About This Lesson
Sooner than later, the year that was 2020 will be in the modern history section of textbooks in U.S. schools, and it certainly won’t be a boring chapter. It will, however, include a section on an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol building, the first time any sort of violence had occurred at the Capitol since a 1998 instance when a lone gunman killed two police officers, and the first time a group had breached the Capitol to cause physical harm since 1954, when four Puerto Rican men opened fire to protest not being able to vote even though the U.S. president was also Puerto Rico’s by that time.
As the event is so recent, there is a difficult line to toe between educating and doing something that could be perceived as influencing by parents who may not have seen the historical significance of the event. Beginning with a lesson regarding the reasons for the attack happening is the safest route, and here are some other things to include when teaching students about the capitol attack.
Fake News
Fake news is not a term unique to the Trump Administration, but it did make quite a resurgence during his tenure in office. Historically, the term genuinely meant falsified stories created for sensationalism, but as the emergence of social media in government and other influential bodies continue, it made it much more difficult to regulate those falsifications. In simple terms, news organizations have ethical guidelines that simply don’t exist anymore, partially due to social media allowing fake news to run rampant.
With that, an initial discussion needs to be about how to decipher fact from fiction, especially regarding fake news on social media. Forming a steady foundation in your students relative to identifying fake news, allows for an unbiased base in their own perceptions of the events leading up to the capitol attack.
Unbiased Language
A common tell when looking for fake news is scathing language directed towards one side of the political coin or another, and thus ensuring unbiased language is used in your teaching is very important, or you may have students questioning your lessons for the very reason you taught them to question what they see on social media. “I believe teachers and parents should offer students facts only.” Says Dr. Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy, Dean of American University’s School of Education. “Facts about government, elections, constitutional rights, and the historical facts behind white supremacy (e.g., slavery, Jim Crow laws, hate groups in U.S).
Rather than saying something like “The Trump followers” simply call them “the group who entered the Capitol” and things of that nature. Even regarding the incitement of the violence, one can take an unbiased angle by using words like “individuals who the group looked up to” and things of the like.
The Weight
Often, things don’t hit society as “historical moments” when they happen, and a comparative analysis of the recent Capitol attack against everything else that has happened at the Capitol in its history will also help paint an unbiased picture when teaching about the attacks. The list of violent events occurring at the Capitol is not very long, and that in and of itself is a good way of portraying the event as being highly significant, even if it was only a few weeks ago. “Safety might be a concern for many students.” Adds Dr. Holcomb-McCoy “The images on the news, of people being beaten and shot, are scary. Students should be assured of their safety in the school (if in school).”
Delivering the Message
Ultimately, saying “people attacked the Capitol Building” is the goal of the historical lesson, but history exists to inform more than just the “what.” Teaching first about the things that led the individuals at the Capitol to do what they did helps ensure they know the “why” behind what is being taught, ultimately in hopes of learning from it and preventing similar things from happening with future generations. Dr. Holcomb-McCoy continues, “All responses to students should be developmentally appropriate. Younger students need short simple answers. For older students (middle and high schoolers), I would engage history and/or social studies teachers to discuss history and government topics at the same time.”
