The History Matters Podcast
Curious. Confident. Knowledgeable about the world. A content-rich approach to teaching history supports all this and more—even in our youngest students. Yet history has all but disappeared from American elementary schools. On the the History Matters Podcast, we explore the vast untapped potential of high-quality history instruction to build knowledge, accelerate literacy, and prepare students to participate in civic life. In inspiring conversations with curriculum experts, teachers, and instructional leaders doing this work in classrooms today, host Barbara Davidson explores how history can animate the minds of young people and transform literacy, all at the same time.
Podcasting since 2025 • 8 episodes
The History Matters Podcast
Latest Episodes
The Four Questions That Make History Come Alive | Jonathan Bassett and Gary Shiffman
Many teachers build history lessons on primary sources like letters and legal documents. But without context and historical thinking skills, students can’t make much meaning from them, say guests Jon Bassett and Gary Shiffman, co-...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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17:39
Building Teachers' Historical Knowledge | Courtney Dumas
What do teachers need to successfully teach high-quality history lessons in elementary school?A strong curriculum is a great start, but teachers also need aligned professional learning and time to dig in and build the content knowledge t...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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15:28
Massachusetts' Big Move on Elementary History | Jennifer Lindsey
In Medford, Massachusetts, “social studies is a subject to be valued,” fifth-grade teacher Jennifer Lindsey explains in this episode. “It’s the place to teach kids how to talk to each other and negotiate conversations and digest informat...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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17:03
History Can’t Wait Until High School | Ebony McKiver
In the typical American high school, 9th-grade history students are expected to dive into the historical content, grapple with complex ideas, and engage in deep inquiry. But teenage students often lack the historical knowledge such tasks requir...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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17:19
The Power of Historical Knowledge | Louisiana Teachers
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 Ouachita Parish, Louisiana. In this episode, guests Angela Barfoot and Lauren Cascio<...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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16:55