Critical Thinking and the Questioning of History Texts

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Originally published in TEACH Magazine, September/October 2022 Issue

By Nancie Nesbitt

Over the course of my almost 40-year teaching career, I’ve been fortunate enough to travel during many of the summer breaks. Students often ask what is my favourite country, and I usually answer: “The last one I visited, but no matter where you travel, make it a point to one day go to Portugal. Portugal is a country that’s often left off mainstream tourism and is not only beautiful, but its people are inviting and welcoming.”

I love to travel, not only for the sights, but for the unique perspectives to be gained, both culturally and historically. Yet as a teacher, one of the challenges I’ve encountered is helping students develop their own individual perspectives.

Recently, I taught a full-year Western Civilization course to advanced high school juniors and seniors. I was really excited about this particular class because I had been to many of the countries on the curriculum and was eager to share my “extra” knowledge.

As I looked over the newly purchased used books, I realized that the perspectives of the authors were shown through qualifying words and subtle suggestions that were meant to influence the reader. The more I continued, the more I grew concerned at the blatant manipulation of thought (such as the word “propaganda” being used to describe documents left by the Persians for historical contexts; or the Vikings being called warlike and crafty—as if other groups could not be the same).

With this in mind, I decided to take action and created what I believed to be a unique way of introducing not only the subject matter, but also the topic of critical thinking as it relates to individual perspective. It soon became apparent that this class was going to provide a learning opportunity for me too.

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Nancie Ellis Nesbitt, EdD, is a consultant and teacher with almost 40 years of classroom and leadership experience. Her interests include film studies, theatre arts, and travelling. Nancie lives in Birmingham, AL, with her husband.

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Nancie Nesbitt
Nancie Nesbitt
Nancie Ellis Nesbitt, EdD, is a consultant and teacher with almost 40 years of classroom and leadership experience. Her interests include film studies, theatre arts, and travelling. Nancie lives in Birmingham, AL, with her husband.

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