Teaching the Truth About Human Progress (It's Actually Good News)

On this episode, we tackle an intriguing paradox: why do we romanticize a past that was often brutal while feeling pessimistic about a present filled with unprecedented human flourishing? Join us in conversation with Chelsea Follett, scholar and author of Centers of Progress and the Grim Old Days Project, and Sean Kinnard, a social studies educator bringing these ideas to life in the classroom. Hear Chelsea and Sean discuss how nostalgic distortions of history can diminish students' sense of possibility and discover practical strategies for teaching the reality of human progress—from life expectancy data to inspiring stories of innovators who changed the world.

Main Topics:

• The Danger of Romanticizing the Past (02:13)
• What the Grim Old Days Project Reveals About Historical Reality (04:14)
• How Nostalgia Affects Students' Sense of Possibility (06:18)
• Teaching Gratitude Through Historical Perspective (09:19)
• Making Progress Concrete: Your Life in Numbers (14:45)
• Centers of Progress: Dubrovnik's Lessons on Freedom (18:04)
• Heroes of Progress and Student Empowerment (21:43)
• Alexandria and Taking Information Access for Granted (23:48)
• Navigating Information Overload and Misinformation (25:43)
• Moving Students From Consumers to Creators of Progress (31:02)
• Life Expectancy: The Most Powerful Progress Metric (34:53)

Resources Mentioned:

• Human Progress
• Centers of Progress
• The Grim Old Days
• Heroes of Progress
• Sphere Educational Resources

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