by Irini Rovoli

Greek History; How Do Some Students Rediscover Their Roots?

by Irini Rovoli, Elementary School Faculty

What is the best way to teach history in elementary school? Research shows that even upper elementary students find it challenging to grasp lengthy time frames and complex causal inferences. This conclusion, however, does not indicate that children are unable to learn historical facts. On the contrary, through the teaching of history, children learn to explore important values and develop skills in thinking, making connections and communicating.

Best practices in teaching history in the elementary school are my main concern when it comes to my Greek near-native or native students. My goal in teaching history is to make the past seem real instead of a distant abstraction. I want my students to build their own insights into their own lives and use the historical past to illuminate the present. By cultivating a real interest and love of their Greek heritage, students develop a respect for history.

In my teaching practice, I have used three principles that are drawn from current research and blend with my rich experience. The example of grade 4 Greek Language Arts class is being used here: er point presentations that include maps and images from historical sources and museum artifacts. We refer to the historical timeline of the period we study and we go back to what we have studied previously so that students are given the time to connect events on the timeline. Taking into account the age limitations of elementary students, we place in historical context important persons of the past, and aim to build understanding of time and place.

Talk About Perspectives We talk about what we see – we ask questions and look into different perspectives. All students are encouraged to participate, as all voices are respected. The battle of Thermopylae for example, becomes a point for debate where students are asked to make an important decision: leave and save their lives or fight with the Persians until the end? What would the outcome of each decision be? What each decision would look like for today’s Greece and the western civilization?

Offer Students Choice Choice remains a powerful incentive for learning almost anything. This is particularly true in the case of history class where students love to make their own decision on the type of project they choose. They also love to present their work to their peers. For example, ostracism in the ancient years becomes a starting point for students to think of what their own name would look like in Ancient Greece. They experiment and laugh by putting together their first name in the nominative case and their father’s first name in the genitive case, which is a powerful hands-on grammar experience. Or, students are asked to make their own offerings to the Parthenon – and come up with lots of creative projects: from embroidery and drawings to building a model paper temple.

To conclude, Greek history instruction in the elementary school helps children discover their own relationship to their history, and realize that their actions and lives are a potential part of the history to be written. Above all, it is a way for students to appreciate and realize their own roots and valuable heritage.

Hector’s Parthenon presentation

...Οn our way to the Parthenon