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Michael Bell Historic Interpreter, Scholar, Teacher |
| Michael Bell takes his passion for teaching history a step further with his work as an historic interpreter. A full time AP U.S. History teacher at Monacan High School in Chesterfield County, VA, Mike infuses his portrayals of 17th century figures with insight into how those people shaped today’s world. Having appeared in numerous films, including an IMAX feature called, Ozarks and Legacy, Mike’s work is not confined to teaching in the traditional sense. With seven years of formal classroom teaching and over twenty years of historic interpreting experience, Mike Bell is a passionate educator who pours his heart into his work.
Mike’s work as a teacher shines through to his historic interpretations, with which he strives to bridge the gap between past and present for modern audiences. Making history relevant is extremely important to him, and Mike actually has a personal connection to two of his portrayals. Bell ancestors, Colonel Thomas Lygon, who arrived at Jamestown in 1642, and Captain Thomas Harris, who landed at Jamestown in 1611 are two of the characters he portrays.
Other portrayals include Godspeed (one of the first ships to land at Jamestown) Captain Bartholemew Gosnold, and Dionyus Harvie, an assistant to Governor John White of the ill-fated Lost Colony at Roanoke Island.
With a Master’s degree in history from Missouri State University, Mike has also received federal grants to travel the country with the goal of broadening his U.S. History curriculum. On top of his other responsibilities, Mike teaches U.S. history dual enrollment college credit courses for a local Community College at the high school level.
Mike has appeared in a number of television programs for National Geographic Explorer and PBS, as well as a feature for the British Broadcasting Corporation. He is currently working on publishing an article on the development of Blitzkrieg tactics by the Germans following World War I, and he did an extensive study of Walt Disney’s revolution in family entertainment.
With a diverse and thorough knowledge of history, Michael Bell passionately pursues his desire to make history relevant to his students and modern audiences.
Portrayals
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