Past Forward: Applied History for the U.S. Classroom

All high school history teachers want to make the history they teach relevant and accessible to their students, while also creating an engaging learning environment. This is possible through the use of applied history. Applied history is an approach that makes clear to students that the history they learn will provide context for their understanding of the present. In Applied History at the Secondary Level, Jay Barry, aveteran U.S. History teacher, provides dozens of content-specific examples, ranging from the simple to the more complex, of ways in which teachers can connect the content they teach to its present-day significance. This can be achieved by introducing pertinent connections, exploring historical analogues, and considering present-day issues through a historical lens. Through the use of applied history teachers can imbue in their students a historical sensibility that leads to a more nuanced understanding of a wide range of contemporary topics, promotes history as a problem-solving discipline that enlightens, informs, and has practical applications, and instills in students an appreciation for the complexity of certain issues they will confront as adults.