History

Music, murals, and manifestos: Bringing history to life in the classroom 

Jul 14, 2026 • By Catalina Sofia Dansberger Duque

Silva Escanilla Huerta, assistant professor, has found that using material culture helps students connect abstract historical ideas with concrete experiences, inviting students to think critically about how these practices evolved and impact the world today. She guides students as they analyze and compare primary and secondary sources from the past and the present to critique what is missing from historical records. Critical research analysis skills she honed while she was conducting archival research in Spain, Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru on the role indigenous peoples played in the process of independence in what today are Peru and Bolivia.