The Knowledge Matters Podcast

← The Knowledge Matters Podcast11 Nov 2025 · 18 min

The Four Questions That Make History Come Alive | History Matters Podcast

The Four Questions That Make History Come Alive | History Matters Podcast11 Nov 202518 min

Many teachers build history lessons on primary sources like letters and legal documents. But without context and historical thinking skills, students can’t make much meaning from them, say guests Jon Bassett and Gary Shiffman, co-founders of the Four Question Method for history instruction. “Primary sources, for us, are ways to practice doing what historians do. 8th graders aren't historians, 12th graders aren't historians. So it’s the silly mistake that says, we need to do exactly what the e...