History''s Children : History Wars in the Classroom

What is it about Australian history? Students dismiss the subject for being boring while politicians and concerned parents fret over their lack of historical knowledge. This work taps into heated national debates on education and the History Wars, but takes a fresh perspective by talking to the children and teachers.

What is it about Australian history? Students dismiss the subject for being boring while politicians and concerned parents fret over their lack of historical knowledge. Teachers struggle to get their kids interested in Australia''s past while history wars rage in the media all around them. For a subject that''s widely dismissed for not exciting much emotion in the classroom, Australian history doesn''t suffer from anything of the kind when it comes to anxious public debate over its status in schools. The classroom has become the battleground of the ''history wars'', yet no-one ever asks the children what they think about Australian history and what they like - or don''t about learning it.Through interviews with around 250 Australian students from a wide variety of schools, Anna Clark asks how teachers and students teach and learn Australian history. This book is a lively and often surprising read that throws all kinds of challenges to students, teachers and indeed, politicians.The author is an exciting and prominent young historian who also co-authored the multi-award winning ""The History Wars"". It is written in a lively, engaging and often funny style. It taps into heated national debates on education and the History Wars, but takes a fresh new perspective by talking to the children and teachers. This innovative book allows children to engage in a meaningful dialogue with teachers and others in the field of youth education. This title will be supported by a full media campaign.