Tag Archives: Historical thinking

Going Medieval on Medieval Times’ Matinee Menu

Ages ago I wrote about my spontaneously developed “Junk Mail” lesson plan, which came to me courtesy of Medieval Times’ “educational division.” For a long time I’d planned to write a dissection of the menu as a reflection of the … Continue reading

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Santayana Redux

I just wrapped up the first week of school and once again had some opening conversations with my classes about the purpose of studying history and what value history plays in the present. These discussions essentially followed the contours of … Continue reading

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The Junk Mail Lesson Plan

Last week I wandered into the faculty mail room to discover this exciting use of cardboard and ink: While I’ve received these types of mailings before, I’ve never found any value in them until last week. Well, in all fairness, … Continue reading

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“Best of…” Lists and Historical Thinking

As part of my standard morning website-browsing routine I always make my way to Pitchfork for a daily dose of erudite condescension and to learn what new music might be out there that will further burnish my hipster street cred. … Continue reading

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Discovering new “Sacrificial Lambs”: Challenging Preconceptions about “Why” we Study History

It’s been an exciting and rewarding first week of school thus far (and it’s only 60% over, so perhaps I should look forward to even bigger and better things, or not draw hasty conclusions…we’ll see). The reasons for the positivity … Continue reading

Posted in Academic Skills, history, Pedagogy, teaching | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments