The History Matters Podcast
Episodes
Bonus Episode: Following History's Stories, on Film | Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt
25 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Thirteen colonies rose up, rebelled against an Empire, and won their independence. These unlikely victors built a new nation on democratic principles ...
Curiosity That Goes Beyond the Classroom | Laura Stam
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Thermopolis, Wyoming, second-grade students love learning about the War of 1812, from the swashbuckling sea battles off the coast of Louisiana to t...
The Four Questions That Make History Come Alive | Jonathan Bassett and Gary Shiffman
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many teachers build history lessons on primary sources like letters and legal documents. But without context and historical thinking skills, students ...
Building Teachers' Historical Knowledge | Courtney Dumas
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What do teachers need to successfully teach high-quality history lessons in elementary school?A strong curriculum is a great start, but teachers also ...
Massachusetts' Big Move on Elementary History | Jennifer Lindsey
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Medford, Massachusetts, “social studies is a subject to be valued,” fifth-grade teacher Jennifer Lindsey explains in this episode. “It’s th...
History Can’t Wait Until High School | Ebony McKiver
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the typical American high school, 9th-grade history students are expected to dive into the historical content, grapple with complex ideas, and enga...
The Power of Historical Knowledge | Louisiana Teachers
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The more history young students know, the more they want to know. That’s one of the joyful discoveries that elementary teachers are making in Ouachi...
What Makes Great Elementary History Curriculum | Sean Dimond
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Teaching history involves balance: too many facts and it’s boring, too few and students don’t have enough information to make sense of what they’...
A Case for Teaching History in Elementary School | Robert Pondiscio
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Elementary schools spend almost no time teaching history. How did we get here, and how can we reprioritize this crucial foundation for literacy and kn...
Welcome to the History Matters Podcast
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the brand-new History Matters Podcast. I’m your host, Barbara Davidson, President of StandardsWork and Executive Director of the Knowledg...