In the period during and following James Monroe's presidency, the United States was in an "era of good feelings". Several notable figures emerged during this era: John Quincy Adams, the son of President John Adams and Monroe's Secretary of State, Andrew Jackson, general and veteran of the War of 1812, William Crawford, Monroe's Secretary of War/Treasury, and Henry Clay, a senator from Kentucky who was the Speaker of the House. In 1824, these 4 faced off in one of the closest presidential elections of all time; it was so close that the House of Representatives had to decide a winner (influenced by Clay, they chose Adams). So for today's Lesson Plan, we'll be re-enacting that famous election, with your students as the candidates! They'll be able to practice a mock election and learn more about the emerging United States in the early 19th century (which is, of course, something everyone wants to understand).
First, choose four of your students to be Adams, Jackson, Crawford, or Clay (gender doesn't matter in this project!). Next, either have them choose a group or you divide the class into groups of 5 or 6, including the candidates. Tell the candidates that they must assign a select amount of people as their Press and as their Advisers. The Press will ask the candidates questions during an interview and the Advisers can help out a candidate if they're getting stuck (for instance, if they don't know their policy on foreign affairs). The 2nd job of the Press is to give their own candidates easy questions in the interview ("Do you believe in America?") and give opposing candidates challenging questions ("It says here that you once attacked a city when the enemy wasn't stationed there. How can we be sure you're not a war monger?").
Have the students then go and research their candidates. They should know stances on certain issues, beliefs, spouses, anything that may come up in a Press question. The Advisers should also take extra notes to be prepared to help their candidate in a sticky situation. The most important rule is that the students CAN NOT use any information about a candidate or what they have done after 1824! If any candidate references a future event, accuse them of being a "time traveler" and "banish" them (disqualify them). If the only way to make sure your students don't use future knowledge, make the project graded on accuracy; a good student never wants a bad grade!
Finally, let Adams, Jackson, Crawford, and Clay start their interviews. They'll give a minute-long introductory speech, field questions, and then give a closing statement, moving on to the next candidate. After all the candidates have gone, have the class choose the best 2 out of the 4 (as Congress did). Let's say your class chose Adams and Crawford; because Clay is now out, he/she will throw their support behind Adams and become and Adviser (this would not be reciprocated if Adams was out; this is because Clay convinced Congress to elect Adams instead of Jackson). Have Adams and Crawford then field more questions, and then have the class choose the President. Despite Clay's efforts, Crawford wins the election (like he was originally supposed to)!
While this project is focused on a very specific event in American history, that's why I love it; it helps students understand that every era usually had their own crises or scandals, and that history isn't just the things they hear about the most on TV. I mean, which of your students could say, before doing this project, that they knew there was a scandal behind the Election of 1824? Hopefully, they'll have learned something, and hopefully they'll have fun!
-Pharaoh Noh-Tyep
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Quick Tips: Speed Reading
Everyone hates reading out of a history textbook, right? It takes too much time to go through every assigned page and decide what answers which question in a particular order, and then copy down that answer in your own words for the teacher to grade (because why not). Well, for anyone with reading skills higher than a 2nd grader may have figured out is that many people can skim through a book and retain enough information to sufficiently answer a question on that topic (but only for a short time period; short-term memory, and all that). Not only is this useful for boring LA classes, but you can use this to a great advantage in a history textbook.
Let's say you've come up to a long passage that you have to read and answer 10 questions on. Instead of reading those 15 pages (rough AP length for that amount of questions), just take a moment to glance at each page. Read the words slow enough that you understand them, but fast enough that it doesn't take you over 2 minutes on each page; basically like you're taking the Reading Test on the ACT. After you've finished skimming, reread your questions and see if anything seems familiar to what you just sped read. For instance, if the question was Who was the leader of China in 300 B.C.E and what were some legacies of their rule?, you may remember seeing Emperor Qin but don't remember the legacies. Simply go back to where you thought you saw the relevant information and read it at your normal pace; answer the question as accurately as you can once you're finished. Repeat this process for the next 10 questions, and you'll be done within an hour (I promise, Scout's honor, etc.)
Even though many claim speed reading is a myth, you can use it to your advantage when reading boring subjects in history (or any) class! Go out an try it right now; I bet you'll be finished in the time it took to read this entry (plus 2 or 3 more, give or take)!
-Pharaoh Noh-Tyep
Let's say you've come up to a long passage that you have to read and answer 10 questions on. Instead of reading those 15 pages (rough AP length for that amount of questions), just take a moment to glance at each page. Read the words slow enough that you understand them, but fast enough that it doesn't take you over 2 minutes on each page; basically like you're taking the Reading Test on the ACT. After you've finished skimming, reread your questions and see if anything seems familiar to what you just sped read. For instance, if the question was Who was the leader of China in 300 B.C.E and what were some legacies of their rule?, you may remember seeing Emperor Qin but don't remember the legacies. Simply go back to where you thought you saw the relevant information and read it at your normal pace; answer the question as accurately as you can once you're finished. Repeat this process for the next 10 questions, and you'll be done within an hour (I promise, Scout's honor, etc.)
Even though many claim speed reading is a myth, you can use it to your advantage when reading boring subjects in history (or any) class! Go out an try it right now; I bet you'll be finished in the time it took to read this entry (plus 2 or 3 more, give or take)!
-Pharaoh Noh-Tyep
Lesson Idea: Women's Suffrage/Liberation Banner
Since we're right in the middle of election season, I thought it would be appropriate to make this week's Lesson Idea about women gaining the right to vote! Until 1920, women in America couldn't vote for anything-president, mayor, or even on a decision to build a road. Many women like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony fought to make women equal, but the fight still continues today. However, the fight now includes equal pay, no discrimination, and the ability to be treated in a respectful manner, united under the fight for Women's Liberation. That's where your students come in-they get to make their own suffrage banners and "join" the battle for equality!
Supplies:
- Scissors
- Pens/Pencils/Markers
- Internet access
- Large Paper (you decide the exact size)
First, describe Women's Suffrage (or Liberation as a whole) to your students. You don't have to go into great detail about the subject, but explain enough that they'll understand the basic reasoning for why it happened. Next, assign the students into groups of 4. These groups will study their topic together as well as make the banner together; this project is better to do as a group than as an individual. Now, if you want to be more inclusive of other areas of women's liberation, assign the following topics to your students for their banners:
- Equal Pay
- Right to Vote (Suffrage)
- No Discrimination
- Respect
Have the students choose one of the topics for their banner; because this lesson will be focusing on suffrage, we'll choose it for the example. Have the students then choose four events that happened during the topic: protests, rallies, speeches, reports, whatever occurred involving the topic during the time period it was most focused on (side note: because that was when it was most likely paid attention to by everyone). Have them write down names of people involved, dates, locations, etc. Then give the students banner-sized paper and instruct them to tell the story of their topic with the events surrounding the name of the topic. Here's an example:
Johnny and Reba chose Suffrage as their topic. Their events were Susan B. Anthony being arrested for voting, speeches made by Elizabeth Stanton to amend the Constitution, protests for suffrage during WWI, and President Wilson's opinion on the topic. These events, seen with an appropriate picture of what happened and relevant information, surround large red letters that spell out: SUFFRAGE.
Depending on the accuracy of the information and understanding of the topic, you can get two completely different banners on the same subject. Grade this project based on amount of info used, events used, relevance to topic, and color (because every banner should have some attention grabbing colors on them).
Voila! You have yourself an army of women's suffrage/liberation banners! While they may not be of the best quality, your students will now understand how different the US was not even 100 years ago, and how many women fought for the modern world to be created! The best part is that you can completely personalize this lesson idea to your suiting-make sure to make it good, and happy voting!
-Pharaoh Noh-Tyep
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Getting Re-acquainted With History Class
If I can accomplish anything here, I want students to see that history isn't all that bad as a subject, and it has certainly gotten the short end of the stick on how it's portrayed in the media. However, I also know that most students, even with tips and tricks to make the class EASIER, will still not believe that history class is FUN. That's completely fine. But I've always wondered about adults well into their own Middle Ages who suddenly find themselves wanting to know more about history; either they had blown it off in school and never understood it fully or they had an idea of historical events but were simply not interested in their contents. Basically, these adults have decided to re-acquaint themselves with history to discover once and for all if it was fun. I have no choice but to support them 100% of the way, and I've devised 3 things to do if you suddenly want to break out that old dusty college textbook again.
3. Sign Up For Community Classes
The biggest part of learning history was that it took place in a classroom. The difference between school and now, though, is that your boring history teachers have been replaced by volunteers (usually historians or history majors) who actually ENJOY teaching you about history. Welcome to Community History Class 101! Communities will always offer opportunities for adults to learn, be it night classes, seminars, or simple group meetings so people can enjoy a subject they may have always had a small interest in in their lives. In my community alone, there have been at least 4 history-related night courses/groups that have been offered for the citizens to attend in the past year (I unfortunately couldn't, because I was enjoying vacation). As previously mentioned, the teachers of these courses usually have a better understanding and love for the course they teach, and can make the classes really fun. So if you want to find out if you really should've been paying attention in history class, the best place to find out is your community center.
2. Watch Historical Media
In the decades following the Internet and home computer, millions upon millions of websites have been created to gradually close the distance between our vast cultural societies. One of these websites was YouTube, a video streaming service unlike any of the past decade. For over ten years people have been uploading, and it should be a given that some of those "Youtubers" were history buffs. There are so many historical videos available to everyone that several of my teachers actually used some of them to teach classrooms subjects without having to use a textbook. My personal favorite of these Historical Series would have to be John Green's "Crash Course World History" (yes, that John Green). Not only does it accurately and explicitly go into detail about the history of the world, Green makes it fun with his own little twist of comedy and sarcasm, and you'll interested in even the smallest of historical happenings. In fact, I watched all of his videos in preparation for my AP World History Exam, and got a 4 (this included normal studying as well, lazy students!). Another series I'd recommend is Dan Carlin's "Hardcore History" and a channel on YouTube called "the Great War" that is releasing videos about WWI in correlation with that event's 100th anniversary. Whatever you choose to watch, you won't be disappointed in what you learn.
1. Read a Historical Book
No, I don't mean a textbook. I mean actually reading a book based on historical events, be it real or fictional; one of the best ways to learn more about history is to hear it from someone else's point of view. While there are too many books out there to count, you can search "historical fiction/nonfiction" on Google and it will usually lead you in the right direction. The reason I want adults coming back to history to read more is because reading is a main part of understanding history/historical context; many events were not recorded by camera and may only be documented by word or word of mouth. Reading can also give one a better sense of understanding when they come across the event in the future; what better insight to history is one that you make yourself? That's why I consider reading the best way to re-acquaint yourself with history, because it IS history.
For many, history is a dead end. But I hope that for those of you who are making an effort to reintroduce the subject into your lives, that you have success and enjoy your findings! I'd love to hear if any adults out there have changed their minds on history after following these three steps!
Here are links to the historical media. Crash Course belongs to John Green, Hardcore History to Dan Carlin, and the Great War to Patreon.
http://www.dancarlin.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/crashcourse
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheGreatWar
-Pharaoh Noh-Tyep
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Lesson Idea: Make-Your-Own Propaganda Poster
Throughout history, especially the parts of history you'll be teaching in your classroom, there have been conflicts between 2 or more groups of people. Usually, to justify starting a war to destroy the other group, Group A would make posters and videos to smear Group B and make them look bad to the unassuming public, called propaganda. Most of the time, it worked, and today we're left with colorful and grim reminders of how manipulative a country can become to force an issue (specifically WWII-era US). But your students can benefit from using this tactic of war to learn about a historical event and get a good grade! (Boy, isn't that a little tasteless?) Make-Your-Own Propaganda is a refreshing view on how boring historical conflicts can be connected to the partially modern world, and the best part is, you get to draw!
Supplies:
- Pencils
- Markers or Colored Pencils (no Crayons)
- 3 ft.X 2 ft. Paper
- History Textbooks/Internet Connection
Before you can even get started, you'll have to choose events from history to use as propaganda pieces. Oh, and they can only come from pre-WWI era history. Why, you may be asking? Well, while propaganda has been evident throughout all of history, the point of this project is for students to make modern-yet-historically correct propaganda, which means using modern propaganda images (like Uncle Sam) for ancient conflicts (like the Hundred Years' War). In even simpler terms, the past used very drab looking propaganda, but your students need to make theirs POP. I suggest finding at least 10 events in history for the students to study.
First, assign the students 1 of the 10 events you have chosen (let's use the Civil War as an example). Tell the students they have a certain amount of time to gather information on that conflict before they begin making the posters, and should include the following information: Groups Involved, 3 Reasons for Conflict, Context for Propaganda, and Dates (if needed). For instance, on a propaganda poster of the Civil War, I would mention that the Northern Union needed help fighting the Southern Confederacy, because the South wanted to keep slaves, disobey the rights of other states, and encroach on Constitutional law. The poster could have a copyright of 1863 in the corner, and mention the Battle of Gettysburg, which had happened that very year.
(Side note: I know it's hard to visualize this poster through words, but I don't have a copy of one to show you. That's what I get for coming up with an idea on my own).
Next, after all of the information the students need has been gathered, tell them to start drawing! However, THEY CANNOT COPY AN ALREADY EXISTING POSTER. By this I mean that if the students simply trace over a poster and change words around, without any effort to make it look like it came from the era the conflict is from, like using Uncle Sam for the War of 1812 (an era where the female Columbia more greatly represented the US) grade them a zero. If they aren't going to put the time into this project to make it look acceptable, you shouldn't have to waste your time grading it. But if a student, say, traced Uncle Sam and made him look like Abraham Lincoln for the Civil War, that's fine, because they made a conscious effort to contextualize the poster (one of the main pieces of information). Have them first draw then color the poster, and have them turn it in for grade.
Finally, after all the posters are graded, you could hang them together in like groups for the students to see. After all, it is their hard work! Now the kids should also have better knowledge of a conflict and why it happened, and a way people tried to convert people to their points of view! Who would've ever said that propaganda could be fun?
-Pharaoh Noh-Tyep
Lesson Idea: Revolutionary War Letter Exchanges
With yet another Lesson Idea involving the Revolutionary War, I promise it will be the last one for a while (what can you expect? As an American, I love the story of my country's founding). This project can also provide a great way for students to learn more about the secrets that the early Americans kept to help them win the war and beat the British. With this idea, I recommend that only middle school aged students and above should do this project. It gets very complicated very fast, and I have a feeling younger kids may not see the appeal to the project. However, you can still do it; in fact, you could even intertwine this with the Revolutionary War Game as a subplot to the main events (in that case, DO NOT make this a graded project)!
In the Revolutionary War, spies would hide correspondence through coded letters, where a drab piece about a late order on fine china actually contains a secret message on where the British troops are stationed in Virginia. For this assignment, you'll have your students simulate the same thing, albeit with simpler messages and shorter letters (some of them were as long as 10 pages. TOO MUCH!)
First, assign the students into groups of an even number; if you have an odd number, simply put the extra student in a group of three and have them work as 2 spies corresponding with 1 spy, and so on. Next, explain that the students must now send messages back and forth that "the British" (the teacher) can't decode when the mail is "searched" (collected). If the teacher can't determine what the message is about (or if all of them are well written enough that it took a while to guess which message they were sending), "the British" will then deliver the mail to the other partner, who must decode the passage themselves. They then must turn in the decoded messages to "General Washington" (also the teacher), and the group that gets closest to the original message receives 5 points; the first to 50 wins, or, if strapped for time, the group with the most points at the end of a week wins.
Because the preceding paragraph may have been hard to follow, here's an example of how the assignment should work:
Group A, consisting of Johnny and Reba, receive their messages (each of them gets 5). Johnny is the first to send his message which reads: The British are attacking from Coast, need more Troops. (Side note: to make it more difficult, tell the students that none of the words with capital letters can be un-capitalized in the secret message).
Johnny writes the following message: The other day, I was walking about when a British soldier stopped me and questioned my demeanor. I inquired, "Are we not free people to walk about the county square?" He then assumed I was attacking his position, and demanded from me 50 pence or I would spend a night in the Prison. Having seen the atrocities they have done on the Coast, I did not need this inconvenience and paid him rather quickly. More of them then rallied about and called me the most horrendous names, Martha, that I cannot bear to describe on this parchment. Troops of them are taking over this city. I fear the thought of this letter falling into their hands. (Side note: NONE of the bolded words should be bolded in the letter! If they are, award the group no points)
Johnny then turns in this letter to "the British". Because this letter describes complaints about the British soldiers, there is a great chance it would have been confiscated and the writer questioned, and possible discovery of the American Spy network; however, this project isn't that complicated. Dock Group A 1 point from their total and deliver the message to Reba.
After a day, Reba gives "General Washington" the following message: The British are attacking position, 50 in Prison. Need more Troops. While Reba was able to convey that Johnny needed more troops, she failed to explicitly state what location (the Coast), and provided false information (50 troops are imprisoned). However, it could be interpreted as a call for help due to a British attack, so only dock 1.5 points. Group A will have 2.5 points at the end of the round, and Reba will then right a message to Johnny, repeating the process.
There we have it! Your own Revolutionary Spy Network, localized entirely within your classroom walls! If you're trying to do it in less time, I suggest having the student send more than 1 at a time (no more than 3), but beyond that, you can interpret the rules as much as you'd like! This can be a graded project, which would motivate the students to do it well to get a good grade, or just a fun activity to use as a learning tool. As always, give feedback on how this Lesson Idea worked, or any suggestions for other Ideas! Thanks for reading!
-Pharaoh Noh-Tyep
In the Revolutionary War, spies would hide correspondence through coded letters, where a drab piece about a late order on fine china actually contains a secret message on where the British troops are stationed in Virginia. For this assignment, you'll have your students simulate the same thing, albeit with simpler messages and shorter letters (some of them were as long as 10 pages. TOO MUCH!)
First, assign the students into groups of an even number; if you have an odd number, simply put the extra student in a group of three and have them work as 2 spies corresponding with 1 spy, and so on. Next, explain that the students must now send messages back and forth that "the British" (the teacher) can't decode when the mail is "searched" (collected). If the teacher can't determine what the message is about (or if all of them are well written enough that it took a while to guess which message they were sending), "the British" will then deliver the mail to the other partner, who must decode the passage themselves. They then must turn in the decoded messages to "General Washington" (also the teacher), and the group that gets closest to the original message receives 5 points; the first to 50 wins, or, if strapped for time, the group with the most points at the end of a week wins.
Because the preceding paragraph may have been hard to follow, here's an example of how the assignment should work:
Group A, consisting of Johnny and Reba, receive their messages (each of them gets 5). Johnny is the first to send his message which reads: The British are attacking from Coast, need more Troops. (Side note: to make it more difficult, tell the students that none of the words with capital letters can be un-capitalized in the secret message).
Johnny writes the following message: The other day, I was walking about when a British soldier stopped me and questioned my demeanor. I inquired, "Are we not free people to walk about the county square?" He then assumed I was attacking his position, and demanded from me 50 pence or I would spend a night in the Prison. Having seen the atrocities they have done on the Coast, I did not need this inconvenience and paid him rather quickly. More of them then rallied about and called me the most horrendous names, Martha, that I cannot bear to describe on this parchment. Troops of them are taking over this city. I fear the thought of this letter falling into their hands. (Side note: NONE of the bolded words should be bolded in the letter! If they are, award the group no points)
Johnny then turns in this letter to "the British". Because this letter describes complaints about the British soldiers, there is a great chance it would have been confiscated and the writer questioned, and possible discovery of the American Spy network; however, this project isn't that complicated. Dock Group A 1 point from their total and deliver the message to Reba.
After a day, Reba gives "General Washington" the following message: The British are attacking position, 50 in Prison. Need more Troops. While Reba was able to convey that Johnny needed more troops, she failed to explicitly state what location (the Coast), and provided false information (50 troops are imprisoned). However, it could be interpreted as a call for help due to a British attack, so only dock 1.5 points. Group A will have 2.5 points at the end of the round, and Reba will then right a message to Johnny, repeating the process.
There we have it! Your own Revolutionary Spy Network, localized entirely within your classroom walls! If you're trying to do it in less time, I suggest having the student send more than 1 at a time (no more than 3), but beyond that, you can interpret the rules as much as you'd like! This can be a graded project, which would motivate the students to do it well to get a good grade, or just a fun activity to use as a learning tool. As always, give feedback on how this Lesson Idea worked, or any suggestions for other Ideas! Thanks for reading!
-Pharaoh Noh-Tyep
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Being Politically Correct in History Class, Or, The Huckleberry Finn Problem
It happens sooner or later to most historical documents. Due to an offensive term like "nigger" or "spic" being prevalent throughout the writing, a text will be altered to include more politically correct terms like "black" and "Mexican". While I agree that the offensive words should no longer be used in our modern language (I myself will not be using them for the rest of this post), this is one of the worst things to do to historical pieces of literature; it essentially is censoring how certain things were done before political correctness was as major of an issue as it is now. I am certainly not advocating for people to continue using the N-word or other racist phrases, but I feel that people are ignoring historical context when they do change words to be less offensive. However, it is inevitable that this will be happening to all historical documents at one point or another; a good example is Mark Twain's book Huckleberry Finn, where a large portion of the book's words (mainly the N-word) were changed to be more opening to readers of all ages.
So what does this have to do with making history "fun"? Well, it really doesn't; this topic expands farther and wider than most of the topics I've discussed here. A teacher has to be careful when using historical literature, otherwise a slip-up or wrong word could end up with a complaint that leads to a teacher losing their job, all because of Huck's friend Jim's unfortunate first name. Because of this prevalent problem, I've come up with a few ways to make sure that political correctness and historical context can be used side by side, without the negative connotations of the latter.
So what does this have to do with making history "fun"? Well, it really doesn't; this topic expands farther and wider than most of the topics I've discussed here. A teacher has to be careful when using historical literature, otherwise a slip-up or wrong word could end up with a complaint that leads to a teacher losing their job, all because of Huck's friend Jim's unfortunate first name. Because of this prevalent problem, I've come up with a few ways to make sure that political correctness and historical context can be used side by side, without the negative connotations of the latter.
3. Explain the Context
What usually ends up happening in history class is that the students do not understand (or seem to understand) how language has evolved over even 50 to 100 years. Several words and phrases they know as "bad words" were at one point used almost as much as normal words; they simply don't know that the times, they were a changin'. If you have a book or speech that contains offensive language that you must teach to the class, don't get scared about repercussions. Just explain to the students about the time period this writing existed in, and say that while it now isn't considered the correct language, the people of that time "didn't know any better"(I put quotations around that statement because the people of the past weren't dumb, they just didn't expect the future, but this statement works to not get too many questions asked).
It is at this point that you could go in 2 directions:
2a. Read the passage with Original Language
After your explanation of context, you could then imply that the best way to understand the piece would be with the original language it contains. However, make sure you agree with your students beforehand on whether or not THEY want to do this. After all, they are the ones who are learning, and if they don't feel comfortable hearing the offensive language, you can...
2b. Read with Politically Correct Language
This is the option for those who decide that they don't want to hear the N-word every few minutes, and would rather be politically correct for the sake of others or themselves. Simply go in and replace all of the offensive words with the politically correct terms ("savage" becomes "native", etc.) and read this censored version for the class. I do not recommend this choice, though; I feel there is a certain sense of history lost with modern language translations, and while I can understand the purpose for it, it just all seems a little backwards to me. Wasn't the point of history class to learn these offensive phrases so we'd know they were offensive in the first place?
1. Address All Questions
Students will ask questions, for sure; they'll want to know why the language had to be changed and why you seem so nervous reading Huckleberry Finn. Just relax, and try your best to relay that the time period was different than ours, and this was the way almost everyone talked and wrote. However, if there are more questions that you feel that you couldn't answer, stress to the kids to discuss political correctness with their parents; they know best when bringing up their children (sometimes)!
In conclusion, I do not like how political correctness has invaded history class. But I can see the benefits that it can give to teachers afraid of the content and teachers of young students; if it makes it better to teach for you, then who am I to stop you? Just remember that history is history, and no amount of edited books will ever be able to replace what actually happened all those years ago.
-Pharaoh Noh-Tyep
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Quick Tips: Reading Historical Text
No one, and I mean no one, likes reading those letters from the 1600s or 1700s, with all their old fashioned English and hard to understand phrases (what the hell is "privy"?) However, if you can make a quick connection to old words and work from there, you could be able to read and understand a historical text, no matter what the year or context.
First, find your historical context (you can learn more about that in the post "Learning Historical Context") and follow the Who, Where, and What format. Once you've determined those, read a sentence of the document. Let's say it goes like this:
"They invade our lands as though they be sole proprietor, and we have rested upon no greater solution than to restore the order of the township. These savages made no claim to the wooded hills where they now call territory of the Crown; we, meanwhile, have grown with it as brothers. I scoff at the notion of those bloodybacks keeping a tradesman from exploring outside his province: an Army far from home is no Army indeed."
While that was completely made up, the idea of the figure can be understood: he/she is upset about something involving "bloodybacks", "savages, and "the Crown". Using historical context, let's say one determined this account was from 1764, and originated in the English colony of Virginia. Now the reading makes even more sense, as it could be someone responding to the British decree of no colonists in the Ohio Valley after the French and Indian War. "Bloodybacks" was a derogatory term for a British soldier, and the Crown was King George III. Now, the passage can make sense, and a student can "translate it in their head to this:
"They come to America as if they are the only ones who own it, and we have no choice but to protect our boundaries. These monsters didn't say they owned the territory that they now call home; we, however, grew with it all of our lives. I laugh at the idea of the British soldiers stopping a yeoman (traveling trader) from going out into the wilderness; an army away from home is no good army."
This passage makes much more sense, doesn't it? Well, you can do this with any passage! By connecting similar words (like "township" to "boundaries") together to make it more modern, and by having a good understanding of historical context, you'll be dissecting those readings for meaning in no time! If you still need help, just try thinking about the tone of the piece: does it seem happy, angry, sad, etc? If you can determine a mood, there's a good chance you can also determine what the reading is trying to do. So, go out there and finish reading that love letter from William Shakespeare! I'm sure you'll get it!
P.S. Can someone please tell me what "privy" means?
-Pharaoh Noh-Tyep
First, find your historical context (you can learn more about that in the post "Learning Historical Context") and follow the Who, Where, and What format. Once you've determined those, read a sentence of the document. Let's say it goes like this:
"They invade our lands as though they be sole proprietor, and we have rested upon no greater solution than to restore the order of the township. These savages made no claim to the wooded hills where they now call territory of the Crown; we, meanwhile, have grown with it as brothers. I scoff at the notion of those bloodybacks keeping a tradesman from exploring outside his province: an Army far from home is no Army indeed."
While that was completely made up, the idea of the figure can be understood: he/she is upset about something involving "bloodybacks", "savages, and "the Crown". Using historical context, let's say one determined this account was from 1764, and originated in the English colony of Virginia. Now the reading makes even more sense, as it could be someone responding to the British decree of no colonists in the Ohio Valley after the French and Indian War. "Bloodybacks" was a derogatory term for a British soldier, and the Crown was King George III. Now, the passage can make sense, and a student can "translate it in their head to this:
"They come to America as if they are the only ones who own it, and we have no choice but to protect our boundaries. These monsters didn't say they owned the territory that they now call home; we, however, grew with it all of our lives. I laugh at the idea of the British soldiers stopping a yeoman (traveling trader) from going out into the wilderness; an army away from home is no good army."
This passage makes much more sense, doesn't it? Well, you can do this with any passage! By connecting similar words (like "township" to "boundaries") together to make it more modern, and by having a good understanding of historical context, you'll be dissecting those readings for meaning in no time! If you still need help, just try thinking about the tone of the piece: does it seem happy, angry, sad, etc? If you can determine a mood, there's a good chance you can also determine what the reading is trying to do. So, go out there and finish reading that love letter from William Shakespeare! I'm sure you'll get it!
P.S. Can someone please tell me what "privy" means?
-Pharaoh Noh-Tyep
When All Else Fails...Teach
Let's say you've completely exhausted your opportunities to make teaching fun. Let's say you've tried the tips, tricks, and life hacks that fill up most of the Internet these days (even Historical Friction itself) and it simply is not working. Your kids don't do well in the projects you come up with, they can't name a Founding Father to save their grades, and notes are quite simply out of the question. This is usually the moment when many teachers just give up. Resign themselves to the unbearable fact that the education system has failed, and nowhere is it more apparent in their history class. They withdraw from classes, grade sporadically just so the kids'll pass and leave them alone, call in sick just to lie in bed wondering where they went wrong in the job lottery, excuse themselves from the faculty events and meetings, become a social outcast to both the students and their colleagues, and then realize it's been 40 years and retire, only to grow old and still wonder what it was that made them such a "bad teacher".
Depressing, I know.
Now, I cannot and most likely will not ever be able to speak from experience on this subject. I have never claimed I myself am a teacher, and I know not what goes on behind the scenes at schools in the history department. I only offer these tips and suggestions because I am a student who has seen too many of these clinically depressed teachers trying and failing to teach the foundations of the human experience to unpredictable children; the ideas in this blog are from a student's viewpoint of how to make history more "fun". But I can understand that kids can be hard to work with. Teachers act as both an educator and babysitter most of the time, and it can be challenging just to come to work every day knowing what they'll be up against. What I don't understand is the failure attitude. Teachers haven't failed when they don't reach some students, that's a given; it seems nowadays that most are upset when they don't get a "Stand and Deliver" class and give up. You will not get everyone to understand history, and many cannot no matter how hard they try. It's called being a human being; some are cut out better for being a historian while another may be the next big movie star. But still teachers turn in their badges after too many rough years. This is where I believe teachers start blaming themselves rather than looking for a fix to their problem. Well, here it is:
Teach.
How many of you just scoffed right now? It seems stupid, I know; what else have you been trying to do for the past 16 years? But I don't just mean going in and doing the daily grind, I mean teaching with EMOTION. You know, that thing that defines all human beings as human and a lack of it usually means psychopath. All jokes aside, your subject is important. The common history teacher is tasked with educating the newer generation of people how they got here through several mistakes, wars, and catastrophes, and they usually have to do most of it in 8 months. It can get boring, yes; kids hate repetitiveness as much as going to school. But a teacher with EMOTION is the key term. If you love your subject, history, absolutely worship the figures and places and events that helped shape the current world your living with, you won't have to worry about a bleak future and shallow regrets.
Students love fun teachers. I still remember the last names of all of mine: Koltoff, Smith, Martensen, Dierks, Pauly, Heim, Osborn, Neilly, Hynek, Benedict. They made the class electric, at least for me, and it was fun to learn whatever they were teaching on a certain day. The thing they all had in common? They loved what they did. Of course, they had bad students, even in the class I was in. But that didn't stop them from slowing down in educating the masses the very best they could. In fact, it was Mr. Neilly's teaching who inspired me to create Historical Friction in the first place, because I learned so much from him and how history is a defining subject to learn in school. Putting your whole self into the subject, immersing yourself in it: this is the best way to get a positive response from students on what it is you teach; they may even learn something too.
So if all else fails, if those Lesson Ideas and Quick Tips aren't/haven't been working, just teach. Teach your heart out. History is important, and you should treat it as if without it we would all be doomed. Teach it with EMOTION or teach it the same way for the rest of your career. In the end, you'll know whether you made the right choice.
-Pharaoh Noh-Tyep
Depressing, I know.
Now, I cannot and most likely will not ever be able to speak from experience on this subject. I have never claimed I myself am a teacher, and I know not what goes on behind the scenes at schools in the history department. I only offer these tips and suggestions because I am a student who has seen too many of these clinically depressed teachers trying and failing to teach the foundations of the human experience to unpredictable children; the ideas in this blog are from a student's viewpoint of how to make history more "fun". But I can understand that kids can be hard to work with. Teachers act as both an educator and babysitter most of the time, and it can be challenging just to come to work every day knowing what they'll be up against. What I don't understand is the failure attitude. Teachers haven't failed when they don't reach some students, that's a given; it seems nowadays that most are upset when they don't get a "Stand and Deliver" class and give up. You will not get everyone to understand history, and many cannot no matter how hard they try. It's called being a human being; some are cut out better for being a historian while another may be the next big movie star. But still teachers turn in their badges after too many rough years. This is where I believe teachers start blaming themselves rather than looking for a fix to their problem. Well, here it is:
Teach.
How many of you just scoffed right now? It seems stupid, I know; what else have you been trying to do for the past 16 years? But I don't just mean going in and doing the daily grind, I mean teaching with EMOTION. You know, that thing that defines all human beings as human and a lack of it usually means psychopath. All jokes aside, your subject is important. The common history teacher is tasked with educating the newer generation of people how they got here through several mistakes, wars, and catastrophes, and they usually have to do most of it in 8 months. It can get boring, yes; kids hate repetitiveness as much as going to school. But a teacher with EMOTION is the key term. If you love your subject, history, absolutely worship the figures and places and events that helped shape the current world your living with, you won't have to worry about a bleak future and shallow regrets.
Students love fun teachers. I still remember the last names of all of mine: Koltoff, Smith, Martensen, Dierks, Pauly, Heim, Osborn, Neilly, Hynek, Benedict. They made the class electric, at least for me, and it was fun to learn whatever they were teaching on a certain day. The thing they all had in common? They loved what they did. Of course, they had bad students, even in the class I was in. But that didn't stop them from slowing down in educating the masses the very best they could. In fact, it was Mr. Neilly's teaching who inspired me to create Historical Friction in the first place, because I learned so much from him and how history is a defining subject to learn in school. Putting your whole self into the subject, immersing yourself in it: this is the best way to get a positive response from students on what it is you teach; they may even learn something too.
So if all else fails, if those Lesson Ideas and Quick Tips aren't/haven't been working, just teach. Teach your heart out. History is important, and you should treat it as if without it we would all be doomed. Teach it with EMOTION or teach it the same way for the rest of your career. In the end, you'll know whether you made the right choice.
-Pharaoh Noh-Tyep
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Learning Historical Context- Who, Where, and What?
History is all about dates. I don't mean those dried up fruits that make you think of the Middle East; I mean the things we use to denote time: days, months, years, etc. What many people don't realize is that the context of a time period can be one of the deciding factors in whether they get the right answer or not. The reason for this is usually because of a recurring theme in history lectures: boredom/lack of attention. If you can't name the time period that something like the Epic of Gilgamesh occurs in, your whole timeline will be thrown off (yes, just by not knowing one thing in history, it can mess up the rest of it), and it's all because you had to talk to Johnny for 5 minutes about whether the Cubs were going to beat the Cardinals. Learning context can open up history and make it easier to understand; at the same time, it may even make history fun to learn when you actually know when it happened. Here's how you can use historical context in your next history class.
First, there's always the question of Who Is Involved?, usually when there are written documents or statements as the subject. When you know the person or people that a question is talking about beforehand, there's a good chance you'll know what context the document or statement is dealing with, because you'll have to put it between the years or that person's birth and death. For instance, Ben Franklin was a big supporter of the Albany Plan of Union. Since he was born in 1706 and died in 1790, the context of the Plan happens between those years, as well as any statement he made on the subject. Already this has lessened the the gap of the years from oldest known date to modern times to within 84 years, and the context becomes limited to that time period (on tests with statements, dates will normally be given to you, but it's still good to know for any multiple choice question!).
The next question one should ask is Where Did This Happen? Being able to localize a historical event to a specific region can do wonders for the context. Usually, public opinion and feelings at the time of the statement will be reflected in it, which can help historians track where it was made; the Albany Plan of Union, for instance, discusses how British colonies will be joining together to protect themselves against "savages" (native peoples). Using the time period of Franklin's life and his citizenship, and the specificity of British colonies, one could assume that these statements were made in the Thirteen American Colonies in the 1700s; to further specify, there is a city in one of the colonies (New York) called Albany. Now that the subject has been localized, public mood from the era can be applied to better understand the context.
Finally, one of the best questions to ask is What Happened Before/After? Now that you know the time period and location of the subject, it is the student/historian's task to look at events they believe occurred around the same time. Why is this, you may ask? It's to fully grasp why the statement or document was made in the first place; the context in general is all about what happened before or after an event in history. Using our "Franklin timeline", we can see that by 1790, America is it's own country; because the Albany Plan was a petition to Britain by the Colonies, this is too late in the era. In 1705, however, there were no petitions sent to Britain about government, so that year is too early; you can keep going like this until you reach a set point: the French and Indian War, which began in 1754, was an effort by the natives to try driving out the English colonists from America and a year where colonial governments began shifting due to the Enlightenment. This not only narrows down the Plan to one year, but provides great insight into feelings before and after the historical event, and how it perhaps shaped those events into unfolding.
Context is all about questions. If students keep asking as many as they can, they'll eventually reach a point where finding context becomes second nature. For many of you, it already is, and you may think the previous three paragraphs were all redundant (why wouldn't I know the dates of events?). Well, first, why did you read this whole post? and second, is it not valuable to be reminded of what you need to do? Even if these points seem like a given, for many students out there, they simply aren't. It's also good practice to see examples of how historical context is put together, as many teachers and professors may have their own definition of what it is.
In conclusion, ask questions for context! If you understand enough of the material you're given, you'll be able to throw out dated events like they were always in your memory! The who, what, and where of history will never become less important; context is key when it comes to being a historian!
-Pharaoh Noh-Tyep
First, there's always the question of Who Is Involved?, usually when there are written documents or statements as the subject. When you know the person or people that a question is talking about beforehand, there's a good chance you'll know what context the document or statement is dealing with, because you'll have to put it between the years or that person's birth and death. For instance, Ben Franklin was a big supporter of the Albany Plan of Union. Since he was born in 1706 and died in 1790, the context of the Plan happens between those years, as well as any statement he made on the subject. Already this has lessened the the gap of the years from oldest known date to modern times to within 84 years, and the context becomes limited to that time period (on tests with statements, dates will normally be given to you, but it's still good to know for any multiple choice question!).
The next question one should ask is Where Did This Happen? Being able to localize a historical event to a specific region can do wonders for the context. Usually, public opinion and feelings at the time of the statement will be reflected in it, which can help historians track where it was made; the Albany Plan of Union, for instance, discusses how British colonies will be joining together to protect themselves against "savages" (native peoples). Using the time period of Franklin's life and his citizenship, and the specificity of British colonies, one could assume that these statements were made in the Thirteen American Colonies in the 1700s; to further specify, there is a city in one of the colonies (New York) called Albany. Now that the subject has been localized, public mood from the era can be applied to better understand the context.
Finally, one of the best questions to ask is What Happened Before/After? Now that you know the time period and location of the subject, it is the student/historian's task to look at events they believe occurred around the same time. Why is this, you may ask? It's to fully grasp why the statement or document was made in the first place; the context in general is all about what happened before or after an event in history. Using our "Franklin timeline", we can see that by 1790, America is it's own country; because the Albany Plan was a petition to Britain by the Colonies, this is too late in the era. In 1705, however, there were no petitions sent to Britain about government, so that year is too early; you can keep going like this until you reach a set point: the French and Indian War, which began in 1754, was an effort by the natives to try driving out the English colonists from America and a year where colonial governments began shifting due to the Enlightenment. This not only narrows down the Plan to one year, but provides great insight into feelings before and after the historical event, and how it perhaps shaped those events into unfolding.
Context is all about questions. If students keep asking as many as they can, they'll eventually reach a point where finding context becomes second nature. For many of you, it already is, and you may think the previous three paragraphs were all redundant (why wouldn't I know the dates of events?). Well, first, why did you read this whole post? and second, is it not valuable to be reminded of what you need to do? Even if these points seem like a given, for many students out there, they simply aren't. It's also good practice to see examples of how historical context is put together, as many teachers and professors may have their own definition of what it is.
In conclusion, ask questions for context! If you understand enough of the material you're given, you'll be able to throw out dated events like they were always in your memory! The who, what, and where of history will never become less important; context is key when it comes to being a historian!
-Pharaoh Noh-Tyep
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Quick Tips: Schoolhouse Rock! and History
40 years ago, Schoolhouse Rock! was produced by ABC and changed the lives of people around the globe. Helping kids learn math and vocabulary through catchy songs and lyrics, the program has been used as a teaching tool by countless teachers to get their point across.
One of the best places to use Schoolhouse Rock! is the history class, specifically the America Rock songs. While they are only limited to the American Revolution, the documents and setup of the American Government, and the Manifest Destiny of the West, they are some of the easiest ways for students to learn the major points of their American history unit. The songs are short but show an insight into the events in ways no historian could better do it; they provide names, dates, historical context and background from all the subjects they serenade about. It's also a way to keep your students awake during class; I have never seen someone who doesn't love watching Schoolhouse Rock! instead of taking notes.
Above all else, it can help kids see that history isn't just a shallow topic with lots of reading and nothing else; they can see that someone out there was inspired to create these videos because they loved history, and it may help some see that they like history too. By educating kids through something they themselves would enjoy, it can create a lasting impact on their minds as they develop. Besides, I'm pretty sure every student, be it young or old, wouldn't give up a few minutes to hear a song about how America was created.
I saw the programs myself in Ms. Kathy's 5th grade class and in Mr. Benedict's AP US History class, as well as several history classes in between, before, and after, and I have never been bored of them. So show the videos to your students! I'll post some of the songs below, and it's up to you to decide whether you want your students to be bored by a lecture or singing the Preamble of the Constitution.
The Preamble
The Shot Heard 'Round The World
No More Kings
-Pharaoh Noh-Tyep
All videos found on YouTube. Schoolhouse Rock! is owned by ABC.
One of the best places to use Schoolhouse Rock! is the history class, specifically the America Rock songs. While they are only limited to the American Revolution, the documents and setup of the American Government, and the Manifest Destiny of the West, they are some of the easiest ways for students to learn the major points of their American history unit. The songs are short but show an insight into the events in ways no historian could better do it; they provide names, dates, historical context and background from all the subjects they serenade about. It's also a way to keep your students awake during class; I have never seen someone who doesn't love watching Schoolhouse Rock! instead of taking notes.
Above all else, it can help kids see that history isn't just a shallow topic with lots of reading and nothing else; they can see that someone out there was inspired to create these videos because they loved history, and it may help some see that they like history too. By educating kids through something they themselves would enjoy, it can create a lasting impact on their minds as they develop. Besides, I'm pretty sure every student, be it young or old, wouldn't give up a few minutes to hear a song about how America was created.
I saw the programs myself in Ms. Kathy's 5th grade class and in Mr. Benedict's AP US History class, as well as several history classes in between, before, and after, and I have never been bored of them. So show the videos to your students! I'll post some of the songs below, and it's up to you to decide whether you want your students to be bored by a lecture or singing the Preamble of the Constitution.
The Preamble
The Shot Heard 'Round The World
No More Kings
-Pharaoh Noh-Tyep
All videos found on YouTube. Schoolhouse Rock! is owned by ABC.
Lesson Idea: The Revolutionary War Game
For American teachers out there, one of the biggest subjects to teach in American History is the Revolutionary War. It created our country, and at the same time provided insight into how a government should and should not work. The era of 1776-1783 has also spawned more movies, TV shows, and books than any other era of history, second to the Ancient Roman era. However, this means that teachers will usually spend at least a month or two on the subject, and it will carry a major amount of the student's grade through tests and assignments. So, for today's Lesson Plan is a perfect way to teach this shifty time period that can involve the students (and teachers) in fun activities while helping the students understand and process the major themes: the Revolutionary War Game.
DISCLAIMER: The following Lesson Plan is meant for elementary school teachers and their students (specifically 5th graders) due to the ease of one teacher for all subjects and the cooperativeness of children. While I know that this era is taught repeatedly through middle and high school, the concept of this lesson is to help young children learn about the Revolution without getting too complicated; middle and high school teachers may surely try this idea themselves, but be aware that most students may not willingly participate and it will be very difficult to enforce the Rules over several classes.
To begin, meet with other teachers before starting the unit to reach an agreement on how long the game should go: will it last the whole Revolution unit or will it just be a week-long event, etc.? I myself recommend playing the game the whole unit; students will most likely understand more of the content if it's done over a long period than being forced to learn tons of information in the matter of days. After coming to a decision, get materials together to make the teaching part of the game (cause the kids have to learn something). You could do this as preparing a normal lecture on several subjects to be done in class at the same time as the game OR to be intertwined within the game itself (ex.: "Last night, Paul Revere made his midnight ride, so all of the Colonist will be questioned," and so on). Next comes the fun part.
In class, announce that the students, for however long the game is to last, are being divided into two groups: the Colonists and the British. Further divide them into categories, as follows:
The Patriots: The Colonists who want to be free from Britain
The Loyalists (Tories): The Colonists who want to stay with Britain
The Neutrals: Colonists neither for or against the British Crown
The Redcoats: British soldiers monitoring the Colonists
The Governors: British-appointed politicians who run the Colonies and govern the Colonists
All of the teachers participating in the game are henceforth known as Parliament. Appoint one teacher by any means to be King George III/ Queen Georgina III.
DISCLAIMER: The following Lesson Plan is meant for elementary school teachers and their students (specifically 5th graders) due to the ease of one teacher for all subjects and the cooperativeness of children. While I know that this era is taught repeatedly through middle and high school, the concept of this lesson is to help young children learn about the Revolution without getting too complicated; middle and high school teachers may surely try this idea themselves, but be aware that most students may not willingly participate and it will be very difficult to enforce the Rules over several classes.
To begin, meet with other teachers before starting the unit to reach an agreement on how long the game should go: will it last the whole Revolution unit or will it just be a week-long event, etc.? I myself recommend playing the game the whole unit; students will most likely understand more of the content if it's done over a long period than being forced to learn tons of information in the matter of days. After coming to a decision, get materials together to make the teaching part of the game (cause the kids have to learn something). You could do this as preparing a normal lecture on several subjects to be done in class at the same time as the game OR to be intertwined within the game itself (ex.: "Last night, Paul Revere made his midnight ride, so all of the Colonist will be questioned," and so on). Next comes the fun part.
In class, announce that the students, for however long the game is to last, are being divided into two groups: the Colonists and the British. Further divide them into categories, as follows:
The Patriots: The Colonists who want to be free from Britain
The Loyalists (Tories): The Colonists who want to stay with Britain
The Neutrals: Colonists neither for or against the British Crown
The Redcoats: British soldiers monitoring the Colonists
The Governors: British-appointed politicians who run the Colonies and govern the Colonists
All of the teachers participating in the game are henceforth known as Parliament. Appoint one teacher by any means to be King George III/ Queen Georgina III.
Rules
1. The Colonists are randomly given markers to discern who is a Tory, Patriot, or Neutral (red, blue, and white, respectively). If groups are not even, pick Neutrals to choose a side until they are (you may disregard the Neutral group if needed).
2. The Colonists and Redcoats have a form of currency called "Chips", and each begins with 20.
3. Parliament can give the Governors "Laws" to pass in the Colonies that coincides with an actual law passed before/during the Revolution; for instance, the Stamp Act will have stamps placed on homework for other subjects, and when that homework is turned in by a Colonist, they must give up Chips (4 if Patriot, 2 if Neutral, 1 if Loyalist).
4. The Redcoats enforce the Laws passed by Governors. If a Colonist is caught not following the Laws, they will be punished by the Redcoats through loss of Chips.
5. The Redcoats are very biased: they hate the Patriots but love the Loyalists! They are allowed to punish a Patriot more than a Loyalist even if both have done the same thing (they don't even have to punish the Loyalist at all!)
6. The Patriots can avoid Laws by simply lying their way out of it to a Redcoat ("I already gave Mrs. Smith 4 chips! You can check!") However, if a member of Parliament catches a Patriot in a lie, they lose all of their Chips and lose the game.
7. Governors are also biased; some may support the Patriots more than others, and vice versa. They can overturn a Redcoat's punishment and take away the Redcoat's Chips, award Patriots with Chips, and even confront Parliament on the Laws they're given, but can be replaced with a Redcoat if Parliament feels they are overstepping their rights.
8. The Patriots can send complaints to King George/Queen Georgina, but it may take "months" (days) to get a response, be it good or bad.
9.Through the whole game, the Patriots are trying to recruit Neutrals to their side, and vice versa. For every Neutral swayed, the side they go to receives 10 Chips each. (Disregard this rule if no Neutrals in game).
10. When "War" begins, the battles and events the classes learn about can be acted out. For every Patriotic win, the Patriots get 50 Chips, and for every British win, the Redcoats get 50 Chips. Parliament may decide if one side gets more Chips than the other for non-battle Revolutionary events.
11. The game ends at Yorktown, where the Colonists and British are brought together and have their Chips counted; at this point Neutrals MUST choose a side if they haven't already. The Chips are counted, and whoever has the most wins; in the case of a British win, have King George/Queen Georgina "break down" and grant the Colonies independence anyways for "putting up a good fight".
That's basically it! This game is very malleable; whatever other ideas teachers have to add to the game, like making propaganda posters or acting out the Boston Tea Party can be used if they feel it would add more to the game. The game should usually last over the whole unit, and whatever part of the Revolution the teachers want to discuss in class can coincide with the game events. But don't let the students get too carried away! They still have other subjects, and while you can integrate parts of the game into those subjects, they still need to be focused on their other studies outside of history!
So go have fun! The Revolutionary War Game is not just a tool in teaching American history, but also a great way to have fun in history class!
-Pharaoh Noh-Tyep
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Taking Notes For History Class
Taking notes was always one of the most hated things to do in class for me; I'd have to pull out my notebook, a pencil, and be able to stay focused for 45 minutes to a boring old man who hadn't retired 15 years ago like he should've. But now that I'm a little bit older, I consider notes to be my very best friend, and have tried figuring out ways to take the most effective notes for history and all of the other subjects of education. I was able to shorten it down to 3 guidelines, that I assure you will help make taking notes (and paying attention, previously mentioned in two other HF posts) easier for history students who don't think they can do it.
1. Write Down Important Information
While for many history students this may be an obvious tip, for others it simply hasn't clicked yet that they're taking the notes for a reason: that you will need to remember part or all of this information for tests, quizzes, and even final exams for that semester (or trimester, or quarter, etc.). When a history teacher mentions something, be it in a lecture or in passing, students should be writing it down as much of it as they think is necessary. However, you don't want to get long-winded in your description; lectures don't wait for you, and if you take too long writing down a description for one thing, you'll be 7 pieces of info behind and scrambling to catch back up with everyone else. So, just paraphrase the information the teacher gives you. Things to include in your historical description are:
- Name (if needed)
- Relevance to Topic
- Dates
2. Write Neatly
Yet another no-brainer for some students, this is one of the more important tips: if you can't read your handwriting, your notes are useless. Even though you're hurrying to get out of boring history class to get on your phone and whatnot (oh God I sound old), there is no excuse to write even worse chicken scratch than what you call your normal handwriting to save time. It's a waste of the teacher's time to teach as well as a waste of yours for being there if you aren't going to do anything; take your time to write down a legibly as you can all of that important information, and we'll be golden.
3. Work With Classmates
Finally, students should use one of their most valued resources to take notes: themselves. There are at least 20 other people in that class with you trying to write down the same stuff. Some are the over-explainers (I was one of those), some are the illegible writers, and some take the best notes any teacher would ever see. In history class more than others, it's factored up to a ten; there are so many names, dates, and other relevant information that it can be hard for everyone to get everything written down. If for some reason you are any of the former groups, or even if you missed one part of the history lecture, confer with your peers for the answer. I've found that more often than not people are just waiting for someone to ask a question; once it is asked, they'll feel less nervous about asking it themselves. Also, copying notes has been a thing since education was invented, and as long as it's the right information, I'm sure the teacher could care less who came up with the answer and more that the students are learning. However, that doesn't mean you get to copy down homework; teachers DO care about that, and it will only hurt you in the long run. Asking for help with notes may be the difference between an A or an F on a test.
So if you're having problems with note taking, use your head! If you simply write clearly, and only get down the most needed information, whether by yourself or with help, you'll go far in history class! Notes can save your grades, and history is no exception.
-Pharaoh Noh-Tyep
-Pharaoh Noh-Tyep
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