Submitted work by Thomas Huss

Analyzing Objects

Porcelain

Musket Ball

Smallpox

Nail

Reaper

Shirtwaist

Transistor

Coffee

Record

Tire

Dishwasher

Dress

Stereograph

Stone

Mail

Shoe

Question 1:
Historical thinking is the use of critical thinking skills to process information from the past. These skills include strategies that historians use to construct meaning of past events by comparing and contrasting sources of information.
Question 2:
We can use objects to encourage historical thinking in many ways. Objects are evidence of events in a certain time and place. Objects can be used to generate questions and discussions on those events.
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Question 1:
I suppose that this is an older appliance, possibly connected to the sink. Maybe one of the first automatic dishwashers.
Question 2:
This object represents the beginning of "modern" America and the rise of women having more leisure time due to advances in technology.
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Question 1:
I notice that these tires look like they may come from older automobiles due to their width.
Question 2:
These objects may show how America was becoming a "car" nation of travelers by automobile.
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Question 1:
I notice that the can of Nescafe seems to be well used, maybe even government issue based on the color and text style.
Question 2:
This object could connect to the World War Two, Korean War or Vietnam War era of American history based on its design.
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Question 1: These nails appear to be hand-made and made of iron.
Question 2:
These nails could represent the building of America before mass-produced construction materials were available.
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Question 1:
They appear to be hob-nailed boots. They look a lot like modern Clark "desert" boots.
Question 2:
These objects could connect multiple ways, thru the rise and fall of shoe factories in the North, to how mass-produced boots were needed for the Civil War or settlers, etc.
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Question 1: They appear to be transistors of some sort?
Question 2: These objects may have something to do with dawn of the computer age.
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Question 1: It looks like it might be pulled by a draft animal. It looks precarious.
Question 2:
This object may connect to the rise of technology in agriculture in order to feed a growing populace.
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Question 1:
Historical thinking is the use of critical thinking skills to process information from the past.Historians use skills such as analysis of art and artifacts, written documents, oral histories, songs, etc. to find the meaning of past events by comparing and contrasting various sources of information.
Question 2:
Objects are used to encourage historical thinking in many ways. For instance, I could have students view and analyze post cards from the World War Two era to see what the concerns and wonders of that generation were.
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Question 1:
The dishwasher connects to broader themes in the 20th century in multiple ways. It shows the advantage in American industrial capacity gained after World War Two. The dishwasher shows that American standard of living was increasing for average Americans. It also represents more free time for the American woman, which could lead to more time for leisure and education.
Question 2:
The resources in this module were already familiar to me. The Cold War was my emphasis in college. Though I do appreciate the organization and use of various primary sources to lay out the gist of the topic. I plan on using this in my classroom!
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Question 1:
These tires represent the sacrifice Americans made domestically during World War Two. Rationing of scarce items became important for the war effort. In order to supply the necessary material for our troops, citizens at home were asked to make do with what they had and not use any resources unnecessarily.
Question 2:
What is the overall message of the poster? What do the images and symbols represent? Why use these colors or text fonts? Why does the poster use this type of body language?
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Question 1:
Instant coffee connects to broader themes of 20th-century history thru its innovativeness. Mass production on non-perishable food items was essential to the war effort. Thru scientific efforts, foods were produced that could withstand temperature variations and long-transit times in order to provide the American GI with a nutritious, superior ration to other armies. The phrase, "An army marches on its stomach." comes to mind.
Question 2:
In analyzing advertisements from this time period, there are limitations. For instance, we don't know how women perceived the quality and taste of the products in actuality. Additionally, it is hard to change peoples habits from making home-made foodstuffs to pre and ready made.
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Question 1:
The mass-produced nail connects to broader themes in the 19th century, such as the rise of larger cities. With more and sturdy housing needed in growing urban areas, mass-produced and cheaper materials was essential to house America's citizens.
Question 2:
The story of the nail and its affect on westward expansion makes sense. Combined with other factors such as a increasing population in need of room to farm, a push by U.S. government to expand its boundaries as quick as possible, and the building of the continental railroad, the necessity to build cheap, sturdy homes and businesses was essential.
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Question 1:
The shoe connects to broader themes in numerous ways. The need to equip Civil War soldiers created the need for mass-produced goods that were previously unavailable. The need for supplies to field the Army increased both the size of the federal government, but also its scope in society.
Question 2:
You could include songs such as Yankee Doodle, pictures showing factories in the North, etc.
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Question 1:
The transistor replaced bulky and fragile vacuum tubes. Their invention revolutionized the world of electronics and became the basic building block upon which all modern computer and electronic technology relies on today.
Question 2:
What is the purpose of the invention? What was it like before? How did change the industry?
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Question 1:
The invention of the reaper enabled farmers to grow more surplus crops, this invention along with others contributed to the rise of cities in the U.S. as less people were needed to farm crops.
Question 2:
Another source could be the Bessemer Process and steel. Steel allowed for buildings in cities to become skyscrapers, which allowed more people to live in a smaller amount of land.
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Title: Events of Mao’s Cultural Revolution thru Propaganda Posters
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
Students will view various Chinese propaganda posters with the teacher and develop their own questions about what each poster is attempting to portray. Students will then work in small groups to Flipgrid a select topic pertaining to each poster using the teacher-created web-quest as a guide.(Example below of a portion of the web-quest.) Flipgrids will then be shared with the class.

May 4th Movement

1. What was the May 4th Movement?
2. What sparked/caused the May 4th Movement?
3. What resulted from the May 4th Movement?
4. Who were the two important groups that emerged from the May 4th Movement?
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Title: Rosie the Riveter - Warm-up Activity
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
Divide the class into three groups and have each group examine the poster of Rosie the Riveter. Tell them they will share their description of the poster and answer one of the following guiding questions:

1. Who is the audience for the poster?

2. What are the messages being conveyed by the poster?

3. How do images like this poster help them understand patriotic war service?
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Title: Rationing Warm-Up Activity
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
Begin by passing a box of pencils around the classroom, allowing each student to examine and count them.
Ask the following questions of the class:
1. What if I told you that this one box of pencils had to last all of us for an entire school year?
2. How would you ensure that everyone got their fair share of the pencils?
3. Would it be enough to get you through all of the notes and assignments for an entire year?

After hearing their responses, explain that this is considered rationing, what Americans had to do during World War Two to sustain the war effort.
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Title: The Role of Pre-Made Foods in the Liberation of American Women
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
Have students read the article, "How Highly Processed Foods Liberated 1950s Housewives" (https://www.womenshistory.org/articles/how-highly-processed-foods-liberated-1950s-housewives).

Next ask students to list two items of information that they didn't know. Discuss these with the class, then have the class discuss the following questions as a whole:
1. How did the proliferation of processed foods after World War Two change the way Americans lived and ate?
2. Why did the rising popularity of processed foods create more freedom for women?
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Title: The Transcontinental Railroad and Westward Expansion
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
As a brief introduction to the lesson I would show students the picture "Photograph of Golden Spike Ceremony at Promontory, Utah" (found in the National Archives). Then, break students into small groups and have them answer using prior knowledge one of the following questions and share their responses with their peers.

Why was the Transcontinental Railroad built?
How did it affect Native Americans? Other minorities?
How was the environment affected?
What were the advantages of railroad travel?
Who used the railroads, and why?
Who built the railroad?
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Title: Factories versus Plantations
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
Read students the following quote: "Five years ago Mr. and Mrs. Kirke Boott took up their residence at Lowell where there was then no building except one or two little hovels, but last night we went over very extensive cotton manufacturies that have sprung up since that time, and on every side fresh ones are starting into life. This State is so very bad for agricultural purposes that they are driven to manufactures to gain a livelihood?"

—Margaret Hall, writing about Lowell, Massachusetts, October 13, 1827

Discuss how this could be a change from previous periods in U.S. history,

Next, give class members an opportunity to view a map of Population Engaged in Manufacturing and Trade (a link from the EDSITEment resource, The Center for the Liberal Arts).

Point out the differences between the North and South.
- Counties with the most manufacturing are indicated in red.
- Notice that the North is almost completely red.
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Title: History of Computers
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
Warmup Idea?

Begin by displaying the image of ENIAC for students. Ask,
1. What is featured in this image?
2. What do you think it was used for?

Next, show them a picture of an Ipad. Ask,
1. How is this different from ENIAC?

Next, you can have students go to www.computerhistory.org/timeline and gather information: Have students choose one decade (1940s-2010s) and use all events from each year in the chosen decade to create a slide show presentation.

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Title: The Agricultural Advancements in America
Grade Level: High
Short Answer:
Divide the class into 4 groups. Give each group a photocopy of 6 images that deal with the 1880s agricultural movement and questions for visual analysis. Assign an image to each student. Direct students to answer the questions for their image. (For example: Look carefully at this machine. What adjectives would you use to describe it? What is the engineer doing?)
Then have them hypothesize how each image might be connected to the locomotive.
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