Dr. Lawrence Williams introduced me to African American History as its own important narrative.
Author: Eric Beckman
I am a veteran high school history teacher interested in decolonizing history curricula, anti-racist pedagogy, and e-learning.
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Reframing Revolutions
Complexity requires us to choose and we should the highlight experiences of the people who made up these revolutions.
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Americanos
Teaching Latin American Independence. I’ve been thinking about an evergreen topic among World History teachers: bringing more Latina American content into our classes.
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The Enlightenment is Complicated
Abuses of the Enlightenment in history classes
Slavery in the Constitution. Since some school board members seem confused about the role of slavery in the founding of the USA, I wrote a set of stimulus-based multiple choice questions from the original Article IV, Section 2, Clause 3, of the US Constitution.
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Wisdom Over Knowledge
One approach that I have definitely embraced is to allow students to explore the meanings of concepts before presenting them with labels, i.e. formal definitions curated or generated by me.
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Slavery, Images, and Memory
My students at school and I worked through a wide range of human experiences in our study of World History last week. We finished the fourth week study of the Early Modern Atlantic World. Students were familiar with colonialism and coerced labor systems. This week focused on Africa and the Transatlantic Slave System. I have […]
United States History textbooks can hostile terrain for BIPOC students. In Advanced Placement US History classes, which frequently lean heavily into the textbook as a means of delivery content, students see racist imagery, “fair and balanced” descriptions of architects of White supremacy, such John C. Calhoun, and a story of America narrated from a settler’s […]
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Always Epic
History Fest is always epic, and this year was no exception.
I’ve been thinking a lot more about archives over the past year. This may appear odd, given my investment in historical study. In my study and practice as high school history educator engaged with academic history, however, discussions around archives separate how academic historians—producers of historical knowledge—and history teachers and students—consumers of historical knowledge view […]