Jonathan Bassett

Jonathan Bassett and Gary Shiffman, co-founders of the Four Question Method for history instruction, discuss innovative ways to teach history. They emphasize the importance of storytelling in understanding historical events. Bassett shares insights on the first question, 'What happened?', while Shiffman dives into the second question, 'What were they thinking?', fostering empathy in students. The duo also explains how context and comparative cases deepen understanding and judgment in history, ultimately advocating for a narrative-first approach to engage students.