Students benefit greatly from visiting historic places. From the iconic fortress that signaled the start of the Civil War to Emily Dickinson’s home, visiting these spots helps students to develop an intimate knowledge of history that cannot be replicated from textbooks alone.
Historical landmarks draw tourists, which in turn generate revenue for local businesses and boost economic development. But why should these sites be preserved?
1. Advocacy and Awareness
Historic sites not only spark our curiosity and fascination, they’re also ideal classrooms for civic learning. Many communities use historic structures as teaching tools while others utilize them as catalysts for revitalization efforts in their area.
World history is rich with astonishing manmade historical sites, which offer children an unforgettable experience of humanity’s development and struggles over the millennia. By visiting these destinations, children gain a broader perspective of human history while understanding how different civilizations fared when facing war, natural calamities or other disasters.
Most respondents agreed that historic preservation should seek to present an inclusive history that accurately represents America’s true diversity. They suggested the National Park Service spearhead an initiative identifying and promoting places associated with African-American, Mexican-American, and Filipino-American histories.
2. Economic Benefits
Historical sites not only offer visitors an in-depth knowledge of history, but can also have economic benefits for local communities. Many historical landmarks serve as tourist attractions that attract visitors from around the globe and generate revenue for businesses located nearby.
History-making buildings of any sort – from grand landmarks to modest residences – can be preserved through listing them on the Register of Historic Places. Being listed raises awareness and inspires more people to support its preservation.
Historical places can also serve as a catalyst for activism within communities, when residents organize events or educational programs to protest the loss of an iconic site. Such advocacy offers students a great way to learn about politics while deepening their appreciation of history.
3. Sense of Identity and Belonging
Historical sites represent the culture and identity of their host nations and peoples, providing an important setting for cultural celebrations that unite community members.
Traveling to these sites can also foster feelings of patriotism and pride among students from diverse ethnic or religious backgrounds, which can have particularly powerful results for them.
Historic sites are vital in protecting cultural heritage, shaping urban development, providing education and economic benefits, inspiring patriotism among students who visit, as well as offering experiential learning and physical activity opportunities. Although historically significant locations can bring many benefits, their economic revitalization efforts often run into challenges which must be overcome in order to ensure their preservation efforts succeed.
4. Experiential Learning
Historical sites often serve as landmarks that foster community identity and belonging. From beloved landmarks to gathering places for cultural celebrations and festivals, preserving these places helps ensure future generations will cherish our past heritage and culture.
Experiential learning is an engaging, participatory, collaborative, and reflective educational practice whereby students “learn by doing and reflect upon their own learning”. (Haynes 2007, UC Davis 2011)
Teachers must recognize the value of experiential learning, incorporating it whenever possible into classroom settings. This method reduces teacher-centric teaching while encouraging independent learnership and trust among classmates. Experiential learning also teaches productive failure and lessons from mistakes – providing an effective method for helping students develop skills they’ll use later in their professional careers.
5. Physical Activity and Outdoor Learning
Historical sites can often be threatened by development and progress. Historic buildings that have not been listed on the National Register may be vulnerable to demolition by developers or simply the march of time; listing helps ensure their protection while celebrating successes helps increase investment in preservation efforts.
Even houses without architectural significance may still hold great historical significance if they once belonged to famous artists or served as George Washington’s headquarters during the Revolutionary War. Such landmarks can help bring tourists and boost local economies by drawing visitors in; creating jobs.
Historic sites provide students with a sensory-rich connection to the past through various sensory experiences, and help them gain an appreciation of how historical events impacted their lives and those of their nation’s people.
