Why Learn History (When It's Already on Your Phone)

A look at how to teach history in the age of easily accessible—but not always reliable—information.

Let's start with two truths about our era that are so inescapable as to have become clichés: We are surrounded by more readily available information than ever before. And a huge percent of it is inaccurate. Some of the bad info is well-meaning but ignorant. Some of it is deliberately deceptive. All of it is pernicious.

With the Internet at our fingertips, what's a teacher of history to do? I...