Make History Learning Easier and Less Stressful
Learning history can be a frustrating and difficult process. There are many things that students must learn about different periods and civilizations in order to understand the complexity of past events. However, there are ways to make the process of learning history easier and less stressful. For example, by taking quizzes and practice tests, students can improve their understanding of the subject. This will help them to perform better on future exams and assignments.
Often, the history learning is used as a screening device to determine the appropriateness of a student for higher level studies or employment. The problem with this is that it can encourage mindless memorization, which is not very useful or appealing to most people. This is especially true for students who do not have a natural talent for learning historical facts.
A more useful use of the study of history is to teach a student about how to make connections between past events and how they have affected modern life. This type of historical thinking can be beneficial in a number of ways, from developing empathy for groups that may not be as well represented in the mainstream to improving the quality of life for everyone by helping them to understand how we got to where we are today.
The most important skills a student of history should develop are the ability to read and analyze primary sources. These include books, letters, and documents that are written by people who were involved in the event or period being studied. In addition, a student of history should learn to distinguish between historical fact and interpretation. This is especially important because historians often disagree about what happened and why.
How to Make History Learning Easier and Less Stressful
A student of history should also be able to develop chronological thinking, which is necessary for understanding the relationships between different events and eras. This can be done through various activities, including writing time lines and analyzing data presented in a timeline. In addition, a student of history must be able to recognize historical continuity and change, as well as the importance of contingency in understanding the past.
In order to fully understand the complex nature of events in history, a student should be able to develop historical empathy. This can be accomplished by reading biographies or autobiographies of historical figures. This can help a student to see the world through the eyes of those who lived in the past and to understand the difficulties and hardships that were involved in their lives.
Lastly, a student of history should be able to use the study of history to engage in moral contemplation. This can be done by studying the stories of individuals and situations in history that allow a student to test their own moral sense and compare it against some of the real complexities that have faced individuals in trying circumstances. This can be done by studying not only the certifiable heroes of history but also ordinary people who have provided lessons in courage, persistence and constructive protest.
There is a wide range of online history courses available, from free to those that cost a fee. Free online history courses are typically offered by universities and organizations, while those that offer a fee often provide college credit or other benefits.