A YouTuber for US History Teachers: Dr. Danielle Bainbridge
An expert you can comfortably invite into your classroom.
A few months ago, I was invited to do a demo lesson for an Advanced Placement United States History (APUSH) class. I wanted to get back into the classroom after ten years away. This lesson had to be good. The topic? Market Revolution.
I had taught US history before, but our textbook at the time did not cover the Market Revolution much. In the course of my research, I found three educational videos on the topic:
The Market Revolution: Crash Course US History #12 - CrashCourse
The Market Revolution in America, Explained [APUSH Review] - Heimler’s History
Capitalism in Early America | US History to 1865 | Study Hall - Study Hall
The tried and true John Green Crash Course, Heimler, the hegemon of APUSH, and Study Hall US History to 1865, hosted by Dr. Danielle Bainbridge, a joint effort of Crash Course and Arizona State University.
I wanted to showcase my talents, so I did not play any clips during the demo lesson. However, I did pull a quote from one of the three videos. This slide presented the quote:
Dr. Bainbridge’s quote was perfect for setting the lesson’s context for a classroom of fifteen-year-olds who likely had never considered the purpose or origin of markets.
Fortunately, the lesson was well-received, and I got the job. With my newfound need for educational content on US history, I dove into Study Hall’s US History to 1865 playlist and was impressed. The playlist is meant to help college history students study, but high school students can benefit from it as well.
Dr. Danielle Bainbridge
Dr. Danielle Bainbridge is a professor at Northwestern University. She earned her doctorate in American Studies and African American Studies from Yale University. The courses she teaches include Intro to African American Studies and Race and Literature in 19th Century America. Further, she wrote a book published by NYU Press in January, Currencies of Cruelty: Slavery, Freak Shows, and the Performance Archive. These are the credentials and expertise any US history teacher wants when seeking experts to include in the curriculum.
PBS Origins
Fortunately, Dr. Bainbridge has worked with PBS Origins to create videos covering US History including after 1865, from Jim Crow to the AIDS crisis. For example, I used this video to teach about the Suffragist Movement, the racism of some of its leaders, and the 19th Amendment:
I used this video about publicly funded art to teach about New Deal public works programs and included it in my Save the New Deal digital escape room (it’s in Code 2):
Accessing Dr. Danielle Bainbridge’s YouTube Videos
US history teachers who want to incorporate Dr. Bainbridge’s wisdom into their work can use:
US History to 1865: College Foundations (31 videos covering from before exploration to the end of the Civil War).
This playlist of eighteen PBS Origins videos starring Dr. Bainbridge. The PBS Origins channel is a fantastic resource for teachers. Explore all its content, including Dr. Bainbridge's videos.
My only qualm about incorporating Dr. Bainbridge’s videos is that it seems she no longer makes them for PBS Origins. Hey Study Hall and ASU, can we please get a US History 1865 to Present series starring Dr. Bainbridge?
In Conclusion
What experts do you share with your US history students? I would love to know. Perhaps my students can benefit. Thank you for reading.
The post image is by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash.
AI Disclosure:
I wrote this post without using generative AI. That means:
I developed the idea for the post without using generative AI.
I wrote an outline for this post without the assistance of generative AI.
I wrote the post using the outline without using generative AI.
I edited this post without the assistance of any generative AI. I used Grammarly to help edit the post. I have Grammarly GO turned off.
