Some teaching innovations arise from a combination of good intentions, last-minute planning, and incredible luck. In this article, the author discusses the different interpretations of the students on Constance Curry's 'Silver Rights' and David Cecelski's 'Along Freedom Road,' the two books he assigns to the class in the history of education course, 'Education Reform: Past and Present.' His broader objective is for students to analyze both authors' competing interpretations of the past, evaluate the supporting evidence, and understand how these vastly different narratives might arise from particular contexts and perspective. The author also stresses his idea in teaching history.