What is The History Cat

Welcome to The History Cat—where history isn’t just a list of dates and dead guys. It’s messy, dramatic, and full of twists and turns that rival the best soap operas. Whether you’re here for a quick fact-check, a deep dive into forgotten events, or just to procrastinate with some entertaining reads, you’re in the right place.

At The History Cat, we believe the past isn’t boring—it’s alive. Our mission is to tell history’s stories the way they were meant to be told: with humor, heart, and enough drama to keep you on the edge of your seat. We take the facts seriously, but we’re not afraid to make you laugh along the way. After all, history is human, and humans are complicated.

How We Got Started

The History Cat got its started in my classroom as an experiment to find a better way to engage my students in their learning. After teaching U.S. and world history for 15 years, I kept running into the same problem: textbooks. They were too brief to capture the bigger picture and too dry to hold anyone’s attention. Worst of all, they failed to tell the human story of history—the struggles, triumphs, and connections that make the past come alive. After spending countless hours scouring the library (yes, I'm that old) and the internet for fun lesson plans, I decided to start building something fresh.

I wanted something different. I believed that history wasn’t just a list of dates and names; it was the story of how humanity is connected across time and space. I wanted my students to see those connections, to recognize patterns in history that could act as roadmaps for life—lessons on how to live and warnings on how to avoid the mistakes of those who came before us.

So, in 2011, I created The History Cat as an alternative resource for my classroom. It started as a side project, but something surprising happened—my students engaged with it. They asked more questions. They debated. They wanted more. That’s when I knew The History Cat needed to be more than just a classroom tool. History should be shared, not locked away in a textbook, so I opened it up to the world. Over the years The History Cat has gone through many iterations, styles, colors, and quirks. But throughout, it has always held constant to one thing that makes it unique: the belief that learning history can be fun.

Who Runs the History Cat?

Surprisingly, History Cat is a one-person operation run by a former classroom teacher who decided that history deserved more than dusty worksheets. Every article, lesson plan, and interactive game is written and designed in-house, with the same teacher also juggling social media posts, marketing, responding to customer emails, and making sure the website stays fresh and sharp. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, I'm planning on making hilarious History Shorts videos on TikTok, so look for those coming soon. It’s a labor of love built to help teachers spark curiosity and give students a hands-on way to experience history. If you like what you see, please consider purchasing a lesson plan or making a small donation. It helps pay for the website fees and tools that I use to build all of this great stuff. But the best, way to support what I'm doing is spreading the word, so please tell your friends.

Our Approach

At The History Cat, we believe that learning history isn’t just about memorizing names and dates—it’s about discovering patterns, understanding cause and effect, and using the past as a guide to shape the future. History is filled with triumphs and mistakes, and by studying them, we can better navigate the challenges of our own time.

We take a scaffolded learning approach, starting with the basics to ensure students build a strong foundation before diving into more complex topics. From understanding key events and figures to analyzing motivations, consequences, and connections, our lessons are designed to develop critical thinking and foster curiosity. Students don’t just learn what happened—they learn why it happened and how it matters today.

We also approach history as a dynamic science—not something set in stone but a field that evolves as new evidence and perspectives emerge. We encourage students to think like historians, questioning sources, considering multiple viewpoints, and reevaluating long-held beliefs when new discoveries come to light.

At The History Cat, we don’t believe in sugarcoating the past. We teach history as it really happened—celebrating human ingenuity and resilience while also addressing flaws, failures, and injustices. By presenting a balanced view, we help students see historical figures as real people, shaped by their times but also capable of influencing the world around them.

Our goal is to inspire students to look at history not as a dusty collection of facts but as a living story—one that’s still being written. By connecting past events to modern-day issues, we hope to spark meaningful conversations, critical insights, and a deeper appreciation for the lessons history has to offer.

How Teachers Can Use The History Cat

The History Cat is designed with teachers in mind. Our stories break down historical events into engaging narratives that students can relate to, complete with vivid details, humor, and thought-provoking questions. Teachers can use these stories as standalone lessons or as supplements to their existing curriculum to spark discussions and encourage deeper thinking.

Specific ways teachers can use The History Cat stories include:

Think-Pair-Share: Engage students by having them reflect on key questions, discuss their thoughts with a partner, and share insights with the class to promote active participation.
Small Group Activities: Divide students into groups to analyze different sections of a story, then present their findings through visual timelines, skits, or infographics to deepen understanding.
Gallery Walks: Break stories into smaller chunks and display them around the room. Students rotate in groups to read each section, discuss ideas, and add notes or reflections, fostering collaborative learning.
Debates and Role-Playing: Organize debates or historical simulations where students take on roles to explore diverse perspectives, analyze motives, and understand cause-and-effect relationships.
Writing Prompts and Journals: Inspire creative essays, personal reflections, or opinion pieces using prompts tied to themes in the stories, encouraging students to link historical events to their own lives.
Project-Based Learning: Incorporate stories into larger research projects where students investigate related topics, develop presentations, or design museum-style exhibits to showcase their findings.
Exam Preparation and Review Games: Reinforce learning with study guides based on the stories and interactive activities like trivia games or escape rooms focused on key terms, events, and patterns.

Whether you’re looking for a quick resource to reinforce a topic or a complete lesson to build skills in historical analysis, The History Cat is a flexible tool for any classroom. It’s perfect for group discussions, independent study, and even virtual learning environments.