Being relevant is a critical characteristic of any teacher and lesson. When you’re talking about world history, relevance can be quite a challenge. For example, you could be a world history expert and have detailed knowledge of Christopher Columbus’ voyage. If you use a textbook and then lecture at the students … you’re missing a big opportunity.

Why not use pop culture to spice up your discussion of world history? Believe it or not, shows like The Simpsons and Family Guy touch on world history all the time. But don’t take my word for it. In 2007, Mrs. Emerson (a 7th grade teacher in California) uploaded a YouTube video that details  how to teach world history using pop culture.

She splices in conversations with students and pop culture clips (Daily Show, Simpsons, etc.) that illustrate each point. Can’t you just picture the students perking up during a world history discussion when some of these clips come on?