Guiding Principles of History Lessons

Yosemite Park Ranger uncovers Chinese immigrant history at the park. Her research and history discovery events have excited and involved new audiences.

History is, above all, a journey of discovery. This journey relies on history practitioners who:

• Create new connections between institutional or private resources (archives, places, collections) and the collective and personal histories of our audiences
• Empower communities to articulate their place in the American story using a variety of disciplines and methodologies, including anthropology, archaeology, architectural history, material cultural studies, and oral history
• Support inclusive stories that acknowledge changing meanings and multiple perspectives and draw upon the best available scholarship
• Foster civic engagement, critical thinking, and meaningful conversation among the public.

These tenets inform the larger theory and practice behind History Discovery Events, and so we have provided a number of resources to help connect your project to the larger strategy of education, empowerment, and enrichment through historical experiences.