History is the continuous, typically chronological, the record of important or public events or of a particular trend or institution. However, this area of study consists of numerous levels and purposes that this definition does not portray. History is not only composed of the preeminent events that our country and other countries among us choose to share, but it is also the basis for the study of how humans interact, progress and regress. It is the pinnacle resource for the justification of arguments and debates. History shapes the youth into individuals. It helps guide their developing moral compass in ways that no other subject or person can.
When we study history, there are three major concepts that should be left in the mind of the student after every discussion, lecture and assignment.
1. The ability to set aside their own morals and ethics to understand a plethora of point of views
2. The ability to see historical events on a spectrum
3. The need to dig deeper into issues that appear to be one-dimensional.
For these reasons, history should be taught in a way that depicts all of its values regardless of their dwelling. There are many key elements of history that are not being taught solely because it paints a different picture of America that America doesn't want to see.
For example, the oversimplification of "Columbus Day" in which Christopher Columbus is depicted as this wonderful explorer instead of colonizer who murdered natives out of greed. Or the classification of 9/11 as the worst event in history (although it was very impactful and a sad time in American history) when in comparison, the U.S. invaded the Middle East a number of times for oil whilst killing Americans based on unconfirmed possibilities of them being terrorists.
History can often be taught in ways that condition students' minds to view history with their morals at the forefront of their discussion. However, this can be troubling as past events cannot be compared with the same depth to present events. In a typical social studies class, students are expected to memorize event dates and the assumption of why the general public viewed this event as either bad or good; win or lose.
This is problematic because it provides students with the notion that the events are always one-sided. It doesn't allow the student to accurately assess episodes from the perspective of the both sides without categorizing one as the perpetrator and the other as the defender. Historical affairs should be viewed on a spectrum. The way in which history is taught throughout the world is not uniform to the content and methods that are taught in other parts of the world. We should be able to travel the world and construct and deconstruct our views on history based on the ways that they perceive historical events, whilst still being able to construct our own views.
In modern society, the need to dig deeper into historical incidents or developing history is so that we don't continue out into the world with surface level or erroneous information. Without this skill, our justification for our ethics and arguments would be more do based on our version of facts rather than balanced evidence.
When history is taught with optimal consideration of the students' perspectives and the intent to challenge them to grow, then it will propel the youth to conduct existential thoughts beyond their beliefs of their country.
