8 Approaches to Teaching Local History

The most straightforward way to teach any history is probably just a chronological approach—but it can also be a challenge.

Teachers don’t always have the time to teach a whole local history course from the glacial period onward. You may find yourself with a limited amount of time to teach a whole lot of information about your town or city, or you may need to fit a local history component into a larger section. Such obstacles can preclude teaching the history of your region in a linear fashion.

With this in mind, here are eight starting points to consider.

1. Take a Walk

Local history is all around us, yet we often get ahead of ourselves when devising a curriculum. To quote Henry David Thoreau: “Simplify, simplify, simplify.”

Take a walk outside, look around, and take it all in. There’s a good chance you’ll get inspiration from observing your community with a fresh eye. Try to see your town the way an outsider would view it; pay attention to points of interest and small things like the plaques and memorial benches you never thought to question. Explore a different place that you haven’t walked around. Visit a college campus, park, or popular shopping street, noting anything that interests you.

2. Place Names

Start with place names. The names of businesses, schools, and streets are great options for learning about local history. Get a map of your city or town and think about a curriculum based solely on the names of the roads that you drive on daily. Consider the names of your airport, parks, fields, or historic homes. Or, think of the famous surnames you see splashed all around town—but about whom students probably have little knowledge.

3. Famous Figures

Another great option for teaching local history are the big names associated with your city. Perhaps there are politicians, entertainers, writers, artists, businesspeople, or athletes who originate from your region. Brainstorm the names of people from your hometown who have made a national or global name for themselves. You can develop lessons around these individuals, their biographies and accomplishments, and the impact they have made.

4. Crimes and Unsolved Mysteries

Students love a good unsolved mystery or famous crime story. Compile stories about crime in your area. Cold cases—cases not yet solved—are of particular interest to people.

For example, in my city of Erie, Pennsylvania, one infamous crime was the 2003 “Pizza Bomber,” about whom Netflix made a documentary titled Evil Genius. Students in the local history course at my high school watched that documentary and had the opportunity to meet and talk to one of the FBI agents responsible for solving the crime. Retired Special Agent Jerry Clark has given riveting presentations to our students about his experience working on the Pizza Bomber case. Getting law enforcement to speak with your class about their work is a good way of hooking student attention (and showcasing a potential career path).

You can also reach out to local crime authors or reporters on the city beat who have covered famous cases. They can speak to your class or simply provide you with resources. I discovered a lot of stories about crimes in western Pennsylvania by interviewing community leaders and local historians, who shared all kinds of gripping true-crime stories stretching back a century or two.

Still, it’s important to note that while these tales can be compelling, they can include violence and graphic elements that are unsuitable for all students. I choose true-crime tales that I deem appropriate for the class after getting to know my students. I present the information in a restrained and judicious manner, cautious about how I discuss sensitive material. Importantly, I always show respect for the victims, trying my best not to use the stories as mere entertainment, especially in light of the fact that real people were hurt or killed.

5. Folklore

One of my most popular lessons is my urban legends and ghost lore curriculum.

Compile the folklore in your city or county and share the stories with your students. Ask them to attempt to discover the kernel of truth that lies at the core of many legends and lore.

Challenge students to think about what these stories say about your community or the human condition in general:

• Do the tales warn against visiting a possibly dangerous location?
• Are the stories remnants of unfounded fears or even bigotry and prejudice?
• Did a real-life tragedy or crime seemingly trigger the urban legends?
• What actual history is associated with the legends and lore?
• How were these stories passed along?

6. Natural Sites

Think about the natural beauty that your region offers—woodlands, waterways, lakes, or beaches. These may offer opportunities for local history or place-based lessons.

They can also allow you to weave history, ecology, and economy together.

For instance, our local history class examines Presque Isle Peninsula, a sandy peninsula that stretches out into Lake Erie. The discussion about this land form allows our teachers to talk about the formation of the peninsula thousands of years ago, the history that took place there (such as the building of Oliver Hazard Perry’s fleet during the War of 1812), and the way in which people utilize this land today—for business, pleasure, and play.

7. Architecture and Public Spaces

Another great way to organize a local history class is by doing a tour of historical buildings or public places like parks. I’ve taken students on tours of public parks—in one case lecturing on each statue in the park.

Some old buildings could tell a whole history by themselves. For example, Union Station in downtown Erie houses a restaurant, other businesses, and an Amtrak station. The current train station originally opened in 1927 and quickly became a bustling hub for rail passengers, and several presidents visited it. Therefore, the story of Union Station is the history of Erie and American rail travel.

8. Business, big and small

As for field trips associated with your local history, try visiting big and small businesses in your area. These excursions facilitate opportunities to talk about history and economics.

We’ve taken students to an insurance company and even a popular water park. In the latter instance, the owner took students on a behind-the-scenes tour of the park. In the future, I’d like to talk to our students about two major confectioneries in our town built by Greek immigrants over a century ago.

How to Find Resources

Go to your local library. The librarians will point you in the right direction for books and resources. In researching my local history course, librarians helped me find books on a plethora of local topics about which I knew very little.

Arcadia Publishing and its imprint The History Press specialize in publishing books of local interest—history, crime, and folklore. These books feature many interesting archival photographs. You can typically find these at local booksellers or in the library.

Finally, independent bookstores are another great place to find local history books. In fact, many of them have a section dedicated to the topic.