Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
READING GUIDE FOR SCHOOLBOOK NATION
This may make the reading a bit easier. You will not be tested on this book, and even the chapters that I say to read carefully should be read fairly quickly. Take notes only when you find something utterly fascinating. WWe'll talk about this at the museum on Thursday.
Read the intro carefully, especially noticing the role of Hirsch and Bloom in this story.
Read Chapter One quickly, skimming for the general story of post-revolutionary history. Read page 51, the long paragraph, carefully.
Read Chapter Two carefully, noticing the way the “battle for memory” produced certain kinds of stories. What is the Lost Cause myth? Read page 90 and 91 carefully.
Skim chapter 3. Read the middle paragraph on page 117 carefully. Read the middle paragraph on page 134.
Read Chapter 4 carefully.
Read Chapter 5 carefully. How does history become a legal issue?
Skim Chapter 6
Read Chapter 7 carefully.
Read the Conclusion carefully.
Read the intro carefully, especially noticing the role of Hirsch and Bloom in this story.
Read Chapter One quickly, skimming for the general story of post-revolutionary history. Read page 51, the long paragraph, carefully.
Read Chapter Two carefully, noticing the way the “battle for memory” produced certain kinds of stories. What is the Lost Cause myth? Read page 90 and 91 carefully.
Skim chapter 3. Read the middle paragraph on page 117 carefully. Read the middle paragraph on page 134.
Read Chapter 4 carefully.
Read Chapter 5 carefully. How does history become a legal issue?
Skim Chapter 6
Read Chapter 7 carefully.
Read the Conclusion carefully.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
KERN COUNTY MUSEUM INFORMATION
We'll have class at the KCM on the 19th. Please arrive at the museum at 8:45 so that we can begin our tour promptly at 9.
http://www.kcmuseum.org/
HERE'S THE ADDRESS:
3801 Chester Avenue
Bakersfield, CA 93301
Directions
From Hwy 99, take Hwy 178 east toward downtown Bakersfield.
Turn left on Chester Avenue. Stay on Chester Avenue through the roundabout at the Garces Circle.
The Kern County Museum is located one-half mile north on the left at the Clock Tower.
http://www.kcmuseum.org/
HERE'S THE ADDRESS:
3801 Chester Avenue
Bakersfield, CA 93301
Directions
From Hwy 99, take Hwy 178 east toward downtown Bakersfield.
Turn left on Chester Avenue. Stay on Chester Avenue through the roundabout at the Garces Circle.
The Kern County Museum is located one-half mile north on the left at the Clock Tower.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR ORAL HISTORY
Donald Ritchie, “An Oral History
of Our Time,” Doing Oral History (2003)
1. Look at the definition of oral history. What is the difference between oral history and other types of history we have covered?
2. Thucydides complained that “different eye-witnesses give different accounts of the same events, speaking out of partiality for one side of the other or else from imperfect memories.” Explain.
3. Look at the Von Ranke quote at the bottom of page 20. Assess the quote.
4. Look at the sentence at the bottom of page 21 that starts, “Directed by Lt. Col. S.L.A. Marshall…”
Also look at the uses of oral history in Brazil and Argentina at the top of page 23.
How is oral history used differently from other histories?
5. “An interview becomes an oral history only when it has been recorded, processed in some way, made available in an archive.” (page 24) Assess this quote.
6. From page 26, “how reliable is the information gathered by oral history?” What are some problems with oral history evidence?
(page 33: “the view improves with distance”)
7. On page 36, what is the significance of the discussion of survivors and how they may be unwilling to discuss certain traumatic events?
8. What is the role of public history?
9. In the future, how might oral history make written history even better? (page 45)
of Our Time,” Doing Oral History (2003)
1. Look at the definition of oral history. What is the difference between oral history and other types of history we have covered?
2. Thucydides complained that “different eye-witnesses give different accounts of the same events, speaking out of partiality for one side of the other or else from imperfect memories.” Explain.
3. Look at the Von Ranke quote at the bottom of page 20. Assess the quote.
4. Look at the sentence at the bottom of page 21 that starts, “Directed by Lt. Col. S.L.A. Marshall…”
Also look at the uses of oral history in Brazil and Argentina at the top of page 23.
How is oral history used differently from other histories?
5. “An interview becomes an oral history only when it has been recorded, processed in some way, made available in an archive.” (page 24) Assess this quote.
6. From page 26, “how reliable is the information gathered by oral history?” What are some problems with oral history evidence?
(page 33: “the view improves with distance”)
7. On page 36, what is the significance of the discussion of survivors and how they may be unwilling to discuss certain traumatic events?
8. What is the role of public history?
9. In the future, how might oral history make written history even better? (page 45)
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Modern Media/YouTube Essay Example
YouTube essay example:
1. Choose your theme: The Impact of WWI on Human Psychology
2. Choose and Watch Three Films:
a. All Quiet on the Western Front
b. A Very Long Engagement
c. The Razor’s Edge
3. As you watch each, take notes, looking for common themes.
4. Think about an opening argument or simply a way to introduce these three films. This is really synthesis at this point. What is the historical significance of the three films?
5. Think about a natural ordering to the presentation of the three films. Each film will now have its own paragraph.
6. Write a single paragraph about each film. Within the paragraph, place links to the film clips or to other videos that represent some theme from the film.
7. Conclude this brilliant work with one paragraph (and some historical insight).
8. Email me a copy of the historical review before class next week.
With 8.6 million combatants killed, 6.5 million civilians killed, and 37 million casualties overall, the human toll of World War One was astounding. Just one example reveals the atrocity of the so called Great War. At the Battle of the Somme, from July 1, 1916 to November 16, 1916, tens of thousands of Brits went “over the top,” hurling themselves out of the safety of their trenches and into the nearly certain doom of “no man’s land.” 20,000 would die on the first day. By the end of this battle, 420,000 British soldiers, 200,000 French soldiers, and 450,000 German soldiers would be killed or wounded. Did this battle lead to a great victory for either side? Certainly not. The allies officially “won,” but the twelve kilometers of territory they gained would lead to no great strategic watershed. Instead, with new trenches dug, mines planted, and barbed wire strung, the stalemate of trench warfare quickly returned. Are these numbers, however, evidence enough of the evil nature of this war, or do they, in fact, obfuscate the impact of war? By examining three movies that treat the psychological importance of World War One, the historian has easier access to the actual emotional content of war. “All Quiet on the Western Front,” “A Very Long Engagement,” and “The Razor’s Edge” reveal less about politicians, armor, or strategy and more about the meaninglessness of this particular war; it was the futility of WWI that exacerbated the suffering of the individual soldier.
“A Very Long Engagement,” a film made in 2004 by Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, is as much a touching love story as it is a tale of the brutality of war. The story involves seven men sentenced to death, each of having tried to mutilate himself as a way of getting sent home from the war. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-I9Pckt4GRY pause at 2:36) The fact that these men were willing to lose finger or a whole hand to avoid combat is evidence of the psychological stress caused by this war. In fact, the term “shell shock” originated in World War One, applied to otherwise mentally stable soldiers who shook violently, spoke uncontrollably, suffered from nightmares, or had other manifestations resulting from wartime psychological trauma. According to a 1917 study entitled “The Repression of War Experience” by W. H. Rivers “a young officer who was sent home from France on account of a wound received just as he was extricating himself from a mass of earth in which he had been buried. When he reached hospital in England he was nervous and suffered from disturbed sleep and loss of appetite. When his wound had healed he was sent home on leave where his nervous symptoms became more pronounced, so that at his next board his leave was extended. He was for a time an out-patient at a London hospital and was then sent to a convalescent home in the country. Here he continued to sleep badly, with disturbing dreams of warfare, and became very anxious about himself and his prospects of recovery.” This description could clearly apply to the “Cornflower” in “A Very Long Engagement.” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-I9Pckt4GRY start at 7:58)
1. Choose your theme: The Impact of WWI on Human Psychology
2. Choose and Watch Three Films:
a. All Quiet on the Western Front
b. A Very Long Engagement
c. The Razor’s Edge
3. As you watch each, take notes, looking for common themes.
4. Think about an opening argument or simply a way to introduce these three films. This is really synthesis at this point. What is the historical significance of the three films?
5. Think about a natural ordering to the presentation of the three films. Each film will now have its own paragraph.
6. Write a single paragraph about each film. Within the paragraph, place links to the film clips or to other videos that represent some theme from the film.
7. Conclude this brilliant work with one paragraph (and some historical insight).
8. Email me a copy of the historical review before class next week.
With 8.6 million combatants killed, 6.5 million civilians killed, and 37 million casualties overall, the human toll of World War One was astounding. Just one example reveals the atrocity of the so called Great War. At the Battle of the Somme, from July 1, 1916 to November 16, 1916, tens of thousands of Brits went “over the top,” hurling themselves out of the safety of their trenches and into the nearly certain doom of “no man’s land.” 20,000 would die on the first day. By the end of this battle, 420,000 British soldiers, 200,000 French soldiers, and 450,000 German soldiers would be killed or wounded. Did this battle lead to a great victory for either side? Certainly not. The allies officially “won,” but the twelve kilometers of territory they gained would lead to no great strategic watershed. Instead, with new trenches dug, mines planted, and barbed wire strung, the stalemate of trench warfare quickly returned. Are these numbers, however, evidence enough of the evil nature of this war, or do they, in fact, obfuscate the impact of war? By examining three movies that treat the psychological importance of World War One, the historian has easier access to the actual emotional content of war. “All Quiet on the Western Front,” “A Very Long Engagement,” and “The Razor’s Edge” reveal less about politicians, armor, or strategy and more about the meaninglessness of this particular war; it was the futility of WWI that exacerbated the suffering of the individual soldier.
“A Very Long Engagement,” a film made in 2004 by Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, is as much a touching love story as it is a tale of the brutality of war. The story involves seven men sentenced to death, each of having tried to mutilate himself as a way of getting sent home from the war. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-I9Pckt4GRY pause at 2:36) The fact that these men were willing to lose finger or a whole hand to avoid combat is evidence of the psychological stress caused by this war. In fact, the term “shell shock” originated in World War One, applied to otherwise mentally stable soldiers who shook violently, spoke uncontrollably, suffered from nightmares, or had other manifestations resulting from wartime psychological trauma. According to a 1917 study entitled “The Repression of War Experience” by W. H. Rivers “a young officer who was sent home from France on account of a wound received just as he was extricating himself from a mass of earth in which he had been buried. When he reached hospital in England he was nervous and suffered from disturbed sleep and loss of appetite. When his wound had healed he was sent home on leave where his nervous symptoms became more pronounced, so that at his next board his leave was extended. He was for a time an out-patient at a London hospital and was then sent to a convalescent home in the country. Here he continued to sleep badly, with disturbing dreams of warfare, and became very anxious about himself and his prospects of recovery.” This description could clearly apply to the “Cornflower” in “A Very Long Engagement.” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-I9Pckt4GRY start at 7:58)
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Week Six: Bio-history (August 5) Study Questions
William McNeil, Preface and Introduction to Plagues and Peoples
PREFACE:
1. What’s his point in discussing the spread of the AIDS epidemic?
2. “We remain part of the earth’s ecosystem and participate in the food chain whereby we kill and eat various plants and animals, while our bodies provide a fair field full of food for a great variety of parasites.”(page 16)
Explain the historical significance of this quote:
INTRODUCTION:
1. What’s McNeil’s argument regarding Cortes’ conquest of the Aztec empire?
2. “It is worth considering the psychological implications of a disease.”(page 20) Explain.
3. On page 21-22 McNeil makes a compelling argument that “unfamiliar infection” has a significantly different impact on a population than disease that is well known by the population. What’s the argument?
4. Is McNeil talking about history, epidemiology, biology, or something else? How might the working historian access disease in history?
Alfred Crosby, “Virgin Soil Epidemics as a Factor in the Aboriginal Depopulation in America,” The William and Mary Quarterly, 1976, 33 (2): 289-299
1. In the first and second paragraphs, Crosby defines “virgin soil epidemics.” What does he mean?
2. Why weren’t the aboriginal peoples of the Americas able to resist the diseases of the Europeans?
3. What’s the difference between Union troops and Aztec population?
4. “Virgin soil epidemics tend to be especially deadly because no one is immune in the afflicted population and so nearly everyone gets sick at once…The Fire goes out and the cold creeps in; the sick, whom a bit of food and a cup of water might save, die of hunger and the dehydration of fever.” Explain the significance of this quote.
Alfred Crosby, Ecological Imperialism, (1986) “Weeds”
1. Why does Crosby start with the Hooker quote on the cover of this chapter?
2. (page 146)What are the two phenomena that must be explained as part of the European “demographic advance” in certain areas of the world?
3. How does Crosby define neo-Europes?
4. How does Crosby define weed? (page 149)
5. What is the historical significance of these weeds? What examples does Crosby use?
6. Look at the number of plants in the San Joaquin Valley that were not here before European conquest.
7. Think of other historical settings in which weeds may have played a role.
In essence, what is the historical significance of weeds?
Synthetic Moment:
Compare and contrast Bio-history with Environmental History.
PREFACE:
1. What’s his point in discussing the spread of the AIDS epidemic?
2. “We remain part of the earth’s ecosystem and participate in the food chain whereby we kill and eat various plants and animals, while our bodies provide a fair field full of food for a great variety of parasites.”(page 16)
Explain the historical significance of this quote:
INTRODUCTION:
1. What’s McNeil’s argument regarding Cortes’ conquest of the Aztec empire?
2. “It is worth considering the psychological implications of a disease.”(page 20) Explain.
3. On page 21-22 McNeil makes a compelling argument that “unfamiliar infection” has a significantly different impact on a population than disease that is well known by the population. What’s the argument?
4. Is McNeil talking about history, epidemiology, biology, or something else? How might the working historian access disease in history?
Alfred Crosby, “Virgin Soil Epidemics as a Factor in the Aboriginal Depopulation in America,” The William and Mary Quarterly, 1976, 33 (2): 289-299
1. In the first and second paragraphs, Crosby defines “virgin soil epidemics.” What does he mean?
2. Why weren’t the aboriginal peoples of the Americas able to resist the diseases of the Europeans?
3. What’s the difference between Union troops and Aztec population?
4. “Virgin soil epidemics tend to be especially deadly because no one is immune in the afflicted population and so nearly everyone gets sick at once…The Fire goes out and the cold creeps in; the sick, whom a bit of food and a cup of water might save, die of hunger and the dehydration of fever.” Explain the significance of this quote.
Alfred Crosby, Ecological Imperialism, (1986) “Weeds”
1. Why does Crosby start with the Hooker quote on the cover of this chapter?
2. (page 146)What are the two phenomena that must be explained as part of the European “demographic advance” in certain areas of the world?
3. How does Crosby define neo-Europes?
4. How does Crosby define weed? (page 149)
5. What is the historical significance of these weeds? What examples does Crosby use?
6. Look at the number of plants in the San Joaquin Valley that were not here before European conquest.
7. Think of other historical settings in which weeds may have played a role.
In essence, what is the historical significance of weeds?
Synthetic Moment:
Compare and contrast Bio-history with Environmental History.
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