Learning is often a chore, and it’s not surprising when students dread their history classes. But, just because you’re learning about events that happened centuries ago doesn’t mean you have to find the material tedious.
Making learning history fun can help make your study time more joyful, memorable, and meaningful. This article will discuss how to make learning history fun.
Table of Contents
Steps on How to Make Learning History Fun
1. Make History Physical
Learning should be fun and physical. So, if you’re going to make history fun, you should make it physical. Find crafts that teach about specific events and periods.
For example, a crafts project on the Aztec civilization could include a paper-mache centerpiece of an ancient pyramid related to the famous Teotihuacan pyramid.
Or, while learning about the Industrial Revolution in America, students could work together to have their small factory making candles. The possibilities are endless, and an activity like this can be a lot of fun!
2. Be Creative
You can make history learning fun if you’re creative. Your ability to think outside of the box will help keep the information fresh and exciting. Let’s say you’re planning your 6th grade history curriculum to study about World War II.
One approach to making learning history fun would be to have your class make a movie about their most memorable moments from the war. To do this effectively, the students may need to research and role-play the characters of the time.
If you’re teaching about Christopher Columbus’s discovery of America, have students act out his voyage on a nearby river or lake. By taking different approaches to learn, your class will make history memorable through their own unique experiences.
3. Use Music to Make Learning History Fun
You can use music to enhance learning. Studies have shown that music improves memory and learning in a wide variety of fields, including history.
If you’re teaching about the American Revolution, have students incorporate patriotic tunes into their presentations. The repetition of familiar songs will help them remember the material they’re learning, and the music will probably help make learning history fun!
4. Be Interactive
Students can enjoy their study time if they’re allowed to be creative. Try having your students brainstorm questions that they want to ask during the presentation of your lesson.
This is a great method for keeping students engaged, making them feel involved in their learning process. Or, have their group and create a series of questions for each lesson.
5. Use Digital Media
Technology will continue to make history fun for students of all ages as they grow up. Using digital media can help make the material memorable and exciting.
For example, you could use online photo editors to show students famous people from different periods. You could even have students take pictures of each other inappropriate costumes to create a history album.
Conclusion
Whether you’re teaching about the American Revolution or the Aztec Empire, there’s a multitude of ways to make learning history fun. The key is to look for ways to make history more meaningful and memorable for your students.
