Standing Where History Happened

The "P" in Teach Like a PIRATE stands for passion. Dave Burgess talks about bring our passions as teachers into the classroom. For me that is easy, because two of my passions include travel and photography. I love to visit historic places when I travel and stand where history happened. It provides a unique perspective that no textbook can possibly provide. A case in point was a 2014 trip to Mexico.

During a trip to Cancun, I had the opportunity to visit Chichen Itza, a set of Mayan ruins. At Chichen Itza, there is a massive pyramid that is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. That is what most impresses the vast majority of travelers. For me it was the Ball Court. Having taught Mayan History as a 7th grade teacher, it was amazing to stand in the court and see just how small the rings were that the ball was supposed to go through....and how high! To stand there and imagine a game being played, brought my understanding of Mayan culture to a whole new level. It was no longer just an idea of how large the stadium was (it sure did not look that big in Disney's Road to El Dorado). Instead I could see how challenging of a game it really was.

In my classroom, I encourage students to travel (even locally) to historic sites. I also remind them that history is everywhere! To that end, I have created a project "History on Location," that they can complete for extra credit.

The Ball Court 

The Ring