Episode summary:
In this episode, Ashley and I talk about our love for history and its relevance in society today. We explore the history and stories held in objects, and how anyone can get started doing historical research about any topic that interests them. We especially focus on teaching history to young people and getting them excited about digging into the past as a way to understand the world around us.
About Ashley:
Ashley is a veteran classroom educator who has been teaching in New York City classrooms and museums for over a decade. A public historian, licensed New York City tour guide, and writer based in Brooklyn, she is endlessly passionate about the connection between literacy, history, and art. She utilizes the inquiry model to generate student curiosity and engagement both in the classroom and in museum galleries. Follow her on Instagram: @HelloSemrick and on her website: HelloSemrick.com
Topics discussed in this episode:
– The complexity and necessity of joy in difficult times, and how to find it and create it
– How and why to teach history to young people
– How to conduct historical research about any topic of interest
– The important role of museums, media, and cemeteries in historical research
– Ashley shares how her parents sparked her love of history at a young age
– How Ashley found and returned a 100+ year old diary to the family of the man who wrote it
– The joy of found objects and discovering the history behind them
– NYC’s Sanitation Museum—a collection of found objects curated by a NYC Department of Sanitation worker who collected items that New Yorkers threw out for 30+ years
Links to resources:
Don’t Hesitate by Mary Oliver
How to become a licensed tour guide for the City of New York
NYC’s Sanitation Museum
Merchant House Museum
Fraunces Tavern
The Lenape in New York
Ask a physicist to speak at your funeral
Diker Indigenous art collection
Cheap Old Houses
Ashley on Instagram - @HelloSemrick
Ashley's website - HelloSemrick.com
Christa on Twitter - @christanyc
Christa on Instagram - @christarosenyc
Christa's website - ChristaAvampato.com
#history #historian
