Submitted work by Tracy Pausic
Analyzing Objects
Porcelain
Musket Ball
Smallpox
Nail
Reaper
Shirtwaist
Transistor
Coffee
Record
Tire
Dishwasher
Dress
Stereograph
Stone
Shoe
Question 1:
Historical thinking requires investigation of events such as a detective would a crime scene or a newspaper writer would. It involves figuring out the who, where, what, and effects, changes, or progress that was made. Historical thinking requires looking through a lens to the past, almost as if time traveling back in time, in order to interpret an event, person, or group of people. Using the 3 P's to question purpose, perspective or point of view, encourages historical thinking. I like to think historical thinking is like imagining oneself back in time and then asking, "what would I have done, why did they do what they did, and how could it have been done differently? And, if so, what could have happened to change the course of history"
Question 2:
Various primary sources can be used to encourage this type of thinking. Comparing primary sources with different points of view gives students a chance to use more analysis. Images are extremely impactful when trying to piece together a time period or story. Anything that students can observe, touch, and question sparks their inquisitiveness and critical thinking.
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Module Id: 689
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Submitted: Wednesday, July 7, 2021 - 15:49
Question 1:
I notice that it is a can of coffee. It is also a Nestle product. It is only one ounce of coffee. It might have a U.S. patent. It might not just be coffee because it is Nescafe and has added ingredients.
Question 2:
This object could connect to imperialism, industrialization, agriculture, inventions and patents, trade, and the economy both national and global. It could also connect to consumerism and/or resources.
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Module Id: 1147
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Submitted: Saturday, July 10, 2021 - 14:31
Question 1:
The reaper has gears and levers. It is a machine. It appears to be small, but that could be the drawing itself. It does not seem to have a source of power.
Question 2:
The object could connect to the Industrial Revolution, agricultural changes throughout history, labor force/issues/changes, or the invention of electricity.
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Submitted: Saturday, July 10, 2021 - 15:21
Question 1:
This is a dishwasher in an older kitchen. It does not have electronic buttons or dials. It's rudimentary.
Question 2:
The dishwasher could connect to traditional roles of women in the household, the women's movement, water equity, the environment, or luxury items.
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Module Id: 1093
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Submitted: Saturday, July 10, 2021 - 16:16
Question 1:
The object is hand held. It has glass to look through to pictures which seem to be a child in a bedroom.
Question 2:
The stereoscope could be the advent of photography, television, spread of information, global connectivity.
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Module Id: 1047
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Submitted: Sunday, July 11, 2021 - 11:27
Question 1: It is a cotton shirt with a cinched waist. It has no collar and seems fancy.
Question 2:
The shirtwaist could be connected to fashion, production, labor, treatment of women during the 1900's, safety issues, working conditions, or wealthy versus poor.
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Module Id: 950
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Submitted: Sunday, July 11, 2021 - 13:16
Question 1:
This object looks to be a record of some kind. It contains music and was awarded first prize. Or, as I look more closely, it is a recorder of some kind or talking machine.
Question 2:
I think this object is the predecessor to a revolution in music and sound recordings.
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Submitted: Sunday, July 11, 2021 - 13:56
Question 1:
This object looks to be a record of some kind. It contains music and was awarded first prize. Or, as I look more closely, it is a recorder of some kind or talking machine.
Question 2:
I think this object is the predecessor to a revolution in music and sound recordings.
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Module Id: 1128
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Submitted: Sunday, July 11, 2021 - 13:58
Question 1: The object is microscopic. It could be cells, bacteria, or a virus.
Question 2:
This object, smallpox, could connect to different viruses and diseases throughout history that have affected groups of people, it could relate to historical epidemics, and also the ways in which scientists used research and testing to help find a cure for different diseases. It could also relate to scientific discovery and inventions as well.
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Module Id: 954
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Submitted: Sunday, July 11, 2021 - 17:10
Question 1:
Historical thinking is not learning isolated facts, events, and dates but approaching history with a critical eye. It incorporates investigation of multiple accounts of events, analyzing primary sources in order to reconstruct the past, sourcing, understanding historical context and making the claim-evidence connection. It is an integrated, high level, critical thinking and questioning process which enables and encourages one to view historical events in order to put together a more accurate view of the past.
Question 2:
Primary sources can be used to reconstruct the past. Sources from different points of view on topics, people, and events from the past encourage students to research, analyze, and make decisions to better understand the historical context and our connection to the past.
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Submitted: Saturday, July 10, 2021 - 13:30
Question 1:
Instant coffee connects to the themes in the 20th century during the time period during and following World War II. During the war, soldiers needed fast, convenient, ready-made foods with longer shelf lives. Production on the homefront began in order to meet this demand. However, when the war abruptly ended, companies had shelves of unused food. Since the food was not needed by the military, they turned their marketing efforts towards domestic consumers. Most of the consumers doing the purchasing at the time were women as they were in traditional roles in the home. TV advertising, marketing, and rethinking of traditional cooking both physically and psychologically move forward rapidly.
Question 2:
When analyzing the advertising of fast, convenient, ready-made foods, one cannot observe the psychological effects of the choices that were being made by women at that time. The advertisements spark a change in the way women view their roles in the home and set the stage for their roles to change throughout the 20th century. It also does not address the effects the advertising and change in traditional roles had on other members of the household.
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Submitted: Saturday, July 10, 2021 - 15:01
Question 1:
The reaper began a chain of events that shifted the U.S. from a mostly agrarian society to a more industrialized nation particularly in the north. The reaper and the inventions that followed replaced animal labor with human labor. It enabled farmers to increase their output exponentially. It also helped spur the need for better roads and transportation such as railroads for shipping purposes. Due to these changes, people spent less time farming and more were able to move into an urban environment.
Question 2:
The transcontinental railroad made it possible to travel from one coast to the other in a shorter amount of time. It essentially made the west more accessible. Not only was it used for expedited shipping of more consumer products, but it was also a less expensive form of transportation for people of the east coast. More people began to migrate west. It provided great wealth to rail companies and shipping tycoons which broadened the divide between the wealthy and everyday people. Labor also became an issue that exacerbated tensions between different groups of people living in the U.S. The transcontinental railroad also had repercussions on the environment, people, and wildlife across the nation. It was a symbol of power, wealth, and rapid change across the U.S.
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Submitted: Saturday, July 10, 2021 - 15:57
Question 1:
The dishwasher is symbolic of the divide between the U.S. and the Soviet Union after WWII also known as the Cold War. The ability for people in the U.S. to acquire such luxury items demonstrated superiority over the Soviet Union's collective society. The Kitchen Debate was a guise for the power struggle and ensuing race for control between the two powers during the Cold War.
Question 2:
I have studied the Cold War with my students before, but we focused more on conflicts, the space race, and other ideas. Although we discussed the Marshall Plan, it was superficial, because I had never seen the connection between consumerism in the U.S. and demonstrated superiority in the world. I find the Kitchen Debate fascinating with regards to it being a perfect metaphor for democracy versus communism or capitalism versus collectivism during that time.
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Submitted: Saturday, July 10, 2021 - 16:47
Question 1:
The stereoscope provided the ability to see images in a new way. It enabled people in the United States to access new information and widen their views of the world without having to leave the comfort of their homes. It also spurred an interest in home libraries and ultimately public libraries to give more people access to information. Stereoscopes were also used in education to teach students about the world and culture by encouraging a "historical mindedness" approach to learning. As stereoscopes and the information they held traversed the U.S. and other countries, viewers were shaped by the information provided by their creators. Themes such as good citizenship and hard work were commonly included and a nationalistic theme reached wide audiences. The stereoscope was not only the predecessor to radio and movies but the vessel with which common people could connect with the world around them and become more informed citizens.
Question 2:
Students could view timelines of photographic technologies in image form. Students could be given different viewing technologies throughout history in order to suggest their uses and also place them on a timeline. Students could investigate historical photos and match them with the type of technology used to create them in that time period.
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Submitted: Sunday, July 11, 2021 - 12:19
Question 1:
The shirtwaist connects to labor practices and factory production at the turn of the century. The conglomeration of workers from sweatshops to large factories increased the production of items such as the shirtwaist, but also brought about new issues and problems. Although women were increasingly able to work outside of the home, they worked under terrible working conditions for very little pay and many hours a week. There was a significant reward for employers to integrate production into factories but it also led to more labor unrest because their employees were more able to commiserate with each other about their work-related woes. The Triangle Waist Factory fire brought labor conditions and lack of rights and protection for workers to the forefront due to the extent of the tragedy and loss of life. As a result labor unions, government agencies, and laws were created to protect workers from such dangerous conditions and treatment.
Question 2:
I would question which other jobs were dangerous at that time. I would also question how these changes affected the rights of child laborers that were being used as well. How did children come to have a voice in this situation, were they included? Were immigrants included? Who were some of the biggest employers at the time who relied on this type of labor? Are some of them still around?
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Submitted: Sunday, July 11, 2021 - 13:46
Question 1:
The song was sung by an immigrant who was able to assimilate into the United States. It is an example of opportunities some European immigrants received eventually yet other immigrant groups did not. Immigrants from parts of Europe came to escape various types of persecution and for economic opportunity. They brought new cultures, foods, and traditions. Other groups from Asia, Mexico, and African Americans found entry and assimilation much more difficult and often faced discrimination and attacks. Immigrants had a huge impact on city life as they moved to urban areas for jobs. They increased the demand for housing while also poverty and crime soared in more populated areas. Labor conditions for immigrants especially women and children were often poor and hazardous which eventually led to reforms in later years. Restrictions were placed on immigration between the years 1924 and 1952. By the time immigrants regained the ability to enter the U.S., other "white" European immigrants had assimilated into the American cultural environment leaving some other immigrant groups in precarious positions.
Question 2:
The Library of Congress and Emerging America have sets of primary sources that can be used such as newspapers, journals, images, audio clips, maps, and more. If there are people in the community or family members that could be interviewed, it would bring the narrative to life through their stories.
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Submitted: Sunday, July 11, 2021 - 16:54
Question 1:
Smallpox was one of the most lethal diseases in U.S. history. Smallpox took a toll on populations with no previous exposure such as native populations which were decimated by the disease. There was no way to treat Smallpox so defenses such as quarantines and palliative care were used throughout history. Eventually, inoculation was discovered because it was being used in other parts of the world and by slaves. Inoculation deliberately triggered the disease but caused the person to develop immunity. There were debates regarding inoculation because many still died. During the American Revolution George Washington made one of the most important and daring decisions of the time to inoculate his Continental Army. Ultimately, a successful vaccination was developed using the exposure to Cowpox which caused immunity to Smallpox.
Question 2:
The benefits of using disease as a lens through which to understand history helps students to understand what people were going through at that time in history and why they made some of the decisions that they made. It sheds light on medical and scientific developments that have had a lasting effect on us today. Comparisons can be drawn to some of the responses to the diseases. It also brings to light different groups of people who were affected differently by the same disease. I am not sure there are drawbacks to using diseases to understand history. Historically speaking diseases have caused the rise and fall of civilizations. It can be scary to talk about what could happen with diseases through the lens of the past, but it can also help us today and in the future.
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Submitted: Sunday, July 11, 2021 - 18:01
Title: Using Historical Thinking to Engage Students
Grade Level: Middle
Short Answer:
I would engage students by providing opportunities to examine more primary sources and also objects from the past. I really like the idea of being a history detective or reporter. Having students investigate who was involved in an event, what happened, where it happened, what events led to it, and the consequences or outcomes will help them to analyze and take ownership of the narratives that they construct. I also would use primary sources and images with differing points of view to gain deeper insight and give a voice to other participants in our history, not solely the ones that have been documented in history books. Allowing students to take personal responsibility and more ownership of their learning will lead to deeper understanding and engagement. Also, having the students synthesize and use the information they glean from primary sources will help them in other areas as well. In the past, I have had students use a variety of primary sources to become newspaper reporters and write stories on events in World War II. I have also had students create Cold War News broadcasts about events after researching a variety of both primary and secondary sources. After studying our country's founding documents, governmental structure, and various economies, I have had my Civics classes create their own nations.
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Submitted: Saturday, July 10, 2021 - 14:14
Title: Coffee Connections
Grade Level: Middle
Short Answer:
One of my favorite activities when teaching history was to have students create time capsules with items and events from each decade. I think I could reverse the activity and provide time capsules to them in order for them to investigate an object related to the time period that had a great impact. Instead of looking at what happened, they would see the "why" it happened. If I was teaching about inventions or the industrial revolution, I could provide an item to connect to themes such as the effects of plumbing, electricity, television or child labor.
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Module Id: 1147
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Submitted: Saturday, July 10, 2021 - 15:11
Title: Extend your thinking - Who Reaped the benefits?
Grade Level: Middle
Short Answer:
I might have students take their research one step further to look a the effects of the reaper on various groups of people living in the U.S. at that time. I would have them look at primary sources such as journals and images to gauge the point of view and perspectives of the people that were affected by these rapid changes. How did the changes affect these groups? Did everyone reap the benefits of the reaper? As they follow the effects of the reaper, they might notice it sparked other areas of great change such as the Transcontinental Railroad, labor issues and conflict between people, wealth disparity, and lasting effects on the environment.
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Submitted: Saturday, July 10, 2021 - 16:07
Title: The Kitchen Debate
Grade Level: Middle
Short Answer:
I teach Civics and we talk about different types of economies. I would love to use this particular module to make the important connection between the history they have learned before coming to me. Having the background information through historical thinking will give the students a clearer view of "why" we are learning about different types of economies and make valuable connections. I might have students observe luxury items of today or consider the race to space that is taking place right now and ask the same questions. How has the internet and social media changed the concept of other nations and how others live either positively or negatively? Has it also increase the desire for power in some form?
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Module Id: 1093
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Submitted: Saturday, July 10, 2021 - 16:58
Title: Capturing images and 3-D Technology - Past, present, and future
Grade Level: Middle
Short Answer:
Students could view timelines of photographic technologies in image form. Students could be given different viewing technologies throughout history in order to suggest their uses and also place them on a timeline. Students could investigate historical photos and match them with the type of technology used to create them in that time period. Students could match today's technology with its predecessor. Ultimately, students could look at our technology today and predict what future technology is on our horizon. They can also predict how it might affect people with regards to their social, cultural, and political views of the world in which we live. They could also analyze how current technology as affected our views of the world around us in the present day.
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Module Id: 1047
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Submitted: Sunday, July 11, 2021 - 12:25
Title: Labor conditions at the turn of the century
Grade Level: Middle
Short Answer:
I would give my students more objects to investigate that are connected to this time period. I would also have them view primary sources such as images and journals or accounts from workers during this time, especially child laborers. I would have them compare and contrast a normal day in their lives and the lives of children during the Industrial Revolution. I would also have them research current products used today and the possibility of labor violations.
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Module Id: 950
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Submitted: Sunday, July 11, 2021 - 13:51
Title: Primary sources, interviews, and historical fiction
Grade Level: Middle
Short Answer:
The Library of Congress and Emerging America have sets of primary sources that can be used such as newspapers, journals, images, audio clips, maps, and more. If there are people in the community or family members that could be interviewed, it would bring the narrative to life through their stories. I could also use historical fiction for further engagement.
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Module Id: 1128
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Submitted: Sunday, July 11, 2021 - 17:04
Title: Smallpox throughout history - Connections to today
Grade Level: Middle
Short Answer:
I would try to find more primary sources and evidence of smallpox through history as it related to historical events. I also would look for other diseases that had lasting effects on certain time periods and cultures, and how people responded to quarantines, government regulation, and vaccinations. It could make for interesting discussions and dialogue regarding our diseases today and the movement of trade, travel, and globalization.
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Module Id: 954
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Submitted: Sunday, July 11, 2021 - 18:11