Can you teach the future and be optimistic? That is what I am going to focus on as I start the LBH project this year. In the past my students talk about global warming, an asteroid hitting the earth, or food shortages in a rising global population. All of these issues are important but I want to create a feeling of optimism as I stress to the kids that they can help solve the world's issue. Any suggestions for how to go about this monumental task?
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This is a great thread! In our school, our students take Big History in 9th grade and I believe the opportunity we give them to think about the future after examining the thresholds over 10 months, allows them to apply their thoughts and ideas to whatever their science, history, and literature teachers might ask them about the future for their remaining years in high school. A perfect example is in 12th grade, when our seniors have the opportunity to take a literature class that examines the future as both a utopia and dystopia. This is something our Big History students have been thinking about for several years by the time they reach 12th grade. Naturally, this is important in science classes as well where students are given information about what the future might hold for our planet. With this information, they can start planning and working on how to mold a positive future for our world (which, as BH teachers I think is really one of the goals we all have for students).
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A few days ago I received an e-mail from gatesnotes with yet another book recommendation by Bill Gates (he's got great taste in this). Turns out, Steven Pinker is releasing a sort of follow-up to Better Angels which focuses more positively on different measurements of how our lives are improving, and how there's reason for hope. It might be worth checking out, as it might help educate our efforts in being positive and able to back it up with evidence:
www.gatesnotes.com/.../Enlightenment-Now -
Matheus Frare, thank you for the share. I greatly enjoyed reading Angels of Our Better Nature and discussing the ideas among friends. I look forward to cracking open Pinker's new book.
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I show the film, I Am, by Tom Shadyac. I have been focusing on healing separation and inspiring my student to become change agents. I also have begun using activities from Developing Ecological Consciousness, by Christopher Uhl, as a means of developing relational intelligence within my students. I just received Christopher Uhl's Teaching Like Life Matters in the mail yesterday and can't wait to read it after I finish The Soul of the Sensuous by David Abrams. I am learning that all the great minds, past and current, are saying the same thing. I'm jumping in head first and looking for practical applications that target changing worldviews and healing separation.
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Margaret Vetter, these are great suggestions. I will be taking a look at them. Thank you.
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This looks great Matheus Frare - thanks for sharing. Gregory Dykhouse, I was just reading the reviews for Angels of Our Better Nature, definitely worth reading right? I always trust your book recommendations.
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I started a website, with questions to fuel a discussion. Although I have questions for each chapter, I have yet to include them on the site. You may view the early work: thebetterangelsdiscussion.weebly.com/
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Jason Manning, your question "Can you teach the future and be optimistic?" is very good and important to model before young students. In recent YAMMER exchanges, Steven Pinker's latest book has been mentioned and anticipated by us. I picked up a copy last night. Consider these few soundbites: "...we can only understand where we are if we know how far we've come" (a great application of scale); the world has become a hundred times wealthier since the early 19th century, and prosperity is becoming more evenly distributed across countries and people; two centuries ago, 12% of the world could read and write, but today 85% can; for most of human history, a newborn was expected to live around 30 years, and life expectancy across the work is now 71; more than half the world's population now live in democracies, whereas two centuries ago, just 1% did. Great details that may support hope for our future. With this thread I shared a website I started to promote Pinker's Better Angles book; I'll have to finish the site and add this book to the site. Do these details shape a response to your initial question?
