History: Our Story by Mary

History: Our Story by Mary - October 2016 Scholarship Essay

History, or "his/her" story, is the subject I would teach for many reasons. It is increasingly shrugged off as less important given it never appears on the ACT or SAT. However, history is incredibly important. By studying it, you can learn so much about the differences between cultures and the reasons behind people’s actions, in short a plethora. Additionally, studying all of history is essential to understanding current events as well as modern history.

History encompasses more than just people’s actions. It includes how they lived which provides insight into the why of their actions. When you talk about the Baroque period in the arts, everything from music to art to architecture has the same characteristics. In the music, you find embellishments like trills. In the architecture, there were many pillars, and scrolls of marble to embellish buildings. The arts also include the writings of the times. In the Romantic period, composers wrote music to evoke emotion from the listener. The reader of Les Miserables feels greatly for the characters and the plight of the French poor. Thus a comprehensive history course must expose its students to the culture of the time so they may better understand the “why” motivating historical figures. Without cultural studies, the student will only have a one-sided view of history since she lacks the whole picture.

Additionally history courses should examine all of history not just the past 200 years. Many high schools spend the majority of their time focusing on the current times; however, students need to learn all history even ancient history. This will allow them to have a broader picture and background which would assist them in better understanding the current times. James Madison, the Father of the Constitution, studied ancient Greek and Roman forms of government before creating his Virginia Plan. If the student has studied Greek and Roman history previously, then she will be able to analyze the development of the principles and rights on which our government is based. Therefore, high school history should include ancient as well as modern history to prepare students for critical thinking about historical documents and concepts.

History is arguably the most important subject at school. By learning about where we have come from, we are better able to move forward using increased self-knowledge. Additionally, knowing our capabilities and past standards is important so we can go out, push boundaries, discover new horizons and soar over galaxies. Laws, customs, language, and culture have constantly been changing and evolving over the millions of years humanity has inhabited the earth. History is the story of these changes. It provides the background information that assists us in furthering our understanding of current events. Why did these people do this? Where did that inclination come from? What logic did they base their actions on?

In conclusion, history is a crucial subject that deserves more in depth study. It requires knowledge of culture not just of events. My course would focus on ancient history as much as modern history because knowledge of the past helps foster a better understanding of the now and a critical approach to the development of ideas that are commonplace (types of government).