ERIC Number: EJ1361612
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Sep
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0040-0610
EISSN: N/A
'Alluringly Strange, Discomfortingly Familiar': Using the Present to Construct a Meaningful Picture of the Medieval Past
Phillips, Jessica
Teaching History, n188 p66-75 Sep 2022
In this article, Jessica Phillips returns to a theme explored in the Historical Association's publication "Exploring and Teaching Medieval History in Schools"--the challenge of teaching about the medieval past in ways that acknowledge its vibrant complexity and create a genuine sense of resonance rather than condescension or blank incomprehension. Phillips begins by explaining why such an approach is so important and serves as a valuable foundation for future learning. She recognises the dangers of presentism inherent in an approach that seeks to acknowledge points of connection between the distant past and the present, but argues that certain kinds of presentism serve as powerful tools and have been used very effectively by historians. She outlines a useful taxonomy of different forms of presentism and shows how her Year 7 enquiry sought to avoid naïve attempts at 'time travel' and instead make productive use of her pupils' knowledge in the present to construct new meanings out of the experiences they were studying.
Descriptors: Medieval History, Teaching Methods, Foreign Countries, History Instruction, Perspective Taking, Elementary Education, Cognitive Style, Educational Strategies
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom (England)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A