Learning history is one of the quintessential way of gain information and knowledge about the world we live in today. Whether history lessons should focus on the lives of ordinary people in our communities or on significant national events and influential figures is a matter of debate. I strongly support both views and believe that history lessons should emphasise on both the stories of common people and famous people, including national events. This essay tends to analyse both views and provide my personal stance on the topic.
Proponents in support for the inclusion of lives of ordinary people in the history books believe that students will become more motivated if they learn about people in their communities. As a result, students will become inspired to make meaningful contributions in their society since they will start to believe that even a common man can make a difference in the world if they want to.
People who advocate for history lessons to be solely based on national events and major famous figures tend to think that students will gain more general knowledge and become more academically competent by learning about famous people and national stories. For instance, learning about history of one’s nation will allow them to become aware of their identity and culture. Consequently, they will be able to pass the stories onto their next generations and the national history will never be forgotten.
In my opinion, history lessons should be designed in a way which strikes a balance between national events, popular figures and ordinary people from our communities. By doing so, students will be able to gain valuable insights and understand the messages from people of every background. In the long run, this will help students to have an open mind. For example, stories of local people will allow students to contemplate the fact that one does not need to be famous or wealthy to make a contribution to society and its people.
In conclusion, history lessons on national events and famous people will allow students to understand the world, while lessons focusing on ordinary people’s lives will cause the students to learn from people’s experiences which are similar to theirs. Altogether, the balance of all these three aspects, as mentioned before, will strive to create a perfect blend of history lesson for the students to gain valuable information they need to grow up as a concious citizen.