How do we engage students with history? How do you connect students with today and yesterday? World Book's This Day in History is a unique iTunes App that provides students various ways of connecting and representing historical events, through photos, illustrations, and even music!
Using the App
Do you know what happened in history on May 9th? I learned that American abolitionist, John Brown, was born in 1800. When I tapped on the hyperlink containing his name, I was able to learn from his bio that he had over 20 kids!
Research from CAST has discovered that the way that "students learn is as different as their DNA." Students often interpret and interact with information differently; therefore providing students with options on how they perceive information is helpful (Universal Design for Learning). We may think that this is difficult; however, I found several examples of this in this App.
For example, I tapped on archaeologist Howard Carter's bio and was surprised to hear an actual speech that he delivered about discovering the tomb of King Tut. This would be a great resource for auditory learners to hear the description of the event, as well as the emotion and excitement in his voice.
I tapped on another link and learned that today is Romania's Independence Day. When I opened the bio / description, I was surprised to hear the Romanian National Anthem. What a great way of connecting music and history!
How Can I Use This?
You can use this App in many different ways. It could be used as a research tool for students. They could investigate historical events on any date on the calendar. It could also be used as an interesting way of beginning class. Hook your iPad up to a projector for students to see an "event" as they walk into class. What a great way to get the "juices" flowing in their brain!
Regardless of your subject area, this is a great way to engage students and connect history with your subject area! Let me know what you think!
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