History

Education news, analysis, and opinion about how history is taught

Explainer

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Who Decides What History We Teach? An Explainer
Education Week breaks down how politics has long been embedded in this decision, and how new laws may affect the process.
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Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
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Social Studies Opinion DeSantis’ Take on AP African American Studies Was Principled. The Media’s Response Was Not
News coverage characterized the concern as an unwillingness to teach about racism rather than how to teach it.
Rick Hess, March 13, 2023
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5 min read
Collage of illustrations by Xia Gordon
Xia Gordon for education Week
Social Studies Opinion Black History Month Is Over. Teaching Black History Shouldn’t Be
Here's a roundup of resources and commentary to teach Black history all year long.
Mary Hendrie, March 3, 2023
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3 min read
Black History Starts With the Creation of Humanity. We Should Teach It That Way
Social Studies Video Black History Starts With the Creation of Humanity. We Should Teach It That Way
One educator fell in love with Black history while seeking to learn more about himself. That perspective changed how he teaches the topic.
Sam Mallon, February 28, 2023
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4:01
A woman holds a sign and attends a rally to stop AAPI (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders) hate at the Logan Square Monument in Chicago on March 20, 2021.
A woman holds a sign and attends a rally to stop AAPI (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders) hate at the Logan Square Monument in Chicago on March 20, 2021.
Nam Y. Huh/AP
Social Studies The Demand for Asian American History Is Growing. See Where
Florida is among states facing the possibility of requiring Asian American and Pacific Islander history in K-12 curriculum.
Ileana Najarro, February 24, 2023
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5 min read
'An Empowering Effect': How Studying Black History in Prison Changed This Educator’s Life
Social Studies Video 'An Empowering Effect': How Studying Black History in Prison Changed This Educator’s Life
While in prison, he discovered The Autobiography of Malcolm X. The book and the hundreds more that he read changed the course of his life.
Jaclyn Borowski , February 23, 2023
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4:17
‘Black History Is Everybody’s History’: How A Teacher Brings Inclusivity Into Her Lessons
Social Studies Video ‘Black History Is Everybody’s History’: How A Teacher Brings Inclusivity Into Her Lessons
Inclusive teaching starts with instruction that allows students to see their reflection in the curriculum, explains one N.C. teacher.
February 21, 2023
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4:07
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Social Studies Opinion Teaching the Complicated Legacies of the Founding Fathers
These are hugely significant, fascinating, complex figures. We must prepare students to grapple with the facts of their lives.
Rick Hess, February 21, 2023
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4 min read
Black woman lying on a large stack of books and reading a book.
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Social Studies 5 Things We Learned From 2 Teachers Piloting AP African American Studies
Shekinah Hall and Darren Williams teach at the only high school offering two separate classes of AP African American Studies this school year.
Eesha Pendharkar, February 17, 2023
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3 min read
Illustration of a blank history book on a background collage of historic documents and the American Flag.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty Images
Social Studies Opinion What the Rejection of African American History Means for Students
When Florida announced that AP African American Studies would not be taught in the state, my first question was, “Why not?”
Monica Washington, February 17, 2023
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3 min read
Shekinah Hall in her classroom at McLain High School in Tulsa, Okla.
Shekinah Hall, a teacher at McLain High School in Tulsa, Okla., is one of two teachers in Tulsa who are teaching a pilot course of Advanced Placement African American Studies this school year.
Courtesy of Tulsa Public Schools
Social Studies What Two Teachers Piloting the AP African American Studies Course Have to Say About It
The AP African American Studies course offers students representation like never before, two teachers piloting the course in Oklahoma said.
Eesha Pendharkar, February 16, 2023
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8 min read
Photo illustration of black people at historic moments in time leading up to a young black student today.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + AP Photo + E+/Getty
Equity & Diversity Opinion America Must Confront the Black History It Teaches
How can a Black student make sense of racism as historical artifact when it remains ever present, asks Bettina L. Love.
Bettina L. Love, February 9, 2023
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3 min read
Emmitt Glynn teaches AP African American studies to a group of Baton Rouge Magnet High School students on Monday, Jan. 30, 2023 in Baton Rouge, La. Baton Rouge Magnet High School in Louisiana is one of 60 schools around the country testing the new course, which has gained national attention since it was banned in Florida.
Emmitt Glynn teaches AP African American studies to a group of Baton Rouge Magnet High School students on Monday, Jan. 30, 2023 in Baton Rouge, La. Baton Rouge Magnet High School in Louisiana is one of 60 schools around the country testing the new course, which has gained national attention since it was banned in Florida.
Stephen Smith/AP
Social Studies What Will Be Taught in College Board's AP African American Studies? Here's a Sample
While there is public outcry over what is not found in the new course, and why, here's a look at some required topics in place.
Ileana Najarro, February 3, 2023
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9 min read
Illustration of many hands are raised against a giant hand stopping them
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty Images
Equity & Diversity Opinion Educators, We Must Defend AP African American Studies
In an open letter to colleagues, a former Florida educator urges teachers to speak out. "No one will save us."
Monika Williams Shealey , February 2, 2023
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5 min read
In this June 23, 1963, file photo, the Rev. Martin Luther King joins Detroit's Freedom March. During the critical era of the 1950s and '60s, King, who led the 250,000-strong March on Washington in 1963, and Malcolm X were colossal 20th century figures, representing two different tracks: mass non-violent protest and getting favorable outcomes "by any means necessary."
In this June 23, 1963, file photo, the Rev. Martin Luther King joins Detroit's Freedom March. During the critical civil rights era of the 1950s and 1960s, King, who led the 250,000-strong March on Washington in 1963, and Malcolm X, were colossal 20th century figures, representing two different tracks: mass non-violent protest and getting favorable outcomes "by any means necessary."
AP
Social Studies College Board Releases AP African American Studies Framework, Runs Into Anti-CRT Laws
The new AP course recently made headlines after Florida officials banned the pilot course in the state for allegedly defying state law.
Ileana Najarro, February 1, 2023
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6 min read
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