Teaching World History Through Wayfinding, Art, and Mindfulness

Teaching World History Through Wayfinding, Art, and Mindfulness approaches world history instruction through standards-based arts- and story-telling prompts. Each chapter provides contextualization through stories along with unique pieces of art from around the globe along with inquiries for teachers to examine by themselves and/or with their students through a mindfulness lens. By providing frameworks that support social studies instruction as well as social and emotional skill development. This book uses a wayfinding methodology to explore world history stories through art and provides pathways for instruction through reciprocal dialogues, and art- and mindfulness-based experiences.

Table of Contents:
Foreword Preface – Just Open Your Eyes and See that Life is Beautiful Chapter 1- Livin on a Prayer…in a Cave Chapter 2- Desperately Wanting: Identity Forming in Classical Civilizations Chapter 3- Immigrant Singing: Movement and the Post Classical Era Chapter 4-In the Renaissance, My Name is Human Chapter 5-The Beginning is the End is the Beginning: Colonization and Empire Chapter 6-Raging Against the Machine: Industrial and Democratic Revolutions Chapter 7-Bullets and Butterfly Wings: Investigating Imperialism Chapter 8- Standing Alone: Pre- and Post- World War I Chapter 9-The Space Between Our Wicked Lies: The Great Depression and World War II Chapter 10-Frozen Remix: Navigating the Cold War Chapter 11-Am I Wrong For Thinkin Out the Box From Where I Stay? New Identities, Decolonization, Revolutions, and Revolutionary Impacts Conclusion-We are the People We’ve Been Waiting For About the Author

About the Author :
Amber J. Godwin is an assistant professor at the College of Education at Sam Houston State University. Her research aims to develop critical thinking experiences for learners and explore interventions that enhance Social Studies education. Prior to entering higher education, she taught AP World History and served as an essay scorer for AP College Board.

Review :
Godwin uses storytelling strategies, mindfulness questions, and artwork to explore various periods of world history. Each chapter includes guiding questions to focus study and promote deeper understanding; a table that asks students to record what they already know about the period; activities that expand understanding and encourage students to reflect on what they know; and mindfulness-based practices that guide study and promote further reflection. The paired artwork emphasizes trends happening around the world and supports the storytelling strategy. This text may be good for preservice teachers entering the classroom but is probably trained more on practicing teachers who may need a new way to approach their teaching. [The] overall ideas should appeal to history teachers, both novice and veteran. Recommended. Advanced undergraduates and professionals. I constantly look for the ways in which people and places are connected, so I was excited to read Teaching World History Through Wayfinding, Art, and Mindfulness! Dr. Amber Godwin, in her text, expertly uses art, “I” statements, and global economics to situate Social Studies students within the context of world history. Dr. Godwin demonstrates exactly how one incident, one culture, or one individual connects to another. The mindfulness strategies encourage students to engage with the material on a personal level – a goal for every Social Studies classroom! Art has been neglected as a serious element of curriculum in core content classrooms. Art has often been displayed in a vacuum of artist’s stylization and is often limited in thought to paintings and sculptures. Dr. Godwin zooms out and makes art part of the larger picture of history - how all art forms are reflections of their existing climate and the message it displays. As a historian and former secondary social studies teacher, I highly recommend this book for any educator looking to expand the lens in which we teach within the social studies classroom. Dr. Godwin’s approach to mindfulness in the context of analyzing history is highly applicable to modern students. Through this framework, students better understand their own emotions while deepening their knowledge and analysis of historical events. In her masterclass of inquiry-based instruction, Dr. Godwin examines artistic expressions from different time periods and cultures. She encourages students to critically think and explore how societies were designed and power structures solidified. One notable aspect of Dr. Godwin’s concise yet impactful prose is her ability to distill complex socio-cultural histories into easily digestible and thought-provoking historical analyses. Her style allows for a wide range of readers to engage with her ideas. Overall, Dr. Godwin’s mindfulness approach and inquiry-based instruction provide students with a transformative learning experience. By cultivating emotional and cognitive awareness, developing critical thinking skills, and leveraging art as a window into history, her work offers a unique and valuable perspective that encourages students to engage deeply with the subject matter.