Developing Historical Consciousness in Introductory World History Classrooms, Part 2: Designing Activities to Promote Historical Consciousness in Introductory History Classrooms

AHA Session 49
Thursday, January 7, 2027: 3:30 PM-5:00 PM
Napoleon Ballroom C1 (Sheraton New Orleans, 3rd Floor)
Panel:
Eric W. Nelson, Missouri State University
Jesse A. Spohnholz, Washington State University

Session Abstract

Part 2: Designing Activities to Promote Historical Consciousness in Introductory History Classrooms

In Part 2, participants will apply what they learned and experienced in Part 1 to begin to design their own classroom activities and assignments that help students explore the relationship between past, present, and future. The session will include structured exercises and peer feedback, to help guide participants as they develop lessons that provide students with the tools to situate themselves within history and practice reflective historical thinking. This session will emphasize evidence-based active learning design and scalability, so that participants leave with practical, adaptable strategies for fostering empathetic, reflective, and historically aware thinking in their history classrooms.