How can I better help younger people understand history?

by RoideSanglier

I honestly apologize if this isn't the purpose of this sub, but I thought who better to go to about history than historians.

So, a family member of mine is very into history, but he's still relatively young (12 to be precise). I've also been into history myself and he always looks to me to discuss history.

I want to make sure that I am teaching him right, and to encourage his curiosity. However, I know how complicated and frankly confusing history often is. What I want to know is how I could properly teach him the nuances of history while also encouraging him to think about it himself. I would hate to misinform him or confuse him too much that he will give up on this completely.

EdHistory101

There's always more than can be said, but you may find this answer to a similar question useful.

Starwarsnerd222

Greetings! In addition to u/EdHistory101's excellent link to their previous insightful comment on the matter, I can try and point out some general tips and tricks to help get another fledgling historian (or at the very least a passionate student of history) started on their journey through the past. Who knows? Maybe that 12-year old will find themselves asking (or even responding to!) questions on AskHistorians sometime in the not-so-distant future. Let's begin.

  • Firstly, try at least initially to stay away from historiography. The one thing that I find kills any interest for history (even if its interest which has been studied and developed over months) is tossing someone headfirst into the deep end of scholarly publications. They'll get to that realm in time, so I'd recommend ensuring that they have a good grasp of the facts as well as a general overview of the topic at hand. Then, and with some guidance, start introducing the "bigger problems" of that topic (i.e the idea of "responsibility" for war or "what this person did for a group"). In my experience teaching students of about 15-16 years of age, once they've gotten comfortable with re-framing information in light of a certain "question", they have a much better time understanding the arguments of historians and discussing it with other people (in this instance, OP perhaps). In summation: make sure the young'un understands the who, what, where, when, and (basic) why before getting into the how, whodunnit, and so what.
  • Secondly, choose a good starting point. Building onto the comment of EdHistory101, "anchoring" the learning back to a person, place, or even personal connection is a great way to start off their learning. Does this person have a particular interest in a notable scientists, inventor, or state leader in history (the three most common "history starter archetypes" I've encountered)? Are they more familiar with the history of their own family with regards to where they came from? Attempting to teach them the massive influence of the Industrial Revolution on our way of life might be easier, you'll find, if you can pick out the role of an inventor they appear to be specifically drawn to, or if you can relate it to a familial sub-topic (i.e how their ancestors migrated to seek work in the cities, or what kind of changes they might have seen in the workplace). Start with the specific, then zoom out to the big picture, but keep track of where that specific person, sub-topic, or ancestor was during this time.
  • Thirdly and finally (at least from me), always include them into the process. You may know their interests well enough, but once the learning starts, that interest can disappear or fade at the turn of a page (or the scroll of a website, or the credits of a documentary). Keep asking them questions about how they found the information, and whether or not they understood it to the extent that they're willing to continue looking into the topic. It's alright if this person loses interest in an area or two. I recall myself being absolutely invested in studying Ancient Rome and Mesopotamia at the age of 12, but losing complete interest once I found out that the Industrial Revolution and the 19th century was far more to my tastes.

Hope this trio of tips helps a bit, and let me know if you have any follow-up questions or pm me for particular sources/areas of entry!