Today we can celebrate not only our Founding President and the President who led our nation through its greatest challenge, but also 50 years of Americans in space. On February 20, 1962, astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit the planet in his Friendship 7 space capsule (Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was the first person to orbit the Earth in his Volstok space craft the previous year). Americans at the time were transfixed during Glenn's approximately four-hour flight, which would lead in just a few years to Americans being the first humans to walk on the moon.
NASA is marking the occasion with an online interactive educational resource on Friendship 7 and the Mercury Space Program. It has lots of facts and multimedia materials to explore, including interactive views of the interiors of the space capsules, the rocket technology, components of the space suits, flight trajectories, etc. It also includes video footage of various aspects.
Below is one item from that website. It is a 25 minute video NASA has produced on the 50th Anniversary of Friendship 7:
I think it is hard for our middle schoolers, for whom space travel is such a regular occurence that no one even follows it any more, to realize how revolutionary it seemed at the time. So I would add to the official NASA videos a couple of great movies about the space program--The Right Stuff and Apollo 13 (which is one of my favorite movies ever).
Hmmm...perhaps after I fix a version of last year's Presidents Day meal, we need to settle down in front of a great space flick tonight....
Showing posts with label 20th century. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 20th century. Show all posts
Monday, February 20, 2012
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Black History Month Curriculum Resource: Jazz with Nneena Freelon
As I stated in an earlier post, we are studying the Harlem Renaissance right now, which happens to coincide with Black History Month. As part of our studies, this past weekend we went to hear Nneenna Freelon, a world-renowned comtemporary jazz singer.
It was a great experience, because while I think all music sounds better performed live, it may be particularly important for jazz performances. We can talk about jazz and study jazz and even watch videos and listen to CDs about jazz, but that is still not the same as watching someone perform jazz.
And Ms. Freelon is, indeed, wonderful, as might be expected from someone who has been nominated for a Grammy award six separate times.
You can hear some samples of her songs on her website at: http://nnenna.com/music/.
However, one of the issues of teaching our children about jazz is the fact that the songs are unfamiliar to them, and they all just sound like "old music." But at the conference, I found a great way to deal with that issue.
Nneena Freelon has an album entitled "Tales of Wonder," which is based on Stevie Wonder songs. It includes jazz takes on such familiar Stevie Wonder songs as "Superstition" and "My Cheri Amour." While these aren't timely hits, students are much more likely to have heard them than traditional jazz classics (we've been working on his mastery of Classic Rock artists while driving in the car). But because he does know the original versions of these songs, it gives him a better feeling for jazz interpreations of songs.
So I recommend her songs in general for a modern singer with classic jazz roots. But I have really found Tales of Wonder to be useful in helping my middle schooler understand jazz.
It was a great experience, because while I think all music sounds better performed live, it may be particularly important for jazz performances. We can talk about jazz and study jazz and even watch videos and listen to CDs about jazz, but that is still not the same as watching someone perform jazz.
And Ms. Freelon is, indeed, wonderful, as might be expected from someone who has been nominated for a Grammy award six separate times.
You can hear some samples of her songs on her website at: http://nnenna.com/music/.
However, one of the issues of teaching our children about jazz is the fact that the songs are unfamiliar to them, and they all just sound like "old music." But at the conference, I found a great way to deal with that issue.
Nneena Freelon has an album entitled "Tales of Wonder," which is based on Stevie Wonder songs. It includes jazz takes on such familiar Stevie Wonder songs as "Superstition" and "My Cheri Amour." While these aren't timely hits, students are much more likely to have heard them than traditional jazz classics (we've been working on his mastery of Classic Rock artists while driving in the car). But because he does know the original versions of these songs, it gives him a better feeling for jazz interpreations of songs.
So I recommend her songs in general for a modern singer with classic jazz roots. But I have really found Tales of Wonder to be useful in helping my middle schooler understand jazz.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Book Review: Newbery 2012 Honors Winner Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin
I had not read this prior to the announcement of the Newbery 2012 Awards, but I immediately requested it from the library (along with the winner, Dead End in Norvelt, which I also hadn't read). So this review is looking at the book not only on its own, but as one of the Honor winners of this year's Newbery Awards.
Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin
I'm much more torn about this book, having read it knowing it was a Newbery Honors winner, than I think I would have been had I just read it straight. It is definitely a good book on a really important topic that I don't believe is covered much in American children's literature--namely, the Great Purge, Joseph Stalin's campaign of terror and repression of the Soviet people during the years of 1936-1938.
It is estimated that over 20 million people were killed, imprisoned, or exiled during Stalin's reign, and almost no one could rest confidently in the knowledge that he or she would not be next. Even the low estimates of actual deaths during that period believe that Stalin's purges killed at least as many people as the Nazis did in the holocaust (not even including the six to seven million who starved to death in the Ukraine from a famine that Stalin basically created). Yet few students are aware of the fact that Stalin was on par with Hitler in terms of genocide.
So it is definitely an important subject to be covered, and one that is difficult to cover in a way appropriate to early adolescents. I sympathicize with the author on how difficult it must be to try to walk that narrow path. Yelchin, who was born and raised in the Soviet Union and whose father survived Stalin's regime, tells the story from the point of view of a young boy who idolizes Stalin and is a true believer in communism. It is a tale of a dramatic 24 hour period in which several people he knows get caught up in the betrayal, bigotry, denunciation, and disappearance that was so common at that time, and he must figure out what path is right for him. It is a powerful and affective way for students who are learning about the Stalin purges to experience them through the eyes of someone their own age.
My issue about the book, though, is whether students reading it on their own can really "get"a lot of the messages that are packed into the story. Since we are studying 20th century history this year, and have been reading about Lenin and Stalin and such, it is a perfect adjunct to the histories and biographies my son has been reading. But without that context, I don't know that students would understand some of the things that are implied, but not stated.
The problem is enhanced, I think, by Yelchin's writing style. It is a short book--only 160 pages--and they are little pages, many of which are actually illustrations (Yelchin is a children's book illustrator). Plus it is pretty simple vocabulary, without a lot of exposition or interior dialogue and such. This makes it a very quick read. I read it in under an hour; my son said it took him 20 minutes. So I think there is a tendency to read through it quickly and to not really consider what the book is suggesting about the Soviet system at that time. The simple style makes it seem like it is geared to the younger end of the Newbery spectrum--nine or ten year olds--but I don't think many children study anything about Stalin until at least middle school, and sometimes not until high school. But without some background, I just don't think students are going to pick up on what I think the book is really saying.
In short, I think it is a wonderful resource to have on hand when studying this awful period of history. But I'm not sure it works as a stand-alone book for this age. I think it suffers in comparison to a book like Words in the Dust, which did such a masterful job of conveying an alien world that most middle schoolers know nothing about, but feel they understand after completing the book. I don't think middle schoolers feel that way about Stalin's USSR after reading this book. So, personally, I don't think I would have given this book a Newbery Honor award.
But I do honor Yelchin for trying to write a book on such a difficult topic for this age, but one that definitely needs more visibility. And I do think it is a marvelous novel to read in conjunction with studying this period. With some historical knowledge, it can help students understand what that time must have felt like for kids their age, without it becoming too depressing or overwhelming for this stage of development.
Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin
I'm much more torn about this book, having read it knowing it was a Newbery Honors winner, than I think I would have been had I just read it straight. It is definitely a good book on a really important topic that I don't believe is covered much in American children's literature--namely, the Great Purge, Joseph Stalin's campaign of terror and repression of the Soviet people during the years of 1936-1938.
It is estimated that over 20 million people were killed, imprisoned, or exiled during Stalin's reign, and almost no one could rest confidently in the knowledge that he or she would not be next. Even the low estimates of actual deaths during that period believe that Stalin's purges killed at least as many people as the Nazis did in the holocaust (not even including the six to seven million who starved to death in the Ukraine from a famine that Stalin basically created). Yet few students are aware of the fact that Stalin was on par with Hitler in terms of genocide.
So it is definitely an important subject to be covered, and one that is difficult to cover in a way appropriate to early adolescents. I sympathicize with the author on how difficult it must be to try to walk that narrow path. Yelchin, who was born and raised in the Soviet Union and whose father survived Stalin's regime, tells the story from the point of view of a young boy who idolizes Stalin and is a true believer in communism. It is a tale of a dramatic 24 hour period in which several people he knows get caught up in the betrayal, bigotry, denunciation, and disappearance that was so common at that time, and he must figure out what path is right for him. It is a powerful and affective way for students who are learning about the Stalin purges to experience them through the eyes of someone their own age.
My issue about the book, though, is whether students reading it on their own can really "get"a lot of the messages that are packed into the story. Since we are studying 20th century history this year, and have been reading about Lenin and Stalin and such, it is a perfect adjunct to the histories and biographies my son has been reading. But without that context, I don't know that students would understand some of the things that are implied, but not stated.
The problem is enhanced, I think, by Yelchin's writing style. It is a short book--only 160 pages--and they are little pages, many of which are actually illustrations (Yelchin is a children's book illustrator). Plus it is pretty simple vocabulary, without a lot of exposition or interior dialogue and such. This makes it a very quick read. I read it in under an hour; my son said it took him 20 minutes. So I think there is a tendency to read through it quickly and to not really consider what the book is suggesting about the Soviet system at that time. The simple style makes it seem like it is geared to the younger end of the Newbery spectrum--nine or ten year olds--but I don't think many children study anything about Stalin until at least middle school, and sometimes not until high school. But without some background, I just don't think students are going to pick up on what I think the book is really saying.
In short, I think it is a wonderful resource to have on hand when studying this awful period of history. But I'm not sure it works as a stand-alone book for this age. I think it suffers in comparison to a book like Words in the Dust, which did such a masterful job of conveying an alien world that most middle schoolers know nothing about, but feel they understand after completing the book. I don't think middle schoolers feel that way about Stalin's USSR after reading this book. So, personally, I don't think I would have given this book a Newbery Honor award.
But I do honor Yelchin for trying to write a book on such a difficult topic for this age, but one that definitely needs more visibility. And I do think it is a marvelous novel to read in conjunction with studying this period. With some historical knowledge, it can help students understand what that time must have felt like for kids their age, without it becoming too depressing or overwhelming for this stage of development.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Book Review: Dogtag Summer by Elizabeth Patridge
Dogtag Summer by Elizabeth Partridge
What is worse? To be an alien, with completely different language, food, religion, mores, etc., stuck in a different world? Or to be someone who came from a divergent culture, but has been so forcefully acclimatized into the prevailing tradition that you have been forced to deny all your history to fit in with the prevailing society?
I’ll wait for a minute while you consider that question, which is not an easy choice to make.
This is the question that the protagonist of this book, Tracy, might ask herself, especially if she had read Inside Out and Back Again. Like the narrator of that book, Tracy was a young woman who was plucked out of South Vietnam when the war was lost and the Americans were leaving with whichever fortunate Southern empathizers (apparently, at least) could flee with them. But unlike Ha, she is alone and is adopted by American parents, and so is raised in a completely American situation. Tracy speaks perfect English and has been accepted, for the most part, in her southern California community, although as an ethnically-Vietnamese/culturally-American in the 1970’s, she never feels like she fits in anywhere.
Tracy’s adopted father is an ex-Vietnam War veteran who refuses to discuss his war experience, which contributes to Tracy’s alienation from her past. But when she and her friend find a dog tag with an unknown name, things come to a head. The discovery not only stirs up Tracy’s repressed memories, it drives her to press her father for questions he doesn’t want to answer. The resulting tale is part mystery, part psychology, part cultural history, and so is quite captivating and valuable, especially for a middle school audience.
I have to say, however, that there are a few problems with the book. It is well based in Vietnamese culture, but I think it could have been enhanced if some of the foundations of those people, especially in regards to their spiritual beliefs and the afterworld, had been explained. Also, there is a whole part of the psychology strand that I missed entirely, and only realized from reading other reviews. I may be over-estimating my own brilliance, but it seems to me that if I didn’t get it, readers who are 10-14 are not going to stumble onto that explanation themselves either.
Nonetheless, it is an interesting and worthwhile read, especially for those with no memories of the Vietnam War. It also has a great Appendix that provides a lot of information about the Vietnam War, military protocol, and the divisive opinions in the US at that time, which can provide the basis for some wonderful class or group discussions.
I have found this year that there are many books that seem to come in two--that is, books that cover sort of the same theme, time period, or such, or that remind me of each other, for whatever reason. When that is the case, I can't help comparing them to each other, even though they are usually quite different. And usually one suffers in the comparison. Such is the case with Dogtag Summer. I probably would have been more impressed with it had it not come out the same year as Inside Out and Back Again, which I liked better.
However, such is life. But I'm glad my son has read both of them, because I will refer to them both once we get to the whole Vietnam War era in American history later this spring. They both provide valuable perspectives to a difficult time in US history.
What is worse? To be an alien, with completely different language, food, religion, mores, etc., stuck in a different world? Or to be someone who came from a divergent culture, but has been so forcefully acclimatized into the prevailing tradition that you have been forced to deny all your history to fit in with the prevailing society?
I’ll wait for a minute while you consider that question, which is not an easy choice to make.
This is the question that the protagonist of this book, Tracy, might ask herself, especially if she had read Inside Out and Back Again. Like the narrator of that book, Tracy was a young woman who was plucked out of South Vietnam when the war was lost and the Americans were leaving with whichever fortunate Southern empathizers (apparently, at least) could flee with them. But unlike Ha, she is alone and is adopted by American parents, and so is raised in a completely American situation. Tracy speaks perfect English and has been accepted, for the most part, in her southern California community, although as an ethnically-Vietnamese/culturally-American in the 1970’s, she never feels like she fits in anywhere.
Tracy’s adopted father is an ex-Vietnam War veteran who refuses to discuss his war experience, which contributes to Tracy’s alienation from her past. But when she and her friend find a dog tag with an unknown name, things come to a head. The discovery not only stirs up Tracy’s repressed memories, it drives her to press her father for questions he doesn’t want to answer. The resulting tale is part mystery, part psychology, part cultural history, and so is quite captivating and valuable, especially for a middle school audience.
I have to say, however, that there are a few problems with the book. It is well based in Vietnamese culture, but I think it could have been enhanced if some of the foundations of those people, especially in regards to their spiritual beliefs and the afterworld, had been explained. Also, there is a whole part of the psychology strand that I missed entirely, and only realized from reading other reviews. I may be over-estimating my own brilliance, but it seems to me that if I didn’t get it, readers who are 10-14 are not going to stumble onto that explanation themselves either.
Nonetheless, it is an interesting and worthwhile read, especially for those with no memories of the Vietnam War. It also has a great Appendix that provides a lot of information about the Vietnam War, military protocol, and the divisive opinions in the US at that time, which can provide the basis for some wonderful class or group discussions.
I have found this year that there are many books that seem to come in two--that is, books that cover sort of the same theme, time period, or such, or that remind me of each other, for whatever reason. When that is the case, I can't help comparing them to each other, even though they are usually quite different. And usually one suffers in the comparison. Such is the case with Dogtag Summer. I probably would have been more impressed with it had it not come out the same year as Inside Out and Back Again, which I liked better.
However, such is life. But I'm glad my son has read both of them, because I will refer to them both once we get to the whole Vietnam War era in American history later this spring. They both provide valuable perspectives to a difficult time in US history.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Curriculum Resource: Rare Video Footage of the Titanic
We are doing 20th century history this year, spending a month on each decade. So we are doing 1910-1920 during October. Something that occurred during that decade is one of my son's fascination for years now--the sinking of the Titanic.
So I was looking around, and found some rare video footage of the Titanic as it was being built in Belfast. As far as I can tell, this is the only video footage of the ship (at least before it was underwater) that we can find, at least via the Internet.
So watch the video below to see the ship that was to become the thing of legend, not for its technological prowess for the times (which it was), but for its failure and sinking:
I always think that a little "of the times" video helps these history topics come alive to middle schoolers.
So I was looking around, and found some rare video footage of the Titanic as it was being built in Belfast. As far as I can tell, this is the only video footage of the ship (at least before it was underwater) that we can find, at least via the Internet.
So watch the video below to see the ship that was to become the thing of legend, not for its technological prowess for the times (which it was), but for its failure and sinking:
I always think that a little "of the times" video helps these history topics come alive to middle schoolers.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Curriculum Resource: Visiting Presidential Libraries
I realized that I haven't mentioned on this blog one of the American history and civics resources I've been following this summer. My youngest brother, David Cross, has been on a quest to visit all 13 of the official American Presidential libraries. The great thing is that we can participate virtually by checking into his blog, Across the Country with the Presidents.
David is a lawyer, a part-time writer, and, like most of my family, an aficionado of politics and American civic history. He plans to write a book about his trip, which is centered around what determines a President's long-term reputation and whether their presidential libraries play a role in that. (For a full explanation of his project, click here.)
So of course I am biased, but I think he does a great job of capturing the zeitgeist of the places he visits. And I think he makes a good case that for all these guys, even with all the modern PR techniques and carefully controlled messages and media manipulation and such, that you learn something about their core by seeing where they came from and observing how they try to lay out their legacy.
So if you have the opportunity to visit some of these places yourself, I would recommend you do so. It helps these historical figures come alive and seem more human to students of all ages. But if you can't get there yourself, then check out his blog. It is certainly something I plan to use as we study 20th century history this year.
David is a lawyer, a part-time writer, and, like most of my family, an aficionado of politics and American civic history. He plans to write a book about his trip, which is centered around what determines a President's long-term reputation and whether their presidential libraries play a role in that. (For a full explanation of his project, click here.)
So of course I am biased, but I think he does a great job of capturing the zeitgeist of the places he visits. And I think he makes a good case that for all these guys, even with all the modern PR techniques and carefully controlled messages and media manipulation and such, that you learn something about their core by seeing where they came from and observing how they try to lay out their legacy.
So if you have the opportunity to visit some of these places yourself, I would recommend you do so. It helps these historical figures come alive and seem more human to students of all ages. But if you can't get there yourself, then check out his blog. It is certainly something I plan to use as we study 20th century history this year.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
The Most Adorable (and Tasty) Star Trek Tribute EVER!
We interrupt our regular educational programming with the following announcement:
CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT TODAY IS THE 45TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST STAR TREK EPISODE!!!!!!
Yikes! I watched Star Trek as a child, and granted, that was 45 years ago, but still, somehow, it seems shocking....
But I've always loved Star Trek, especially the original series in all its cheesy and earnest glory. My husband was more of a "Second Generation" guy (and, admittedly, the Borg is a great concept), but those characters never captured my heart the way James T. Kirk, Spock, Bones, Scotty, Uhuru, Sulu, and Chekov did.
Which is why I am so enraptured by this:
from Darla at Bakingdom.com, one of my new favorite blogs.
Can you believe she made the entire cast into cookies? You can see them all up close on her post, along with details about her recipes and techniques involved in recreating everyone in flour, sugar, and butter.
Her entire site is filled with similarly creative pastries and other goodies. Truly, her stuff is incredible. I like to use food to enhance certain educational ideas and subject, like our Presidential Palate series of cooking a meal to represent the US Presidents, but I can't hold a candle to her when it comes to cookie- and cake-based tributes.
However, her tasty Star Trek reminders does make me think about incorporating watching some Star Trek into our 20th century history this year once we get to the 1960's. The original series had a political agenda; Gene Roddenberry wanted it to support the anti-war, feminist, and pro-Civil Rights positions of the 60's counter culture. And as I reported in an earlier post, actress Nichelle Nichols has a story of a chance encounter with Martin Luther King Jr., who called himself "the biggest Trekkie on the planet," and claimed that Star Trek gave people a concrete vision of how life could be if we were committed to equality and peace (well, not that there wasn't plenty of fighting in Star Wars, but the goals were always to forward peace). The show was pretty radical for its time, especially with the racially-mixed crew and television's first scripted inter-racial kiss.
So maybe I can justify revisiting some of my favorite childhood memories for academic purposes!
CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT TODAY IS THE 45TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST STAR TREK EPISODE!!!!!!
Yikes! I watched Star Trek as a child, and granted, that was 45 years ago, but still, somehow, it seems shocking....
But I've always loved Star Trek, especially the original series in all its cheesy and earnest glory. My husband was more of a "Second Generation" guy (and, admittedly, the Borg is a great concept), but those characters never captured my heart the way James T. Kirk, Spock, Bones, Scotty, Uhuru, Sulu, and Chekov did.
Which is why I am so enraptured by this:
from Darla at Bakingdom.com, one of my new favorite blogs.
Can you believe she made the entire cast into cookies? You can see them all up close on her post, along with details about her recipes and techniques involved in recreating everyone in flour, sugar, and butter.
Her entire site is filled with similarly creative pastries and other goodies. Truly, her stuff is incredible. I like to use food to enhance certain educational ideas and subject, like our Presidential Palate series of cooking a meal to represent the US Presidents, but I can't hold a candle to her when it comes to cookie- and cake-based tributes.
However, her tasty Star Trek reminders does make me think about incorporating watching some Star Trek into our 20th century history this year once we get to the 1960's. The original series had a political agenda; Gene Roddenberry wanted it to support the anti-war, feminist, and pro-Civil Rights positions of the 60's counter culture. And as I reported in an earlier post, actress Nichelle Nichols has a story of a chance encounter with Martin Luther King Jr., who called himself "the biggest Trekkie on the planet," and claimed that Star Trek gave people a concrete vision of how life could be if we were committed to equality and peace (well, not that there wasn't plenty of fighting in Star Wars, but the goals were always to forward peace). The show was pretty radical for its time, especially with the racially-mixed crew and television's first scripted inter-racial kiss.
So maybe I can justify revisiting some of my favorite childhood memories for academic purposes!
Monday, September 5, 2011
Looking Forward to Looking Back on the 20th Century
Happy Labor Day to all! As an official holiday, I didn't give my son any school work today, but I have been busy planning our curricula for the year ahead. I was particularly focused today on working on our plans for our history studies this year.
As I stated in a previous post, we are doing 20th century history this year, and I'm really excited about it. Many people would not be. History of the 20th century can be pretty depressing, given the high numbers of wars, conflicts, purges, and other major exterminations of groups of people, not to mention economic depressions, ecological disasters, wildlife and nature decimation, and other such dreary topics. For example, Susan Wise Bauer, the author of the popular Story of the World series, sums up the 20th century in this way:
However, the timing seems perfect to me. Followers of this blog know I'm pretty fanatical about politics, and the upcoming presidential election, more so than any I've experienced in a long time, really seems like it could be about the fundamental principles about American democracy. The clash between the Tea Party and the Progressives is no longer about one candidate versus another, or one side of various issues versus the other side, but a true debate about the nature of government--a debate that is addressing some of the issues that have mostly been taken for granted for as long as I've been alive.
So we argue about the role of government regulations, and whether or not they should be eliminated, or made stronger. Should we be talking about that without reviewing what life was like in the 1900's and 1910's, before government got into the business of regulating business? (Although I don't think I dare have my son read The Jungle yet, since I'm not prepared to switch to vegetarianism.) As Michael Gerson writes in a recent article in the Washington Post, Texas Governor Rick Perry is actually attacking the entire New Deal itself. How can we evaluate his arguments, and the counter arguments of his foes, if we haven't studied the Great Depression and legislation that was passed to respond to that economic crisis? In terms of foreign policy, doesn't it make sense to analyze the wars that we've "won" (surely most would agree that included World War II and the first Bush's Persian Gulf War) and those that we've "lost" (perhaps more debatable, but I think most would include the Vietnam War in that category, and I think Anne Applebaum makes a good case for the "War on Terror," at least as we've chosen to pursue it so far)?
So we might not have a jolly year ahead of us in history this year. But it seems like it will be a really significant one. I think it will be important for my son to have some of this background as he tries to understand and decide about the candidate positions he will be hearing in the Presidential election of 2012. I'll do my best to give him a factual basis from which to evaluate the conflicting claims.
I only hope the rest of the country will try to recall some of our 20th century history as well. We have learned a few lessons since the Boston Tea Party, after all.
As I stated in a previous post, we are doing 20th century history this year, and I'm really excited about it. Many people would not be. History of the 20th century can be pretty depressing, given the high numbers of wars, conflicts, purges, and other major exterminations of groups of people, not to mention economic depressions, ecological disasters, wildlife and nature decimation, and other such dreary topics. For example, Susan Wise Bauer, the author of the popular Story of the World series, sums up the 20th century in this way:
Revolution shatters the structures; but the men who build the next set of structures haven’t conquered the evil that lives in their own hearts. The history of the twentieth century is, again and again, the story of men who fight against tyrants, win the battle, and then are overwhelmed by the unconquered tyranny in their own souls.Boy, that sounds like a bummer, right?
However, the timing seems perfect to me. Followers of this blog know I'm pretty fanatical about politics, and the upcoming presidential election, more so than any I've experienced in a long time, really seems like it could be about the fundamental principles about American democracy. The clash between the Tea Party and the Progressives is no longer about one candidate versus another, or one side of various issues versus the other side, but a true debate about the nature of government--a debate that is addressing some of the issues that have mostly been taken for granted for as long as I've been alive.
So we argue about the role of government regulations, and whether or not they should be eliminated, or made stronger. Should we be talking about that without reviewing what life was like in the 1900's and 1910's, before government got into the business of regulating business? (Although I don't think I dare have my son read The Jungle yet, since I'm not prepared to switch to vegetarianism.) As Michael Gerson writes in a recent article in the Washington Post, Texas Governor Rick Perry is actually attacking the entire New Deal itself. How can we evaluate his arguments, and the counter arguments of his foes, if we haven't studied the Great Depression and legislation that was passed to respond to that economic crisis? In terms of foreign policy, doesn't it make sense to analyze the wars that we've "won" (surely most would agree that included World War II and the first Bush's Persian Gulf War) and those that we've "lost" (perhaps more debatable, but I think most would include the Vietnam War in that category, and I think Anne Applebaum makes a good case for the "War on Terror," at least as we've chosen to pursue it so far)?
So we might not have a jolly year ahead of us in history this year. But it seems like it will be a really significant one. I think it will be important for my son to have some of this background as he tries to understand and decide about the candidate positions he will be hearing in the Presidential election of 2012. I'll do my best to give him a factual basis from which to evaluate the conflicting claims.
I only hope the rest of the country will try to recall some of our 20th century history as well. We have learned a few lessons since the Boston Tea Party, after all.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Curriculum Resource: 20th Century American Music
The Library of Congress has launched a new curricular resource that I think can help us as we introduce our middle schoolers to the 20th century. Their new informational center, National Jukebox, is a digitized collection of musical recordings from the early 20th century. This is a great resource of all sorts of different early 20th century music--folk, classical, ragtime, popular, etc. There are also some speeches by such historical figures as William Jennings Bryant, Woodwrow Wilson, William Taft, Warren Harding, and even Teddy Roosevelt. It is a great way to give your middle schoolers a feel for the first part of the 20th century. And the Library intends to expand the collection, so there will probably be even more recordings as time goes on.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)