Of Dragons and History Professors 2007

Kitty Werthmann Presentation (Extra Credit)

2007-12-10T14:17:00.000-08:00

Please note what you learned from Kitty Werthmann's presentation. How does she compare/contrast living under the Nazis with living under the Communists? What did you find most interesting in her presentation? Most worth remembering? Note especially any details you might include in an essay on the disturbing nature of the totalitarian governments of the 20th century.

Dream of a Ridiculous Man (Extra Credit)

2007-11-20T09:09:00.001-08:00

Suppose you were a glorious history professor, and you were going to include "The Dream of a Ridiculous Man" in a lecture on 19th century "believers in progress." What would you say about the story? [If you like, you may imitate the style of one of your teachers/professors. I would be amused by, say, a Dias-style or Manhart-style lecture selection.]

Communist Manifesto

2007-11-09T06:38:00.001-08:00

In the "Communist Manifesto," Marx and Engels suggest some "wonderful improvements" for society. Cite a line from the Manifesto highlighting one of these improvements, i.e, something Marx and Engels want to see changed. Would the change they suggest be a good one? Why, or why not? Do you get a feeling of deja vu when you read through the Manifesto? Any issues raised similar to those in contemporary American politics?

Obang Okello

2007-10-30T08:53:00.001-07:00

Obang Okello will be giving a presentation November 5, 2007, in the blue room of the Johnson Fine Arts Center at 6:30 p.m. Mr. Okello has an amazing story to tell, and hearing about his experiences during the Ethiopian civil war will help you understand much better some of the things we will be talking about later in History 122.

Please attend the presentation if you can, and comment here on what you learned from Mr. Okello.

The French Encyclopedia (Extra Credit)

2007-10-16T11:25:00.000-07:00

Reading the articles in Diderot's Encylopedia is one of the best ways to understand the French Enlightenment. It shows the attitudes of the philosophes toward everything from Islam to Women to Intolerance to History. While the online translation of the Encylopedia articles does not include the wonderful illustrations of the orginal, you will probably still find much of interest.

Browse to an article on a topic of interest to you. Comment on what you found particularly interesting in that article.

Voltaire's "On Policy" (Extra Credit)

2007-10-16T10:30:00.001-07:00

While Candide is the one Voltaire book everyone seems to read, it is not necessarily his best (or most interesting) work. Read through the selection from his Philosophical Dictionary on pp. 36-40 in your Communist Manifesto and Other Revolutionary Writings anthology. What do you find here that is particularly amusing, interesting, or important?

Are You Smarter Than a Harvard Senior?

2007-09-20T09:45:00.000-07:00

More than 14,000 college students recently took a "Civil Literacy" test sponsored by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. According to ISI, students didn't do so well. The average college freshman got about 50% of the questions right. Seniors did only a bit better, averging 54% on the quiz. Harvard seniors were the nation's best, averaging 69% on the survey. Can you do better? Take the quiz at the link below and find out! Did you do better than the average freshman? Better than the average senior? Better than the average Harvard student? Better than Harry the talking hand? (Harry got 58/60 right, as did Professor Jon Schaff). What do you think of the quiz? Is this stuff students should really know, or does it seem like trivial pursuit?

http://www.americancivicliteracy.org/resources/quiz.aspx

Traces Bus-eum

2007-09-16T19:23:00.000-07:00

Visit the Traces Bus-eum (parked outside the library) or attend the "High School Teacher Goes to War" presentation at the library. Share your thoughts on the Bus-eum or the presentation. Important? Enjoyable? Interesting? Exciting?

Constitution Day

2007-09-16T19:10:00.000-07:00

September 17, 2007 is the 220th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution--the day schools all over the country celebrate Constitution Day. Attend the Constitution Day observance on campus or read through the material on one of the many "Constitution Day" web sites.

What seems to you to be the most appropriate, most enjoyable, or most memorable way of celebrating Constitution Day?

Welcome!

2007-09-04T07:02:00.000-07:00

Dragon trouble? The guy on the white horse just may be on this blog! Harry the Talking Hand sometimes stops by as well. Feel free to share your questions, comments, and/or advice on NSU college life.