Do history, civics, and empathy work together? YES… yes, they work together! And if we allow them to work together, our students gain an appreciation for the act of “doing” social studies and history. We can make history come alive when students have the opportunity to explore cultural, gendered, and racial perspectives within the context of a historical period as part of their own understanding of civic agency. 

In this episode, we sat down with Dr. Katie Perrotta, Assistant Professor of Middle Grades and Secondary Education with an emphasis on social studies education in the Mercer University College of Education. In our conversation, we cover how to make history come alive for students because kids should experience a vibrant, inclusive, truthful history paired with engaging civic experiences that solve real-world problems.

Follow on Social Media: 

Dr. Katie Perrotta on Twitter: @DrKAPerrotta

Find books, resources, and more:

The Elizabeth Jennings Project: https://elizabethjenningsproject.wordpress.com/ 

Dr. Katie Perrotta at Mercer University: https://education.mercer.edu/faculty-and-staff/katherine-perrotta/ 

*In this episode, we mentioned the Texas legislature Senate Bill 3 and how it goes against best practices and stifles agency and creativity in history, social studies, and civics classrooms.  Learn more about that bill here (but also read the actual bill and see if you agree or not for yourself): 

https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/872/billtext/pdf/SB00003F.pdf#navpanes=0 

https://www.chron.com/politics/article/Texas-critical-race-theory-law-schools-16678700.php 

https://www.texastribune.org/2021/12/02/texas-critical-race-theory-law/ 

 
*UPDATE: we fixed a small audio error. Thanks so much for being patient and for sticking with us as we learn!

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