By Paul LaRue, Co-chair, America 250–Ohio Education Committee
It can be challenging teaching historical perspectives.
In 2014, I was leading a discussion on the events of 9/11/2001 in my high school classroom. As we often tend to do, I said, “Do you remember where you were on 9/11?” A hand went up, and a student responded, “You know we were two years old in 2001, right?” After the laughter died down, I moved ahead, but had gained an important insight. It is challenging to teach historical perspectives.
Now, let’s try to talk to students about the Revolutionary War . . . an event that happened nearly 250 years ago.
How the American Revolution is taught in Ohio classrooms.
The first step in understanding how the American Revolution is taught in Ohio classrooms is to understand when the content is taught. The eighth grade focuses from the Age of Discovery through the end of Reconstruction (1877). In high school, American History starts at the end of Reconstruction (1877) and goes up to 2001. (This link shows the Ohio model curriculum by grade.)
There is simply too much American History to cover in any one class. When I was a high school student (many years ago), every year my American history teacher started with the Age of Discovery and moved forward. This meant I never learned about anything past the Civil War. Think about students not being taught about the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, or the events of 9/11.
The American Revolution is primarily taught in the eighth grade, though introduced in the fourth grade. High school history and government discusses the key documents of the time: Declaration of Independence, the Northwest Ordinance, the Constitution, and The Bill of Rights.
There is so much more to discover about Ohio history.
America 250-Ohio provides an excellent opportunity to provide supplemental content for Ohio history. Topics such as Fort Laurens, the tomb of the Unknown Patriot of the American Revolution both located in Bolivar, Ohio. The stories of Ohio’s Native Americans and more contemporary figures that make Ohio’s history so rich. All of these provide teachers with opportunities for enrichment in their classrooms.
Teachers will find opportunities to get their students out into their communities to look for local connections to the American Revolution. Revolutionary War Veterans lived in, and are buried in, nearly every county in Ohio. The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) have compiled resources to assist teachers and students with this search. The 1840 United States Census contains a useful list of Revolutionary War Pensioners (page 17 of this link, page 168 of the document).
Teachers can engage their students with the lives and final resting places of Revolutionary War Veterans in their communities. Discussions of immigration and diversity naturally follow the stories of these original veterans. Family history is a great way to connect students with their own history, and even possibly to a Revolutionary War Veteran.
America 250-Ohio’s “Ohio Originals” is an opportunity to highlight other unique aspects of Ohio (examples starting at p.7, at this link).
Did you know? The Ohio State School for the Blind is the first state-supported residential school for the blind in the United States; it opened July 4, 1837. Have students explore your community for other “Ohio Originals.”
Learn more, Get Involved.
America 250-Ohio provides teachers, students, families, and communities many opportunities to celebrate and commemorate the United States of America’s 250th Birthday! Learn more about America 250-Ohio
About the author:
A native Ohioan, Paul LaRue grew up in rural Fairfield County, earned his B.S. in social studies education at The Ohio State University and his M.S. in history education from Xavier University.
Paul taught social studies at Washington Courthouse High School during his career and has been the recipient of numerous local, state, and national awards. He currently is serving as the co-chair of the America 250-Ohio education committee as well as continuing to work with social studies teachers and create education content on local and national history topics