Review by Erin Brereton, Common Sense Education | Updated August 2013
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Have Fun with History

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Fab films bring history to life -- but you supply the background info

Subjects & skills
Subjects
  • Arts
  • Social Studies
Skills
  • Critical Thinking
Grades This grade range is a recommendation by Common Sense Education and not the developer/publisher.
9–12
Common Sense says (See details)
Teachers say (4 Reviews)
Price:  Free
Platforms:  Website

Pros: Topics are well-organized, and the wide variety of film subjects can help you illustrate historical concepts.

Cons: Videos range in quality and length; some are way too long to keep kids' interest.

Bottom Line: It can be a helpful supplement to class lessons, but be sure to identify the difference between factual and fictional accounts.

How Can I Teach with This Tool?

You can broadcast historically based videos that correspond with class lessons on a whiteboard to provide an accessible account of events that are sometimes hard for kids to visualize.

Or, you can encourage students to watch videos at home. Most videos are housed on the site, so students can watch them within their browser without having to download anything. You'll need to send a link to relevant videos through an external email system, however; there's no way to send it directly to students through a virtual classroom or other communication method on the site.

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Standards:

Have Fun with History is a website featuring all kinds of historical goodies from the annals of American history. The site highlights video content, which comes from a variety of sources and includes educational videos, vintage filmstrips, and newsreels. Because videos come from public domain sources like museums and government agencies, they’re all free to use, and many would work well for classroom use.

Aside from its videos, Have Fun with History doesn't contain much additional written content. Topic sections and videos include a paragraph or two of explanatory text. Some also feature a timeline graphic. However, the site’s structure, which lists videos by era and subject area, can help provide an overview of events' sequential order and give kids a sense of how they tie together. Students can also access a few trivia and other history-based activities, one- to two-minute history clips, and a store that sells books and other items.

You may have to dig through videos that don’t apply to your current coursework, but for the most part, Have Fun with History's films provide an interesting, often in-depth look at certain aspects of major events and historical figures. The well-organized site offers dozens of supplementary visual materials that teachers can use to spark students' interest in -- and help educate them about -- historical topics ranging from the Old West to the space race.

Some videos may not be an ideal fit. Although the content is kid-appropriate, films that log in at an hour or more pose time and attention limitations; and fictional Hollywood titles may not pack enough of a factual punch to be worthwhile. (As the site says, historically based movies provide a look at the time period they represent and the era the film was created in; but silent newsreels likely offer a more accurate portrayal of an era than, say, the Gary Cooper version of A Farewell to Arms.) But it also depends on your audience; which version will stick in your students' brains? It's up to you; just make sure to talk to kids about what really happened and what's been added for drama's sake.

Overall Rating
Engagement Is the product stimulating, entertaining, and engrossing? Will kids want to return?

Videos can help visual learners and history novices better understand key concepts. The site could use more interactive elements, and kids may lose focus during some of 30-plus-minute films, but shorter videos should draw them in.

Pedagogy Is learning content seamlessly baked-in, and do kids build conceptual understanding? Is the product adaptable and empowering? Will skills transfer?

Topics span from early America to the Reagan era. Written materials are scarce, and kids don't get feedback or many challenges, but the films provide a good overview of key historical events.

Support Does the product take into account learners of varying abilities, skill levels, and learning styles? Does it address both struggling and advanced students?

There are lots of links to related government, museum, and other websites. There's an About page with some guidance but no specific help section.

Common Sense Reviewer
Erin Brereton
About our ratings and privacy evaluation.

Key Standards Supported

Reading History/Social Studies

  • RH.9-10.7

    Integrate quantitative or technical analysis (e.g., charts, research data) with qualitative analysis in print or digital text.

  • RH.9-10.9

    Compare and contrast treatments of the same topic in several primary and secondary sources.

  • RH.9-10.2

    Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text.

  • RH.9-10.3

    Analyze in detail a series of events described in a text; determine whether earlier events caused later ones or simply preceded them.

  • RH.11-12.7

    Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.

  • RH.11-12.9

    Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.

  • RH.11-12.1

    Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.

  • RH.11-12.3

    Evaluate various explanations for actions or events and determine which explanation best accords with textual evidence, acknowledging where the text leaves matters uncertain.

Reading Informational Text

  • RI.9-10.7

    Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person’s life story in both print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account.

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Teacher Reviews

(See all 4 reviews) (4 reviews) Write a review
Featured review by
Scott M. , Classroom teacher
Classroom teacher
American Canyon High School
American Canyon, United States
Short, dated videos on various US history people, places, events
Most of the videos are rather dated and not engaging. Any video older than 40 years will not be interesting to students. I think a YouTube search for these topics can easily find more engaging short videos. However, that takes more time than having this curated, copy-right free resource where a teacher can easily find a school-appropriate video about George Washington on Thomas Edison, for example. In conclusion, if teachers are a hurry and need something quickly for flipping the class, homework, or ...
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