Teach Complexity,
Not Certainty
“History isn’t black and white — it thrives in the grey.”
Our goal when teaching history is to encourage work that will help students confront the ambiguities, contradictory narratives, and the internal complexity of history, thereby developing critical thinking, empathy, and a deep understanding of how historical narratives are created. We strive to create an environment in which students are not just recipients of historical knowledge, but active participants in asking questions, interpreting, and extracting meaning from the past.
Use Primary Sources
“Let the past speak in their words.”
— Include letters, diaries, speeches, photographs, posters — teach students to approach them as historians.
Make your teaching relevant
“Students connect with the past when it speaks to their present.”
— Use analogies, modern parallels, and personal connections to bridge the gap between historical content and the students’ lives.
Embrace multiperspectivity
“There is no single voice of the past – every narrative deserves to be heard and explored.”
— Encourage empathy and understanding of the complexity of historical narratives by including diverse perspectives (e.g., gender, class, ethnicity, ideology).
Be a teacher who doesn’t just teach — but inspires.
Go beyond simply delivering information in order to ignite curiosity, passion, and a sense of purpose in your students.
Create a classroom where questions are valued as much as answers, where your students are encouraged to ask the hard questions as part of the learning journey, and where each student’s prespective is seen and heard.
Inspire them by creating multiperspectivity, connecting your lessons to the real world and real experiences, and by encouraging students to think critically and empathetically.
Your impact will not just be measured by the students’ test scores, but by the impact you’ve had on them, and the help you gave them to better understand the challenges of modern societies.
We believe our books and materials will be of great help in this process.
If you need any assistance from our historians, please feel free to contact us at jointhistoryproject@gmail.com
