w, our version of Abina's story includes turns of interpretation and even speculation that cannot be conclusively proven by the evidence of the text. Such leaps of imagination blur the line between fiction and history. I would argue, however, that all histories skirt this line, and often not as honestly. Narrativization is a central part of the analytical process through which history is produced, and Liz and I not only admit this throughout the book but even try to guide readers through the process by which we worked.Perhaps I am more comfortable with such leaps of imagination because, as a historian of pre-colonial Africa, I often find myself up against walls of silence that result from the methodological shortcomings of the profession and the realities of the historical record. Those of us engaged in the breaking down of such silences are used to searching hard and deep for the scanty, hidden voices of those without power. Moreover, we are motivated by an ethical commitment to making these voices heard. This may lead us to take risks in bringing them to the corpus that others would not.Yet I would not hide all of this behind a statement of scholarly objectivity. In fact, the book is structured in a way that I hope provokes questions about the writing of this book rather than the asserting authority of the author. This approach is the result of my experience in the classroom. In the fifteen years between finding Abina's testimony and writing this book, I taught this document as a primary source in a number of classes. I gradually developed the practice of preparing students to read the testimony by discussing with them the methods by which histories are constructed, the ethics implicit in the historian's exercise of intellectual power, and the theories through which we can frame and interrogate these issues. When it came time to publish the testimony, I knew I had to include these resources in the book as tools that I hoped would allow students to critically compare my written interpretation and Liz' graphic interpretation with the original document. Like Reynolds, I hold my breath every year waiting for the first student to challenge my interpretation with his or her own - not in fear, but in anticipation.My approach to Abina ties into my overall understanding of the role of the instructor in the classroom. Whenever I am asked to explain how this book can be used as a source in the teaching of African and world history, I spend only a small fragment of my response establishing the broader themes of colonialism, slavery, gender construction, and globalization. I spend more time talking about critical thinking, media and message awareness, and social justice. For me, the task of sharing with our students the tools to think ethically and critically is at least as valuable as the content we give them.…
ducators shed new light on current debates about the First Amendment and media ethics.”
The site (which is free to use after registering) has 86 lessons plans, including two collections on civil rights and suffragists. The lesson plans focus on three areas — historical connections, media literacy and civics and citizenship. In media literacy, students can examine how journalists worked in the past and how they work today.
According to the press release:
The educational content is framed by the freedoms and ideals protected by the First Amendment, which acts as a springboard to explore more about the opportunities and challenges of our democracy.Link to story at Poynter.org.
…
York Times about a Howard Zinn documentary, The People Speak a special they will be airing Sunday, December 13, 2009.
In Janurary of '09 I wrote a blog post (FRAMING AMERICAN HISTORY) that talked about the graphic novel adaptation of Howard Zinn's famous book A People's History of the United States titled A People's History of the American Empire and a bunch of other great comic adaptations of US History.
This show looks to be an equally exciting effort to bring "the people's history" to life...
First a trailer:
The History Channel website for the show contains a series of great clips & lesson plans.
Clips include:
Mutiny in George Washington's Army performed by Mike O'Malley
The Declaration of Independence performed by Matt Damon
Susan B. Anthony's Suffrage Trial performed by Christina Kirk and Josh Brolin
J.W. Loguen's Letter to Sarah Logue performed by Benjamin Bratt
Website: http://www.history.com/content/people-speak
Short Lesson Plan w/Discussion Questions available as a PDF here.
The backstory on the show and Zinn's vision from The New York Times:
New Boss, Same as the Old Boss: Howard Zinn Traces Social Change
By BRIAN STELTER
Published: December 11, 2009
In Howard Zinn’s new documentary, “The People Speak,” the actress Marisa Tomei is shown reading aloud an essay by a worker at a 19th-century textile mill in Lowell, Mass., who led other women to protest wage reductions and demand better working condition
In the woman’s description of oppression at the hands of a company, Mr. Zinn, the left-wing historian, hears both past and present tense. “She says the same thing of the 1830s that we hear today — that you are at the mercy of your employer,” Mr. Zinn said in an interview.
So much of Mr. Zinn’s career, reflected in his “People’s History of the United States” book, has been about the struggle for social change. With “The People Speak,” which has its premiere on the History Channel on Sunday (at 8 p.m., Eastern and Pacific times; 7, Central time), he is having a raft of celebrities recount that effort through the words of people who were there. “It’s the people’s point of view of history,” said the actor Josh Brolin, an executive producer of the film.
Full article available here…
York Times about a Howard Zinn documentary, The People Speak a special they will be airing Sunday, December 13, 2009.
In Janurary of '09 I wrote a blog post (FRAMING AMERICAN HISTORY) that talked about the graphic novel adaptation of Howard Zinn's famous book A People's History of the United States titled A People's History of the American Empire and a bunch of other great comic adaptations of US History.
This show looks to be an equally exciting effort to bring "the people's history" to life...
First a trailer:
The History Channel website for the show contains a series of great clips & lesson plans.
Clips include:
Mutiny in George Washington's Army performed by Mike O'Malley
The Declaration of Independence performed by Matt Damon
Susan B. Anthony's Suffrage Trial performed by Christina Kirk and Josh Brolin
J.W. Loguen's Letter to Sarah Logue performed by Benjamin Bratt
Website: http://www.history.com/content/people-speak
Short Lesson Plan w/Discussion Questions available as a PDF here.
The backstory on the show and Zinn's vision from The New York Times:
New Boss, Same as the Old Boss: Howard Zinn Traces Social Change
By BRIAN STELTER
Published: December 11, 2009
In Howard Zinn’s new documentary, “The People Speak,” the actress Marisa Tomei is shown reading aloud an essay by a worker at a 19th-century textile mill in Lowell, Mass., who led other women to protest wage reductions and demand better working condition
In the woman’s description of oppression at the hands of a company, Mr. Zinn, the left-wing historian, hears both past and present tense. “She says the same thing of the 1830s that we hear today — that you are at the mercy of your employer,” Mr. Zinn said in an interview.
So much of Mr. Zinn’s career, reflected in his “People’s History of the United States” book, has been about the struggle for social change. With “The People Speak,” which has its premiere on the History Channel on Sunday (at 8 p.m., Eastern and Pacific times; 7, Central time), he is having a raft of celebrities recount that effort through the words of people who were there. “It’s the people’s point of view of history,” said the actor Josh Brolin, an executive producer of the film.
Full article available here…
York Times about a Howard Zinn documentary, The People Speak a special they will be airing Sunday, December 13, 2009.
In Janurary of '09 I wrote a blog post (FRAMING AMERICAN HISTORY) that talked about the graphic novel adaptation of Howard Zinn's famous book A People's History of the United States titled A People's History of the American Empire and a bunch of other great comic adaptations of US History.
This show looks to be an equally exciting effort to bring "the people's history" to life...
First a trailer:
The History Channel website for the show contains a series of great clips & lesson plans.
Clips include:
Mutiny in George Washington's Army performed by Mike O'Malley
The Declaration of Independence performed by Matt Damon
Susan B. Anthony's Suffrage Trial performed by Christina Kirk and Josh Brolin
J.W. Loguen's Letter to Sarah Logue performed by Benjamin Bratt
Website: http://www.history.com/content/people-speak
Short Lesson Plan w/Discussion Questions available as a PDF here.
The backstory on the show and Zinn's vision from The New York Times:
New Boss, Same as the Old Boss: Howard Zinn Traces Social Change
By BRIAN STELTER
Published: December 11, 2009
In Howard Zinn’s new documentary, “The People Speak,” the actress Marisa Tomei is shown reading aloud an essay by a worker at a 19th-century textile mill in Lowell, Mass., who led other women to protest wage reductions and demand better working condition
In the woman’s description of oppression at the hands of a company, Mr. Zinn, the left-wing historian, hears both past and present tense. “She says the same thing of the 1830s that we hear today — that you are at the mercy of your employer,” Mr. Zinn said in an interview.
So much of Mr. Zinn’s career, reflected in his “People’s History of the United States” book, has been about the struggle for social change. With “The People Speak,” which has its premiere on the History Channel on Sunday (at 8 p.m., Eastern and Pacific times; 7, Central time), he is having a raft of celebrities recount that effort through the words of people who were there. “It’s the people’s point of view of history,” said the actor Josh Brolin, an executive producer of the film.
Full article available here…
York Times about a Howard Zinn documentary, The People Speak a special they will be airing Sunday, December 13, 2009.
In Janurary of '09 I wrote a blog post (FRAMING AMERICAN HISTORY) that talked about the graphic novel adaptation of Howard Zinn's famous book A People's History of the United States titled A People's History of the American Empire and a bunch of other great comic adaptations of US History.
This show looks to be an equally exciting effort to bring "the people's history" to life...
First a trailer:
The History Channel website for the show contains a series of great clips & lesson plans.
Clips include:
Mutiny in George Washington's Army performed by Mike O'Malley
The Declaration of Independence performed by Matt Damon
Susan B. Anthony's Suffrage Trial performed by Christina Kirk and Josh Brolin
J.W. Loguen's Letter to Sarah Logue performed by Benjamin Bratt
Website: http://www.history.com/content/people-speak
Short Lesson Plan w/Discussion Questions available as a PDF here.
The backstory on the show and Zinn's vision from The New York Times:
New Boss, Same as the Old Boss: Howard Zinn Traces Social Change
By BRIAN STELTER
Published: December 11, 2009
In Howard Zinn’s new documentary, “The People Speak,” the actress Marisa Tomei is shown reading aloud an essay by a worker at a 19th-century textile mill in Lowell, Mass., who led other women to protest wage reductions and demand better working condition
In the woman’s description of oppression at the hands of a company, Mr. Zinn, the left-wing historian, hears both past and present tense. “She says the same thing of the 1830s that we hear today — that you are at the mercy of your employer,” Mr. Zinn said in an interview.
So much of Mr. Zinn’s career, reflected in his “People’s History of the United States” book, has been about the struggle for social change. With “The People Speak,” which has its premiere on the History Channel on Sunday (at 8 p.m., Eastern and Pacific times; 7, Central time), he is having a raft of celebrities recount that effort through the words of people who were there. “It’s the people’s point of view of history,” said the actor Josh Brolin, an executive producer of the film.
Full article available here…
I reference this graphic novel - Sons of Liberty (Turning Points).
With the Beatles Rock Band being very cool you might use a song like "Revolution" to frame some of the internal conflicts "in, out, in, out."
There's an interesting lesson plan at the RRHOF - Lesson 47 - GET UP, STAND UP: FIghting for Rights Around the World. This lesson, STI Lesson 45 - Democracy…Not Yet! might give you some more ideas.
The Rock and Roll Library also has a cool lesson plan to work with - Being Me in the Face of Adversity - Americans Who Stood Up for Their Beliefs.
Don't forget to check out the PBS doc - with teacher guides and the "Revolution Road Game" - Liberty: The American Revolution
Since the American Rev. often gets looked at as something exclusive to Dudes - do check out this, Independent Dames: What You Never Knew About the Women and Girls of the American Revolution and the other YA texts listed there to make sure you highlight the role of other marginalized revolutionaries like Indians, Slaves and Debtors.
Also the book Past Imperfect: History According to the Movies (Henry Holt Reference Book) has a chapter on American Revolution films like the musical 1776.
Hope this gets your brain spinning!
RRG:)…
t For those interested in a less dour account of history you might consider becoming familiar with Sarah Vowell's excellent and humorous historical writing. Her new book Unfamiliar Fishes an examination of Hawaii - "the place where Manifest Destiny got a sunburn."
The Daily Show - Sarah VowellTags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook
…
and what values are inherent in it? What issues does his work raise about the purpose and significance of studying history? What are the benefits and drawbacks of his method? In this lesson, students examine Zinn’s work by comparing his writing to a typical American history textbook. They then write a reflection and/or select a document from American history to perform.
Materials | Student journals, projection equipment or handouts, copies of relevant portions of “A People’s History of the United States” and a history textbook
Warm-up | Provide the following two questions for students to respond to in their journals: In writing history, what do you think should be a historian’s goal(s)? Why do you think people should study history?
When students are finished writing, invite them to share their ideas and record them on the board.
Next, hand out, project and/or read aloud the following quotation from Howard Zinn’s “A People’s History of the United States”:
I don’t want to invent victories for people’s movements. But to think that history-writing must aim simply to recapitulate the failures that dominate the past is to make historians collaborators in an endless cycle of defeat. If history is to be creative, to anticipate a possible future without denying the past, it should, I believe, emphasize new possibilities by disclosing those hidden episodes of the past, when, even if in brief flashes, people showed their ability to resist, to join together, occasionally to win. I am supposing, or perhaps only hoping, that our future may be found in the past’s fugitive moments of compassion rather than in its solid centuries of warfare. That, being as blunt as I can, is my approach to the history of the United States. The reader may as well know the before going on.
Ask: How would you paraphrase this historian’s approach to U.S. history? What does he seem to value and why? What does he seem to think the purpose and function of history is? How does this approach seem similar to and different from how you have studied history in school? What are the connections between what you wrote earlier in your journals and these ideas?
Tell students the source of the quotation and that they will take a closer look at the work and philosophy of this historian, Howard Zinn, and the controversy over his approach.
Related | In the obituary “Howard Zinn, Historian, Is Dead at 87,” Michael Powell notes that Zinn’s book “A People’s History of the United States was a “best-seller that inspired a generation of high school and college students to rethink American history”:
Almost an oddity at first, with a printing of just 4,000 in 1980, “A People’s History of the United States” has sold nearly two million copies. To describe it as a revisionist account is to risk understatement. A conventional historical account held no allure; he concentrated on what he saw as the genocidal depredations of Christopher Columbus, the blood lust of Theodore Roosevelt and the racial failings of Abraham Lincoln. He also shined an insistent light on the revolutionary struggles of impoverished farmers, feminists, laborers and resisters of slavery and war.
Such stories are more often recounted in textbooks today; they were not at the time.
Questions | For discussion and reading comprehension:
What does it mean that Howard Zinn “delighted … in lancing what he considered platitudes, not the least that American history was a heroic march toward democracy”?
Why did the book meet with some skepticism and opposition? How did Zinn respond to critics?
How has Zinn and his work penetrated popular culture? Why do you think that is?
How do you think Zinn’s life might have contributed to his world view and historical approach and vice-versa? Why?
What “personal philosophy” do you think is expressed in the title of Zinn’s memoir, “You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train”?
How do you think the way you study history is different from how it was taught to your parents and grandparents?
For the full NYTLN lesson visit the site!
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