Teaching History to Adolescents

John A. Beineke is Distinguished Professor of Educational Leadership and Curriculum and Professor of History at Arkansas State University. He has been a public school teacher, university administrator, and program director in leadership, youth, and higher education at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Beineke received his doctorate in social science education and a masters degree in history from Ball State University, and a bachelors degree in social studies education from Indiana Wesleyan University. He is the author of And There Were Giants in the Land: The Life of William Heard Kilpatrick (Peter Lang), a young adult book, Going Over All the Hurdles: A Life of Oatess Archey, and numerous chapters and articles on curriculum, educational policy, and the history of education.

«John A. Beineke’s work brings the broad spectrum of history education and methodology into the light of relevance. His research, comprehensive and current, offers questions and answers to the issues of conveying history with meaning to the next generation. Every teacher reaches a point of self-examination, a plateau, and this work presents the teacher with the evidence to reach for a more effective level of instruction in the all too important work of preparing adolescents to make sense of history in their daily lives.» (Rich Wetmore, U.S. History Teacher, Marina Village Middle School, El Dorado Hills, California)«John A. Beineke’s book, while geared toward middle school history teachers, is a tour de force of the changing nature of the discipline of history as a whole. His practical advice is far-ranging and provides a treasure trove of ideas. Teachers from elementary to college classrooms will learn techniques to make the best use of historical sources, from political cartoons and comic books to utilizing public history venues. Beineke’s book captures the theory behind the innovations and provides multiple examples to engage students.» (Linda K. Pritchard, Professor of History and Department Head, Women’s and Gender Studies, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan)«If adolescents could turn the tables on their history teachers and assign texts for their teachers to read, John A. Beineke’s superb text would anchor the syllabus. This is a book about teaching history in ways that engage young people in meaningful and purposeful thinking about the past and their own lives. It is a book by a true teacher and a scholar of history teaching that contends with both the essential concepts at the core of the field while providing pragmatic and indispensable tools for the classroom – from using primary source documents to integrating media technology. It is book to be read, studied, discussed, and then thumbed through again and again and again.» (Sam M. Intrator, Professor of Education and Child Study and Urban Studies, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts)