Rebooting Social Studies: Strategies for Reimagining History Classes

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Those facts. Those dates. Those four walls. Those still and petrified fossils of traditional history courses. Sure, it's history, but do we have to turn to tradition for guidance Let's make it worth the students time. Let's give them something to take beyond their high school experience. Let's reboot history. The goal of the social studies is to provide students with the tools necessary to be active and productive citizens. History teachers need to assist their students in developing problem-solving skills for real-life scenarios, and this can be done whether we teach students about Ancient Athens or modern Akron, Ohio. The ancient Mediterranean, the Italian Renaissance, and the British East India Company are very distant concepts, far from what our students find as relevant. The same skills can be acquired by studying something nearer to the students' interests and everyday life. So, take a moment to take a step back from the history curriculum, and ask yourself: "What skills will my students need in five years"

Reviews

This work serves as an inspiration for Social Studies teachers looking for ways to innovate teaching and learning for their students. Such efforts will help develop an informed and engaged citizenry who think critically about the complexities of the world in which we live. -- Mary Anne Beiting, Director of Board Development and Secondary Schools, Office of Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Youngstown
Milo provides the tools and inspiration for educators to liberate themselves and their students from the confines of the traditional textbook-oriented study of history and society to one of experiential understanding of our world. As a seasoned acclaimed teacher, Milo challenges traditional curricular approaches with his unique and pragmatic strategies to bring back interest and curiosity, allowing the students to think critically and be problem-solvers in our constantly changing world...a must read for all teachers! -- Brad Hebing, College of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Huntingdon College
Listening to human beings comes first for Greg Milo, according to his book, Rebooting Social Studies, which informs instructional approaches to engage students in complex brain activities, such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation, as modes of inquiry based learning. Milo inspires student use of information to make sense of historical facts and contexts. Rebooting Social Studies contributes engaging approaches to augment the marginalization of social studies curriculum in the current educational era. -- Corrie Rebecca Block, Associate Professor, Bellarmine University

Author Bio

Greg Milo has worked for 13 years to take high school social studies beyond the usual and mundane, writing curriculum, creating courses, and developing experiences for students that are engaging and applicable for a future that demands creativity and critical thinking skills.