Designed for educators and administrators, this book focuses on pedagogy for US history classes. It looks at strategies for successful teaching that respects both the historical facts and the varied experiences and beliefs of students. It discusses topics where being able to talk about the existence of LGBT people is vital to understanding US history (such as civil rights movements, family law, the AIDS crisis, the Red Scare, and historical figures such as Eleanor Roosevelt or J. Edgar Hoover). Contributors discuss teaching history from late elementary school through college level. Part one looks at teaching challenges, part two at relevant topics, and part three at the discovery and interpretation of LGBT historical materials. In the first section, K-12 educators focus on the teacher's role (asking questions about history, clarifying that inapproprate classroom behavior is different from disagreeing with each other). Contributions tend to assume both the student population and LGBT history is white, and only one essay discusses trans people. It is written with a political slant that defines genderqueerness as superior to male and female identity or trans experience; in practice, teachers may find this approach less than helpful to trans students. However, the topics section covers a broad range of gay/lesbian/queer US history from early America to the 1960s, with area studies including the rural South and Northwest and subject areas such as biography, military history, and the Supreme Court. Teaching materials covered include fiction and documentary film. Annotation ©2015 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)
Though largely neglected in classrooms, LGBT history can provide both a fuller understanding of U.S. history and contextualization for the modern world. This is the first book designed for university and high school teachers who want to integrate queer history into the standard curriculum. With its inspiring stories, classroom-tested advice, and rich information, it is a valuable resource for anyone who thinks history should be an all-inclusive story.
Understanding and Teaching U.S. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History offers a wealth of insight for teachers. Introductory essays by Leila J. Rupp and Susan K. Freeman make clear why queer history is important and provide global historical context, showing that same-sex sexual desire and gender change are not new, modern phenomena. Teachers in diverse educational settings provide narratives of their experiences teaching queer history. A topical section offers seventeen essays on such themes as sexual diversity in early America, industrial capitalism and emergent sexual cultures, and gay men and lesbians in World War II. Contributors include detailed suggestions for integrating these topics into a standard U.S. history curriculum, including creative and effective assignments. A final section addresses sources and interpretive strategies well-suited to the history classroom.
Taken as a whole, Understanding and Teaching U.S. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History will help teachers at all levels navigate through cultural touchstones and political debates and provide a fuller knowledge of significant events in history.
“A terrific book for anyone teaching U.S. history to high school or college students. It is designed to explain why, and especially how, educators can integrate LGBT history into their existing courses. The volume contains superb essays by scholars and teachers that speak to pedagogy, sources, and methods, and includes seventeen topical essays that span the breadth of U.S. history, from colonial same-sex experiences to contemporary same-sex marriage.”—The American Historian
“Designed for teachers of U.S. history, [ but] the chapters are so varied that anyone can enjoy reading them.”—Out Smart
“This book’s value lies in being read from cover to cover. Do not dip in and read only what looks up your alley—the complexity and the utility emerge from the whole. . . . Each piece is worth a read, the whole is even more so.”—Journal of American History
Winner, Lambda Literary Award for LGBT Anthology
A Choice Outstanding Academic Book
Best Special Interest Books, selected by the Public Library Reviewers
Best Special Interest Books, selected by the American Association of School Librarians
Understanding and Teaching U.S. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History is the first book designed for teachers of U.S. history at all levels who want to integrate queer history into the standard curriculum. Bringing together inspiring narratives from teachers in high schools and universities, informative topical chapters about significant historical moments and themes, and innovative essays about sources and interpretive strategies well-suited to the history classroom, this volume is a valuable resource for anyone who thinks history should be an inclusive story.
