Introducing the History Matters Podcast!
Curious. Confident. Knowledgeable about the world. A content-rich approach to teaching history supports all this and more—even in our youngest students. Yet history has all but disappeared from American elementary schools. The new History Matters Podcast explores the vast untapped potential of high-quality history instruction to build knowledge, accelerate literacy, and prepare young people to participate in civic life.
Across eight fast-moving episodes, host Barbara Davidson draws curriculum and instruction experts into inspiring conversations about the joyful pursuit of historical knowledge. The podcast also showcases the efforts of groundbreaking teachers teaching rich historical content in their classrooms today, as well as innovative new curricula and instructional tools that support their work.
How can we transform elementary-school history to unleash its unique academic superpowers? What insights from implementing high-quality, knowledge-building ELA curriculum and the science of reading can point the way? The History Matters Podcast shines a light on what’s possible, with ready insights for educators, administrators, and policymakers.
Ep. 1, A Case for Teaching History in Elementary School | History Matters Podcast
September 30, 2025 – Elementary schools spend almost no time teaching history. How did we get here, and how can we reprioritize this crucial foundation for literacy and knowledge? Guest Robert Pondiscio, an author and former fifth-grade teacher who founded the Knowledge Matters Campaign, recalls his early passion for the past. He discusses how background knowledge contributes to learning and imagines a future where every student builds the foundational knowledge they need to be skillful readers and competent citizens.
September 30, 2025 – Elementary schools spend almost no time teaching history. How did we get here, and how can we reprioritize this crucial foundation for literacy and knowledge? Guest Robert Pondiscio, an author and former fifth-grade teacher who founded the Knowledge Matters Campaign, recalls his early passion for the past. He discusses how background knowledge contributes to learning and imagines a future where every student builds the foundational knowledge they need to be skillful readers and competent citizens.
Ep. 2, What Makes Great Elementary History Curriculum | History Matters Podcast
September 30, 2025 – Teaching history takes balance: too many facts and it’s boring, too few and students don’t have enough information to make sense of what they’ve learned. But content and skills go hand-in-hand, says guest Sean Dimond, a former middle-school teacher and state social studies director who is now senior social studies editor at the Core Knowledge Foundation. In strong curriculum, lessons are chronologically-bound and content-rich, instead of “a random collection of information about holidays.” They build vocabulary and knowledge through texts that invite discussion and informed debate.
September 30, 2025 – Teaching history takes balance: too many facts and it’s boring, too few and students don’t have enough information to make sense of what they’ve learned. But content and skills go hand-in-hand, says guest Sean Dimond, a former middle-school teacher and state social studies director who is now senior social studies editor at the Core Knowledge Foundation. In strong curriculum, lessons are chronologically-bound and content-rich, instead of “a random collection of information about holidays.” They build vocabulary and knowledge through texts that invite discussion and informed debate.
Ep. 3, The Power of Historical Knowledge | History Matters Podcast
October 7, 2025 – The more history young students know, the more they want to know. That’s one of the joyful discoveries that teachers are making in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, which uses a content-rich, knowledge-building elementary social studies curriculum. Teachers Angela Barfoot and Lauren Cascio describe the rewards of using the Bayou Bridges curriculum in combination with the high-quality Louisiana Guidebooks ELA curriculum. Students are “being shown a world they’ve never seen before,” says Cascio. Barfoot adds, “It is teaching them to think.”
October 7, 2025 – The more history young students know, the more they want to know. That’s one of the joyful discoveries that teachers are making in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, which uses a content-rich, knowledge-building elementary social studies curriculum. Teachers Angela Barfoot and Lauren Cascio describe the rewards of using the Bayou Bridges curriculum in combination with the high-quality Louisiana Guidebooks ELA curriculum. Students are “being shown a world they’ve never seen before,” says Cascio. Barfoot adds, “It is teaching them to think.”
Ep. 4, History Can’t Wait Until High School | History Matters Podcast
October 21, 2025 – American teenagers are expected to grapple with big questions and engage in inquiry-based learning when they get to high-school history class. But too many students lack background knowledge and context after years of scant history instruction in the early grades. Guest Ebony McKiver, a curriculum expert and former teacher and state social studies leader, explains why historical knowledge-building should start early on, and how history and ELA skills are “two sides of the same coin.”
October 21, 2025 – American teenagers are expected to grapple with big questions and engage in inquiry-based learning when they get to high-school history class. But too many students lack background knowledge and context after years of scant history instruction in the early grades. Guest Ebony McKiver, a curriculum expert and former teacher and state social studies leader, explains why historical knowledge-building should start early on, and how history and ELA skills are “two sides of the same coin.”
Ep. 5, Massachusetts’ Big Move on Elementary History | History Matters Podcast
October 28, 2025 – After Massachusetts developed a content-rich elementary history curriculum, teachers like guest Jennifer Lindsey finally had the comprehensive, developmentally appropriate instructional materials they had been craving. Lindsey describes the curiosity and passion her fifth-grade students have developed for history and how the Investigating History curriculum supports what she teaches in English language arts.
October 28, 2025 – After Massachusetts developed a content-rich elementary history curriculum, teachers like guest Jennifer Lindsey finally had the comprehensive, developmentally appropriate instructional materials they had been craving. Lindsey describes the curiosity and passion her fifth-grade students have developed for history and how the Investigating History curriculum supports what she teaches in English language arts.
Ep. 6, Building Teachers’ Historical Knowledge | History Matters Podcast
November 4, 2025 – What do elementary teachers need to teach high-quality history lessons? Along with a strong curriculum and aligned professional learning, it’s crucial to give teachers time to study content and build their historical knowledge, says guest Courtney Dumas of Edu20/20. She describes the detailed study sessions and model lessons that her organization provides to help teachers meet “high expectations for curriculum” in Louisiana.
November 4, 2025 – What do elementary teachers need to teach high-quality history lessons? Along with a strong curriculum and aligned professional learning, it’s crucial to give teachers time to study content and build their historical knowledge, says guest Courtney Dumas of Edu20/20. She describes the detailed study sessions and model lessons that her organization provides to help teachers meet “high expectations for curriculum” in Louisiana.
Ep. 7, The Four Questions That Make History Come Alive | History Matters Podcast
November 11, 2025 – Primary sources need context, and great history lessons start with historical stories. That’s the approach of guests Jon Bassett and Gary Shiffman, co-founders of the Four Question Method. Instead of basing lessons on lists of information, teachers can guide students through historical stories and explore key questions like What happened? and Why there and then?
November 11, 2025 – Primary sources need context, and great history lessons start with historical stories. That’s the approach of guests Jon Bassett and Gary Shiffman, co-founders of the Four Question Method. Instead of basing lessons on lists of information, teachers can guide students through historical stories and explore key questions like What happened? and Why there and then?
Additional resources
Episode transcripts
You can find transcripts of the episodes on our Buzzsprout page.
