http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner en-us Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:03:45 -0700 Fri, 15 May 2009 03:25:49 -0700 BlogCFC http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m5d15-Stupid-Questions-IV-How-one-vote-made-Washington-president-8-and-Atchison-115?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner Stupid Questions IStupid Questions IIStupid Questions IIIMore of the frequently asked questions confused students ask their heroic history teachers. Q. Was George Washington really our first president? What about John Hanson?A. Re... History education Stupid Questions Fri, 15 May 2009 03:25:49 -0700 http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m5d15-Stupid-Questions-IV-How-one-vote-made-Washington-president-8-and-Atchison-115?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m5d14-Stupid-Questions-III--Who-killed-John-F-Kennedys-jelly-donut-and-where-does-Lincoln-fit-in?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner Stupid Questions IStupid Questions II More of those “unanswerable” questions students commonly ask history teachers. Q. In his famous Berlin speech, did President Kennedy accidentally refer to himself as a jelly donut?A.&nb... Presidents History education Stupid Questions Thu, 14 May 2009 10:08:11 -0700 http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m5d14-Stupid-Questions-III--Who-killed-John-F-Kennedys-jelly-donut-and-where-does-Lincoln-fit-in?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m5d13-Stupid-Questions-II-Suicidal-Munchkins-and-fake-landings-on-Pink-Floyds-Dark-Side-of-the-Moon?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner Stupid Questions IYesterday, I addressed some of the questions I am most frequently asked: Was Abe Lincoln gay? Was Hitler Jewish? Was George Bush our stupidest president? Was Sacagawea really that important?This is the secon... History education Stupid Questions Wed, 13 May 2009 11:10:35 -0700 http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m5d13-Stupid-Questions-II-Suicidal-Munchkins-and-fake-landings-on-Pink-Floyds-Dark-Side-of-the-Moon?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m5d12-Stupid-Questions-I-Gay-Abe-stupid-Bush-Jewish-Hitler-and-superfluous-Sacagawea?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner Yesterday, I wrote of the frustration felt by history teachers over having to address the same fallacies over and over.Teachers thrive on slaking the intellectual curiosity of their students. Few things mean more to an educator than en... History education Stupid Questions Tue, 12 May 2009 05:11:55 -0700 http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m5d12-Stupid-Questions-I-Gay-Abe-stupid-Bush-Jewish-Hitler-and-superfluous-Sacagawea?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m5d11-Neil-Armstrong-never-landed-on-the-Dark-Side-of-the-Moon?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner “It ain't so much what we know that gets us into trouble. It's what we know that just ain't so." – Mark TwainSpend a while in any business, and it won’t be long until you tire of answering the same questions over and over.As a ... History education Stupid Questions Mon, 11 May 2009 03:33:40 -0700 http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m5d11-Neil-Armstrong-never-landed-on-the-Dark-Side-of-the-Moon?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m4d30-Arlen-Spector-and-the-death-of-the-Republican-Party?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner Strategy botchedIn the midst of an unpopular war, members of a once-vibrant political party gather in secret to discuss their strategy for a return to power. Representing the interests of conservative executives, small business owners, and big i... Presidents Politics Thu, 30 Apr 2009 02:16:11 -0700 http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m4d30-Arlen-Spector-and-the-death-of-the-Republican-Party?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m4d29-The-alltime-worst-movies-that-history-teachers-should-never-show-but-always-do?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner Previously, I discussed the tendency of some teachers to view the end of the school year as a time to cash it in and let the DVD player take over.Contrary to the belief of the many students grudgingly forced to surrenderer their contra... History education Movies Wed, 29 Apr 2009 02:34:50 -0700 http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m4d29-The-alltime-worst-movies-that-history-teachers-should-never-show-but-always-do?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m4d29-Alltime-worst-history-movies?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner Previous - Read Part 1Herewith, the worst American History movies of all time.(My goal was to rank them in order from worst-er to worst-est, but one is just as bad as the next. So, don’t think of this as a linear list. Think of it as ... History education Movies Wed, 29 Apr 2009 02:27:22 -0700 http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m4d29-Alltime-worst-history-movies?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m4d28-Calling-it-a-year-Teachers-movies-and-the-classroom?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner Sheets of green pollen caked thick on my car roof and windshield.Dandelions and grass shoots bursting out of my dusty fried yellow lawn. Students (of both sexes) flogging the dress code well beyond the breaking point, flooding the halls with the... Movies Tue, 28 Apr 2009 03:19:58 -0700 http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m4d28-Calling-it-a-year-Teachers-movies-and-the-classroom?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m4d21-For-cheating-students-the-punishment-never-fits-the-crime?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner It didn’t take me long to catch my first cheating student.I was in my initial semester of full-time teaching. The young man, a student in my 8th grade U.S. History course, had scribbled information on a tiny piece of paper, and was attempt... History education Tue, 21 Apr 2009 05:56:21 -0700 http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m4d21-For-cheating-students-the-punishment-never-fits-the-crime?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m4d11-Blowing-up-the-curriculum-An-open-letter-to-history-teachers?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner Esteemed colleagues:After ten years, I have had enough.  I am saying goodbye to advanced placement textbooks forever.I've used American Pageant (hate it) and Liberty, Equality, Power (like most of it).  The problem with these text... History education Sat, 11 Apr 2009 10:23:18 -0700 http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m4d11-Blowing-up-the-curriculum-An-open-letter-to-history-teachers?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m4d9-The-curious-case-of-Wilmer-McLean?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner Wilmer McLean had a front row seat for the first land battle of the Civil War.A retired major in the state militia, the 47-year-old McLean considered himself too aged to return to active duty in the War of Northern Aggression. In July 1861, stil... Civil War Thu, 09 Apr 2009 05:49:56 -0700 http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m4d9-The-curious-case-of-Wilmer-McLean?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m4d7-25-great-musicals-250-years-of-history?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner Sixty years ago today, the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "South Pacific" opened on Broadway. Set in WWII, “South Pacific” examines racial intolerance, a fairly serious subject for a lighthearted musical. The annivers... History education Music Tue, 07 Apr 2009 03:56:01 -0700 http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m4d7-25-great-musicals-250-years-of-history?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m4d7-25-great-musicals-250-years-of-history-part-2?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner Previous - Part 1RagtimeEra1900-1917SubjectClass differencesLessonIt’s a good thing Emma Goldman didn’t get mixed up with the Newsies. Fiddler on the RoofEra1905SubjectThe difficulty of maintaining ties to the past in the face of mod... History education Music Tue, 07 Apr 2009 03:41:40 -0700 http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m4d7-25-great-musicals-250-years-of-history-part-2?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m4d7-25-great-musicals-250-years-of-history-part-3?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner Previous - Part 2The Sound of MusicEraWWIISubjectThe Trapp Family SingersLessonRolf? Pretty good guy. South PacificEraWWIISubjectPolynesian prejudice and American sailors.LessonWe aren’t born bigoted; it’s something we’re ... History education Music Tue, 07 Apr 2009 03:33:24 -0700 http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m4d7-25-great-musicals-250-years-of-history-part-3?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m4d6-Banning-the-Beach-Boys?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner Imagine you are tasked with creating the ultimate all-American celebration. You might come up with something along the lines of hiring the Beach Boys to perform at the Washington Mall on the Fourth of July.Flags waving. Little kids, faces p... Music Mon, 06 Apr 2009 07:21:46 -0700 http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m4d6-Banning-the-Beach-Boys?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m4d2-Why-your-kids-hate-history-Their-textbooks-stink-part-2?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner Previous - Part 1On to the death of President Lincoln. I present the four excerpts without comment: Winik:“Now, as the end neared, Lincoln's friends and colleagues huddled tearfully at his bedside.  Lincoln's son Robert leaned hi... History education Thu, 02 Apr 2009 03:56:48 -0700 http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m4d2-Why-your-kids-hate-history-Their-textbooks-stink-part-2?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m4d2-Why-your-kids-hate-history-Their-textbooks-stink?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner In a previous column, I told you how a massive curriculum keeps students from really enjoying the study of history.That is far from the only reason many young people feel learning about their past is a bitter medicine to be choked down for the s... History education Thu, 02 Apr 2009 03:51:19 -0700 http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m4d2-Why-your-kids-hate-history-Their-textbooks-stink?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m3d31-The-20-greatest-history-songs-What-I-got-wrong?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner Last week, I released my list of the 20 greatest history songs of all time. After unveiling #1, I requested your feedback on what I missed.And reply you did. Without a doubt, the most-mentioned omission was the lead track from Billy Joel&rs... History education Music Tue, 31 Mar 2009 03:07:32 -0700 http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m3d31-The-20-greatest-history-songs-What-I-got-wrong?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m3d28-The-greatest-history-song-of-all-time?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner And now, my pick for the greatest history song ever…Previous (2-5)         Next: What I got wrong#1Artist: Utah Phillips & Ani DiFrancoTitle: BridgesSubject matter: The study of history.Sample lyric:... History education Music Sat, 28 Mar 2009 05:15:56 -0700 http://www.examiner.com/x-4052-History-Geek-Examiner~y2009m3d28-The-greatest-history-song-of-all-time?cid=exrss-History-Geek-Examiner