History is Being Taught Wrong (and How to Fix It)

With even obscure historical information readily available online, what’s the point of memorizing facts like the names of the original 13 colonies or the major battles of the Civil War? Not much point, according to Stanford education professor Sam Wineburg. But what kids do need, he argues, are the skills to differentiate between accurate and inaccurate information and the ability to overcome confirmation bias. The former high school history teacher joins us to discuss navigating online information, the myth of a “golden age of fact retention” and his new book, “Why Learn History (When It’s Already on Your Phone).”