Last time we talked about how to change up how you structure your discussions of primary source documents. I want to expand that trajectory in a way that will help your students put the past in perspective. There’s nothing wrong with a linear, evidence based approach to understanding the past. What I’m suggesting doesn’t replace that. It merely enhances it. In many cultures, storytelling is how events from the past are handed down from one generation to the next. Our brains are wired for storytelling. We may not recall a specific fact or detail, but we can remember a story like it was yesterday.
When you’re discussing primary sources in your classroom, go ahead and continue to put it in linear order on the timeline, but add something. There are several options here. For starters, group the sources based on social class. How did the rich and the poor view the same event? You could organize it into pros and cons. If you have enough resources, you could divide them into regions. The idea is to look for ways to mix things up and use those nuances to dig deeper in your primary sources. So where does storytelling come into play?
Whatever formats you chose, share the historical background for your source as if you were there. Set the stage for how you’ll be looking at things. When we tell stories, we often emphasize things like the theme, a character trait, etc. How powerful to analyze the life of Julius Caesar by looking at how the rich and the poor both viewed him? Maybe you set the stage for the different philosophies of ancient China by telling a Chinese tale? Whatever you decide, keep digging into those primary sources.
Ryan Wagoner
Lyceum of History
“I am indebted to my father for living, but to my teacher for living well.” ~Alexander the Great
Lyceum of History 
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