Memories of a 100-Year-Old, Week 1

To make history come alive, get to know someone much older and ask them about their historical memories. My mother-in-law, 100, has moved into my home, at least temporarily, and it's an opportunity for me to learn what it was like growing up in the 1920s, 1930s, and early 1940s. Read my Substack newsletter, "Life …

Ask Students to Consider 20 What If Questions on US and European History

One way to assess students' knowledge of particular eras or periods of history is to ask "what if" or "think" questions to teach causality and consequences of events, and that history is contingent, not inevitable? They can mull these questions individually or discuss them with a partner or in small groups. Below are 20 examples. …

How Would You Tell America’s Story?

"Intellectuals from Jill Lepore and Michael Lind to David Brooks and Ross Douthat have pointed to the need for a new national story, or possibly a renewed one, in order to provide a communal identity incorporating an understanding of our national origins, purpose, and possible future. People need such a story and, as Lepore has …

British Attitudes Toward India

"To the British, India served as the jewel of the British Empire. The coffers of Britain overflowed with wealth extracted from the subcontinent. The initial acquisition of India under the British East India Company and the ongoing domination under the British Raj of a population many times the size of the occupying force proved to …

How to Read and Take Notes Like A PhD Student

The RedHead Academic, a PhD student in history and African American Studies at Yale University and Oxford, has more than 52,000 subscribers and 2.6 million viewers of her Youtube channel, which has dozens of videos. In the video below, she offers tips for reading fast and efficiently for slow readers and recommends Notion software, which …

American Imperialist Beliefs in the Late 1800s: Pro and Con

Students should read the following documents and list on a chart the key arguments of the imperialists/expansionists, to prepare for debates. Two "Pro" Arguments (Pro-Imperialist) "The US Looking Outwards" by Alfred Thayer Mahan, 1890, The Atlantic. He was a United States naval officer and historian, whom John Keegan called "the most important American strategist of …

Napoleon on War Strategy and the Importance of Military and Citizen Morale to Winning

"In war, morale forces are to physical (forces) as to three to one." -- Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon sought to dominate Europe, but famously got bogged down when he invaded Russia where his forces got stuck in the early spring melt of ice into mud. The same thing happened to Adolph Hitler when he invaded Russia, …

Secure Borders of the US?

Compare the security of the borders of the US to other major powers of the world, particularly China, Russia, Britain, France, and Spain. How often has the US experienced invasion or migration compared to these other countries?

Rosenwald Schools Educated African Americans in Segregated South, As Student Film Illustrated

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfxfxSgSlGM This high school student documentary about the Rosenwald Schools, which were built across the South as the result of a partnership and friendship between Julius Rosenwald and Booker T. Washington, was the National History Day group documentary winner in 2014. It was created by Woodlawn School students Quinn Schneider and Jake Johnson of Mooresville, …

Helping Students Understand Foundational Documents of the U.S.

“Driving excellence in humanities education,” the National Endowment for the Humanities has created lesson plans, teacher guides, and media resources for the study of American history. Among the resources: “A More Perfect Union: History and Civics Materials for the Nation’s 250th Anniversary.” “Landmarks of American History and Culture: Resources for Place-based Teaching and Research.” The site includes …