Send us a text

Dr. Michael Childers joins Eric and Rob to discuss how teachers can better incorporate environmental history in their courses.  Mike is an Associate Professor of history at Colorado State University and he is the co-editor of the University of Nebraska series Environment and Region in the American West and he is also the Associate Editor of the Western Historical Quarterly.  He explains that environmental history is a broad topic that can be applied to almost any historical context.  A binding concept for all environmental historians is the idea that nature has a dynamic history that is intertwined with human history, and nature plays an active role in shaping events.  A second core concept is that ideas about nature have shaped history and, by consequence, nature itself.  He provides several suggestions of topics that teachers can use to demonstrate the importance of the environment in history.  He ends by stressing that environmental history should be viewed as equally important as race, class, and gender as a category of historical analysis.

Lesson Plans and resources:https://bit.ly/4rvPscd

The Environment in Colonial New England lesson can be downloaded at https://bit.ly/4rvPscd

Three Lessons on the Environment in World History can be downloaded at https://bit.ly/49ReOv5

Credits

Opening theme music, “Bossa Bossa,” created by Clare Howard www.clarehoward.com  Music supported by the National Council for History Education www.ncheteach.org

Transition theme music, “The Clock is Ticking,” created by Emily Hahn.

Logo artwork created by Jessica Goldman.

Shit I Have to Teach in 20 Minutes is produced by Eric Hahn and Rob Good.  Audio and video editing by Sebastian Rosales.

Email us at historyintwenty@gmail.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@historyintwenty

Instagram:historyintwenty