Analyzing Objects
Porcelain
Musket Ball
Smallpox
Nail
Reaper
Shirtwaist
Transistor
Coffee
Record
Tire
Dishwasher
Dress
Stereograph
Stone
Shoe
Question 1:
Historical thinking is defined as a "set of critical literacy skills for evaluating and analyzing primary source documents to construct a meaningful account of the past." To me, historical thinking is asking not only what is a document or object, but why was that artifact important in its own time, and what is the artifact's impact/relevance today.
Question 2:
I teach middle school, and my students are very "hands on" learners. Objects that they can see, or even touch, prompt my students to make hypotheses, ask questions, and compare the objects to objects in their lives today.
Redirect: /content/what-historical-thinking
Module Id: 689
User Id: 1417
Submitted: Wednesday, February 26, 2020 - 08:13
Question 1:
This object in the picture is made of fabric and the design is old-fashioned. The photo is black and white.
Question 2:
Broader themes:
Rise of Manufacturing/Big Business
Textile Manufacturing
Rise of Labor Unions
Immigrant Labor
Growth of Urban Areas
Rise of Manufacturing/Big Business
Textile Manufacturing
Rise of Labor Unions
Immigrant Labor
Growth of Urban Areas
Redirect: /content/shirtwaist-resources
Module Id: 950
User Id: 1417
Submitted: Thursday, February 27, 2020 - 10:14
Question 1:
object = shoes made of leather; look well-worn. looks like an everyday or work shoe.
Question 2: It could connect to : immigrants, labor movement, industrialization
Redirect: /content/shoe-resources
Module Id: 1002
User Id: 1417
Submitted: Monday, March 9, 2020 - 13:46
Question 1: It is a white dress, old-fashioned, and has a sash pinned to it.
Question 2: Women's fashions, textile industry, women's rights, suffrage movement
Redirect: /content/dress-resources
Module Id: 1075
User Id: 1417
Submitted: Tuesday, March 10, 2020 - 09:17
Question 1: It's made of metal. It looks old. It was manufactured in a factory.
Question 2: Industrialization. Rationing.
Redirect: /content/coffee-resources
Module Id: 1147
User Id: 1417
Submitted: Wednesday, March 18, 2020 - 13:59
Question 1: It is a kitchen appliance.
Question 2:
It can connect to issues such as more women working outside of the home and consumer spending/debt.
Redirect: /content/dishwasher-resources
Module Id: 1093
User Id: 1417
Submitted: Saturday, March 21, 2020 - 17:27
Question 1: It is a pile of rubber tires
Question 2: It could connect to the invention of the automobile, recycling, pollution
Redirect: /content/tire-resources
Module Id: 1108
User Id: 1417
Submitted: Wednesday, April 8, 2020 - 13:49
Question 1: small, electronic
Question 2: communication, globalization
Redirect: /content/transistor-resources
Module Id: 1146
User Id: 1417
Submitted: Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 14:32
Question 1:
It is a "relic" from a childhood - an album! Although I noticed that some young people are now getting into albums!
Question 2: New forms of entertainment and music.
Redirect: /content/record-resources
Module Id: 1128
User Id: 1417
Submitted: Monday, May 4, 2020 - 17:29
Question 1:
Historical thinking involves the analysis of factual primary source objects from multiple sources. As one analyzes these primary sources, one should read closely and question constantly. One should also keep in mind the historical context of the primary source objects. After examining these resources one should develop interpretations based on the evidence.
Question 2:
Being presented objects from multiple perspectives helps students understand that history is a complex issue and not just facts presented in a textbook. They begin to understand that events and objects in history mean different things to different people. They begin to understand that historical figures are multi-faceted humans who are not infallible.
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Module Id: 689
User Id: 1417
Submitted: Wednesday, February 26, 2020 - 11:01
Question 1:
The shirtwaist is connected to such themes as: the growth of large factories; the movement from piecemeal work in sweatshops to large scale production in factories; the rise of labor unions seeking shorter work weeks, increased pay, and safer working conditions; and the progressive movement's push for government agencies to regulate and require safety equipment and procedures in the workplace.
Question 2:
What happened to workers if they were injured on the job? How does that compare to today?
What happened if workers died on the job? Who was considered to be at fault? How is that different from today?
What equipment do fire companies have today that they did not posses back then?
Do you think as many people would perish is an American factory fire today?
Do you think these conditions still exist in any factories today?
What happened if workers died on the job? Who was considered to be at fault? How is that different from today?
What equipment do fire companies have today that they did not posses back then?
Do you think as many people would perish is an American factory fire today?
Do you think these conditions still exist in any factories today?
Redirect: /content/shirtwaist-connections-essay
Module Id: 950
User Id: 1417
Submitted: Thursday, February 27, 2020 - 13:04
Question 1:
The dress symbolizes the fight for women's rights. The color, white, was chosen deliberately to invoke images of simplicity, purity, and the severity of the cause. The dress also links to Lady Liberty and Lady Justice with its white, flowing style.
Question 2:
I could bring in biographies of famous suffragists such as Susan B. Anthony and Alice Paul. Book about the suffrage movement could also be brought in for more information.
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Module Id: 1075
User Id: 1417
Submitted: Tuesday, March 10, 2020 - 15:13
Question 1:
Instant coffee connects to the war effort in WWII, and how scientists were employed to help our soldiers get the best nutrition in tasty meals. It also connects to traditional gender roles and how they were perceived and changed over over the years.
Question 2:
Advertisements are often crafted to depict an ideal- not to be true to life. Anyone looking only at advertisements would get a distorted view of life during a particular time. Ads were created for a particular audience at a particular time; essentially they are a type of propaganda.
Redirect: /content/coffee-connections-essay
Module Id: 1147
User Id: 1417
Submitted: Wednesday, March 18, 2020 - 14:23
Question 1:
Instant coffee connects to the war effort in WWII, and how scientists were employed to help our soldiers get the best nutrition in tasty meals. It also connects to traditional gender roles and how they were perceived and changed over the years.
Question 2:
Advertisements are often crafted to depict an ideal- not to be true to life. Anyone looking only at advertisements would get a distorted view of life during a particular time. Ads were created for a particular audience at a particular time; essentially they are a type of propaganda.
Redirect: /content/coffee-connections-essay
Module Id: 1147
User Id: 1417
Submitted: Wednesday, March 18, 2020 - 14:23
Question 1:
The dishwasher became more common as more and more women began working outside of the home. It is also a symbol of the United States' ability to quickly switch from manufacturing consumer goods t war goods, and back to consumer goods. Lastly, it was yet another way the US could show capitalism's superiority over communism.
Question 2:
I was born during the Cold War, so I was already aware of how we here in the US used many ways to show the USSR that democracy and capitalism were better than communism (sports, the space race); however, I never considered consumer goods as yet another arena in which we could show our superiority.
Redirect: /content/dishwasher-connections-essay
Module Id: 1093
User Id: 1417
Submitted: Saturday, March 21, 2020 - 17:57
Question 1:
The tires represent sacrifice for the good of our country and the world. They represent the American ideal of patriotism in a time of war.
Question 2:
What are these objects? What are they made of? Where does rubber come from? What else is made of rubber?
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Module Id: 1108
User Id: 1417
Submitted: Wednesday, April 8, 2020 - 14:06
Question 1:
The transistor connects to broader themes such as the Cold War. They were used to help develop technology needed to develop more advanced nuclear weapons, spy satellites, and space exploration. They also connect to the theme of Globalization.
Question 2:
I would like them to question how the invention impacted the inventions and technology of the time in which it was invented. I would also like them to question how the invention was improved and what new inventions did the improvements lead to.
Redirect: /content/transistor-connections-essay
Module Id: 1146
User Id: 1417
Submitted: Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:06
Question 1:
The song is about the great American "melting pot." It touches on themes of immigration from Southern, Central, and Eastern European nations and how these immigrants assimilated and became Americans. However, by leaving out immigrants from Asia and the Caribbean, it touches on themes of racial inequality and discrimination.
Question 2:
I have used documentaries about Ellis Island and journals written by immigrants to America in my classes before. I have also used political cartoons and signs that touched on the discrimination against certain ethnic groups.
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Module Id: 1128
User Id: 1417
Submitted: Monday, May 4, 2020 - 17:59
Title: Analyzing Objects in the Classroom
Grade Level: Middle
Short Answer:
To engage my students and get them thinking historically, I can provide them with factual, evidence-based primary sources from multiple perspectives. For example, as we are discussing post-Civil War westward expansion, I can provide maps from both the perspective of the US Government and from the perspective of the Plains Indians. We can read the provisions of the Dawes Act as well as read diaries from American Indians, analyze pictures from Indian Boarding schools, and compare how much land was given to American Indians versus white settlers.
To help guide my middle school students' questioning, I can provide them with charts such as the "See/Think/Wonder" chart or the chart provided by the National Park Service. While middle school students are full of questions, I like how these two resources will help guide their questions so that they are relevant. For example, as we are studying how electrical inventions helped give women more leisure time, I always bring in my grandmother's old cast iron iron. The National Park Service's chart is the perfect instrument to guide my students and help them reach the conclusion that an electric iron would drastically reduce the time a woman spent ironing clothes.
To help guide my middle school students' questioning, I can provide them with charts such as the "See/Think/Wonder" chart or the chart provided by the National Park Service. While middle school students are full of questions, I like how these two resources will help guide their questions so that they are relevant. For example, as we are studying how electrical inventions helped give women more leisure time, I always bring in my grandmother's old cast iron iron. The National Park Service's chart is the perfect instrument to guide my students and help them reach the conclusion that an electric iron would drastically reduce the time a woman spent ironing clothes.
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Module Id: 689
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Submitted: Wednesday, February 26, 2020 - 14:24
Title: Triangle Shirtwaist
Grade Level: Middle
Short Answer:
Fist, I would show my students the picture of the shirtwaist as well as pictures of Victorian Era and Civil War Era fashions. My students would chart the physical differences between the outfits, and describe how each fashion would impact a woman's movement. Lastly, I would ask them to choose which piece of the three looks the most "modern." Then, using this information as a launching point for our unit of study on the Progressive Movement, we would begin with a discussion of the changing roles of women in society.
As we moved into the discussion of working conditions in early twentieth century factories, I would have my students look at pictures of textile factories, including the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. My students would also read newspaper articles about the textile workers' walkout of 1909 and chart the demands of the International Ladies' Garment Workers.
Lastly, after reading about Isaac Harris and Max Blanck's reactions to the walkout, my classes would view pictures of and read newspaper articles about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. This would then lead into discussions of Progressive reforms and the public's changed attitudes towards workers' rights.
As we moved into the discussion of working conditions in early twentieth century factories, I would have my students look at pictures of textile factories, including the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. My students would also read newspaper articles about the textile workers' walkout of 1909 and chart the demands of the International Ladies' Garment Workers.
Lastly, after reading about Isaac Harris and Max Blanck's reactions to the walkout, my classes would view pictures of and read newspaper articles about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. This would then lead into discussions of Progressive reforms and the public's changed attitudes towards workers' rights.
Redirect: /content/shirtwaist-wrap
Module Id: 950
User Id: 1417
Submitted: Thursday, February 27, 2020 - 15:16
Title: White Dress
Grade Level: Middle
Short Answer:
I can start by simply showing a picture of a white dress and ask my students to brainstorm words and phrases that pop into their minds. We can then see of any of their ideas match the images the suffragists wanted to bring to people's minds: purity, simplicity, severe, justice, and liberty.
When we study the suffrage movement, my students always ask "why was voting so important?" I can bring in these pictures and objects and talk about how the movement was not just about voting. We could discuss how the movement was about the power and freedom to make one's own choices. We could look at artworks such as "The Captive Mother" and discuss how it reflected women's feeling of "domestic slavery" (and how such descriptions alienated African America women).
We can compare previous fashions to pictures of the "Bloomer Girls" and discuss how fashions needed to change to allow women to take on a wider array of jobs, sports, and responsibilities.
When we study the suffrage movement, my students always ask "why was voting so important?" I can bring in these pictures and objects and talk about how the movement was not just about voting. We could discuss how the movement was about the power and freedom to make one's own choices. We could look at artworks such as "The Captive Mother" and discuss how it reflected women's feeling of "domestic slavery" (and how such descriptions alienated African America women).
We can compare previous fashions to pictures of the "Bloomer Girls" and discuss how fashions needed to change to allow women to take on a wider array of jobs, sports, and responsibilities.
Redirect: /content/dress-wrap
Module Id: 1075
User Id: 1417
Submitted: Tuesday, March 10, 2020 - 15:25
Title: Nescafe
Grade Level: Middle
Short Answer:
As we study America's entrance into WWII, I could use the film clips to show how the war impacted everything we did. We brought in scientists to create the best tasting, most energy-producing foods that could be carried and eaten in every environment a soldier might encounter. This advantage helped our soldiers during the war.
We could then look at how advertisers appealed to consumers post-war in order to sell their companies huge stockpiles of prepared foods such as Nescafe. We could analyze advertisements for persuasive language (which will also help out our reading teachers).
As we discuss the ever-changing gender roles and the increasing number of women working outside of the home, we can compile lists of all of the pre-packaged and pre-prepared foods we consume every day.
We could then look at how advertisers appealed to consumers post-war in order to sell their companies huge stockpiles of prepared foods such as Nescafe. We could analyze advertisements for persuasive language (which will also help out our reading teachers).
As we discuss the ever-changing gender roles and the increasing number of women working outside of the home, we can compile lists of all of the pre-packaged and pre-prepared foods we consume every day.
Redirect: /content/coffee-wrap
Module Id: 1147
User Id: 1417
Submitted: Wednesday, March 18, 2020 - 14:33
Title: Capitalist Dishwashers
Grade Level: Middle
Short Answer:
If we ever, hopefully, get back to school- we were just beginning the Cold War, so I can use some of these resources immediately. As we talk about the United States' post-WWII prosperity, we can discuss why we were so prosperous (only country whose factories came through the war unscathed) and how our factories were able to quickly convert from consumer goods, to manufacturing war goods, and back to consumer goods so quickly. We can discuss how the desire for new consumer goods fueled a booming economy and was used as a tool to show "the Commies" how much better democracy and capitalism were.
Redirect: /content/dishwasher-wrap
Module Id: 1093
User Id: 1417
Submitted: Saturday, March 21, 2020 - 18:04
Title: Sacrifices
Grade Level: Middle
Short Answer:
These artifacts and topic are quite timely, and can be used to connect WWII and the sacrifices made to the current sacrifices during the global covid19 pandemic. Just as the government rationed certain goods during WWII, most grocery stores are limiting the number of paper goods, cleaning products, and hand sanitizers that consumers can purchase. Just as the citizens of the US were asked to re-use tires and forgo recreational driving to help us win the war, my students are asked to give up visits with friends, parties, graduation ceremonies, dances, sports, concerts, plays, and award ceremonies in order to flatten the curve and stop the spread. There are posters online and commercials on tv urging people to stay in for the good of saving lives, just as there were posters appealing to citizens' honor and duty during WWII.
Redirect: /content/tire-wrap
Module Id: 1108
User Id: 1417
Submitted: Wednesday, April 8, 2020 - 14:17
Title: From Vacuum Tubes to Iphones
Grade Level: Middle
Short Answer:
One of my students favorite things to study is old technology, and to contemplate a time when the technology they use every day didn't even exist. I have shown them my first cell phone and a picture of the room size computer my father used at his job as an engineer at DuPont, and they marvel (and laugh) at the size. These artifacts can help me show them why early radios, tvs, and computers were so massive. As I show them vacuum tubes and transistors, I can have them compare and contrast what technologies were possible with each. I can put up a gallery walk of technological devices and have them guess whether they think they used vacuum tubes, transistors, or today's silicon chips. Then, they can take the pictures and try to organize them into a timeline.
Redirect: /content/transistor-wrap
Module Id: 1146
User Id: 1417
Submitted: Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 15:14
Title: Immigration to America: 1880-1930
Grade Level: Middle
Short Answer:
I can use the photos of immigrants coming to America during this time and descriptions of the conditions in steerage and have students compare and contrast them to earlier periods of immigration. I can pictures of Ellis Island and Angel Island (both outside and inside) and have the students compare and contrast the two, and then ask them to explain why they think the two immigration centers were so different. I can have the students study various ship manifests and ask them what kind of information they can learn about the immigrants coming to American during this time period. After showing them pictures of cities and factories as well as children workers, I can ask them why they thought immigrants were recruited for these positions. Lastly, I can have them contrast the idea of assimilation back then to ideas of assimilation today (international festivals, foods, and leaning other languages and cultures).
Redirect: /content/record-wrap
Module Id: 1128
User Id: 1417
Submitted: Monday, May 4, 2020 - 18:09