Analyzing Objects
Porcelain
Musket Ball
Smallpox
Nail
Reaper
Shirtwaist
Transistor
Coffee
Record
Tire
Dishwasher
Dress
Stereograph
Stone
Shoe
Question 1:
Historical Thinking involves looking pasted the basic description of something and look to analyze the purpose or significance of it. Historical Thinking invites you to look for answer to How and Why questions regarding something rather than the simple Who or what
Question 2:
Objects have much significance beyond their simple appearance or description. Looking to analyze how something may have been used or for what purpose it served in the lives of its owner helps explore greater themes and values of historical periods.
Redirect: /content/what-historical-thinking
Module Id: 689
User Id: 1319
Submitted: Monday, February 24, 2020 - 11:51
Question 1: The Object is a cup and a Saucer. It is detailed and looks to be well made.
Question 2:
This looks like something that would have been owned by the wealthy and not the majority of people in early American Society.
Redirect: /content/porcelain-resources
Module Id: 951
User Id: 1319
Submitted: Wednesday, April 8, 2020 - 14:08
Question 1: These items look like computer or electronic circuitry items.
Question 2:
These items would play a huge role in major Inventions in history like the Radio and Television.
Redirect: /content/transistor-resources
Module Id: 1146
User Id: 1319
Submitted: Wednesday, April 15, 2020 - 15:45
Question 1:
They look like different lengths of nails. Possibly the different lengths would be used in different building materials or would have been used at different times
Question 2:
My first thought go to the completion of building railroads across the country, but they seem too small to be railroad spikes. Possibly related to the Industrial revolution?
Redirect: /content/nail-resources
Module Id: 953
User Id: 1319
Submitted: Wednesday, April 15, 2020 - 18:16
Question 1:
This letter is stamped Confederate States of America, so this was processed during the American Civil War or directly before it.
Question 2:
This artifact serves to discuss how southern states left the United States and created their own government. The Civil War soon followed.
Redirect: /content/mail-resources
Module Id: 1021
User Id: 1319
Submitted: Thursday, April 16, 2020 - 11:05
Question 1:
It looks like some sort of machine. Possibly used in the production of textiles.
Question 2:
This definitely looks at the change in production from doing things by hand to manufacturing during the Industrial Revolution.
Redirect: /content/reaper-resources
Module Id: 952
User Id: 1319
Submitted: Thursday, April 16, 2020 - 11:52
Question 1:
Old and worn out pair of shoes. Looks like the hard soles have been stitched on to the upper portion. These have been through a lot.
Question 2:
This definitely hits at how an item like shoes at one point in American history were definitely luxury goods. Even if not the most expensive, the average american probably did not replace them often or have many pair.
Redirect: /content/shoe-resources
Module Id: 1002
User Id: 1319
Submitted: Thursday, April 16, 2020 - 14:03
Question 1:
This is a very old Record. I can barely make out a date of 1904 suggesting this is an original 78
Question 2:
This record could be a symbol of growing prosperity in the early 1900's and the influence of music in American culture.
Redirect: /content/record-resources
Module Id: 1128
User Id: 1319
Submitted: Thursday, April 16, 2020 - 16:24
Question 1:
Historical Thinking involves looking past the basic description of something and looking to analyze the purpose or significance of it. Historical Thinking invites you to look for answer to How and Why questions regarding something rather than the simple Who or what. It involves looking at multiple perspectives to put together an entire picture that will explain everything we can learn about something from the past.
Question 2:
Objects have much significance beyond their simple appearance or description. Looking to analyze how something may have been used or for what purpose it served in the lives of its owner helps explore greater themes and values of historical periods. Using Object allows students to put their hands on "history" so to speak and develop questions and hypothesis that help them formulate the stories we use to explain the past.
Redirect: /content/connections-essay-historical-thinking
Module Id: 689
User Id: 1319
Submitted: Monday, February 24, 2020 - 12:31
Question 1:
Porcelain would definitely be an item of luxury. It would be something that only the wealthy could afford in the first place, but could then boycott when Americans were boycotting luxury goods. It also would be used to serve other imported goods like coffee and more importantly tea.
Question 2:
Where there any additional arguments to allow taxation and perhaps give the colonists seats in British Parliament?
How self sufficient could American society be without British imports? Would it serve the economic futures of wealthy Americans to make their own products regardless of representation?
How self sufficient could American society be without British imports? Would it serve the economic futures of wealthy Americans to make their own products regardless of representation?
Redirect: /content/porcelain-connections-essay
Module Id: 951
User Id: 1319
Submitted: Wednesday, April 15, 2020 - 13:44
Question 1:
The transistor revolutionized the development of technology. From Computers like the ENIAC using vacuum tubes to smaller circuits using transistors to the invention of the Integrated Circuit for personal computers.
Question 2:
Questions that would be useful in the analysis of the patents in this model would include when they were filed, the name of the company, and the significance of the advancement.
Redirect: /content/transistor-connections-essay
Module Id: 1146
User Id: 1319
Submitted: Wednesday, April 15, 2020 - 16:02
Question 1:
These mass produced nails allow for the quick construction of functional sturdy homes as the US population quickly grew and spread west
Question 2:
"Staking Claim" to land out west was only the first step. Once territory was claimed it would be necessary to build a homestead and fence in animals that were raised or crops. These mass produced nails would allow quick access to materials to set up these properties and defend them from wild animals and potential unfriendly neighbors.
Redirect: /content/nail-connections-essay
Module Id: 953
User Id: 1319
Submitted: Wednesday, April 15, 2020 - 18:30
Question 1:
The mail was a popular tool for anti-slavery abolitionists to spread there message across southern states. With the establishment of the post office to help circulate newspapers and demonstrate the power of freedom of the press and speech. These groups had a powerful tool for their goal.
Question 2:
This module has helped me look at how so many of the "states rights" in question had fundamental roots in Slavery. States wanted to regulate the distribution of material they deemed in opposition to their view on slavery even though doing so directly went against the constitution. This really shows the tension between who has ultimate authority
Redirect: /content/mail-connections-essay
Module Id: 1021
User Id: 1319
Submitted: Thursday, April 16, 2020 - 11:25
Question 1:
With the advances in planting technology, farmers needed harvesting technology to truly help them increase farm production.
Question 2:
A connection to the ending of Slavery and the need for increased mechanization to produce agricultural products at the same scale as before.
Redirect: /content/reaper-connections-essay
Module Id: 952
User Id: 1319
Submitted: Thursday, April 16, 2020 - 12:07
Question 1:
These are Soldiers Boots. As opposed to my original thoughts these were mass produced and usually of poor quality. These items along with many others were necessary to prepare and send soldiers off to war.
Question 2:
Some examples of resources to reflect changing relationships between the government and citizens would include draft cards used in connection with the early draft and then later draft riots, other basic supplies like Uniforms and items produced by different companies across the Union Army. Examples of prices charged for commodities during the time of war.
Redirect: /content/shoe-connections-essay
Module Id: 1002
User Id: 1319
Submitted: Thursday, April 16, 2020 - 14:18
Question 1:
The title of the song suggests the early age of America with its waves of immigration. However, the reality of the song being sung by an immigrant who changed her name to assimilate highlights the inequality and hardships that other less able to assimilate faced.
Question 2:
I have a rather impressive collection of reproductions of primary sources published by Jackdaw on Immigration. Some of the best items it contains are journal entries of immigrants telling firsthand their experiences. There are also maps showing immigrant distribution. I used these resources to develop an interesting immigration simulation.
Redirect: /content/record-connections-essay
Module Id: 1128
User Id: 1319
Submitted: Thursday, April 16, 2020 - 16:56
Title: Reasons for History
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
IB History is directly connected to the ideas and strategies from this model. Each Unit invites me to devise content that helps students recognize the How and Why questions of history. I use Primary documents that offer multiple perspectives on Key debates in US and World History. We call looking at general themes and perspectives on history and how they have changed over time Historiography.
Using Objects to assist in my 20th Century Topics Class (Senior Year IB History) allows students to use inquiry based strategies to strengthen their Historical thinking skills. It would be nice to have tangible objects, but photographs or other primary sources work well when these objects cannot be obtained or replicated. Looking at photographs of WWI trenches for example allows students the opportunity to analyze the life of the WWI solider and the conditions they faced. This can lead to conversations analyzing military victories and defeats from a perspective of the conditions in the trench rather than shear military might or invited students to think about how someone could overcome the defensive advantages of the trench.
Overall giving students objects to stimulate thinking and getting them to construct claims about the reasons behind historical events helps them capture the essence of why and how events occurred which in turn explains their significance.
Using Objects to assist in my 20th Century Topics Class (Senior Year IB History) allows students to use inquiry based strategies to strengthen their Historical thinking skills. It would be nice to have tangible objects, but photographs or other primary sources work well when these objects cannot be obtained or replicated. Looking at photographs of WWI trenches for example allows students the opportunity to analyze the life of the WWI solider and the conditions they faced. This can lead to conversations analyzing military victories and defeats from a perspective of the conditions in the trench rather than shear military might or invited students to think about how someone could overcome the defensive advantages of the trench.
Overall giving students objects to stimulate thinking and getting them to construct claims about the reasons behind historical events helps them capture the essence of why and how events occurred which in turn explains their significance.
Redirect: /content/analyzing-objects-wrap
Module Id: 689
User Id: 1319
Submitted: Monday, February 24, 2020 - 12:49
Title: Revolution rooted in Luxury
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
In a High School US History class looking at the foundations of the American Revolution it would be easy to bring in items such as a tea cup or at least use a visual to generate a discussion about what porcelain said the status of a person in early colonial America.
After having a brief discussion about the item class could move to an analysis of different items such as stamps on newspapers, and begin to look at an "Big Picture" Question regarding who in society was impacted by the internal taxes following the 7 years war.
Groups would receive an item or picture of an item with guiding questions asking them to analyze the item, which tax impacted it and which members of society would have the greatest issue with it.
Follow-up would ask them to consider the implications of boycotting these items.
In future classes we would look at the British response to the boycott and how these tensions would lead eventually to the severing of ties between the British and the Colonists.
After having a brief discussion about the item class could move to an analysis of different items such as stamps on newspapers, and begin to look at an "Big Picture" Question regarding who in society was impacted by the internal taxes following the 7 years war.
Groups would receive an item or picture of an item with guiding questions asking them to analyze the item, which tax impacted it and which members of society would have the greatest issue with it.
Follow-up would ask them to consider the implications of boycotting these items.
In future classes we would look at the British response to the boycott and how these tensions would lead eventually to the severing of ties between the British and the Colonists.
Redirect: /content/porcelain-wrap
Module Id: 951
User Id: 1319
Submitted: Wednesday, April 15, 2020 - 13:51
Title: Evolution of Technology
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
Students would work in groups to create mini research products that document the impact of the transistor on a particular brand of technology. Ideally groups of 4 or 5 (6 for large classes)students would be Divided into the following
Computers
Telephone Communication
Radio
Television
Lighting
Groups would be responsible for researching the development of their technology before the transistor. How the Transistor impacted that technology and how the technology has advance since (For example looking at integrated circuits). Also important would be significant inventors and innovators of the the technology over time.
Groups would present their finding and ask questions of the other groups.
Computers
Telephone Communication
Radio
Television
Lighting
Groups would be responsible for researching the development of their technology before the transistor. How the Transistor impacted that technology and how the technology has advance since (For example looking at integrated circuits). Also important would be significant inventors and innovators of the the technology over time.
Groups would present their finding and ask questions of the other groups.
Redirect: /content/transistor-wrap
Module Id: 1146
User Id: 1319
Submitted: Wednesday, April 15, 2020 - 16:09
Title: From Humble but Expensive Origins.
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
It would be fantastic to get actual copies of these early mass produced nails.
Class opening/warm-up would consist of a questions regarding the expenses of something like a nail to look at the unsuspecting prices that nails before mass production would have had.
Then moving into alternative constructions. Asking groups to hypothesis how they would build homes without nails.
Bulk of the class would revolve around westward expansion and the desire to claim territory and how it linked up with early stages of the industrial revolution and the mass production of building materials like nails.
Class would seek to ask basic questions such as:
How would mass producing building materials make moving west easier?
How do we see the development of major western cities as a result of the mass production of items like nails?
What are some common expensive items that if mass produced cheap and efficiently could lead to the next wave of "expansion"?
Class opening/warm-up would consist of a questions regarding the expenses of something like a nail to look at the unsuspecting prices that nails before mass production would have had.
Then moving into alternative constructions. Asking groups to hypothesis how they would build homes without nails.
Bulk of the class would revolve around westward expansion and the desire to claim territory and how it linked up with early stages of the industrial revolution and the mass production of building materials like nails.
Class would seek to ask basic questions such as:
How would mass producing building materials make moving west easier?
How do we see the development of major western cities as a result of the mass production of items like nails?
What are some common expensive items that if mass produced cheap and efficiently could lead to the next wave of "expansion"?
Redirect: /content/nail-wrap
Module Id: 953
User Id: 1319
Submitted: Wednesday, April 15, 2020 - 18:37
Title: Freedom of Information
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
I like the idea of starting a lesson utilizing a piece of mail such as the one that started this module. It seems innocent enough but asking student groups to look at it and think about why it would be significant. This of course would take place during the unit building up to the civil war, so many may see the significance of the "Confederate States of America" stamp.
groups would be asked to come up with a list of mail items they hate getting. Naturally this list will include things like:
Junk Mail
SPAM email
Political Advertisements
Once the groups have reported there could be a brief presentation and/or reading regarding the First Amendment and the Post Offices position on delivering the mail of abolitionist regardless of the desire of pro-slavery states. groups will be given a Graphical Organizer to guide their discoveries.
After the Presentation groups will be asked to think critically about this and answer several questions.
How does Junk Mail represent freedom?
What would happen if it became illegal to deliver political advertisements?
How does the tension between the Post Office and Pro-Slavery States illustrate the significance of slavery in the causes of the Civil War?
groups would be asked to come up with a list of mail items they hate getting. Naturally this list will include things like:
Junk Mail
SPAM email
Political Advertisements
Once the groups have reported there could be a brief presentation and/or reading regarding the First Amendment and the Post Offices position on delivering the mail of abolitionist regardless of the desire of pro-slavery states. groups will be given a Graphical Organizer to guide their discoveries.
After the Presentation groups will be asked to think critically about this and answer several questions.
How does Junk Mail represent freedom?
What would happen if it became illegal to deliver political advertisements?
How does the tension between the Post Office and Pro-Slavery States illustrate the significance of slavery in the causes of the Civil War?
Redirect: /content/mail-wrap
Module Id: 1021
User Id: 1319
Submitted: Thursday, April 16, 2020 - 11:38
Title: Paths and Progress
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
Class will be divided into main groups
Farm Technology
Transportation Technology.
Each group will have 3 subgroups. These subgroups will research how things were done before and after a particular technology was developed. Each subgroup will present then students will decide which was the most important for that group.
Then a final debate over which was more important to the urbanization and advancement of industrial America.
Subgroups.
Farming: Planting, Harvesting, Finishing (Threshing etc. )
Transportation: (Roads, Waterways, Rail)
Concluding remarks will ask students to synthesis these reports to comment on a final overarching question.
How did the development of farming and transportation technology help urbanize and modernize 19th century America?
Farm Technology
Transportation Technology.
Each group will have 3 subgroups. These subgroups will research how things were done before and after a particular technology was developed. Each subgroup will present then students will decide which was the most important for that group.
Then a final debate over which was more important to the urbanization and advancement of industrial America.
Subgroups.
Farming: Planting, Harvesting, Finishing (Threshing etc. )
Transportation: (Roads, Waterways, Rail)
Concluding remarks will ask students to synthesis these reports to comment on a final overarching question.
How did the development of farming and transportation technology help urbanize and modernize 19th century America?
Redirect: /content/reaper-wrap
Module Id: 952
User Id: 1319
Submitted: Thursday, April 16, 2020 - 12:14
Title: A Growing Federal Government
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
Groups of students would be given several artifacts (or pictures of) and asked to develop a a way for the Federal Government to fund and produce these goods.
The existing departments of the Executive Branch would be provided for the time of 1860 (for a round number)
Students would be asked to look at what departments would need to be expanded and or any departments that would need to be created to help facilitate the changes needed to prepare and fund the American Civil War.
Suggested Items
Soldiers boots
Draft Cards
Ration
Weapons and Munitions
Transportation
Following these projects groups would look at the how the Federal Government expanded during the Civil war and compare their proposals to the actual implementation.
Questions to consider include.
How did the Federal Government expand during the Civil War?
Why was it necessary for the Government to expand during this conflict?
What is significant about the suggestion that the United States did not truly become unified under the Federal Government till after the Civil War forced it to be?
The existing departments of the Executive Branch would be provided for the time of 1860 (for a round number)
Students would be asked to look at what departments would need to be expanded and or any departments that would need to be created to help facilitate the changes needed to prepare and fund the American Civil War.
Suggested Items
Soldiers boots
Draft Cards
Ration
Weapons and Munitions
Transportation
Following these projects groups would look at the how the Federal Government expanded during the Civil war and compare their proposals to the actual implementation.
Questions to consider include.
How did the Federal Government expand during the Civil War?
Why was it necessary for the Government to expand during this conflict?
What is significant about the suggestion that the United States did not truly become unified under the Federal Government till after the Civil War forced it to be?
Redirect: /content/shoe-wrap
Module Id: 1002
User Id: 1319
Submitted: Thursday, April 16, 2020 - 14:31
Title: Immigration Simulations
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
I have used this simulation in a variety of classes from US and World History to AP Human Geography.
Students are given a card that has a made up immigrant on it. They then work their way around the stations of the class using the information about their immigrant to learn of their experience.
Some of the stations included.
Original Passage: (Some potential immigrants do not even arrive)
Ellis or Angel: (Depending on the origin immigrants receive different treatment and even deportation
Poor or Wealthy: (The amount of starting funds radically impacts an immigrant upon arrival)
Race and Ethnicity: (Determines treatment and opportunities based upon time of arrival)
Skilled or Unskilled: (Job opportunities impacted)
Single or Married: (Traveling alone or with family alters outcomes)
It becomes a sort of random story for a made up person. After the stages student answer follow up questions regarding the experience of the early American Immigrant with connections to today.
Who was your immigrant? What was their experience like? Were you able to assimilate into American Society? Find a Job? Secure a home? What does your experience say about the realities of 19th century immigration to the US? What does this suggest about modern day immigration?
Students are given a card that has a made up immigrant on it. They then work their way around the stations of the class using the information about their immigrant to learn of their experience.
Some of the stations included.
Original Passage: (Some potential immigrants do not even arrive)
Ellis or Angel: (Depending on the origin immigrants receive different treatment and even deportation
Poor or Wealthy: (The amount of starting funds radically impacts an immigrant upon arrival)
Race and Ethnicity: (Determines treatment and opportunities based upon time of arrival)
Skilled or Unskilled: (Job opportunities impacted)
Single or Married: (Traveling alone or with family alters outcomes)
It becomes a sort of random story for a made up person. After the stages student answer follow up questions regarding the experience of the early American Immigrant with connections to today.
Who was your immigrant? What was their experience like? Were you able to assimilate into American Society? Find a Job? Secure a home? What does your experience say about the realities of 19th century immigration to the US? What does this suggest about modern day immigration?
Redirect: /content/record-wrap
Module Id: 1128
User Id: 1319
Submitted: Thursday, April 16, 2020 - 17:03