For many students, a historical talk in everyday life is a rare thing to do. Unless we are not talking about the students of a historical faculty. As a result, the majority of the students are not aware of some critical events of the past, while very few people can speak about the history of their native country confidently. In the long perspective, this might become a real issue.
The way a young generation perceives history is critical as these are the people who represent the future of one country and a part of a global society. For that reason, the professors can resort to a good old method – writing an essay.
Modern students do not understand why they need to learn about what happened to the country and people who passed away long ago. As a result, it is unlikely to hear a clear answer regarding the position of a student in terms of this or that historical event. Such a low interest in the country’s past may lead to one’s indifference to world events in general.
Why does it happen that students do not know what to say about the history of their homeland? Some may find history to be hard to remember due to an enormous amount of important dates and events. The majority of the students will tell that history is incredibly boring, as well as the ways the professors teach it.
At the moment, it is easy to find many websites with practical tips on how to teach history classes effectively. Some professors use primary sources and new technologies to make a boring lesson or lecture more entertaining. Others resort to a role-playing exercise; it is also used to perform an alternative twist of a historical event and see the possible consequences.
One of the most effective ways to understand what students think about historical events is via a conversation. However, let’s be honest: not everyone likes to speak in public. No panic, though! There is an excellent and straightforward decision – writing an essay. One of the ways to boost interest among the students is to fuel their historical thinking. The essays can become a favorite practice among the students who have what to say but are not ready to share their thoughts out loud.
Those professors who used all possible teaching methods can also try out the essay writing to learn more about what their students really think. Some students will reject the idea as soon as they hear the word “writing.” However, it is the way the task sounds that matters. There are many ways on how to inspire young people. There are at least four ways to invite the students to a conversation about their country.
Opinions differ
It is a normal thing to face counterarguments to one’s statement. The students should be ready for the situations when they will have to either accept their defeat, make a compromise, or stand their ground till the end. The idea is to be able to argue the statement. The young people can work in two different groups that represent two diverse opinions. This type of essay provokes a person to find as many possible facts in defense of his or her opinion as possible.
The Butterfly Effect
For those who have not heard about the Butterfly Effect, it is one of the ideas of chaos theory. The point of the effect is that any, even the smallest, event that happens in the world is likely to lead to more significant events and changes. In other words, one incident may have different significant impacts with time.
There are numerous examples of the Butterfly Effects in world history. The nature of the effect is slightly unusual in terms of how all the events interact. The students will find it intriguing to examine the world history events that affected their native country. In their papers, they can discuss if there were any ways out of the situation. Besides, it will be helpful to draw the line between this historical event and a modern state of a country – does it still affect a country. In the concluding point, a person can sum up everything and add personal insight.
Drawing Parallels
The essay in which students are to draw parallels help to synchronize the events in the world and native country history. As we already know, history is boring, according to the majority of the students. Perhaps, it is because they got lost in the myriads of all these dates, names, and titles. One of the ways out is to stop talking about the history of a native country separately from world history.
The students can write about the pace of development of culture, technology, or science in their native country in comparison to some big empires. It is critical to be able to look from several perspectives. A person’s country develops in the context of world history and not separate from it. Therefore, a new focus will engage a student who would like to see whether the country had opportunities for development or not. This is when a student develops critical thinking.
What Goes Around Comes Back Around
Everyone heard about the circular nature of history that always repeats itself. Some may ask, “why then to learn it?” Sure, people make the same mistakes all the time. Even the most powerful minds make mistakes that cost their lives. The truth is that there are always different circumstances that affect the decision of a person. When a student wonders why a specific person did this or that it is time to handle a writing task!
The students can try to either justify the decision of a historical person or prove that it was a huge mistake. It will be helpful if a student uses historical thinking and offers an alternative resolution. This essay will take some time for sure. Nevertheless, it can enhance one’s ability to muster an argument and realize that there are so many reasons to learn history!
Writing the essays on a regular basis is an excellent way for the students to share their thoughts regarding the history of their country. They will learn to organize the facts in their heads, analyze the events, and make conclusions based on what they have learned. Besides, it helps to improve their critical and historical thinking.
Some may believe that writing is not for them and resort to professional help. Such services as StudyMoose will come in handy if one is not confident as to personal writing skills. Yet, a skillful professor always knows how to strike the right note. Above all, inspiration is in the eyes and speeches of a passionate teacher.