Unpacking the Invisible Military Backpack: 56 Suggestions for Teaching about War

Abstract

Educators in the United States have failed in teaching about war. Educators have failed to teach broadly enough, consistently enough, and with the sense of urgency demanded by the immense destruction of the United States’ Post-9/11 Wars. In the spirit of exchanging ideas, strategies, and inspiration, this article offers 56 suggestions for teaching about war. While the suggestions are focused on people teaching about U.S. wars, they can be applied by anyone teaching about war anywhere, at any level, in any field, for any length of time. The article discusses how much of the violence of war is similar to the “invisible knapsack” Peggy McIntosh identifies in her classic article “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.” War is not the same as whiteness, but war, militarization, and militarism shape our daily lives in profound but often invisible ways. In this context, educators can help make war visible and contribute to movements to end current wars and stop future ones.