Analyzing Objects
Porcelain
Musket Ball
Smallpox
Nail
Reaper
Shirtwaist
Transistor
Coffee
Record
Tire
Dishwasher
Dress
Stereograph
Stone
Shoe
Question 1: It is thinking about the past.
Question 2: I can investigate and determine the story an object can tell about the past.
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Module Id: 689
User Id: 1396
Submitted: Wednesday, February 26, 2020 - 16:18
Question 1: The nails are not uniform and appear to be handmade.
Question 2:
They might have been used for different specific purposes, or in different regions.
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Module Id: 953
User Id: 1396
Submitted: Thursday, March 5, 2020 - 21:08
Question 1: It is a rusted olive drab can of coffee, probably from a c-rations meal kit.
Question 2:
The product (coffee) has been a vital part of many American's daily lives for several centuries. The can demonstrates mass production. The color indicates military usage.
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Module Id: 1147
User Id: 1396
Submitted: Friday, March 13, 2020 - 16:16
Question 1:
It is official business from the CSA and has been postmarked from Virginia. It has two legible names, one from South Carolina.
Question 2:
It shows the Confederate government used the process of franking for official business. This could be the beginning of a lesson on postal or government procedures.
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Module Id: 1021
User Id: 1396
Submitted: Tuesday, March 17, 2020 - 12:34
Question 1:
The shoes appear to fit either foot, are made of leather. The soles don't look to be very worn, except for the toes.
Question 2:
They were probably worn by someone who lived in the countryside, away from roads.
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Module Id: 1002
User Id: 1396
Submitted: Tuesday, March 17, 2020 - 13:07
Question 1: These look like old tires off military trucks. There are a lot of them.
Question 2: It might indicate the reduction of our military supplies after a war.
Redirect: /content/tire-resources
Module Id: 1108
User Id: 1396
Submitted: Tuesday, March 17, 2020 - 13:36
Question 1: It seems like a drawing from assembly directions, meaning it is mass produced.
Question 2:
Availability would indicate expansion of farming and increase of food production. It probably accompanies a period of population growth and westward expansion.
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Module Id: 952
User Id: 1396
Submitted: Tuesday, March 17, 2020 - 14:22
Question 1: I think they are small electronic parts.
Question 2: They might give clues to technological advances in communication.
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Module Id: 1146
User Id: 1396
Submitted: Wednesday, March 18, 2020 - 12:18
Question 1:
Historical thinking is investigating the past, including use of primary and secondary sources.
Question 2: I can have students try to determine purpose and/or significance of objects.
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Module Id: 689
User Id: 1396
Submitted: Wednesday, February 26, 2020 - 17:28
Question 1:
It helps to explain the changes in home construction and the decrease of log homes. Mass production also points toward growing uniformity of American popular culture.
Question 2:
The expense and rarity of nails helps to understand why so many homes were built of logs, or sod, during the rapid westward expansion.
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Module Id: 953
User Id: 1396
Submitted: Thursday, March 5, 2020 - 21:42
Question 1:
It is an example of how military necessity leads to more convenience at home. The uniformity provided my mass production also leads to conformity in popular culture.
Question 2:
Instead of simply assessing the effectiveness of a particular advertising campaign, we have to dig deeper to find reasons behind success or failure. It was interesting to learn that women held such opinions about who would use instant coffee.
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Module Id: 1147
User Id: 1396
Submitted: Friday, March 13, 2020 - 18:16
Question 1:
The postal service developed at the same time as the abolitionist movement. It was used to help speed the end of slavery. Controlling the flow of information is usually an important part of tyrannical strategies.
Question 2:
I am now more aware of the important role of the postal service in the abolitionist movement.
Redirect: /content/mail-connections-essay
Module Id: 1021
User Id: 1396
Submitted: Tuesday, March 17, 2020 - 12:58
Question 1:
The uniformity and mass production necessary to equip an army paralleled the growth of federal power and oversight.
Question 2:
A chart displaying the chain of command for Army supply would show a drastic increase in size of the federal government. Letters written by federal employees would be a great source of information.
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Module Id: 1002
User Id: 1396
Submitted: Tuesday, March 17, 2020 - 13:26
Question 1:
The seriously worn treads indicate how long they were used during the wartime rationing of WW2.
Question 2:
Who is the target of the propaganda? What is the desired goal of the poster? Did the advertising campaign work?
Redirect: /content/tire-connections-essay
Module Id: 1108
User Id: 1396
Submitted: Tuesday, March 17, 2020 - 13:48
Question 1:
The decreasing need for manpower in farming led to increased urbanization, westward expansion, and improvements in infrastructure.
Question 2:
Maps showing the growth of railroads, and charts of freight costs, would help explain decreasing relative costs of goods. This would also help explain the westward growth of our population.
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Module Id: 952
User Id: 1396
Submitted: Tuesday, March 17, 2020 - 14:35
Question 1:
It is an important link in the technological advances of our society. It helped speed computation and communication. Space travel and popular culture have benefited greatly from the transistor.
Question 2:
What inventions preceded this one? What inventions developed as a result of this one? What inventions will come next in the line of succession?
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Module Id: 1146
User Id: 1396
Submitted: Wednesday, March 18, 2020 - 12:48
Title: Military Decoration
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
I could introduce the Spanish-American War by showing my students an actual medal from one of my ancestors. They would notice the dates and locations listed on the medal. Also, they might consider why "Porto Rico" is spelled incorrectly.
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Module Id: 689
User Id: 1396
Submitted: Wednesday, February 26, 2020 - 17:37
Title: My House
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
I would point out that I live in a house ordered from a Sears & Roebuck catalog, and delivered by the railroad 100 yards away from my porch. My students could see how quickly homes were built during the westward expansion.
Redirect: /content/nail-wrap
Module Id: 953
User Id: 1396
Submitted: Thursday, March 5, 2020 - 21:50
Title: Invasion of the Pod Snatchers
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
It would be interesting to ask how the idea of brewing coffee from a pod (like Keurig) originated. I could bring in examples of instant coffees (pods, powdered instant) and ground or whole bean. Students could compare convenience and quality, then determine how they would market the product.
Redirect: /content/coffee-wrap
Module Id: 1147
User Id: 1396
Submitted: Friday, March 13, 2020 - 18:25
Title: Send the Message
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
Most students only learn two or three things about the mail. Ben Franklin started the post office, the Pony Express delivered across the country, and interfering with the mails gave reason to stop railroad strikes.
Redirect: /content/mail-wrap
Module Id: 1021
User Id: 1396
Submitted: Tuesday, March 17, 2020 - 13:02
Title: The Sole of America
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
I could bring some of my boots from the Cold War Navy, Gulf War Era, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Students could compare and contrast the different styles with the operational needs of our military.
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Module Id: 1002
User Id: 1396
Submitted: Tuesday, March 17, 2020 - 13:32
Title: What Comes Around Goes Around
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
We are experiencing virtual rationing now as a result of COVID-19. How would the war have proceeded if Americans were trying to hoard items like the way some are now (hand sanitizer, toilet paper, masks, gloves)? Have we forgotten what cooperation can achieve?
Redirect: /content/tire-wrap
Module Id: 1108
User Id: 1396
Submitted: Tuesday, March 17, 2020 - 13:53
Title: Don't Fear the Reaper
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
It would be really effective to let students try using some old man-powered farming tools. They would quickly see the need for mechanization, and the benefits of a lower manpower-to-product ratio.
Redirect: /content/reaper-wrap
Module Id: 952
User Id: 1396
Submitted: Tuesday, March 17, 2020 - 14:38
Title: Transmission to and from the Transistor
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
I would like to disassemble an old television to show the transistors and tubes inside. Then I would have them compare that to their cell phones and smart watches. Maybe I could play them a song on my Walkman.
Redirect: /content/transistor-wrap
Module Id: 1146
User Id: 1396
Submitted: Wednesday, March 18, 2020 - 12:52