Analyzing Objects
Porcelain
Musket Ball
Smallpox
Nail
Reaper
Shirtwaist
Transistor
Coffee
Record
Tire
Dishwasher
Dress
Stereograph
Stone
Shoe
Question 1:
Historical thinking is putting your mind in the place of those that lived during a particular time period. It is trying to understand what they did, how they did it, and why they did it. It goes beyond memorizing dates and names, and focuses on understanding mindsets and decisions made by those of previous generations and eras.
Question 2:
In my classroom, I can use objects such as pictures and artifacts to guide discussions and help students analyze the decisions of people in the past. They also can be used to help students connect with the past in a more concrete way. There is a difference between knowing how shoes were made in the 19th Century and learning by seeing the stitching for yourself. Images and pictures can also help by giving faces to previous generations. It helps us understand just how horrible the Holocaust was when we can see images of people that were affected by it. Seeing the misery on their faces and the bones protruding from underneath their skin makes it more real than any paragraph in a textbook could.
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Module Id: 689
User Id: 1350
Submitted: Tuesday, March 3, 2020 - 15:47
Question 1:
The nails are different lengths - for different purposes most likely. The sides of the nail are flat, not round like nails manufactured today. They all have varying levels of rust. The heads of the nails are different shapes, but the sizes are all pretty close together.
Question 2:
Since the nails are different sizes, and they have flat sides, they might have been made by a blacksmith, before standardized nails were manufactured during/after the Industrial Revolution. The smaller ones might be used for horseshoes, which would have been more popular before the Industrial Revolution and the invention of cars.
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Module Id: 953
User Id: 1350
Submitted: Friday, March 13, 2020 - 12:17
Question 1:
There is text on the front, though I can't tell what it says. It is worn from weather and time, though it looks like it was shaped somewhat. The corners are squared or rounded in different spots.
Question 2:
It seems like it would be too big for a gravestone, so maybe a marker for a town? Perhaps a property marker of some sort. Likely made before the signs we have today (sheet metal) were easy to produce.
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Module Id: 1039
User Id: 1350
Submitted: Monday, March 23, 2020 - 14:10
Question 1:
It looks to be part of a set. It looks fragile. It is fairly fancy, not you're everyday mug/teacup. However, it's not royalty levels of fancy. The gold lines are uneven, whether from age or hand-craftsmanship I'm not sure.
Question 2:
This could relate to the rise of the upper/middle class during the Industrial revolution. People had more money and could afford nicer kitchen/dining ware. It could also be from wealthy slave-owners who could afford nice things like this.
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Module Id: 951
User Id: 1350
Submitted: Tuesday, March 31, 2020 - 14:24
Question 1:
It's pre-ground coffee "extract." It looks like there's some extras added to it, so perhaps it is instant coffee. It is from the Nestle company.
Question 2:
As Americans became more focused on their jobs and productivity, family time/relaxation time became less important. Thus, instant coffee was born. Workers could maximize their productivity by not having to wait on coffee to brew. Just put it in some hot water, and you're good to go! This would be helpful especially because coffee makers with timers wouldn't be around yet.
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Module Id: 1147
User Id: 1350
Submitted: Monday, May 18, 2020 - 10:10
Question 1:
It looks like an early prototype of a machine. There are exposed gears and belts. The two long handles on the right remind me of something you would strap to a horse or push by hand ( like a wheelbarrow).
Question 2:
Based on the url calling this a "reaper" I would say this was designed to harvest crops more quickly than by hand with a scythe. Corn is a large agricultural product in the US, so maybe it was designed for harvesting it more quickly, or perhaps grains of some kind. I often have related these items back to the industrial revolution, but I feel more sure this one would link back to this time period than any other item I've looked at so far.
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Module Id: 952
User Id: 1350
Submitted: Tuesday, May 26, 2020 - 15:44
Question 1:
It looks like a cell of some kind, likely through a microscope. It doesn't have the definition of many microscopes today. One cell is clearer than the other two.
Question 2:
This could relate to the concrete discovery of germs and how they related to the spread of disease.
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Module Id: 954
User Id: 1350
Submitted: Tuesday, May 26, 2020 - 16:01
Question 1:
The tires are much thinner than ones we use today. Most of them appear very worn down, so definitely not newly produced. One or two still have rims attached, but most are just the tires themselves.
Question 2:
You could connect this to America's waste habits both in the past and today. It might also relate to the changes in automobile design over time. (Wider tires vs. thinner ones)
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Module Id: 1108
User Id: 1350
Submitted: Friday, June 5, 2020 - 14:04
Question 1:
Historical thinking asks learners to use objects and primary sources to analyze history and help them understand it. It helps us put things like documents and primary sources into the context of the times, and reveals the complexity of the time we're studying. Perhaps a more concise way of defining historical thinking would be this: Historical thinking is analyzing objects and primary sources to understand the complexities of history, disillusion us of biased and simplified history, and provide a concrete anchor for our minds to remember important details and key ideas.
Question 2:
Not only can I use primary sources and objects as I previously described, but I can also use them to spark curiosity in students on a particular topic (for something like a "hook" at the beginning of a lesson). I can also use them to develop students' critical thinking skills and help them to recognize bias when they see it.
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Module Id: 689
User Id: 1350
Submitted: Tuesday, March 3, 2020 - 16:28
Question 1:
Mass produced nails were made possible by the Industrial Revolution and its advances in machinery and mass production. Before the machine was invented to mass produce nails, blacksmiths created them by hand, making them very expensive. The Industrial Revolution made cheap nails possible.
Cheap nails, in turn, made continued Westward expansion possible, or at the very least, much easier. If a family packs up all its belongings and heads West, they aren't going to be able to take a stonemason or skilled carpenter with them to make sturdy houses. Cheap nails made stone and post-and-beam houses obsolete. A family could construct a sturdy, comfortable house themselves when they reached their destination. It even got to the point where you could order a pre-made house kit! (some assembly required)
Cheap nails, in turn, made continued Westward expansion possible, or at the very least, much easier. If a family packs up all its belongings and heads West, they aren't going to be able to take a stonemason or skilled carpenter with them to make sturdy houses. Cheap nails made stone and post-and-beam houses obsolete. A family could construct a sturdy, comfortable house themselves when they reached their destination. It even got to the point where you could order a pre-made house kit! (some assembly required)
Question 2:
I imagine the cheaper manufacturing of nails also applied to railroad spikes. Railroads were extremely helpful in speeding up Westward expansion, so the ability to make railroads more cheaply would have only increased the rate at which track was laid.
Going back to the horseshoes idea I mentioned earlier, cheaper nails might have been a minor help with expansion because it means you can get your horse/oxen new shoes more easily, and frees up funds for food, supplies, etc.
Going back to the horseshoes idea I mentioned earlier, cheaper nails might have been a minor help with expansion because it means you can get your horse/oxen new shoes more easily, and frees up funds for food, supplies, etc.
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Module Id: 953
User Id: 1350
Submitted: Friday, March 13, 2020 - 13:14
Question 1:
This boundary stone can represent the boundary that Washington DC served as between the North and the South. Not only was it a border geographically, but ethically and politically as well. The residents straddled the line on slavery, refusing to talk about or publicly support it, while at the same time owning slaves themselves. The tensions between Washington and Alexandria also served as a microcosm for the tensions throughout the country. Alexandria was worried about their access to slavery, and decided they wanted to separate from Washington, just like the South did a few years later, sparking the Civil War.
Question 2:
Students could study the changes in occupations for minorities over the years, including African Americans, Irish, Chinese, etc. What kind of jobs did they do when they first arrived in America, and what kind of jobs do they typically hold now? How has it changed, how has it remained the same?
They could also look at how physical boundaries have changed in their communities. They could study county/city borders, demographics, city zoning, etc.
They could also look at how physical boundaries have changed in their communities. They could study county/city borders, demographics, city zoning, etc.
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Module Id: 1039
User Id: 1350
Submitted: Monday, March 23, 2020 - 16:49
Question 1:
The porcelain represents the luxury items that England's American colonists enjoyed, albeit at a higher price since they had to go through England first. This practice reinforced the mercantilist view of many empires at the time, that colonies were subservient to their mother countries.
Question 2:
I would like to know the Americans' viewpoint on how they should pay back England for the war. Did they suggest alternatives to the taxation, or simply throw a fit that tax laws were being enforced? I would also want to know how the added representation of the colonies would affect the balance of power in parliament. Why not just allow some representation to avoid further conflict and rebellion?
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Module Id: 951
User Id: 1350
Submitted: Tuesday, March 31, 2020 - 14:36
Question 1:
Instant coffee represents creation by necessity, like rations in WWII, as well as the power of capitalist marketing. Companies effectively changed American cooking culture through advertisements and convincing families to buy their instant foods. They had to fight against traditional views of what cooking was supposed to be like as well as the taste difference.
Question 2:
Advertisements only focus on certain parts of life, primarily consuming habits. They don't cover things like many women's drive to provide for the family along with the husband. They also typically depict what companies see as the "ideal" woman, which can be misleading in what the majority of women actually did and what they cared about.
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Module Id: 1147
User Id: 1350
Submitted: Monday, May 18, 2020 - 10:42
Question 1:
The reaper connects to the trends of automation and machine use to leave hand-labor in the dust during the Industrial Revolution. Just like textile factories could produce many times more than the cottage industry, the reaper allowed farmers to produce many times more than subsistence farming. The reaper also led to the expansion of transport infrastructure, much like the rising coal and steel industries did. The increased output of products meant producers needed to access a larger market.
Question 2:
Another cause of urbanization and changes to American living would be increased factory production. Anyone that couldn't survive on farming anymore or who was out of a job in rural areas could move to the city where factories were always looking for new laborers. A lack of workers' rights meant anyone injured on the job needed to be replaced, so openings were always available. This also changed how the family worked as women and children worked to support the family outside the home as well as the man.
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Module Id: 952
User Id: 1350
Submitted: Tuesday, May 26, 2020 - 15:53
Question 1:
Smallpox affected the daily life of everyone in the 18th century. Cities placed quarantine measures when outbreaks occurred, though they varied much like they do today with COVID-19. Smallpox played a key role in allowing Europeans to quickly and easily pacify Native Americans in the New World, as well as presenting challenges to the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.
Question 2:
One benefit is it allows us to compare how people reacted to disease before advanced sciences were available to now, when we have better understanding of diseases. It can help us determine the best course of action when we do have an outbreak of disease. One drawback might be viewing disease as a totally bad thing without seeing some of the benefits, such as herd immunity or an economic and societal shift in favor of the commoners after something like the Black Plague.
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Module Id: 954
User Id: 1350
Submitted: Friday, June 5, 2020 - 13:50
Question 1:
The tires relate to the intense rationing that took place during WWII to preserve resources for the war effort. The baldness of the tires is because they were used as long as possible to preserve the rubber supply. Tires needed to last as long as possible because of the limited supply of rubber. The rationing also impacted American lifestyles, especially recreational driving. Many things were rationed, from food to cigarettes.
Question 2:
Who was making the posters? Who is the target audience? What is the goal of the poster? What problem led the creation of the posters?
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Module Id: 1108
User Id: 1350
Submitted: Friday, June 5, 2020 - 14:35
Title: Diving Deeper Into History: Not just names and dates
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
I would start by asking students to tell me about a certain historical figure or event, anything they knew. I would write down their answers in two categories (unlabeled) based on if it was "surface" knowledge or if it was getting deeper into the analysis and critical thinking of historical thinking. Then we would watch the video together to get an idea of what historical thinking was. I would pause it after each of the 5 sections to discuss that section's importance and meaning with students. As we go through the module, I would pause at each artifact and ask them to tell me what they thought it was, what it was used for, etc. Once we had that, I would ask them what the object tells us about the people of the time, to connect it to broader themes we've discussed, etc. I would most likely finish by having students pick from a variety of objects, with short descriptions (date created/written, author/artist name, etc.) and have them go through the "See, Think, Wonder" process with a guiding worksheet. If we had time, we would then share our answers and compare them to others who picked the same objects.
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Module Id: 689
User Id: 1350
Submitted: Tuesday, March 3, 2020 - 16:36
Title: Introducing WWII
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
I would use these strategies to help understand how the Treaty of Versailles allowed for Hitler's rule and partly caused WWII. I would start by asking students what they knew about the beginning of WWII/the Treaty of Versailles. I'd divide up their answers between "surface" knowledge, and answers that started to dig at the "why." Newspaper articles and letters as well as selections from "Mein Kampf" could be used to connect the Treaty of Versailles to WWII. Perhaps I would have students pick one or two objects/sources and use the "See, Think, Wonder" method to analyze the document(s). Then we would compare them with others' ideas that picked the same documents. A full class discussion would ask them to pull on what they already knew about the Treaty of Versailles and Interwar period to put the documents in context. From there, we could launch into the other causes of WWII that also contributed.
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Module Id: 689
User Id: 1350
Submitted: Tuesday, March 3, 2020 - 16:43
Title: Hammering Home the effects of the Industrial Revolution
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
I would use the resources in this module to connect the Industrial Revolution to Westward Expansion, asking students to make connections over time and space. I would hook them by asking what they thought to be the smallest/most insignificant seeming invention that actually changed the world forever. A short discussion would follow. Once we had quickly reviewed the Industrial Revolution and discussed some of the hardships people encountered in their journeys West (including the homes they built, using resources from this module), I would ask students how they might make life easier and more comfortable with inventions, tools, etc. from the Industrial Revolution. I would then introduce the nail, and ask students to reflect on how that might make the journey and life easier in the West. After hearing some responses, we would discuss why not many people used lots of nails, and the change after machine-made nails became available. Finally, I would ask them to reflect on how Westward Expansion might be different if the Industrial Revolution had not happened.
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Module Id: 953
User Id: 1350
Submitted: Friday, March 13, 2020 - 13:32
Title: Washington DC: Toeing the Line on Slavery
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
I would have students study the relationship between Washington DC and Alexandria, and then have them make connections to the country as a whole. Students would explain how this small conflict of values reflects the larger causes for the Civil War. They would also explore the conflicting values of having slaves and not being willing to support slavery, as many DC residents did.
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Module Id: 1039
User Id: 1350
Submitted: Monday, March 23, 2020 - 16:54
Title: America in Rebellion: Overreaction or Justified Revolution?
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
After reviewing the causes explained in this module and some beyond, students would be split into two groups, Pro-Americans and Pro-English, to debate on whether the Revolution was justified. After a formal debate, students would write a few paragraphs detailing their own opinions on the matter, making sure to use evidence to support their arguments.
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Module Id: 951
User Id: 1350
Submitted: Tuesday, March 31, 2020 - 14:41
Title: What we eat
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
This could be a very interesting lesson on the power of Capitalist corporations as well as the importance of good nutrition. We could look at how students' families typically ate and what they ate, and then compare that to eating habits of families before WWII. We could also explore the reasons we choose to eat instant/ easily prepared meals rather than cooking from scratch. Finally, we could analyze the advertisements and discuss how effective they were, as well as compare them to advertisements we have for products today.
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Module Id: 1147
User Id: 1350
Submitted: Monday, May 18, 2020 - 10:47
Title: The Industrial Snowball Effect
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
The goal of this lesson would be to connect all the inventions and new techniques used during the Industrial Revolution together. We would look at many different inventions like the reaper and cotton gin and analyze their impact on society. We would make connections like how the increased need of railroads was in part fulfilled by new, cheaper ways to produce steel. The increased need for steel then lets the mining industry explode, along with various mining inventions. Finally, we would create a web of all our examples to show how interconnected every piece of the Industrial Revolution was connected.
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Module Id: 952
User Id: 1350
Submitted: Tuesday, May 26, 2020 - 15:57
Title: Smallpox then and Corona Virus Now
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
We would examine the documents and materials provided, then discuss similarities and differences to the COVID-19 pandemic that is ongoing. The goal would be to measure what type of reactions and precautions we should take as well as highlight the importance of vaccinations.
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Module Id: 954
User Id: 1350
Submitted: Friday, June 5, 2020 - 13:52
Title: War on the Homefront
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
This lesson would focus on the sacrifices civilians took during WWII. We would examine rationing, manufacturing changes, lifestyle changes, etc. Then we could compare those to the changes (or lack thereof) during wartime today. How have our lives changed b/c of war? Are the changes as pervasive or drastic as the changes during WWII?
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Module Id: 1108
User Id: 1350
Submitted: Friday, June 5, 2020 - 14:37