“It's All About Perspective”: Using Simulations in Multicultural Teaching

Abstract

Many feminist pedagogues create a classroom climate that transforms the student from a passive beneficiary of knowledge to an active participant in the classroom community. This objective is accomplished in many different ways and while there is no way to ensure student participation in the classroom and not one technique that works for every situation, the common thread is the rejection of traditional, passive forms of learning in favor of alternative, active teaching methods. History is not experienced the same way by all people – it is not a seamless narrative or a single story, but a series of competing voices. To demonstrate my use of historical simulations in the classroom this article focuses on World War II and the alternative perspectives, including women's baseball, to which students are exposed and ultimately represent in the simulation.