HUNTER, N.D. — Luke Bush teaches two world history classes at Northern Cass Public Schools. Each class begins with a discussion of major news events.
When Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, the discussion turned to Middle East wars.
“As educators, as teachers, if we don’t take advantage of this critical moment to discuss history, history will never mean anything to everyone,” Bush said.
Before the attack on Israel, he taught his students about the history of Islam and the Crusades.
For students like Northern Cass sophomore Emma Hovdenes, the questions are overwhelming.
“I had no idea what was actually going on there. I didn’t know much,” Hovdenes said.
Bush said one of the most important lessons he can teach them is to find reliable sources to learn more on their own.
“My foundation of knowledge comes from teaching and my own independent research, and I find that I am able to answer children’s questions, direct them to the resources they can find, and often help children ask about good things. “We’ve built the knowledge together to find out when you have questions,” Bush said.
Another important element is to make what is happening on the other side of the world interesting, relevant, and relatable to students.
“This is telling a story. How does it connect? How does the discussion about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict connect with what we’re learning in this class? Civilization? How does it connect to the beginning of the world?” Bush said.
Ensure students are educated about the world around them, a world that continues to become more connected.
“Instead of knowing that a war is going on, we know what is actually happening in that war,” Hovednes said.
They will be able to observe the war unfolding in North Cass history classes, and it will be taught in history classes for years to come.
My name is Anne Sarah, also known as Sarah.
I was born as an only child in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and immigrated to the United States when I was two years old.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is where I grew up.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree from Albright College, I moved to Florida to continue my studies.
WDAY is the reason I moved to North Dakota.