"True science is obliged to doubt, reconsider and constantly redefine its own foundations as new discoveries are made, and this process may sometimes sweep aside years of research and investigation. We've come to know a version of history which speaks of a linearly increasing technological evolution, but findings like those listed above tell a much different story, inspiring a serious reflection on our present hypotheses. When faced with a significant amount of evidence that calls into question contemporary notions of our history and the technological sophistication of our ancestors, it is both unconscionable and unscientific to brush such artifacts aside in order to preserve an unsubstantiated belief."
The author of this article uses the above paragraph as his summation. The article: The History Before History II: Vestiges of a Lost Technology is a wonderful read - telling of historical technological advances that are said to happen well before conventional history says they should have happened.
I believe it to be very true - today's historians and scientist tend to like getting a version of what they define as "truth" and sticking to it no matter what other evidence is presented. Maybe it's the easiest way to make it through the professional world - what with grants and funding and reputation and all.
Though I must say this - and I will wait until my next post to tell you where I think the dangers in rewriting history lie.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Urbana teacher fosters students’ love of history
It's not often that print media does stories that you want to read.
Much less about a cohort! Take two minutes and enjoy . . . Urbana teacher fosters students’ love of history.
Much less about a cohort! Take two minutes and enjoy . . . Urbana teacher fosters students’ love of history.
2 Free Lesson Plans
You know the student (You all have one).
One parent left (be it by choice or by law).
The other parent is never home (be it by choice, or just to make ends meet).
And the kid's life is a living hell.
Mrs. Brown had a student like this, Cherikka...
In U.S. History class, Cherikka exploded daily.
What did she care about the American Revolution?
Less than nada.
What she needed was a revolution in her own life.
Thing was, Cherikka was bright, really bright.
She was a leader – and the class was with her.
(They had been ever since kindergarten.)
So when Cherikka exploded, so did the class.
So I did the only thing I could do.
I put her in charge.
Back then it was debates.
I figured: If she wanted to argue, then by God she could argue.
From then on, Cherikka exploded like the fireworks on the Fourth of July.
The girl was born to be a trial lawyer.
Today, I might try another tack.
I might begin class with Cherikka reading stories from Predicting the Past.
After telling a story about one person’s dreadful childhood,
she could ask the class to predict what happened to him as President.
If we were on the 20th century, Cherikka would begin with Teddy Roosevelt.
Check out our free lesson plan on Teddy Roosevelt.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Oh! What a lovely war.”
Can you believe it?
Somebody actually made a musical about World War I.
(Richard Attenborough, the director who won an Academy Award for “Gandhi.”)
It is a musical satire.
Because the British government used so much propaganda leading up to the war.
When it comes to standardized tests, propaganda is a major topic.
Every standardized test has a section on propaganda in WWI.
Are you teaching World War I?
Wanna see how we tackle propaganda?
Then take a look at our FREE lesson!
One parent left (be it by choice or by law).
The other parent is never home (be it by choice, or just to make ends meet).
And the kid's life is a living hell.
Mrs. Brown had a student like this, Cherikka...
In U.S. History class, Cherikka exploded daily.
What did she care about the American Revolution?
Less than nada.
What she needed was a revolution in her own life.
Thing was, Cherikka was bright, really bright.
She was a leader – and the class was with her.
(They had been ever since kindergarten.)
So when Cherikka exploded, so did the class.
So I did the only thing I could do.
I put her in charge.
Back then it was debates.
I figured: If she wanted to argue, then by God she could argue.
From then on, Cherikka exploded like the fireworks on the Fourth of July.
The girl was born to be a trial lawyer.
Today, I might try another tack.
I might begin class with Cherikka reading stories from Predicting the Past.
After telling a story about one person’s dreadful childhood,
she could ask the class to predict what happened to him as President.
If we were on the 20th century, Cherikka would begin with Teddy Roosevelt.
Check out our free lesson plan on Teddy Roosevelt.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Oh! What a lovely war.”
Can you believe it?
Somebody actually made a musical about World War I.
(Richard Attenborough, the director who won an Academy Award for “Gandhi.”)
It is a musical satire.
Because the British government used so much propaganda leading up to the war.
When it comes to standardized tests, propaganda is a major topic.
Every standardized test has a section on propaganda in WWI.
Are you teaching World War I?
Wanna see how we tackle propaganda?
Then take a look at our FREE lesson!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
ABC News: Ancient Greek Geeks Got It Right
Just came across this news article about the innovation of the Ancient Greeks. Few would call the Ancient Greeks backwards - see why this scholar does.
Teaching Ancient Greece - check out some of these great resources.
Have a great evening,
George
Teaching Ancient Greece - check out some of these great resources.
Have a great evening,
George
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Event Guestbook
Please use the "Post a Comment" link in this strand to let us know you were here.
Give us you're email address and we'll send you a very nice little gift (can you say free E-Book?)
Give us you're email address and we'll send you a very nice little gift (can you say free E-Book?)
How To Make Your Classroom Bloom - September 6, 2007
Good evening. Thanks so much for joining us in this, our first ever, live event.
We have been working hard to bring this to you, but as with most new things, we may still have a few technical things to work out.
A few things to note:
-Make sure you are "refreshing" your page every minute or so - that's how you'll be able to see the new content.
-If you're not seeing the comments, you need to click on the link in the white box (on the right hand side of the page) that says "How To Make Your Classroom Bloom - September 6, 2007". This will allow you to see the conversation.
A bit about the format - we will spend the first 15 - 20 minutes on a more interview type of discussion with Linda Brown. I'll be asking the questions and she'll respond. After that initial time, we'll open the discussion up to your questions and comments. Use the "Make a Comment" link to post your comment or question.
If you need technical assistance during the event, please email bmills@performance-education.com - he'll try and get you fixed up.
We will begin promptly at 8PM EST - see you then.
We have been working hard to bring this to you, but as with most new things, we may still have a few technical things to work out.
A few things to note:
-Make sure you are "refreshing" your page every minute or so - that's how you'll be able to see the new content.
-If you're not seeing the comments, you need to click on the link in the white box (on the right hand side of the page) that says "How To Make Your Classroom Bloom - September 6, 2007". This will allow you to see the conversation.
A bit about the format - we will spend the first 15 - 20 minutes on a more interview type of discussion with Linda Brown. I'll be asking the questions and she'll respond. After that initial time, we'll open the discussion up to your questions and comments. Use the "Make a Comment" link to post your comment or question.
If you need technical assistance during the event, please email bmills@performance-education.com - he'll try and get you fixed up.
We will begin promptly at 8PM EST - see you then.
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