The World History Association's
Challenge Awards
for Innovative Pedagogical Activities for K-12 and Community College Teachers

 (click here to download printable PDF)    -    Model Activity Sample #1   -    Model Activity Sample #2

Dr. Mark Welter has agreed to offer, through the agency of the World History Association, two awards for innovative activities that reach students, especially in challenging situations. One will go to a K-12 teacher and one to a community college instructor.  Applicants, who must be members of the WHA, should include the following information and answer the overarching question:

How does this activity help students understand more fully the world history concepts of human diversity, interdependence, and cultural interaction?

            Specifically, applicants need to include a 3-5 page overview of the activity in which the following questions are addressed, insofar as they are relevant:

  1. What is the specific socio-economic, academic, and/or cultural context in which the activity took place?
  2. Who are the students for whom the activity was crafted?
  3. Were the students heterogeneously or homogeneously grouped?
  4. Is the school located in a poor or affluent area?
  5. Does the activity meet state curriculum standards?
  6. How, if at all, is the activity interdisciplinary in nature?
  7. What instructional techniques did you use?
  8. How did you assess students’ performance?
  9. In what ways have you reflected on your practice as a result of this lesson? What, for example, went well?  What challenges did you encounter?

In sponsoring these awards, Dr. Welter seeks to encourage teachers and instructors to show how they have employed a variety of activities that sharpen perspectives, provoke discussion, and expand curiosity about aspects of world history. He wishes to reward those innovative teachers who transmit the message of world history through activities that promote exploration, as well as deeper understanding of human diversity, interdependence, and cultural interaction -- the commonalities and mutual borrowings among the human community. Such activities will enrich and supplement, not supplant the standard curriculum and other pedagogical means.  They are an attempt to introduce students to the human diversity, interdependence, and cultural interactions (often by way of mutual borrowings) inherent to world history.

Each winner will receive $1,000 and a one-year membership in the WHA.

Submissions for this award competition should be submitted electronically to Jen Laden, chair of the WHA Teaching Prize Committee, at murphyladen@aol.com, no later than the annual June 1st deadline. Model activities can be found above. Please note in the subject line: "WHA Challenge Award Submission," and K-12 or Community College, as appropriate

Past Winners

2012:

K-12: William Tolley, "On the Edge of the World System," International School of Curitiba, Curitbe, Brazil

2011:

K-12: Fran Brock, "20th Century Genocides," Burlington High School, Burlington, VT

About Dr. Mark Welter:

Dr. Mark Welter began teaching world history in 1963. He has been a member of the World History Association since 1984.  After instructing at the secondary level for seven years, he earned his doctorate at the University of Minnesota.  He then began teaching his self-authored world history course at St. Cloud State University. Today, he instructs world history and world religions courses for the University of Minnesota Senior Citizen Program.
Dr. Welter’s teaching is predicated upon the philosophy articulated by William H. McNeill that “Teaching world history is a high and noble undertaking” because only world history offers the sufficient dimensions of space and time to elicit needed awareness of the world we all share.”

The World History Association is a community of scholars, teachers, and students who are passionately committed to the study of the history of the human community across regional, cultural and political boundaries.