Analyzing Objects
Porcelain
Musket Ball
Smallpox
Nail
Reaper
Shirtwaist
Transistor
Coffee
Record
Tire
Dishwasher
Dress
Stereograph
Stone
Shoe
Question 1:
Historical thinking involves not just understanding what happened and when, but also considering the presentation of the historical "facts", who's telling the story, what evidence are they using to form their argument, what pieces of evidence might they be missing, and what biases they might have in their presentation of history.
Question 2:
Every object has a story that can be recreated...who created it? for what purpose? who used it? how did they come by it? Through considering questions such as these, one can attempt to create a more accurate story of the past.
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Module Id: 689
User Id: 1470
Submitted: Monday, October 19, 2020 - 20:15
Question 1: It looks either like a headstone or a foundation/boundary marker.
Question 2: It could tell is the information about important people or locations.
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Module Id: 1039
User Id: 1470
Submitted: Monday, November 2, 2020 - 16:40
Question 1:
It appears to be a microscope image of a cell, perhaps a cell in the midst of division.
Question 2:
It could be used as the basis for a lesson on medical, scientific, or technological development and its effects on American culture and society.
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Module Id: 954
User Id: 1470
Submitted: Monday, November 2, 2020 - 16:59
Question 1:
The shape is quite irregular, and demonstrates the developments we have have made in ammunition since then.
Question 2:
This object could be used as the basis for a lesson on technological development as it applies to warfare and/or other areas.
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Module Id: 955
User Id: 1470
Submitted: Monday, November 2, 2020 - 17:26
Question 1: The white dress could be symbolic of the suffragette movement.
Question 2:
This could tie into an understanding of voting rights, women's rights movements, any social justice fight.
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Module Id: 1075
User Id: 1470
Submitted: Tuesday, November 17, 2020 - 21:32
Question 1:
Question 2:
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Module Id: 950
User Id: 1470
Submitted: Wednesday, November 18, 2020 - 20:08
Question 1:
This is a shirt from the early 20th century, probable made in a sweatshop/textile factory.
Question 2:
This could connect to broader themes of the industrial revolution, the labor movement, and specific events such as the triangle shirtwaist fire.
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Module Id: 950
User Id: 1470
Submitted: Wednesday, November 18, 2020 - 20:10
Question 1:
A very old dishwasher, (from maybe the 1950s?) was probably viewed as a luxury item before it became cheap enough to be widely available.
Question 2:
The dishwasher could be used to build connections with changing trends in US history in the 20th century...the growth of the middle class, technological change, etc.
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Module Id: 1093
User Id: 1470
Submitted: Thursday, November 19, 2020 - 19:47
Question 1:
This pile of tires contains many that are worn down or damaged, and probably not able to be used safely anymore.
Question 2:
These tires could connect to different themes in American history, such as times of hardship when people were forced to use prducts (like these tires) long past their prime. It could also connect to themes of consumerism, and just how much the US consumes and has to dispose of.
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Module Id: 1108
User Id: 1470
Submitted: Wednesday, December 2, 2020 - 16:12
Question 1:
Historical thinking involves not just understanding what happened and when, but also considering the presentation of the historical "facts", who's telling the story, what evidence are they using to form their argument, what pieces of evidence might they be missing, and what biases they might have in their presentation of history. It also forces us to consider the many different points of view and interpretations of historical events that exist, and how we can piece them all together to form the most accurate understanding possible.
Question 2:
Every object has a story that can be recreated...who created it? for what purpose? who used it? how did they come by it? We can also consider what resources and materials were used to create it, how many people interacted with the object throughout its "life", etc. Through asking questions such as these we can create a more authentic understanding of the past and help to shed light on the experiences of regular individuals who are often left of historical retellings that focus on the more well-known historical figures.
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Module Id: 689
User Id: 1470
Submitted: Monday, October 19, 2020 - 20:51
Question 1:
The boundary stone demonstrates the ways in which man manipulates and organizes land in ways that change things in the present but also affect people in the future. The boundary stone could be used as a jumping off point for lessons not only on the slave trade in Alexandria and DC in the past, but also DC's status as a federal district today and issues of disenfranchisement of DC citizens.
Question 2:
In studying expansion of the United States, students could explore how the transfer of territory from one country to another affected the lives, livelihoods, and rights of those who lived there and found themselves under new management without having moved at all.
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Module Id: 1039
User Id: 1470
Submitted: Monday, November 2, 2020 - 16:51
Question 1:
Smallpox can be connected to issues of social and class division, as the poor who had worse living conditions were often times more susceptible to diseases such as this one than other individuals who lived outside the city and had lifestyles that protected them somewhat.
Question 2:
Using disease as a lens to study history can be beneficial because it can remind students that events not only take place on certain dates...but there are also everyday issues such as health and sanitation that affect the course of events as well.
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Module Id: 954
User Id: 1470
Submitted: Monday, November 2, 2020 - 17:20
Question 1:
It demonstrates how the available technology of the day places limitations on actions that could be taken, and how events would be expected to unfold.
Question 2:
Letters and journal entries, and also articles from newspapers could very clearly demonstrate popular opinions of the army and soldiers of the 18th century.
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Module Id: 955
User Id: 1470
Submitted: Monday, November 2, 2020 - 17:41
Question 1:
As a symbol of the Suffragists movement, the dress shows the many ways that people identified themselves, organized, protested, and created movements to expand civil rights to all groups.
Question 2:
Secondary sources that would help to understand the suffragists movement could be data that reveals what categories of people (geographic, race, class, etc.) were pro/anti suffrage, analyses of speeches, writings, and artwork made for or against the movement, etc.
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Module Id: 1075
User Id: 1470
Submitted: Tuesday, November 17, 2020 - 21:52
Question 1:
The shirtwaist could connects to many themes in US history, the changing role of women as evidenced by the change in fashion, the growth of women's and worker's rights movements that accompanied the shift to factory scale production, and the development of work and safety codes that resulted from the awful dangerous working conditions of this era.
Question 2:
With the wide push for labor and safety standards, how did class, race and other divisions affect the movement? Did groups overcome these divisions or no? Were factory owners able to take advantage of them or did diff unions and groups develop a sense of solidarity?
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Module Id: 950
User Id: 1470
Submitted: Wednesday, November 18, 2020 - 20:20
Question 1:
The dishwasher and its spread to become a staple appliance in American homes is a direct result of the development of American industry during WWII, and it's transition to domestic consumer goods in the years following.
Question 2:
This module creates a direct connection between the geopolitical climate and rivalry of the Cold War, and shows how the political and economic competition between the two superpowers manifested itself directly into the lives of real Americans and their homes.
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Module Id: 1093
User Id: 1470
Submitted: Thursday, November 19, 2020 - 20:07
Question 1:
These tires could connect to different themes in American history, such as times of hardship when people were forced to use products (like these tires) long past their prime. Done out of a need for supporting the troops these tires demonstrate a time of scarcity for American consumers, but also a time of solidarity in which civilians went without to support a greater cause.
Question 2:
When examining posters like these, good questions to ask would be about the "author", "audience" and message of the image. Who produced it? With what specific goal in mind? Who is it directed to? The public at large? Specific demographics? Do you think the message is effective? Why/why not?
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Module Id: 1108
User Id: 1470
Submitted: Wednesday, December 2, 2020 - 16:43
Title: Using Modern Objects to Consider History
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
Considering that it might be difficult to get my hands on actual historical objects, it would be possible to use modern everyday objects to introduce students to historical thinking, and then think backwards in time. For instance, in teaching the industrial revolution you could bring in two pieces of clothing, one store bought, one hand-knit and ask students a series of questions about each one: what is it made of? how long do you think it took to make it? who do you think made it? how many people were involved in the production of the article? what about the resources used to produce it...where did the threads come from? who produced those? how? etc. Once students have considered the stories of each modern object, then they can be prompted to think backwards in time, before the global production and trade networks that we have today, before computer operated machines, etc. to consider how the stories of the two articles would be different in previous times.
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Module Id: 689
User Id: 1470
Submitted: Monday, October 19, 2020 - 21:02
Title: Boundaries, citizenship, and rights
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
In examining the creation of Washington, DC, students can study the political reasons that it was created as an independent district, but then also the effect that has on everyday individuals who lived and still live there. Students can examine the benefits that citizens may have achieved by finding themselves residents of the nation's capital, reasons that many in Alexandria did not want to be part of the District anymore, and the remaining question of the status of District residents today...US Citizens who, by virtue of where they live, are denied representation in Congress.
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Module Id: 1039
User Id: 1470
Submitted: Monday, November 2, 2020 - 16:55
Title: Inoculations - where do we take knowledge from?
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
In my opinion, the most interesting thing in this module was the notion of inoculation, and its proponents and detractors, as well as the fact that it was originally suggested to a slaveowner by one of the men he had enslaved. It made me question how likely people in 18th century America would be to accept this practice if they knew where it had come from. Students could examine sources from the time to see the arguments people made for or against the practice, compare them to arguments made for or against vaccination (developed by a Scotsman) to see similarities and differences between the two, and to determine how much credence is given to knowledge from different sources.
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Module Id: 954
User Id: 1470
Submitted: Monday, November 2, 2020 - 17:24
Title: Standing armies - to have or have not
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
Students can use primary sources to examine American attitudes to the standing army in the 18th Century, and at other points in history; following the Civil War, World War I, World War II. Students can then examine the historical circumstances that led to the establishment of the standing army after World War II in the midst of the Cold War, and popular opinions of the military at various points throughout the later 20th Century. Finally, students can make predictions about what the military might look like for future generations as technology develops and as domestic and global geopolotics cahnge and develop.
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Module Id: 955
User Id: 1470
Submitted: Monday, November 2, 2020 - 17:44
Title: Clothing, Protest, Change and Progress
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
To create connections between different social movements and civil rights movements in US history, students could examine photos such as those in this module to study the clothing chosen by the suffragists and how it connected to their fight for the vote, but also the many other economic, technological, cultural, etc. changes and developments in American society. Students could then find images of other social/civil rights movements in modern US times; Civil Rights 1950s/60s, Stonewall/Gay Rights movement, Vietnam Era protests, Immigrant Rights, Black Lives Matter, etc. and create a comparative analysis of the similarities and differences in the symbols and changes of the two eras.
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Module Id: 1075
User Id: 1470
Submitted: Tuesday, November 17, 2020 - 21:59
Title: Parallels between past and present: Labor movements
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
Students could use the content in this module as a way to evaluate other protest and labor movements, such as the push for labor rights by Chávez, Huerta and the American Farm Workers Association. Students could study the demands by, actions of, and reactions to unions like the ILGWU, and build a framework to compare and contrast two labor movements for two different industries in two different time periods. Evaluative questions could be asked, such as which movement was more successful and why? Which movement faced more obstacles, and why? etc.
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Module Id: 950
User Id: 1470
Submitted: Wednesday, November 18, 2020 - 20:26
Title: Hidden stories of everyday items
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
After learning how the development of American industry and the connection between appliances like the dishwasher to the geopolitical situation in the Post-WWII Era, students can be tasked with a mini research project of their own. They should choose/be assigned another modern invention from their lifetime...smartphone, tablet, gps, etc. research the history of its development and its connection to any country, or social, political, economic movement of the era. Students could also study the opposite effect...how have these dvices helped to fuel social, political, or economic changes.
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Module Id: 1093
User Id: 1470
Submitted: Thursday, November 19, 2020 - 20:19
Title: Crisis and Sacrifice: How do Americans respond?
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
Students could use the images and information from this module about rationing, black market forces, etc. during World War II to build a comparative study of crises and the American response in other eras. When faced with current global issues, such as a pandemic, how do Americans (the government and civilians) respond similarly/differently? With the COVID-19 pandemic as an example...what policies did the government(s) implement to dela with the crisis? To get necessary materials/resources such as PPE? What was requested of citizens? How did they respond? Why and how is the current response to a crisis similar/different to what we see in WWII? Students could find posters, news articles, etc. from the current crisis to build a comparison/contrast with the images from the module, and then reflect on greater similarities/differences between the two time periods.
Redirect: /content/tire-wrap
Module Id: 1108
User Id: 1470
Submitted: Wednesday, December 2, 2020 - 16:48