children have all served in the military (with one younger son waiting his turn to do the same), it’s hard to accuse anyone of being anything less than All American. We proudly fly our American Flag in front of our home. We vote and, when called, fulfill our civic duties. We pray in the home but believe in the separation of church and state. In most political matters, we are pretty moderate, and in teaching our children, we always consider every side represented and lean toward objective truth.
When my family homeschools, we use a Jeopardy Homeschool philosophy and it’s applied toward every subject, not just American History. If a question were asked on an episode of the popular trivia game show Jeopardy, would your child have the knowledge to answer the question correctly? Or would your educational instruction cause them to lose points in the game? Consider this American History fact – be sure to answer in the form of a question.
“What war between the British and American Colonies inspired the words for the Star Spangled Banner?” …dum de dum dum, dum de dum… If you answered “What is The American Revolution,” you’re incorrect. If you answered “What is the War of 1812,” you get the points, but further investigation gives you a much more complicated answer that Ken Jennings and his team may or may not give you credit for. It’s that gray area that gets left out of American History. Within a public or private school setting, time may not allow for deeper exploration or understanding. As homeschoolers, with less regulation and more input, we can take Jeopardy Homeschooling to the next level and prepare our children for Masters Tournaments. We need to see a complete picture by looking at the motivations of all sides – good or bad – and seeing history for what actually happened and not what we feel happened.
So, how do we go deeper into American History?
Use Primary Sources
Most of what we know about American History is told from the point of view of the victor. Recognizing that bias is the key first step. Use digital archives teach children to seek out all perspectives in their studies, especially in regards to American History. This can include writings and memoirs of observers and participants during a historical event, drawings and photos during that era, or even census records, recordings, and news articles.
Practice Walking a Mile
Have your children imagine that they were the individuals around at that point in history. Have them draw from their own well of feelings to emphasize with each viewpoint and truthfully express that perspective creatively through writing, poetry, spoken word, song, or art. Walking a mile in the shoes of others in an activity that can incite a breath of understanding.
Read and Research
Learn as much about an event as possible before formulating an opinion. Use a variety of materials from children’s books to reference books to level out the learning to include multiple viewpoints. Try to discover new revelations in the text and discuss them thoroughly and thoughtfully.
Become a Fact Checker and Censor
Have you actually looked into your history curriculum? Do you feel there are any glaring inaccuracies or problematic themes? Be sure to read reviews by other parents who have used the resource before and consider their homeschooling philosophies in that review. Borrow materials you intend to use from a friend or the library before buying. Look for multiple views within the text. Your curriculum should sound neutral on all fronts yet still offer optimism for the reader – and not sound like a political ad.
Since we were children, we’ve been encouraged to learn as much as we can about a topic so that when we engage with others, we can do it intelligently. The same rules apply. During your next foray into American History, try to be that teacher who places truth at the forefront of your discussions.
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana, The Life of Reason, 1905, from the series Great Ideas of Western Man.
