History Can’t Wait Until High School | History Matters Podcast

Oct 21, 2025

Ebony McKiver, a curriculum expert and former high-school social studies teacher, emphasizes the crucial need for improved elementary history education. She highlights that many ninth-graders struggle with historical concepts due to a lack of foundational knowledge. McKiver champions storytelling as an engaging method that connects students to their community. She advocates for collaboration between social studies and English Language Arts to enhance literacy, citing successful state initiatives that support integrated curricula. Hopeful for the future, she sees districts adopting high-quality materials.

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INSIGHT

Weak Elementary Foundations Hurt High School

Many ninth graders arrive without foundational historical knowledge needed for high-school inquiry.
Ebony McKiver argues stronger elementary history curriculum would prevent redundant review in high school.

INSIGHT

History's Natural Appeal To Students

Students naturally enjoy history because it tells stories and connects to their lives.
Ebony McKiver says history sparks curiosity and helps students relate to community issues and solutions.

INSIGHT

Facts And Lectures Undermine Engagement

Traditional teaching often reduces history to rote facts and teacher-led lectures.
McKiver warns this approach causes disengagement and misses deeper historical meaning.

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In the typical American high school, 9th-grade history students are expected to dive into the historical content, grapple with complex ideas, and engage in deep inquiry. But teenage students often lack the historical knowledge such tasks require. If you haven’t learned much about the Civil War, for example, you won’t be ready to discuss whether the Compromise of 1877 was a fair deal.

That’s one of the challenges described by this episode’s guest, Ebony McKiver, a curriculum expert and former high-school history teacher and state social studies lead. In her high-school history classroom, she recalls, “we were trying to keep pace with the scope and sequence and teach content that was actually going to be new for students, [but] we were actually spending a lot of time revisiting old, previous content that students should have had.”

The missing link? “Better history curriculum for our elementary students.”

Young students love history, which has a “natural lens of storytelling,” she notes. Strong history instruction is coherent and chronological instead of “one-off facts about important people and events.” It deserves more time during the school day and can be paired with English Language Arts (ELA).

“Historical thinking skills and literacy skills are two sides of the same coin,” she says. “If we truly want stronger readers, we need ELA and social studies to work together at every level.”

McKiver offers examples of states developing curricula: Louisiana, Massachusetts, Georgia, and Utah. She describes visiting a Louisiana classroom where an ELA lesson “had students that were building timelines and analyzing decisions made by leaders like George Washington.”

“It is proof that when you prioritize social studies and you work intentionally with other content areas, especially ELA, all students no matter their age, are capable of engaging deeply, mastering historical content, and also applying historical thinking skills.”

This podcast is produced by the Knowledge Matters Campaign and StandardsWork, on behalf of the History Matters Campaign. Follow the History Matters Campaign on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter/X. Search #historymatters to join the conversation.

Production by Tressa Versteeg. Original music and sound engineering by Aidan Shea.