Shawna Williams, Houston Community College
Chris Dier, Benjamin Franklin High School
Organized by the AHA Teaching Division
This inaugural session will feature two components: the first part will be a keynote by a scholarly expert who will present the latest historiographical interpretations, new lines of inquiry, current debates, new primary sources being used, and even new periodizations to consider.
The second part will be a moderated discussion, led by a high school teacher and community college instructor, who will query the scholar about how to incorporate new research into the classroom. Teachers attending the session will be invited into the conversation by the two moderators. We envision a lively exchange in which all participants can walk away with new insights and resources.
This year’s inaugural topic is Reconstruction.
Session Abstract
The second part will be a moderated 45 minute discussion, led by a high school teacher and community college instructor, who will query the scholar about how their interpretations might be applied in the classroom. Teachers attending the session will be invited into that conversation by these two moderators. We envision a lively exchange in which all participants can walk away with new insights and resources. The historian keynoter can learn from teachers how their scholarship travels into actual classrooms, and teachers can have authentic dialogues with an expert about the challenges of incorporating the latest interpretations into their curricula and classroom practice. High school teachers, in particular, seek ongoing training in historiography, but that is rarely available in digestible forms. This session will provide them not only new historiographical insights but a chance to really engage the expert in conversation about that historiography and how to teach it. This year’s inaugural topic is Reconstruction.