A ‘wicked problem’: rethinking history education in the Anthropocene

‘Learning from history is something that is important for the future’: Why Australian students think history matters

“…Thus, McGregor et al prompt: 'What approaches to learning will best serve students in finding meaningful connections between the past, present, and future while responding to the threats of climate change?' (McGregor et al, 2021). Indeed, the same sort of question could be posed regarding (anti)racism and decolonising history.…”

“…This provocation is grounded in the belief that history educators and curriculum policy makers need to be more responsive to the precarious times and uncertain futures that students will experience. Thus, McGregor et al prompt: ‘What approaches to learning will best serve students in finding meaningful connections between the past, present, and future while responding to the threats of climate change?’ (McGregor et al, 2021). Indeed, the same sort of question could be posed regarding (anti)racism and decolonising history.…”

Det antropocæne i historieundervisning og flerperspektiviske fortællinger

“…Vi har svaert ved at skifte perspektiv på mennesket, så at sige. Udfordringen er ikke kun at undervise i klimavariationer over tid, men også at anerkende, at det antropocaene er et flerdimensionelt faenomen, der kraever tilpasning i vores måder at vaere og forstå os selv som mennesker på (McGregor et al 2021). Derudover opfordres praktikere til at udforske former og principper for nye perspektiver (Nordgren 2023, s. 304), men hverken Nordgren eller andre undersøger rent faktisk de historiske narrativer, der bruges i laeremidler til historieundervisning, når de diskuterer disse historiedidaktiske spørgsmål.…”

Piloting Historical Thinking Lessons to Address Climate Change

“…However, recognizing that historical thinking is currently one salient and predominant, if contested, system by which students are asked to actively and critically examine the past in existing curriculum, our approach here is to build and extend from the system, with attention to its affordances and limitations. The lessons also offer concrete ideas that address the suggestions for history teaching and learning practice we previously outlined (McGregor, Pind, & Karn, 2021), while aiming to help history and social studies educators confront the climate crisis.…”

“…While we believe the conceptual vocabulary and disciplinary practices of subject areas like geography are crucial to environmental programming, our aim is to expand the "tent" of educators who see themselves as engaged in promoting interdisciplinary environmental studies, ecocentrism, and climate response. As history educators ourselves, we are taking our own first steps in this direction by using the tools and approaches that are familiar to new and practising history teachers, so that they may see a place for themselves to enter and explore the "tent" that is cross-curricular environmental education (see also McGregor et al, 2021). At the same time, we do not uncritically endorse all that is familiar about the way that history has been and is taught in Canada, and a great deal of change is necessary in teaching that takes the climate crisis seriously-but that larger discussion is beyond the scope of this inquiry.…”