Using picture books to raise historical consciousness in the adolescent classroom

Abstract

Solving community issues effectively and ethically demands sophisticated historical consciousness on the part of decision makers. Developing historical consciousness is therefore a crucial role for history teachers as they nurture emerging adults. Appropriately chosen picture books offer unique opportunities for supporting this mission because of their accessibility, conceptual complexity and ambiguity. Teachers can use theoretical models of historical consciousness to scaffold the development of classroom discussion questions around suitable picture books so that discussions cultivate enhanced consciousness in students. To illustrate this approach, I use Jorn Rusen’s (2004) four-level taxonomy of historical consciousness to develop a series of discussion questions related to an iconic Australian picture book, The Rabbits (Marsden and Tan, 1998). The questions are designed to provoke creative examinations of a range of Australian contemporary issues including indigeneity, colonisation, modernity, and environmental degradation. They draw authentically on historical knowledge and, taken together, exercise Rusen’s four levels of historical consciousness. Advantages and risks of using picture books as stimulus resources for raising historical consciousness in the adolescent history classroom are examined.