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It happens sooner or later to most historical documents.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 However, it is inevitable that this will be happening to all historical documents at one point or another; a good example is Mark Twain's book Huckleberry Finn, where a large portion of the book's words (mainly the N-word) were changed to be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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

That's it. That is ALL you need to write down when taking notes in history class, at least to remain on topic for the time. It's always nice to go back later and add more relevant information, but if you have the important stuff already, you'll be fine. The only reason I know who General Burgoyne is is because he lost the the Americans at Saratoga in 1777; I didn't need to know anything more than that and I had enough info to get the question right on a test.

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