Rethinking the “Bush Doctrine”: Historical Thinking and Post-September 11 Terrorism

Abstract In this paper, I discuss the implications – and necessity – of teaching historical thinking in this “age of terror. ” I show that despite an increasing volume of books, resources, and lesson plans on post-September terrorism, there is a dearth of relevant history education publications in North America on how to integrate terrorism in school history in ways that foster students ’ historical understanding and sense of agency. To do so, I first problematize education, narrative, and terrorist issues through a disciplinary perspective, and then offer a way to engage students in the critical examination of political narrative constructions in the context of the current “war on terrorism.