increasing+student's+interest+in+the+US+history

Solina Nuon ESL095-081 06/23/09 Prof. Wiseman

Dear City Council,

History is a recorded of important events which had happened in the past. It is a view of past experiences that leads us to know about our ancestors, ourselves and where we come from. What is more important is that history sets a good example so we will know what we need to practice and what we need avoid. Thus, we can develop our own country without taking the same wrong tracks as our ancestors did. With this idea in mind, our high school history department wants to increase student’s interest in the history of the United States. Two options are being considered: one is to sponsors class trips to historical sites like Ellis Island and the Statue of liberty. The other is showing popular movies about historical events such as The Civil War and The Civil Rights Movements in the United States history classes. Between these two options, I believe that providing class tour to historical sites will be a better way for students to enhance their interest for some reasons. Visiting historical sites will attract young people’s attention because it would provide students with a mine realistic picture of how things happened. As we know, learning history through text books alone is not enough; this approved just only creates a picture inside our head. Those offered images in somehow are not quite accurate and we still feel frustrating. In order to make historical levels clear, we need to see those places actually. By the time we get there, we will notice how amazing these sites are in the way it structured. Then our mind start to question ourselves how did this built? What had happened? The more we ask ourselves the more curious about them. It leads us to explore the ancient world of history through evidence that our ancestors had left for us. Some examples of these historical sites in the United States are the Ellis Island and the Statues of the Liberty, which are two of the most popular historical sites in the US, are the best places for students to visit and study about. Talking about the Ellis Island which is located in the upper bay of New Jersey coast is a historical site of immigration to the US. This place used to be a port of immigrants around the world who entered the US during the 19th century. It recorded all the immigrants’ information. Thus, nowadays, American people can find their ancestors through this place. Next to this site, is the Statues of Liberty, a green woman who her right holds a torch and her left holds a book that was a gift from France to represent a right to speech. As students look at this site, they will be surprise and feel doubt about it history. They would want to know what lead people to build this statue, why it is so big and tall and when did it built. The more they look the more they want to know. As a result, they will be interest in the US history more deeply and willing to find the mysterious answer. The second reason is that watching movie of Civil War and The Civil Rights Movements in the United States do not really attract students attention because students need to spend a lot of hours sitting in one place that make them feel bored and uncomfortable. Mostly, young people prefer to watch exciting, comedy movies that are related to modern technology. When they came across to this old story they seem to pay less attention because these movies are related to political, war, shooting and killing,. Thus, what they have seen are violent movies. At first, they would still watch, and an hour after that some would drift off and fall asleep. Teachers cannot really tell who is a sleep and who is watching because it is dark inside the theater. When the movie is finished, the teens probably not know what it has happened in the movie, they have no idea because they just wake up from dreaming. However, if they have a trip to history sites, students will perceive better because they have an opportunity to move actively from place to place to see different parts of history sites without feeling bored. Thus, it is a better way to visit historical sites where there are full of great atmosphere that help to refresh student’s mind. In conclusion, I think offering a class trips to historical sites will increase student preference in the history of the US because students will obtain entertaining environment with fresh air and more knowledge. Seeing real life features is what will attach to our memory deeply and we will be proud and never forget about what the ancestors have did before. City Council, I hope you will bring this issue into your attention. Sincerely, Solina Nuon