Using the Arts To Teach History

In this webinar I explain why you should use the arts to analyze the historical record.

When children are little, we are clear about the role of the arts. We encourage children to engage in artistic expression and use their creativity to supplement the topics we teach. We understand those things as important to a child’s intellectual and cognitive development. Everything in our educational curriculum supports this. But when children grow older and reach the rhetorical stage, we tell them it’s time to put away the arts and turn to more serious subjects. We treat the arts as a frill. And that takes away one of the most important tools in understanding culture, history, and who we are as human beings.

When we analyze the historical record using the arts, we make history more memorable and accessible.