Skip to main content

Home/ History Teachers/ Group items tagged why

Rss Feed Group items tagged

tcornett

Why Reconstruction Matters - The New York Times - 0 views

  •  
    Teachers can consider starting students in their Reconstruction unit with this article. Why not start with a popular writing piece that asks why a particular era in history is important?
  •  
    Teachers can consider starting students in their Reconstruction unit with this article. Why not start with a popular writing piece that asks why a particular era in history is important?
Christina Briola

Famous People Painting "Discussing the Divine Comedy with Dante" - 9 views

  •  
    Discussing the Divine Comedy with Dante. Wow!!
  • ...1 more comment...
  •  
    I have created a very successful lesson/activity around this painting. The details are as follows. This window has this year's assignment. The next reply has the previous years. Advice: WHAP Review Activity: The Twittering Masses Review activity (mostly 1914- and East Asia) Description - I previously set up 103 discussions on turnitin.com for this lesson so they post into that person's discussion board and all replies are kept under the initial post. This year they posted on our classes Ning.com in the discussion forum. Grading is also difficult - Since not every one will have the same amount of replies - people are more likely to write to Hitler than Cui Jian for instance. So, I am grading the posts holistically out of 10 (I often only have 100-200 points in a quarter, so for instance a test might only be worth 40 points). I have students use a heading that states who [character] is tweeting what topic they are focusing on and who they are writing to. I would be interested in feedback or improvements people think they can make on this lesson - should I use Moodle, [Again, I have switched to Ning.com] etc.? Many thanks. And you can add or subtract people as you wish, so we have actually added Marcus Garvey, Jomo Kenyatta, Stephen Biko, and Emiliano Zapata to our role play and taken the painters (of this painting) out of the role play - Write up for students: Go to http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1162771/The-Internet-sensation-dinner-party-painting-103-historical-guests--spot.html#comments to see who all these individuals are, in color. The rules: You will imagine that each of the historical actors above has access to twitter, the expanded edition, 140 words as compared to 140 characters, to communicate to the other guests present. You will choose six of them (from my list below - my list is the final list - some people pictured have been replaced) to role-play in the "Twittering Masses." As your historical
  •  
    See previous post for advice. This is how I set it up the first two years without specific WHAP content or themes: The rules: You will imagine that each of the historical actors above has access to twitter, the expanded edition, to communicate to the other guests present. You will choose up to four (at least three) of them to role play in the "Twittering Masses" role play. As your historical person, during the Twittering Masses role play you will write, "tweet," at least four other persons. Two of the people should be in close proximity to you based on the painting above. Another tweet should go to the person you feel closest to (not by proximity) at the party - this could be based on ideology (MLK Jr. and Gandhi), background (Tagore and Gandhi), lifestyle (Gandhi and Mother Theresa), etc. Explain in your tweet why you are writing them. The other tweet should go to the person you see as most opposed, or farthest from you - Gandhi and Hitler or Gandhi and Gates or Gandhi and Churchill - in this tweet you should either try to bridge the gap between your differences or explain why the person is wrong in their beliefs. If you have only three guests - you will need to make 5 initial tweets. You will respond to each initial tweet. Then who knows . . . All tweets should have some connection to WHAP content or themes. You may want to comment on the surroundings or other guests . . .
  •  
    I would love comments as to the posts above. Something similar I do is written up here: http://worldhistoryconnected.press.illinois.edu/7.3/gregg.html
David Hilton

Peace and War in the 20th Century | Peace and War in the 20th Century - 3 views

  •  
    "The twentieth century has been a century of war. It began with the Boer War in South Africa and ended with the Gulf War in Kuwait and Iraq. This tragic legacy suggests that citizens of the twenty-first century have a shared responsibility to attempt to understand how and why these conflicts occurred and to discover how peace efforts contributed to the resolution of international conflicts. "
  •  
    Primary sources devoted to helping people understand why the C20th was a time of such visceral conflict. If you believe Niall Ferguson it had to do with ethnic diversity in regions of deteriorating economic conditions and declining imperial control. My high school history teacher reckoned it was ideologies. Many of you will no doubt have other ideas...
Shane Freeman

Why We Fight #1: Prelude to War (1943) - 9 views

  •  
    Why We Fight #1: Prelude to War (1943) 52:21 - 4 years ago The first part of a series of films produced by the United States War Department during World War II. The series explained the reasons for the U.S war effort up to that time. This first part covers the rise of Fascism in Italy, Nazism in Germany, and Militarism in Japan and juxtaposes their political and social systems with that of the U.S. It also portrays the first examples of Japanese aggression in Manchuria and China, as well as the example of Italian aggression in Ethiopia. Supervised and Directed by Frank Capra. Be mindful of the ethnic stereotypes in this film.
Nate Merrill

Rwanda's genocide - what happened, why it happened, and how it still matters ... - 8 views

  •  
    "Rwanda's genocide - what happened, why it happened, and how it still matters"
Ian Gabrielson

Why the Weimar Republic failed - 9 views

  •  
    Good overview of RTP
Bob Maloy

Ada Lovelace Day: A celebration of the world's first computer programmer | Metro News - 2 views

  •  
    You may not have heard of Ada Lovelace but she had a huge bearing on everything that you do, given that she was the world's first computer programmer. On Ada Lovelace Day, 170 years since her great contribution to technology, Metro asks why she isn't one of science's household names.
Nate Merrill

President Truman Korean War Address - 2 views

  •  
    "President Truman Korean War Address, President Truman addressed the nation on why the U.S. must intervene in the Korean War"
Kristen McDaniel

Bringing History to Life - High School Notes (usnews.com) - 13 views

  • The students' documentary was part of National History Day, a program that more than 600,000 middle and high school students participate in each year.
  • They're going to archives, going to museums, doing real historical research. In the process of all this, they learn history, they learn about their nation's past. They learn important skills they can apply in their careers and in college.
  • We have empirical data that proves without a doubt that kids who participate in History Day outperform their peers who don't.
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • In middle and high school, that's where the loss of instruction time comes.
  • has to be an engaged study of the past.
  • [National History Day] is not just for gifted and talented students; this is a program that does extremely well with kids in the lower quartile.
  • riginal research, you have an opportunity to form your own opinion on a topic. You're looking at original material. They do have to read secondary material so that they can have context. Have you talked to any teachers about how they're discussing the killing of Osama bin Laden with students? What should teachers be saying to their students? What's the importance of recent history in history class? I haven't had the chance to talk to any teachers since [last] Sunday. But I can tell you that what I hope they're doing is helping young people put this in perspective. I hope they're helping students understand the history of terror and understand why 9/11 happened in the first place. You have to understand the history of the Middle East and the history of the United States' role there, so you can draw some meaning and understanding. Using the word understanding doesn't mean condoning; it just means you need to understand why it may have happened. See how your school stacks up in our rankings of Best High Schools. Have something of interest to share? Send your news to us at highschoolnotes@usnews.com. More High School Notes posts Reader Comments Add Comment Start the discussion! Be the first to comment on this story. var RecaptchaOptions = { theme : 'clean' }; Add Your Thoughts Title Comment 3000 characters left About You Name Email State - state - AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE DC FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY International Please enter the two words below into the text field underneath the image. Recaptcha.widget = Recaptcha.$("recaptcha_widget_div"); Recaptcha.challenge_callback(); Your comment will be posted immediately, unless it is spam or contains profanity. For more information, please see our
  •  
    Outlining the importance of National History Day.
HistoryGrl14 .

Internet History Sourcebooks - 5 views

  •  
    "The New Laws of the Indies, 1542 The Laws and ordinances newly made by His Majesty for the government of the Indies and good treatment and preservation of the Indians created a set of pro-Indian laws - so pro-Indian that they some had to be revoked in Mexico and in Peru due to settler opposition. where the viceroy was killed when he attempted to enforce them. The conflict was between "feudalists" who favored the encomienda system because it maintained society as in the Old World, and the more centralizing "regalists" who wanted to preserve royal power in Spain;s new Empire. Eventually the encomienda was allowed to continue. Charles by the divine clemency Emperor ever august, King of Germany. . . . To the Most Illustrious Prince Don Philip our very dear and very beloved grandson and son, and to the Infantes our grandsons and sons, and to the President, and those of our Council of the Indies, and to our Viceroys, Presidents and Auditors of our Audiencias and royal Chanceries of our said Indies, Islands and Continent of the Ocean Sea; to our Governors, Alcaldes mayores and our other Authorities thereof, and to all the Councils, magistrates, regidores, knights, esquires, officers, and commoners of all the cities, towns, and villages of our said Indies, Islands, and Tierra-firme of the Ocean Sea, discovered and to be discovered; and to any other persons, captains, discoverers, settlers, and inhabitants dwelling in and being natives thereof, of whatever state, quality, condition and pre-eminence they may be. . . . Know ye, That having for many years had will and intention as leisure to occupy ourselves with the affairs of the Indies, on account of their great importance, as well in that touching the service of God our Lord and increase of his holy Catholic faith, as in the preservation of the natives of those parts, and the good government and preservation of their persons; and although we have endeavoured
Daniel Ballantyne

Building a Nation of Know-Nothings - NYTimes.com - 13 views

  •  
    Not directly related to history education but a good example of why we need to teach kids to think critically on their own.
Ed Webb

How we remember them: the 1914-18 war today | openDemocracy - 6 views

  • After the war, however, the problem of reintegrating into society both those who had served and those who had lost, and finding a narrative that could contain both, found one answer by an emphasis on the universality of heroism. A British society that has since the 1960s grown increasingly distant from the realities of military service - whilst remaining dedicated to it as a location for fantasy - has been unable to move on from this rhetorical standpoint
  • The war's portrayal has always been shaped by contemporary cultural mores, and commemorative documentaries demonstrate just how much the relationship between the creators and consumers of popular culture has changed over the last fifty years. For the fiftieth anniversary of 1914, the BBC commissioned the twenty-six part series The Great War, based around archive footage and featuring interviews with veterans. There was an authoritative narrative voice, but no presenters. For the eightieth anniversary, it collaborated with an American television company on a six-part series littered with academic talking-heads. For the ninetieth anniversary, it has had a range of TV presenter-celebrities - among them Michael Palin, Dan Snow, Natalie Cassidy and Eamonn Holmes - on a journey of discovery of their families' military connections. These invariably culminate next to graves and memorials in a display of the right kind of televisual emotion at the moment the formula demands and the audience has come to expect.   The focus of these programmes - family history as a means of understanding the past - is worthy of note in itself. It is indicative of the dramatic growth of family history as a leisure interest, perhaps in response to the sense of dislocation inherent in modernity
  • The search for family history is usually shaped by modern preconceptions, and as such it seldom results by itself in a deeper understanding of the past. The modern experience of finding someone who shares your surname on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website, taking a day trip to France and finding his grave (perhaps with a cathartic tear or few) might increase a person's or family's sense of emotional connection to the war, and may bring other satisfactions. Insofar as it is led not by a direct connection with a loved one, however, but by what television has "taught" as right conduct, it can seldom encourage a more profound appreciation of what the war meant for those who fought it, why they kept fighting, or why they died.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • Projects such as The Great War Archive, which combine popular interest in the war with specialist expertise, and which recognise that an archive is different from a tribute or a memorial, suggest that it is possible to create high-quality content based on user submissions.
  • the exploitation of popular enthusiasm to encourage thought, rather than to enforce the "correct" opinion
  • It is certainly true that the 1914-18 war is popularly seen as the "bad war" and 1939-45 as the "good war." I think the one view is sustained in order to support the other. Although no expert, it seems to me that in reality the two world wars were marked more by their similarities than their differences (Europe-wide military/imperial rivalry causes collapse of inadequate alliance system > Germany invades everywhere > everywhere invades Germany). However, there is an extreme reluctance in Britain to admit that WW2 was anything other than a Manichean struggle between the elves and the orcs, so WW1 becomes a kind of dumping-ground for a lot of suppressed anxiety and guilt which might otherwise accrue to our role in WW2 - just as it might in any war. So we make a donkey out of Haig in order to sustain hagiographic views of Churchill. "Remembrance" of both wars continues to be a central feature of British public consciousness to an extraordinary, almost religious degree, and I think this has a nostalgic angle as well: if "we" squint a bit "we" can still tell ourselves that it was "our" last gasp as a global power. Personally I think it's all incredibly dodgy. "Remembrance," it seems to me, is always carried out in a spirit of tacit acceptance that the "remembered" war was a good thing. Like practically all of the media representation of the current war, Remembrance Day is a show of "sympathy" for the troops which is actually about preventing objective views of particular wars (and war in general) from finding purchase in the public consciousness. It works because it's a highly politicised ritual which is presented as being above politics and therefore above criticism. All these things are ways of manipulating the suffering of service personnel past and present as a means of emotionally blackmailing critics of government into silence. I reckon anyway.
Diana Kenney

Featured Article, Teaching with Primary Sources (Library of Congress) - 12 views

  •  
    Historians see themselves as detectives searching for evidence among primary sources to a mystery that can never be completely solved. Wouldn't this image be more enticing to a bored high school student? It would, and that's one reason why thinking like a historian deserves a place in the American classroom, the sooner the better.
spoutnik ogik

How the U.S. flag changed over time - USATODAY.com - 13 views

  •  
    The American flag was born on June 14, 1777 (now you know why we celebrate Flag Day on this date) after the Continental Congress adopted this resolution: That the Flag of the united states be 13 stripes alternate red and white, that the Union be 13...
Kendra Nielsen

"The Sentiments of a Labourer": William Manning Inquires in the Key of Liberty, 1798 - 3 views

  •  
    Revolution-era farmer William Manning's essay on why education is the "Key of Libberty"
Kay Cunningham

Why preserve books? The new physical archive of the Internet Archive, by Brewster Kahle... - 3 views

  •  
    'Internet Archive is building a physical archive for the long term preservation of one copy of every book, record, and movie we are able to attract or acquire. Because we expect day-to-day access to these materials to occur through digital means, the our physical archive is designed for long-term preservation of materials with only occasional, collection-scale retrieval. Because of this, we can create optimized environments for physical preservation and organizational structures that facilitate appropriate access. A seed bank might be conceptually closest to what we have in mind: storing important objects in safe ways to be used for redundancy, authority, and in case of catastrophe.'
Lisa M Lane

A People's History of the United States - 5 views

  •  
    This great book should really be read by everyone. It is difficult to describe why it so great because it both teaches and inspires. You really just have to read it. We think it is so good that it demands to be as accessible as possible. Once you've finished it, we're sure you'll agree. In fact, years ago, we would offer people twenty dollars if they read the book and didn't think it was completely worth their time. Of all the people who took us up on it, no one collected.
1 - 20 of 53 Next › Last »
Showing 20 items per page