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My favorite teacher always had an emphasis on people who questionned truth in history and historical leaders/rebels.
We focused on:
America treating Columbus as a hero despite what he did (inspired by Howard Zinn's first chapter in "Peoples History")
The issues that arose from vietnam, MLK, etc.
My history of western civ teacher was absolutely BORING with just lecturing every day. I didn't learn a thing from that guy. The only thing he did that was fun was show Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
My Social Studies teacher made things fun by pretending these events were current... she would get us all in a circle on most things and have us all discuss what WE think of the events... after we studied the facts the night before.
One time I recall we had a simulation where we would enact a fake court-hearing judging these events.
I was Harry Truman defending "my" decision to drop the bombs on Japan. I had to learn why it happened, how it happened. It was pretty hard to try to defend those actions... it really gave me a sense of drama and mystery and intruige.
I think the reason history is boring is because it just seems like stories in a book with photos of things we're not used it. When people hit the astonishoing fact that the people in the book were JUST like you and me, just in a different time... it's astounding.
I love looking at old photos and wondering what that must have been like to live THAT way not my way (computers, work etc)
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"It's not that I don't understand, it's that I don't care"
- Homer Simpson
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