The History Harvest Concept

Learn about the origin, history and evolution of the History Harvest concept.

The History Harvest first emerged out of a series of conversations we were having at the time in the UNL Department of History about several important, inter-related questions: 

  • What is the role of historical thinking, teaching and learning within the dramatically changing landscape of the 21st century university?
  • How do we engage students in new ways and bring them more dynamically and authentically into historical thinking and learning?
  • How do we recenter the history classroom in more connective, collective and inclusive ways?
  • How can we construct historical learning experiences that are generative and creative, as well as intellectually and methodologically rigorous?
  • How do we work with local communities in ways that are not merely extractive, but collaborative and mutually productive?
  • How do we continue to leverage digital technologies and other new possibilities toward innovative approaches to historical teaching and learning?
  • In the end, how do we get undergraduates a range of practical, adaptable skills as they work through a History major?

The History Harvest, then, is one important way we have sought to speak back into these pressing questions through an innovative and dynamic, generative and often transformative model of historical teaching and learning.

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