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

Douglas Selwyn (Author), Jan Maher (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0325005702 | ISBN-13: 978-0325005706 | Publication Date: August 13, 2003

In this practical guidebook, Douglas Selwyn and Jan Maher propose a different way of teaching history - start from today and keep asking questions. As students investigate possible answers, they make connections across miles and centuries. Along the way, they experience that essential insight of the social studies: Point of view has everything to do with how one perceives the world. To this end, each chapter explores projects connecting students' concerns with core content and concepts in history, geography, civics, and economics.

Lessons center on the economics of ordinary objects, understanding current events in historical context, creating readers theater, photodocumentaries and more. While students dig deeply into issues of personal relevance, they also master the content and skills mandated in state and national standards. Students learn about history - and about themselves.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“. . . a unique and imaginative approach to education, taking the student out of the textbook, even out of the classroom, into creative contact with the world outside. Students and teachers will profit immensely from its suggestions.”–Howard Zinn, Professor Emeritus, Boston University, Author of A People's History of the United States

“. . . smooth, entertaining, witty, and personaljust the right combination of methods, social analysis, and philosophy of history for my secondary certification students.”–Susan Starbuck, Professor, Antioch University Seattle, author of Hazel Wolf: Fighting the Establishment

“. . . a student-centered, intellectually invigorating, content-open way to engage students in the study of history.”–Tarry Lindquist, Author of Seeing the Whole Through Social Studies, Ways That Work, and Social Studies at the Center

About the Author

Douglas Selwyn taught in the Seattle Public Schools for more than fifteen years. He is currently a professor of education at Antioch University and works as an educational consultant. His previous publications include Living History in the Classroom (Zephyr, 1993); and an NCSS bulletin, Arts & Humanities in the Social Studies (1995).

Jan Maher is a writer and educator whose works include several plays, Heaven, Indiana (a novel), and History in the Present Tense (coauthored with Douglas Selwyn, Heinemann 2003). She is Adjunct Professor of education at Antioch University and Heritage University, both in Seattle.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Heinemann (August 13, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0325005702
• ISBN-13: 978-0325005706
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #690,076 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Teaching history made fun, accessible and relevant, January 2, 2005

By 

Wendy Ewbank (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: History in the Present Tense: Engaging Students Through Inquiry and Action (Paperback)

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.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have for Social Studies Teachers, July 3, 2005

By 

L. J. Mace (Honolulu, HI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: History in the Present Tense: Engaging Students Through Inquiry and Action (Paperback)

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.