Final answer:
Engaging students in role-playing activities, such as writing diary entries as historical characters, and having them collect current events to write 'the first draft of history' helps make the subject of history stick in their minds by connecting learning to personal experiences and contemporary issues.
Step-by-step explanation:
One Effective Way to Make History Stick in Students' Minds
History can be made more memorable for students by engaging them in active learning exercises that connect to their personal experiences and relate to contemporary issues. One such method is to have students participate in role-playing activities, such as imagining they are a character from a historical period and writing diary entries, as suggested in the question. This approach links the causation behind historical events to students' own lives, making the learning experience more meaningful and impactful.
Another way to make history resonate is by teaching students to write the 'first draft of history’ through collecting and analyzing current events. This not only helps them understand the connection between past and present but also develops critical thinking skills and a sense of identity. Understanding historical patterns and the levels of causation can transform how students perceive both history and the world around them.
Incorporating these dynamic and personal methods into history education promotes deeper engagement with the subject matter, facilitating a lasting understanding of historical events and their relevance. By doing so, we help students decipher the patterns of human behavior and appreciate the enduring influence of history on current and future events.