ABSTRACT
This chapter lays out the basic theoretical principles that guide our understanding of how to teach history. Reading the computer manual or practicing for a play, team, or band, on the other hand, serve a variety of real purposes for many students. The Ghanaian experience suggests that when this goal is adopted by teachers and shared with students, students are more likely to see historical study as purposeful and significant—and worth learning. Many communities have members who participated in these activities and who would be more than willing to share their experiences with students. Students might also investigate current manifestations of collective action: building a community garden and political campaigns. Good teaching focuses on helping students connect what they are learning to some overarching purpose that suggests questions for investigation, provides a reason for in-depth understanding, and suggests uses for the results of those investigations, thereby supporting intellectual growth as well as civic competence.
