BLOGGER’S NOTE
IF YOU ARE NEW to this blog, and interested in the topic of immigration, I recommend you go right to the massive new post: “How Immigration Made America.” If you’re a teacher, the topic is timely.
(Actually, that topic always is.)
If
you’re not a teacher, and simply interested in the subject, try to see if your
ancestors were vilified as unworthy of becoming Americans.
Chances are good that they were.
(I update this and several other posts whenever I see
something interesting.)
In recent years, I have begun to post entries on individual years, so that we have 1765, 1766 and 1767, all the way up to 1950. I expect to begin posting entries covering the years going back to 1607, but switching to decades, soon, while saving the years from 1951 to present till last.
I also update yearly posts whenever I can. After reading Theodore Roosevelt’s collected speeches and articles in A Strenuous Life, for example, I added numerous quotations from that volume to the years 1898, 1899, 1900 and 1901.
I
have assembled material on the Holocaust, as I find it, in Why Not 13? Individual and family tales
are listed chronologically, depending on when the troubles for the victims of
Nazism began.
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When I was teaching, I got tired of hearing how bad American educators were. |
My Promise.
WHEN I STARTED BLOGGING IN 2011, I said I planned to speak up for good teachers. I would not defend bad ones.
I began by trying to debunk the myth that something was wrong with America’s teachers as a group.
See: Numbers Don’t Lie: Our Teachers (And Doctors) Are Failing.
I
mocked the idea that U. S. teachers were stupid again in: America’s Teachers! We’re Dumb! And We Suck!
EVENTUALLY, I shifted more toward posts that teachers might find useful. I retired in 2008. So, I have plenty of free time to bang away on my keyboard.
(Well, I am 77, so maybe not as much time as I would like.)
Updated 11/3/2026
First Day Plans from a Veteran Educator: My third year I stopped going over rules the first day and dove right into lessons I considered critical
Best Seating Chart Ever! I
read about this setup in an article, probably during my second year in
teaching. The arrangement helped with discipline and students loved it.
A Reading List for American History: This list of hundreds of books was created for students in my class but should be of value to teachers.
Creative Discipline for Middle School: Angie Collects Belly Button Lint: I found that humor and discipline were not mutually exclusive. This worked great for me.
Discipline with Humor: Elvis’s Belly Button Lint. Same topic as above, different examples. My kids could be hilarious.
Snot Bubbles and Students Who Don’t Always Work: Or how I “solved” the problem of students who kept missing their work.
“Snowballs” Fly in History Class, and Other Mistakes: Nothing like having real blood in the classroom…and a few of my other blunders.
Site Index.
I AM CURRENTLY posting what I think are interesting stories from American history, divided by years and topics.
I also have:
Maps and Pictures for History Teachers, all of which you can use if you like. I either took the pictures myself, or scanned them out of old sources, now out of copyright (some long out of copyright).
Also: Maps and Pictures for History Teachers, Part II (same).
And: Maps and Pictures for History Teachers, Part III (same).
So far, I have posted all the years, working backward to 1765, on up to and including 1950. I will continue to add to entries as time allows – as I retired from teaching in 2008, and only later thought of doing this material in this way.
Typically, in one day I posted what I had for 1858, 1859, and 1860. The Lincoln-Douglas debates are featured in 1858, and questions revolving around race abound.
In 1859, a good deal of the focus is on
the discovery of gold in the Pike’s Peak Region, in Nevada, and in the
mountains of California, where the town of Bodie grew up and then died out, and
became a ghost town.
(I
have several dozen pictures I took during a 2022 visit to Bodie, and teachers
may use them if they like.)
For 1860, I have included excerpts from Beloved, by Toni Morrison, a novel about slavery based in part on the true story of Margaret Garner. I used to read parts of her work to my seventh and eighth graders.
Not sure you could even do that today. (Good luck, young teachers!)
The
South Carolina Declaration of Secession is also clear: The war will be about
the protection of slavery.
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Why do people explore: Columbus, Mountain Men or astronauts? Scene near Leadville, Colorado. Feel free to use my pictures as you like. Those off the internet may be under copyright. |
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Teachers make a difference in countless ways. Note to a teacher and former student of mine. |
Site Index.
I AM CURRENTLY posting what I think are interesting stories from American history, divided by years and topics.
I also have:
Maps and Pictures for History Teachers, all of which you can use if you like. I either took the pictures myself, or scanned them out of old sources, now out of copyright (some long out of copyright).
Also: Maps and Pictures for History Teachers, Part II (same).
And: Maps and Pictures for History Teachers, Part III (same).
So far, I have posted all the years, working backward to 1765, on up to and including 1950. I will continue to add to entries as time allows – as I retired from teaching in 2008, and only later thought of doing this material in this way.
Typically, in one day I posted what I had for 1858, 1859, and 1860. The Lincoln-Douglas debates are featured in 1858, and questions revolving around race abound.
In 1859, a good deal of the focus is on
the discovery of gold in the Pike’s Peak Region, in Nevada, and in the
mountains of California, where the town of Bodie grew up and then died out, and
became a ghost town.
(I have several dozen pictures I took during a 2022 visit to Bodie, and teachers may use them if they like.)
For 1860, I have included excerpts from Beloved, by Toni Morrison, a novel about slavery based in part on the true story of Margaret Garner. I used to read parts of her work to my seventh and eighth graders.
Not sure you could even do that today. (Good luck, young teachers!)
The South Carolina Declaration of Secession is also clear: The war will be about the protection of slavery.
Specific Topics.
In somewhat chronological order, and by topic, I have covered the following subjects in some detail. Posts are based on lessons I developed, while others rest on my own reading, and topics I found interesting.
Early American Civilizations: A Few Interesting Pictures: This post didn’t get much interest; but I’m listing in chronological order.
The Chachapoya of Peru (A.D. 650-1470): Never heard of these people till I stumbled upon their story in National Geographic. A discussion of burial customs – and other cultural practices – is always worth having.
A Simple Lesson on Cultural Differences: Naming
customs vary across cultures, but this topic always captured the interest of my
students, including their own names.
The Battle for Freedom in England and America: I created this document after I retired. It might be of use in your classes. I believe the examples would be useful for teachers to incorporate into lessons.
Do You Know What the Declaration of Independence Means? Six Questions: Like Abraham Lincoln, I considered an understanding of the Declaration of Independence to be central to grasping who we are as a people (flaws and all).
(This remains one of my favorites.)
Remember the Ladies: Women in the American Revolution: My students liked this reading, and we used it as a basis for skits. My seventh and eighth graders loved doing skits; and we set them up to last the entire period.
See: How I Worked Skits in My History Class.
The Dumbest Man in History and a Second-Class Gender, is
based on a class discussion that worked admirably.
Founding Father vs. Founding Father: The idea that the Founders had all the answers is badly flawed, as they liked to point out to each other.
I
have another post that includes selections from various diaries, and
plan to add more as time allows. I am trying to get more women’s stories in the
mix.
Two “N” Words and a “D” Word: This was probably my favorite lesson plan every year. (I’m not sure you could do this today in an era when only standardized learning seems to “count.”)
Thomas Jefferson’s Slave Son, Madison Hemings, Tells His Story: Found this online; it’s very interesting.
Teaching about Slavery: A Novel Approach: If you’ve never read Gone with the Wind, it’s beautifully written and full of racist tropes. I do know at least two teachers who read this post were offended by the idea that there could be “a good slave.”
(I think they missed my meaning and purpose;
but it could be I’m a dolt.)
Currier & Ives: There are all kinds of possibilities open to teachers who might want to use prints to start a discussion. I spent an afternoon finding examples online.
The California Gold Rush, A Few Ideas for Class: This
topic always interested students, whether we were talking about events in 1849,
a Brazilian gold rush in the 1980s, including a “nugget” the size of a
briefcase, or the recovery of tons of gold from the wreck of the SS
Central America, which sank in 1857.
The Glory of War is something I wrote about the true nature of the Civil War. I never found time to use it in class. Examples from this reading might serve you well with your students.
Mr. Lincoln’s Army, The Army of the Potomac, Part I: I grew up on Bruce Catton’s writings (okay, I’m old); but his stories about the Civil War still resonate with students.
Glory Road, The Army of the Potomac, Part II: Same as above; these two posts are quite lengthy; pick and choose what you can use.
Someday, maybe, I will get around to covering the third book in Catton’s trilogy, A Stillness at Appomattox; these are great books.
Retired Teachers Never Quit: Teaching about Gettysburg: Here are a few ideas and pictures from Gettysburg you might use.
Scars from the Civil War and Scars Today: The soldiers from every war could share their stories of pain and suffering.
A Rebel Soldier’s War: Sam Watkins of the First Tennessee: I used this essay in class for years; my students always liked it. Watkins witnessed tremendous bloodshed, but his humanity and humor still come through.
(See next listing, below, on how we used Watkins’s story and others for skits.)
How I Worked Skits in My History Class: This
was one of my favorite moments in more than three decades of teaching.
A Former Slave Writes to His Master: This letter is a classic, if you’ve never seen it.
A Selection of Works by Native American Painter Bret Learned: His work is beautiful, and you could easily use examples to start a discussion on almost any topic related to Indigenous Peoples. The artist has graciously consented to allow the use of his paintings for educational purposes.
Notes on Sitting Bull and the Sioux Culture: Again, these notes are quite long; but if you want evidence of the humanity of the people we once considered “savage,” here it is; and Sitting Bull is a great leader.
Notes from the Book, With Custer at the Little Big Horn: An interesting point of view from a cavalryman who survived the fight – and also realized that the Native Americans had reason to go to war.
A Bride Goes West: A Woman’s View of Frontier Montana: If
you’re looking for the female perspective, Nannie Alderson’s story of raising a
family in Montana in the 1880s and after is great. My students really liked her
story.
World War I Cartoons and Pictures: I thought some of these would be useful to teachers.
What a Difference a Century Makes: 1915-2015: I
wrote this the year my father would have turned 100; the differences might
amaze students. If I were still teaching, I might lead a discussion of changes
kids think have been for the better, for the worse, and what they think will
change in their lifetimes.
A Few Useful Notes on Hitler and the Nazis: If you teach about the Holocaust, this may help.
Holocaust Ideas for Teachers: Same with this.
I Read Mein Kampf, So You Don’t Have To: Hitler is quite clear about what he plans to do if he takes power. His ideas are grotesque; and (if you’ve never read this) his prose is often turgid. Here we have his main ideas.
“Why Not 13?” Stories from the Holocaust: Already explained again; but a reading close to my heart.
The Story of Pearl Harbor: My feeling has always been that descriptions in textbooks are brief and superficial. I tried to present stories in greater detail for my classes.
A Particular Tragedy at Pearl Harbor: This story is meant to make clear: war is rarely glamorous, often horrible.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Students today have almost no knowledge of what nuclear war is really like.
On
World War II, I posted, “A Few Basics and the Nature of
Chance.”
Coming Soon to Glendale: The Eckstein Cultural Center. The separate school for “colored students” in Glendale gets a new life; and Bill Parrish, the man behind the project talks to the blogger.
The Moore’s Ford Bridge Lynching: I only recently read about this incident. It’s a shock to realize how recently lynching was still occurring.
War of Nerves is adapted from a brief article about racism, that I saw in an old Time magazine from 1957.
In Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: 100 Examples of Jim Crow Days: My students could always name four or five examples of Jim Crow laws: separate seat on buses, separate drinking fountains, separate schools, separated in sports, and in restaurants. This reading gave them a “few” more examples, including bans on interracial checkers playing.
The Emperor of A, B, C, D (Auxiliary Post): More examples of racism and material you would probably have to ignore, due to standardized testing.
(I loathed standardized testing and called it educational malpractice.)
(I think the failure of “school reform” to raise test scores since 2000, validates my point.)
A Former Student Discusses ‘White Privilege,’ and What We Can All Do is used by permission of the author, Eric Armstrong.
Regarding
immigration, I always liked the story of Jacob Riis. “The Making of an
American.” We also have, “Notes on Boston’s Immigrants by Oscar Handlin
and “American Immigration in the Time of Trump,” which you may find useful – although, as I
say up front, my biases are clear in that selection. To be honest, I wouldn’t
use that selection, myself, if I were still teaching, unless I made it clear I
was only stating my own opinions. I used to tell students that their opinions were
as valid as mine – and only encourage them to be as fully informed as
possible.
A Watergate Refresher: Students found the story of Watergate to be like a crime show investigation.
The Veterans Come to Loveland Middle School: I grew up thinking it would be cool to go to war, joined the Marines, myself, in 1968, and volunteered to go to Vietnam. (I was dumb.) I lucked out (didn’t get sent) but always believed students should have a realistic view regarding warfare. We found we could get plenty of veterans to come in and talk, including about their worst memories.
(You should absolutely do this, yourself.)
Useful Links for American History Teachers: Self-explanatory.
Who Were Those People Who Died on 9/11: I wrote this after I retired: but I’d use it in class today, if I were still teaching. It would probably make some students cry. It makes me cry.
Gay Marriage Decision: This post is political; but also the Obergfell decision was historic. It may or not be of use to teachers today.
(Most of the political posts are listed separately. So, feel free to ignore.)
A Few Good Ideas (I Think) for American History: If any of these ideas help, I’ll be glad I bothered to post.
A Few Good Ideas (I Think) for American History, Part II: Same as above.
(I
now include ideas that might be helpful in my yearly posts, for example, 1790, where I had a few good ideas on
how to make tariffs and taxes interesting, or 1803, when we talked about how cheap
land once was – and eventually free.)
History Shows: Kids Never Change: I recently hit 77; I tell my wife all the time, “If I ever start grumbling about ‘kids today,’ smack me upside the head.” She seemed to agree rather quickly that that was a good idea.
Some of my favorite posts on education.:
N.F.L Adopts Common Core Playbook. What would happen if every team used the same playbook! Every team would succeed, correct?
How Many Reformers Does It Really Take to Fix a School? If you’re a frontline teacher you already know the answer.
Confessions of a Bad Teacher: Okay, I admit it. I was a no good, rotten, terrible teacher. I didn’t believe standardized testing did much good. Seven thousand teachers seemed to agree when I put up this post.
Yellow Brick Road to Nowhere: Teachers and the Tea Party Movement. This is probably my personal favorite, of all my posts. I like the story of the boy who earned a standing ovation from peers in my class.
The Limited Efficacy of School Reform: Absenteeism. Every frontline teacher knows student absences are crippling; too bad school reformers never address the question. So we have to do the best we can do.
The Opening Pages of Two Legs Suffice: Lessons Learned by Teaching: I have let my book go out of print. I need to resurrect it. Certainly, my warnings in 2016 now sound prescient and my remedies were right.
What I Learned by Writing a Book about Education. I learned that many of the most prominent voices in education reform knew very little about what really happens in our schools. (As in: I wouldn’t give advice on plumbing to a plumber, because I don’t know much about plumbing.)
The Case of the Missing Homework: I did love my job and wanted to motivate kids in any way I could.
Teachers Anonymous: A 12-Step Program for Bad Teachers: Follow up post to the post above. I explain how bad teachers can recover from their delusions and embrace the virtues of standardized tests.
A Perfect Mesh of Common Core and New Technology.
An Education Expert Goes to the Doctor.
Are Poor Public Schools Killing the U. S. Economy?
Does Arne Duncan Realize that Teachers and Students Are Dying? The idea of “school reform” rings hollow when gunshots keep ringing out in our schools. You’d think the people who blame teachers for every problem might notice the blood.
If You Write about Education, Shouldn’t You Talk to
Educators? One reason education reform continues to fail is
that no one addresses the critical problems real teachers face every day.
Do Recent School Reforms Help or Hinder Real Learning.
ExxonMobile Announces Commitment to Fixing U. S. Education.
Hiking in Glacier National Park. This one has nothing to do with education. I just love the park; and if I was still teaching, I would try to convince students to go there someday. Not standardized education, of course.
Michelle Rhee’s Perfect Ponzi Scheme.
Speaking of reformers, the lady proved to be something of a fraud.
Privatizing Public Schools and the Loch Ness Monster Bonus.
The Scores Are in and School Reformers Earn F’s.
R.I.P. No Child Left Behind. Ten years of reforms and SAT, ACT and PISA scores have all declined. Even NAEP reading scores are flat. (If you’re a real teacher you start to wonder: Do the experts who keep telling us what to do have a clue?)
(Someday, I need to update this – and it hasn’t gotten much better.)
Sham Standards: Governor Kasich and the Standardized Testing Fetish. What happens if we line up fourteen veterans from five different wars to talk to 700 Loveland Middle School students. Is that good education? How do we measure what students learned???
Why Teaching Matters: What’s the Square Root of Inspiration?
Why Teaching Matters—Part Four (Books).
2014: The Year Teachers Became the Enemy: When
did school reformers decide teachers were the biggest problem in U. S.
education?
Motivational.
Student of the Month Nightmare.
Amandas Art Project and Standardized Tests.
The Value of a Penny and a Caring Teacher.
A Few Quotes that Still Matter: I
really liked to post good quotes on my classroom walls, both historical and
motivational.
Humorous,
too.
Corporate education.
I loved life in the classroom. I loved working with teens and taught for more than three decades. Today, I’m worried about what is happening to young teachers. When I look at current education reforms it appears to me that self-appointed experts are pushing disastrous policies.
Since I retired, I haven't been writing much about education policies, so most of these posts are a decade old; but Betsy DeVos is always good for a few laughs (or groans). See, for example,
Besty Devos: The Amway Secretary of Education
Heroes Who Never Fight: U.S. Secretaries of Education (Betsy DeVos Edition)
Betsy Devos: The Midas Touch in Education
The For-Profit Model in Education: You Get Strippers
Corporate Education: What Did You Expect?
The Essence of Corporate Education: Greed, and More Greed
Corporate Public Schools! It’s Going to be Great! It turns out that for-profit schools are often only good for generating profits.
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Wyoming: near Jeffrey City: photo from a bicycle ride across the USA. Students were amazed to learn that the state has only six people per square mile. |
