“A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…” So begins the opening crawl of each Star Wars movie. The information provided in this opening allows viewers to have a sense of previous events or characters that shape the narrative. Without this foundation, the unfolding story might seem confusing or disconnected. In essence, this technique exemplifies the historical thinking skill of contextualization.
This month we are highlighting an essential skill for students to develop: contextualization. Contextualization involves situating phenomena and actions by people in the context of time, space, and sociocultural setting - and it can be difficult for students to grasp. Students tend to interpret past events through the lens of modern values. Teaching contextualization becomes a crucial antidote to this “present-ism” pitfall.
Contextualization activities can be found in both the World History Project and World History Project AP courses beginning with an Introductory Lesson that introduces them to the concept of context. After the introductory lesson, students begin to practice contextualization through activities on topics such as Mansa Musa, Child Labor (WHP) and Belief Systems (AP). With regular practice, students become more proficient at historical contextualization.
Looking for more inspiration? Look no further than the blog post Contextualizing the Big Stuff: Turning a Core Competency On Its Head by historian Trevor Getz and be sure to join the upcoming Skills Clinic: Contextualization of Time and Place on January 10 from 3:00 – 4:30 PM PST.
Our questions for you this month are:
- How do you incorporate contextualization into the classroom?
- What are some strategies you incorporate to help students understand the broad and narrow contexts as they study historical events?
- What questions do you have about teaching contextualization?
Share your comments and questions in the comments below. We look forward to learning from you!
