Information for Educators
Dear Educator,
It has been said that when an elderly person dies, it’s very much like a library burning down. Countless stories and memories are lost, as is a priceless eyewitness account to history. And more and more it seems our young people are not taking the time to engage themselves in these libraries, the result being that generations of wisdom are lost every day. The generation gap is wider than ever, and our children are only looking forward.
It is important, yes, to look forward. But in order to do so, one must also look behind, and learn from where it is we come. My dream for The History Tree is to do just that: to engage our young ones in history, and teach them how exciting it truly is! We need to teach them just as Sheriff Andy Taylor did in The Andy Griffith Show when he turned a group of young boys from seeing history as boring to forming a club learning about it! He led them to ask questions excitedly about history, and then proceeded to engage them in the heart-pounding story of Paul Revere.
Andy knew that children learn by stories and experience. The account of Paul Revere in their history book may not have been so enthralling, but when he told it to them, was it ever! And that is precisely what I’d like this magazine to be about. Let’s get children asking questions and pursuing the wisdom of their forbearers. Let’s tell them the story of history in a way that appeals to them – and teach them how to find out about the history of their own families and communities. Instead of sitting at the foot of the television, let’s encourage them to sit at their grandparents’ feet and listen to all they have to say. There’s so much to learn. But let’s not stop there. Children have stories to tell, too. Anyone who’s spent five minutes with a child knows that. When they learn something new, the natural thing for them to do is go out and tell everyone about it! And that is what this magazine is for – to give children a place to tell the stories of their family, their town, and their own experiences growing up. Let’s narrow the generation gap by strengthening family ties. Let’s show children that some of the best adventures are right at their finger tips, in – as Andy says – “oh, your history book.” History, after all, doesn’t have the word “story” in it for nothing!
With you all the way,
Katie Potter
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