History in the Present Tense: Engaging Students Through Inquiry and Action

Engaging students in the classroom and helping them draw connections between their own lives and what they are learning are two of the biggest challenges for any teacher, novice or otherwise. This is often doubly true in a history classroom. History in the Present Tense is an incredible resource for any Social Studies Teacher. It offers a range of lessons that help students draw connections between history and the present, are focused on student inquiry, and encourage students to count on each as resources. The lessons encourage students to become active participants in the classroom, not just passive absorbers of information. This book is easy to use and the activities can be adapted to almost any age level.

In "History in the Present Tense," Doug Selwyn and Jan Maher - both accomplished writers and educators - have produced a completely accessible, practical, insightful and FUN book about how to engage students in making, recording and analyzing history. Their original lessons emphasize multiple perspectives and authentic tasks, and challenge young people to think critically about real world issues. Thoughtful questions, suggested resources and sample handouts are included. The lessons have been field tested by teachers (like me), enabling readers to gain from the experiences and modifications of teachers in a variety of settings. As a middle school history teacher, I was most impressed by the authors' ability to incorporate what it means to think and work like a historian: the role of lenses in viewing events, the importance of corroborating evidence, the privileging of some accounts over others, and the roles of the media and textbooks in influencing our interpretations of events. This book is a "must-have" for novice and experienced teachers who seek to learn and teach history in hands-on, relevant and stimulating ways... from investigative reporting to policy making to documentary production.