What Skills Do Students Gain from School History Trips?

A deeper historical understanding of events

Taking students to where major historical events happened, whether it’s the Battlefields of WW1 or Berlin, where students can see remnants of WW2 and what followed, allows them to engage directly with historical sites, their surroundings and artefacts. This is an excellent way to apply textbook learning to the real world and see the lasting effects first-hand, as it fully immerses students in experiential learning through the senses.  Students can also gain a deeper understanding of why and how important history is preserved and remembered.

Critical thinking and analysis

School history trips provide students with the opportunity to engage with different forms of information. They can listen to our expert History Tour Guides, as they share an encounter from the past or review an exhibition at a museum, and students have the time to analyse and think critically about what they are learning.

Different perspectives on events, along with the methods of preserving information, enable students to evaluate sources and make well-informed interpretations. It allows students to question why these events happened, examine cause and effect on a global scale, and explore the use of propaganda and how narratives are shaped and understood.

Confidence and communication skills

Getting outside the classroom can embolden students to start speaking up and voicing their opinions in a group setting, who may have remained quiet. With a change in environment, students can find the confidence to ask questions, express their ideas, and form well-structured discussion points to further their learning and fuel their interest and curiosity.

It’s also an opportunity for students to engage in thoughtful discussions with their peers, sharing their feelings and perspectives on events and how they would have been affected if they lived through the time period.

Strengthened emotional intelligence and respect

School history trips can help students strengthen their emotional intelligence skills, such as empathy, respect and tolerance. Visiting memorial sites such as Menin Gate in Belgium or the 9/11 memorial site in New York gives students an emotional connection to the topics they are learning about in the classroom, where they can feel the gravity of past events.

Personal stories and artefacts shared during the visit can further deepen their empathy, providing a tangible link to historical concepts and immersion as they learn what people lived through.

It’s also an opportunity for students to engage with diverse and sensitive historical topics that have affected specific groups of people. Students can challenge assumptions and develop a greater understanding and appreciation for different perspectives, leading to being more open-minded and aware of others.

Why school history trips matter

School history trips are designed to broaden students’ minds by learning about the past in interesting and unique ways. Through immersion in the destination, imagination and expert knowledge, students will return from the trip with deeper knowledge of what they are learning about in the classroom. By incorporating emotional tangibility through real-life stories of a variety of people, students can form a personal and lasting connection to historical events and, overall, a better understanding of the world around them.