Getting to Know History Club (a little-known but important part of Long-View)
By Guest Writer, Julia de Freitas (7th Grade)
It is well known that Long-View has a reputation for its robust STEM curriculum; however, few know that we also have an outstanding discussion-oriented history program that kids can opt into outside of the normal academic school day.
Students in 6th grade and up are encouraged to commit to being a part of History Club for the year; meetings are every Wednesday morning, starting at eight thirty and running through Campfire. In these meetings, the group discusses concepts, ideas, and questions at a deep level.
Dr. Flider and Mr. Cooley lead meetings and provide the group with a weekly reading and a question to answer—the proper preparation for the next week’s conversation. Dr. Flider teaches Literacy to the fourth band and has a comparative literature doctorate. Mr. Cooley is the Science teacher for the first and second bands, and he is as well-versed in science as in history and philosophy. Because of their past studies, they take more of an intellectual approach to learning and teaching history.
The time commitment for History Club is only a few hours a week, but that doesn’t mean it’s all fun and games. Students have to show their commitment and care by reading articles with a critical lens and providing written responses to the related questions. Additionally, if members fail to do these tasks too many times, teachers will sense their lack of commitment and ask them to leave; however, History Club wasn’t always structured like this.
The original History Club began seven or eight years ago with the first band’s math teacher Ms. White, a few kids, and a program called Big History Project. Ms. White spoke of her time teaching history, noting, “It was more casual than anything. It was kind of like, each week we did something from the Big History Project. And then, you know, I couldn't do it as much justice [as Mr. Cooley and Dr. Flider].”
After that, the small club lost its thread, only to be picked up after a year by Dr. Flider. When led by her, the group explored different themes such as art history. Later, she and Mr. Cooley wanted the club to be less casual and more structured. Dr. Flider explained, “The initial idea was it should be like kind of fun and optional, so it shouldn't be too much of a thing. But…history deserves to be a thing.” Mr. Cooley joined as co-leader of the club, starting what some might call ‘the third iteration’ of our History Club.
History Club doesn’t look like your average middle school history class. Focusing less on specific events and dates, and more on the evolution of ideas, it studies how concepts have shifted to change the world, and draws connections from old ideas to present-day issues and events. When asked why the club takes this approach, Dr. Flider explained, “History…it's not a series of facts. Nothing matters without the why, and I think the history of ideas helps us understand the why.” History Club explores the underlying shifts in ideas; the meaning behind and reason for certain events to help us understand our current situations in the modern world and role in society. Mr. Cooley iterated on this, saying, “Our purpose is to help y'all understand history in a way that can be applied to your understanding, the modern world, and choices you're making within it. Then it's really the underlying ideas that are the most important thing. Not any of the individual manifestations of them.”
Each and every idea is taken under a microscope, dissected carefully, and discussed deeply. Learners engage in conversation at a high level, breaking down complex concepts and systems. They ask questions, debate with each other, and form theses. Middle schoolers think about high school-level concepts and notions on a daily basis at Long-View, but in History Club, they take a deeper dive, stretching their understanding, wrapping their heads around ideas that many people debate over, and that few people probably really understand. History Club members have discussed a wide variety of topics, starting at the Printing Press and moving through the Enlightenment, Russian Revolution, and Cold War, among other topics.
Students have to develop a mindset of empathy in order to understand the material they are focusing on. Often, students have to be comfortable not understanding completely while grappling with their questions alongside their peers. “We hope that with History Club, that we're delivering it less, like, ‘look what happened,’ and more like, ‘what would people have to believe in order to take this position at this time?’ ” Mr. Cooley explained. “It's kind of like an empathy-centered approach to history.”
Though History Club takes a very different approach to teaching history than most schools would, graduates speak of how it prepared them for their years in high school. “I loved it so much. Not only was it super interesting, but it was also so helpful for my years going into high school,” Cooper, a Long-View alumnus, articulated. “I feel like it is the thing that prepared me best for high school.” He also expressed how both teachers fostered a great learning environment, where one can express ideas, beliefs, and takeaways of what they are learning. Another alumnus, Elina, conveyed her gratitude for what the club has done: “Honestly, I think spending that hour every Wednesday morning was one of the best choices ever I made at Long-View…I would do it, one hundred percent. History Club is great.”
Students who participate in History Club gain a wider and deeper understanding of the ideas and thinkers before them. In this little-known but important club, students gain a critical lens through which they will look at and interact with the world for the rest of their lives.