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 • 10 episodes
The History Matters Podcast
Latest Episodes
Bonus Episode: Following History's Stories, on Film | Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt
Thirteen colonies rose up, rebelled against an Empire, and won their independence. These unlikely victors built a new nation on democratic principles that inspired similar movements around the world.How should we tell the story of our na...
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17:33
Curiosity That Goes Beyond the Classroom | Laura Stam
In Thermopolis, Wyoming, second-grade students love learning about the War of 1812, from the swashbuckling sea battles off the coast of Louisiana to the bombardment at Maryland’s Fort McHenry that inspired the “Star-Spangled Banner”—engaging le...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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16:39
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