Analyzing Objects
Porcelain
Musket Ball
Smallpox
Nail
Reaper
Shirtwaist
Transistor
Coffee
Record
Tire
Dishwasher
Dress
Stereograph
Stone
Shoe
Question 1:
Historical thinking is when you search out the story behind the bare facts of events in the past. It is investigative and requires one to synthesize information. It also requires a great deal of questioning.
First of all, you need to look at multiple accounts and perspectives of an event in history or, in the example of Thomas Jefferson, look at two contradicting pieces of writing. Secondly, you analyze the primary source. You can use the graphic organizer, "I see... I think... I wonder..." Thirdly, you use sourcing. Ask who created the source, why, what was their perspective, what was its purpose, and who was it for. The example of the candle mold demonstrates a literal type of sourcing while the analyzing the chair is a more complex example. Fourthly, you have to locate the primary source in time and space. Put it in its historical context. Both the candle mold and chair were examples of demonstrating knowledge of the time period helps understand the primary source. I think the example of the washing machine with the patent list really made me realize how important the time and space in history an object is. Finally, you connect your claim and history's claim with evidence. The answers to all the questions you've researched and the different perspectives analyzed give the evidence to connect your claim to your conclusion or inference.
First of all, you need to look at multiple accounts and perspectives of an event in history or, in the example of Thomas Jefferson, look at two contradicting pieces of writing. Secondly, you analyze the primary source. You can use the graphic organizer, "I see... I think... I wonder..." Thirdly, you use sourcing. Ask who created the source, why, what was their perspective, what was its purpose, and who was it for. The example of the candle mold demonstrates a literal type of sourcing while the analyzing the chair is a more complex example. Fourthly, you have to locate the primary source in time and space. Put it in its historical context. Both the candle mold and chair were examples of demonstrating knowledge of the time period helps understand the primary source. I think the example of the washing machine with the patent list really made me realize how important the time and space in history an object is. Finally, you connect your claim and history's claim with evidence. The answers to all the questions you've researched and the different perspectives analyzed give the evidence to connect your claim to your conclusion or inference.
Question 2:
Objects are one way to ignite curiosity and do historical inquiry. They are a way of engaging students with the past. Through analyzing objects, students are the ones putting together the story of the past. They are the detectives. Their brains are the ones thinking through what the object is telling them.
Literally, objects encourage historical thinking by placing students in the shoes of historians. You found this object and now you need to analyze it. Tell its story. Identify its purpose. What was its creator's perspective? When was it created? For whom was it created? Is there anything else like it in the past? What time period is it from? How do you know? Does it remind you of anything else you've seen or learned about?
I really like idea of having students analyze their desks as an example of how to analyze an object which leads to historical thinking.
Literally, objects encourage historical thinking by placing students in the shoes of historians. You found this object and now you need to analyze it. Tell its story. Identify its purpose. What was its creator's perspective? When was it created? For whom was it created? Is there anything else like it in the past? What time period is it from? How do you know? Does it remind you of anything else you've seen or learned about?
I really like idea of having students analyze their desks as an example of how to analyze an object which leads to historical thinking.
Redirect: /content/what-historical-thinking
Module Id: 689
User Id: 1406
Submitted: Saturday, February 29, 2020 - 10:39
Question 1: I notice they are rusted metal.
Question 2:
These were probably handmade nails which means a blacksmith whether African American or white made them. Since they look different they were probably used for different things.
Redirect: /content/nail-resources
Module Id: 953
User Id: 1406
Submitted: Monday, March 9, 2020 - 16:52
Question 1:
I notice that this object is probably some type of shirt known by another name. It has vertical stripes and buttons. I assume I am looking at the front of the shirt. It's made out of some kind of cloth. It looks to me like it's a woman's blouse. I am not sure if that is because it's cinched at the waist or not. I don't know if the cinching is the result of how it's displayed or not.
Question 2:
Cloth makes me think of cotton mills and growing cotton and slavery. I don't know that it dates to the 1800s but it makes me think of turning cotton into cloth. That makes me think of immigrants and the conditions in the mills in the North. It also makes me think of women's suffrage because I have seen photographs of women campaigning for suffrage in shirts similar to this one.
Redirect: /content/shirtwaist-resources
Module Id: 950
User Id: 1406
Submitted: Sunday, May 3, 2020 - 06:11
Question 1:
I notice that this object is probably some type of shirt known by another name. It has vertical stripes and buttons. I assume I am looking at the front of the shirt. It's made out of some kind of cloth. It looks to me like it's a woman's blouse. I am not sure if that is because it's cinched at the waist or not. I don't know if the cinching is the result of how it's displayed or not.
Question 2:
Cloth makes me think of cotton mills and growing cotton and slavery. I don't know that it dates to the 1800s but it makes me think of turning cotton into cloth. That makes me think of immigrants and the conditions in the mills in the North. It also makes me think of women's suffrage because I have seen photographs of women campaigning for suffrage in shirts similar to this one.
Redirect: /content/shirtwaist-resources
Module Id: 950
User Id: 1406
Submitted: Sunday, May 3, 2020 - 06:18
Question 1:
It looks like the moon or a rock. It's round in shape. It's approximately two inches across. It looks like lead although I could be inferring that because it's labeled musket ball.
Question 2:
A musket ball makes me think of war and people fighting. It makes me think about the American Revolution and the War of 1812 and the fight for independence from Great Britain. It also makes me think of the changes in technology in weapons because musket balls started out being so inaccurate when fired.
Redirect: /content/musket-ball-resources
Module Id: 955
User Id: 1406
Submitted: Sunday, May 3, 2020 - 06:52
Question 1:
Historical thinking is when you search out the story behind the bare facts of events in the past. It is investigative and requires one to synthesize information. It also requires a great deal of questioning.
First of all, you need to look at multiple accounts and perspectives of an event in history or, in the example of Thomas Jefferson, look at two contradicting pieces of writing. Secondly, you analyze the primary source. You can use the graphic organizer, "I see... I think... I wonder..." Thirdly, you use sourcing. Ask who created the source, why, what was their perspective, what was its purpose, and who was it for. The example of the candle mold demonstrates a literal type of sourcing while the analyzing the chair is a more complex example. Fourthly, you have to locate the primary source in time and space. Put it in its historical context. Both the candle mold and chair were examples of demonstrating knowledge of the time period helps understand the primary source. I think the example of the washing machine with the patent list really made me realize how important the time and space in history an object is. Finally, you connect your claim and history's claim with evidence. The answers to all the questions you've researched and the different perspectives analyzed give the evidence to connect your claim to your conclusion or inference.
First of all, you need to look at multiple accounts and perspectives of an event in history or, in the example of Thomas Jefferson, look at two contradicting pieces of writing. Secondly, you analyze the primary source. You can use the graphic organizer, "I see... I think... I wonder..." Thirdly, you use sourcing. Ask who created the source, why, what was their perspective, what was its purpose, and who was it for. The example of the candle mold demonstrates a literal type of sourcing while the analyzing the chair is a more complex example. Fourthly, you have to locate the primary source in time and space. Put it in its historical context. Both the candle mold and chair were examples of demonstrating knowledge of the time period helps understand the primary source. I think the example of the washing machine with the patent list really made me realize how important the time and space in history an object is. Finally, you connect your claim and history's claim with evidence. The answers to all the questions you've researched and the different perspectives analyzed give the evidence to connect your claim to your conclusion or inference.
Question 2:
Objects are one way to ignite curiosity and do historical inquiry. They are a way of engaging students with the past. Through analyzing objects, students are the ones putting together the story of the past. They are the detectives. Their brains are the ones thinking through what the object is telling them.
Literally, objects encourage historical thinking by placing students in the shoes of historians. You found this object and now you need to analyze it. Tell its story. Identify its purpose. What was its creator's perspective? When was it created? For whom was it created? Is there anything else like it in the past? What time period is it from? How do you know? Does it remind you of anything else you've seen or learned about?
I really like idea of having students analyze their desks as an example of how to analyze an object which leads to historical thinking.
Literally, objects encourage historical thinking by placing students in the shoes of historians. You found this object and now you need to analyze it. Tell its story. Identify its purpose. What was its creator's perspective? When was it created? For whom was it created? Is there anything else like it in the past? What time period is it from? How do you know? Does it remind you of anything else you've seen or learned about?
I really like idea of having students analyze their desks as an example of how to analyze an object which leads to historical thinking.
Redirect: /content/connections-essay-historical-thinking
Module Id: 689
User Id: 1406
Submitted: Saturday, February 29, 2020 - 10:40
Question 1:
Mass produced nails revolutionized home construction. I did not realize the log cabin was the primary home as people moved west because it is what you could build with the resources you had available. It makes sense that homes such as the post and beam or brick or stone were not feasible for the majority of people. They took too long and were too expensive. The 1800s saw a lot of technological innovation and progress. Machines started doing more of the work people had traditionally done. People kept moving west. I think the nail is another example of how the use of machinery made things more available to more people. There was a huge shift from skilled labor producing items to mass production in factories with more unskilled labor. This brings in who was working in the nail factories. Were they immigrants?
Question 2:
I know people kept moving west for more farmland. More people kept coming and they needed more room. So, the country kept expanding westward. Railroads helped the expansion by allowing farmers to transport their goods to market. I am sure there are myriad changes in how things were made that revolutionized things I am unaware of the impact. I know the McCormick reaper made expansion of agriculture possible and it expanded westward. Even more importantly, as soon as people figured out a way to make life easier for themselves they embraced it and started using the technology.
Redirect: /content/nail-connections-essay
Module Id: 953
User Id: 1406
Submitted: Monday, March 9, 2020 - 17:12
Question 1:
Initially, the shirtwaist made clothing for women simpler so they were able to move about with more freedom. It is a symbol of women moving out of the home and into the public arena. Then the clothing became a symbol of factories that were mass producing an item of clothing around 1900. It represented a change from workers being scattered throughout the city working on garments to them being all in one place working on garments. That gave the workers opportunity to organize together to work for better and safer working conditions. So, it is a symbol of labor organizing. The most horrific topic the shirtwaist symbolizes is the Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire in 1911. The fire brought unsafe working conditions into the public eye through the tragedy of 146 women's deaths. The fire showed how inadequate fire fighting equipment was for taller structures. It brought to light the greed of the owners since doors were locked to prevent employees taking unauthorized breaks. This tragedy led to a reform in laws regulating the safety of factories.
Question 2:
This primary source leads to a discussion of working conditions for women and where they were working. It brings to mind the question of whether or not men faced the same kind of long hours and unsafe working conditions. Were they locked in places so they could not take unauthorized breaks? What industries were men trying to organize labor unions in to advocate for better working conditions? Were labor unions split along gender lines? Along racial lines? Why did workers put up with unsafe working conditions for so long? Are there famous court cases dealing with worker safety and labor? What about worker safety on farms? Did the changes in regulations cover all industries for everyone? Did the NAACP work for safer working conditions alongside white labor unions or were they working separately on their own?
Redirect: /content/shirtwaist-connections-essay
Module Id: 950
User Id: 1406
Submitted: Sunday, May 3, 2020 - 06:36
Question 1:
The musket ball connects to technology employed in weapons. The effect of that technology is the way the armies fought while employing a smooth bore musket. It's a little gruesome to think about how effective a weapon the Brown Bess was. The video explained you basically had a spear or club when you were done firing at the enemy. It reminds me of animal camouflage. You might think it is one thing but the real danger is from something else. I don't think I ever realized the reason they lined up in their tight lines before even though I knew the Brown Bess was extremely inaccurate. That makes sense that the lines are intimidating when all of these people are bearing down on you firing at you. Plus, it put the noncareer professionals aka the militia at a disadvantage because they were not trained soldiers. They did not have tons of time training to do things automatically and not think about trying to stay alive. That is in direct contradiction to the ideals the United States was fighting for - individual rights like life and liberty. it gives a different take on the men who fought for independence. They were choosing to risk their life to win a battle instead of preserving their life. It is interesting that they put officers at the end of the lines to keep the men in line and prevent bolting from the battlefield. That would make sense as to why the sharpshooters on the American side would shoot the officers. That would cause the line to break effectively causing a breakdown in communication and morale in the middle of battle. It could break a line. It's also interesting that because the thinking of the 1700s was that a soldier had to be like an automaton the United States did not keep a standing army. The United States did not believe in having a professional army. I would be interested in knowing if the armed forces still thinks their ranks need to be automatons or if it's shifted to value individual thinking. How has training for the army changed over time?
Question 2:
I would be interested in diaries or letters explaining how people viewed armies and soldiers in the late 18th century. Newspaper accounts would be possible sources as well. I also would be interested in how the commanding officers viewed soldiers and armies. So, I would like to see training manuals and their letters about the armies and soldiers.
Redirect: /content/musket-ball-connections-essay
Module Id: 955
User Id: 1406
Submitted: Sunday, May 3, 2020 - 07:30
Title: Historical Thinking
Grade Level: Elementary
Short Answer:
I intend to choose an object for students to analyze that is more modern but probably still something they are unfamiliar with. I really like the desk example. I would like to try it which is something they know versus something they don't know. That way I can learn what the sticking points are for them. I would encourage them to think of themselves as detectives ferreting out the information an object gives us. I would use one or both of the two guidelines provided (I see.. I think... I wonder... and How to Read an Object) It might help to have two different sets of guidelines in the class. I really like the idea of using objects but where do you get objects from the past?
Redirect: /content/analyzing-objects-wrap
Module Id: 689
User Id: 1406
Submitted: Saturday, February 29, 2020 - 10:50
Title: What House Would You Build?
Grade Level: Elementary
Short Answer:
It's very engaging for students to hold an object and try to figure out what its use is. I think giving them a nail and asking them its use and where you would get it in different periods in history would be eye-opening for them. I would need to see if I can find easily understood resources for them. I can use the information in this module but it would interesting for them to do a little research on its use as well. More importantly, I think they need to understand there is a reason people do things the way they do that they probably do not realize.
Redirect: /content/nail-wrap
Module Id: 953
User Id: 1406
Submitted: Monday, March 9, 2020 - 17:17
Title: Worker Safety in 1900
Grade Level: Elementary
Short Answer:
I think I would ask students to share what a couple of different items, such as a cell phone and a campaign poster) make them think about. I think what I use to show a class will vary by class. Then I will show them a picture of a shirtwaist and ask them what it makes them think about. They probably won't think much of it. I would share that it reminds me of an event that happened in history. Then I would share the story of the Triangle Factory fire using Scholastic Storyworks. Scholastic Storyworks did an excellent article about the fire that could be tied into this primary source to help students understand the connections between a shirtwaist and changes in laws.
Redirect: /content/shirtwaist-wrap
Module Id: 950
User Id: 1406
Submitted: Sunday, May 3, 2020 - 06:45
Title: Weapon Cause and Effect
Grade Level: Elementary
Short Answer:
I would start by asking students what they use for hunting and have them explain what their weapon has them do. I expect it to take some clarifying questions to get them to see the cause and effect between what they do hunting and their weapon. It can be basic like how close they get to their target. Then we can talk about the musket ball and how inaccurate it was. Showing them a video explaining how to use the Brown Bess would help them understand the weapon. Then I would move into military strategy during the American Revolution from there. It also helps students understand there is a reason or cause things are done the way they are.
Redirect: /content/musket-ball-wrap
Module Id: 955
User Id: 1406
Submitted: Sunday, May 3, 2020 - 07:36