Not long ago in my Current TopicsSenior Seminar class at Fulton Science Academy, students were discussing U.S.foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere. Earlier in the lesson, they had been working in small groups analyzing recent reporting from international news sources such as Reuters, BBC News, Associated Press, and Al-Jazeera alongside coverage from reputable U.S. outlets like NPR and The New York Times.

Students carefully read the articles, identified key claims, and discussed the perspectives presented in the reporting.

But the real learning began when we moved into our whole-class conversation.

Drawing on the historical knowledge they had developed in my AP U.S. History and AP Modern World History courses—ideas such as the Monroe Doctrine, Cold War intervention, and long-standing debates about American influence in Latin America—students began connecting the present moment with the past.

At that point, my role shifted from teacher to moderator.

Instead of arguing about who was“right,” students explored a deeper question:

What kind of global actor is theUnited States becoming—and what might that mean for the world they are inheriting?

Our discussion moved through several stages: interpretation, evaluation, consequences, and finally principles.

By the end of the conversation, students positioned themselves along a spectrum:

Right now, U.S. foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere is mostly…

• Legitimate and necessary
• Concerning and destabalizing
• Strategic but risky
• Conflicted and unclear
• OR something else entirely

Students wrote short position statements explaining their reasoning and then engaged in a thoughtful final conversation that resembled a policy seminar more than a traditional classroom debate.

Moments like this illustrate what social studies education can look like when students move beyond memorizing facts and begin actively thinking about the world around them.

Teaching History as a Way of Understanding the Present

I have spent more than twenty years teaching history and government to high school students. My academic background includes degrees in Russian Area Studies, Russian history, andAmerican history and government—fields that explore how societies develop, interact, and sometimes collide.

Travel has also shaped my perspective as an educator. Over the years I have been fortunate to visit places such as Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, South Korea, Slovenia, the Baltic states, much of Western Europe, Central America, the Caribbean, and many regions of the United States. Experiencing different cultures and political systems firsthand reinforces an important lesson that I try to pass on to my students: the world is complex, and understanding it requires curiosity, humility, and careful analysis.

These experiences influence how I approach teaching social studies.

History is not simply a collection of dates and events to memorize. It is a way of understanding how societies make decisions, how ideas shape human behavior, and how past choices continue to influence the world we live in today.

A Student-Centered Approach to Learning

In my classroom, students regularly analyze primary sources, evaluate different interpretations of events, and discuss contemporary issues through a historical lens. They work in small groups, lead discussions, write analytical responses, and practice explaining their ideas clearly and respectfully.

This approach helps students develop the analytical and communication skills they will need in college, in their careers, and as citizens in an increasingly interconnected world.

At a school like Fulton Science Academy—where students come from diverse backgrounds and bring global perspectives into the classroom—these conversations are especially powerful. Students learn not only from historical sources but also from one another.

Preparing Students for a Complex World

Ultimately, the goal of social studies education is not simply to help students pass exams or remember historical facts. It is to help them develop the habits of mind necessary to understand the world around them.

When students learn to analyze evidence, consider multiple perspectives, and engage in thoughtful dialogue about difficult issues, they are developing skills that will serve them throughout their lives.

And perhaps most importantly, they begin to see themselves not just as students studying history—but as thoughtful participants in the ongoing story of our world.

Learning Together in a Global Community

One of the aspects of teaching at Fulton Science Academy that I value most is the opportunity to work with students from a wide range of cultural and national backgrounds. In our classrooms, students bring perspectives shaped by their families, experiences ,and cultures, which enrich every discussion.

When students analyze global events, debate ideas, and connect history to the present, they are not only learning academic content—they are learning how to listen, reason, and engage thoughtfully with people whose perspectives may differ from their own.

In a world that is increasingly interconnected, these skills are essential. Our goal is to help students leave our classrooms not only well educated, but also prepared to participate thoughtfully and responsibly in a complex global society.

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Author Biography

Kelly Rodgers has spent more than two decades helping students learn how to think about the world through the lens of history. She serves as Social Studies Department Chair at Fulton Science Academy Private School in Georgia, where she teaches courses such as AP U.S. History, AP World History, and a senior seminar on current issues.

Her academic background centers on the study of global politics, Russian and Eurasian history, and the development of American democratic institutions. Over the course of her career, she has served as a reader for the College Board’s AP World and AP US History exams, and has authored numerous history and civics titles for classroom use across the United States. 

But at heart, Rodgers sees herself simply as a teacher who loves helping students wrestle with big questions about the past and present. Years of classroom conversations—along with extensive travel across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia—have reinforced her belief that history education should move beyond memorization to cultivate curiosity, analytical thinking, and civic understanding. Her work focuses on helping students learn how to ask better questions, evaluate evidence, and understand the world around them.

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