Department of History Associate Professor David Kinkela will give two presentations at the American Historical Association's annual meeting that draw on his research and teaching.
“Historical Scale: Linking Levels of Experience” is the theme of the association’s 131st annual meeting, to be held in January 2017 in Denver, Colo.
Dr. Kinkela’s first presentation is on the panel “New Currents in the Study of Pacific Worlds” and will focus on his current research on the history of plastic waste.
The second will draw on his teaching within the general education program. The panel “Tuning Disruptions: The AHA Tuning Project and Practical Suggestions for Rethinking History Courses, Assignments, and Curricula” will explore how historians can make implicit assumptions about historical study more explicit to learners.
Kinkela’s talk will focus on changes to his general education course, which is constructed around student interest. In collaboration with students, Kinkela developed the curriculum and key questions guiding the course. Based on student input, the course focuses on a series of thematic units that address broad historical questions. Using online material, library materials, primary sources and role-playing games, students explore the past and present as well as develop a set of creatively produced artifacts: presentations, podcasts and alternative writing assignments, such as op-ed, letters to editors and traditional academic papers.
