NHD Theme Book 2016 | Page 67

EXPLORATION, ENCOUNTER, EXCHANGE IN HISTORY

65

H2’s Big History explores interactions between humans and the environment.
©2014 A+E Networks, LLC. All rights reserved.

carbon dating have given historians new ways

of interpreting the past. Meanwhile, a growing
body of scholarship that draws upon Richard

White’s concept of the “middle ground” and a

more complex view of encounter and cultural
exchange has expanded our perspectives on
power relations and encouraged scholars

of all ages to consider multiple viewpoints
when researching historical topics. An

excellent example of a more complex view of

interactions between groups is the California
History Blueprint’s unit “Sites of Encounter
in the Medieval World” linked at the end of
this article, which can serve as a model for

a many-faceted approach to encounter and
exchange. Through the use of multimedia
sources, new scholarship, and innovative

technologies students have the opportunity to
tell rich stories about exploration, encounter,
and exchange. In 2016 students will surely
uncover many new angles on the past and

new insights into human stories through their
NHD projects.

In the Big History series on H2, viewers see how humans have harnessed
the environment and trade techniques to survive.
©2014 A+E Networks, LLC. All rights reserved.

For links to the resources in this article, go to
www.nhd.org/themebook.