Engaging In The Modern World Through The Past

In teaching history in Canada, Rachel McCabe has found willing accomplices in her students.

The young girls McCabe teaches at the Trafalgar School for Girls in Montreal want to engage in the world, and they want to know where they can most effect change. Teaching them 20th century history is very empowering for them in that regard, McCabe says. It is easy to turn the events of the recent past into lessons they can use in the future and prepare them to become productive citizens.

The key, McCabe says, is variety - to present history as more than just names and dates. For example, when the girls are studying Mexico, they not only learn about the various revolutions that shaped the country, but they also study the world-famous art of Diego Riviera and make tortillas. McCabe says it is important to engage all the senses to appreciate a different time and a different place.

For a unit on Russian history, McCabe has an auction of abstract notions, such as "to be free," "to be beautiful" or "to create works of art." Students each choose a person to be in pre-revolutionary Russia, such as a Cossack, a member of the Imperial Family or a Jewish peasant, and bid on which of these ideas would be most valuable and useful to them. This leads to interesting discussions about perspective and need. McCabe says that it is important for her that students end up caring about the subject matter and the people and time they are studying, and she helps make that happen by designing exercises that put students in those people's shoes.

She also assures students that her classroom is a safe place to have conversations about the alarming events of the past. "There are no stupid questions," she says, since in history, there is (or should be) little sense of black and white; rather, everything is shades of grey.

As commemorations of historical events come along, such as the 10th anniversary of the Rwandan massacre, and historically significant events such as 9/11 occur, the students immediately want to know about these events and often ask themselves some uncomfortable questions: How can this be going on? How can I be oblivious?

"It is fascinating to watch the girls engage and debate with each other," McCabe says. This helps them develop confidence and the ability to articulate their arguments. McCabe is a firm believer that knowledge is power. Her class discussions help her students use examples and evidence in their argument and analyze information that is presented to them. In a particularly interesting exercise, she has students read excerpts from Adolf Hitler's book Mein Kampf, and then, has them refute the author's arguments: "Look at the argument and use your learning to discredit it."

McCabe also regularly gives her students latitude in the way they demonstrate their knowledge. Some students have done spoken word performances about a particular topic; another wrote a children's storybook about events in the Middle East.

Transferring what they know into something more artistic and creative helps them learn better, McCabe concludes. "We all learn well this way. As well, the students are proud of what they've done, and it's very engaging."