Why Do We Teach History ?
By Dr . Bryan Smith
Education isn ’ t just about math , science , and English . It ’ s also about history . But have you ever wondered why ?
The answer is obvious with the other subjects . How can you function in the modern world if you don ’ t know math and science and how to communicate ? But history ? Think about the last time you went to a job interview . Were you asked to list the U . S . presidents in order or to summarize the key achievements of the Ming Dynasty ? Probably not .
PROPOSED PURPOSES Through the years , many proposals have been offered for why we teach history . But they tend to miss the core purpose . Let me clear these out of the way , and then we ’ ll consider the purpose we need to focus on .
1 . Character Lessons from Individuals Some believe that history should confront students with men and women of character and how they are positive role models . So the Age of Exploration is about the explorers ’ courage to follow their dreams , and the Civil War is about Lincoln ’ s determination despite huge obstacles . The problem with this proposal is that it confuses history and biography . Biography is about individuals , but history is about civilizations . It ’ s about the rise and fall of nations , not the rise and fall of men and women . This kind of approach will end up turning history instruction into something it wasn ’ t meant to be . Of course , a skilled teacher will point out good character qualities in individuals , but that will be a side course , not the main dish .
2 . Fascinating Stories Some teach history simply because they love it . They love talking about the mystery and intrigue that lie behind familiar names , wars , and dates . Now , don ’ t get me wrong ; I find these things fascinating too . But not everyone does . And if enjoying stories from the past is the reason for history , why not just show movies to students every day ? That ’ ll fascinate everyone , not only the history buffs . Getting students to enjoy history is fine as a by-product of our true purpose , but it can ’ t be at the core of why we teach history .
3 . Developing Patriotism Patriotism is a virtue . So maybe we teach history to convince students that their country is the greatest in the world ’ s history . Certainly , history teachers should seek to devel-
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