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In today’s world, controversy is everywhere, including at school. Kids need to know how to handle controversy in an empathetic, level-headed way, and books that teach critical thinking will go a long way toward teaching them this. Christy has been at a loss for how to teach history to her almost 6-year-old homeschooler for some time, given the vast number of opinions about how to teach it. But the Tuttle Twins curriculum gave her an open door to handle real history, which has long been plagued by controversy.
Using Books That Teach Critical Thinking
The first step to handling controversial topics in homeschool is to teach critical-thinking skills to your children. Kids who can assess a situation and understand all sides of it are better equipped to stand up for their beliefs in a way that also seeks to resolve conflicts without throwing proverbial punches.
The Tuttle Twins history books offer a great way to introduce critical thinking while teaching history. The Tuttle Twins curriculum starts in the year 1215, covering the early years of the settling of America. Volume two of the Tuttle Twins history books spans 1776 to 1791, focusing on the Revolutionary War, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. There’s even a new book in the Tuttle Twins curriculum that came out just in time for America 250. Volume 3 looks at what happened between 1791 and 1849, covering the early years of the American republic.
The Tuttle Twins series includes many books that teach critical thinking, including the history curriculum. Through the Tuttle Twins history books, your kids will not only learn what happened but also why it happened, including the context surrounding each event. This establishes the groundwork for critical-thinking skills.
Putting Critical Thinking to Work
When your kids have grasped the basics of critical thinking, you can then develop those skills further with some great activities that will also create special moments your kids will remember forever.
To relate historical events to today’s world, you can help your kids trace the roots of today’s debates, going all the way back to the early years of America. Map a timeline of events that have impacted a debate over the decades or centuries and identify themes that keep repeating themselves. Compare the consensus thought across eras.
Using history books that teach critical thinking also will show your kids how to analyze primary, competing sources. Have your kids compare speeches, newspaper articles, or letters covering both sides of a historical event. Show them how to question each source and examine the context of everything that happened.
Look at past rebellions and historical figures who were hated in their time but today are considered heroes. Teach your kids to recognize hindsight bias.
Finally, use role-play to simulate a debate, assign historical viewpoints for your kids to research and defend, and have them write journal entries as if they were a historical figure.
Homeschool presents a plethora of opportunities to create special moments with your kids, and they’ll remember these moments for a lifetime!
