In a past life I taught middle school history, which as you know means that I taught the boring subject. I know this to be true because I was consistently reminded by my students who would say things like, “You’re a cool teacher Mr. Fester, but too bad you have to teach the boring subject.”
What’s remarkable about history being the “boring subject” is the surprising number of adults who rediscover a love of history. Whether it manifests in the form of period television shows, video games set in a specific era, or spending the afternoon wandering the halls of a museum. When you look at the most popular tourist attractions in every state, more than 50% of them are historic sites, museums, or places with a storied past which proves that people love history and are interested in learning more.
There are many contributing factors you might point to; the way it is taught is a factor. The level of interest or motivation of each individual is also a possible reason. But my experience has led me to believe that the most influential factor in whether history is “boring” or not is this - how applicable to my life or lived experience is what I’m learning?
When history ceases to become something that only matters in the classroom, and instead is a tangible part of your life that they encounter often and has meaningful applications, that is when the attitudes begin to change. Doing this isn’t automatic, but author Greg Milo offered some ideas in his book Rebooting Social Studies where he shared, “embrace hands-on, active learning and in-depth, rich inquiry.”
A Classroom Companion You Can Take on the Road
Resources that support this kind of learning while also providing easy access to relevant, accurate information that are also FREE are few and far between, but luckily ExploreHere is one such resource. While it wasn’t explicitly designed with the classroom in mind, it is a tool for learning, and like all tools designed to help expand personal knowledge it has classroom potential, provided you’re using it the right way.
The app and its features are a great way to make history something that is more authentic and tangible, making it valuable to classroom learning and increasing the relevancy of history for students who don’t yet see that in several ways;
- The main app screen that shows what markers and landmarks are located around your school or within your community can be used to make connections between larger topics and themes enshrined in state standards and a student’s home.
- Keyword searching terms, historic events, or figures can reveal new connections between who they are learning about and locations associated with that topic. Did you know that Thomas Edison built concrete houses?
- Reading the text of historical markers included in the app paired with your own sources as a way of teaching history-specific skills such as synthesis, corroborating information, and illustrating primary vs. secondary sources, and so on (you can also utilize the audio feature as a differentiation tool for learners with specific needs)
Six Ready-Made Ideas for Your Next Project/Lesson
Ideas for using app features like these can be included into many different lessons, but creating true learning experiences that are hands-on, active, and inquiry-based require a bit more planning and design. Here are six specific ideas for units or projects that could leverage ExploreHere while also addressing required content and skills in most social studies classes
1. Context, Context, Context
The historical marker text in the app is helpful, but ultimately too short to really understand the significance of the history they describe. Since there is only so much that can be captured on a plaque or monument, students can choose a landmark and then go deeper. Using research skills and what they learn in class about connected events, students try to uncover or expand what is inscribed to give more context.
2. Walking/Driving Tour
ExploreHere comes fully loaded with all sorts of thematic driving tours that link multiple landmarks and sites together. Using what they find in the app within their own communities, have students create their own 10-12 marker trail or walking tour connecting. They could be thematic and explore an aspect of history by telling a story or chronological where they link together different markers that show how events or history unfolded.
3. Monument Redesign
Some landmarks are well designed with attention to design or details that articulate meaning. Others are dull as dishwater. Have students “adopt” a monument that fits the later category and redesign in it a way that shares meaning with the viewer. Students can construct physical or digital models alongside design proposals that articulate the meaning of symbols or other design choices.
4. Vlog
Vlogging is a popular way for those passionate about travel to share what they discover with others. If you are in an area with lots of markers that are accessible to your learners, have them go on location and record their own “vlog” sharing what they’ve learned about the monument and its importance. You can then publish them to a website or YouTube channel to create a video tour companion for your community. You might even post a QR code near the marker so that others who visit can access the video your students have created.
5. Hero's Journey
If George Washington gets hundreds of landmarks and statues, why doesn’t Beyonce have at least one? After exploring the ExploreHere app and analyzing the kinds of landmarks associated with a historic figure, have your learners research one of their favorite pop culture icons and create their own thematic tour of places associated with the life of that individual. They can use mapping tools like Google Maps to mark the locations and write their short descriptions.
6. Our Town
Using ExploreHere might reveal that your community doesn’t have many landmarks or historic monuments, but even this can be an opportunity. Students can use local historical resources such as city archives or historical societies to find stories and events that are the kind of things that would be marked with a landmark. They can then share their proposal with members of the community or local government and maybe even see their monumental idea created.
History isn’t boring - it just needs better storytelling, deeper connections, and tools that bring the past to life in the present. ExploreHere helps make that possible by making local history visible, tangible, and personally relevant to students. Whether you're helping them uncover hidden stories in their own neighborhoods or connecting curriculum to the landmarks they pass every day, this app can be the entry point to powerful, place-based inquiry. When students begin to see themselves in the story of history, their interest shifts from passive to passionate - and that's when real learning begins.
