Why Do We Have to Learn History?

Last week in class, Dr. Strange asked us the question, "Why do we have to learn history?" My initial response was "So we learn from our mistakes and don't repeat our past mistakes." This type of answer was the kind he got from everyone in our classroom. Then he asks us how we would answer that question if a sixth grader asked us. Dr. Strange pointed out that the answers we gave him would not satisfy a sixth grader, and I agree. He asked us to read William Chamberlain's blog post about this question and then try to answer again in a way a sixth grader would understand.

Honestly, I cannot think of an answer that would fully satisfy a sixth grader's crazy mind. If one of my students were to ask me this question, I think I would just try to relate the "not repeating the past" theory to something they may be able to relate to. For example, if the student is really interested in sports, you could relate it to a play that did not work and resulted in a loss for the team. Or you could relate it to fighting with a sibling that resulted in them getting grounded and missing their best friend's birthday party. I think that trying to relate important issues to something younger students can relate to is one of the only ways to make them fully understand.