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Curriculum

#SaveAPWorld

I just returned home from the AP World History reading in Salt Lake City, where I attended the contentious forum hosted by the College Board’s Vice President for AP Programs, Trevor Packer. At this forum Packer defended the recently announced change to the AP World History exam which would reduce the scope of the Exam […]

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Curriculum History

Adjusting our time frames

My reading over the past year encouraged me to consider a variety of geographic vantage points on World History.  This year I’m having a similar experience with regard to time.  In addition to adjusting our spatial vantage points, history teachers need to thoughtfully consider time frames and established narratives, I learned a lot from Wensheng Wang’s White Lotus […]

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Curriculum Historical Thinking History

Keeping an open mind: historians’ helpful habit

Word around my house is that I may be over subscribed to professional publications.  To be honest, there are more journals articles coming through the front door than I am reading. Occasionally surveying new historical scholarship is integral to an understanding of history as constructed knowledge, not as a settled fact.  History is not the […]

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Curriculum Uncovering History

Teaching East Africa and the Indian Ocean with Swahili

Practicing the historical thinking skill of corroboration

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Curriculum History

World History Must Be Global History

After a summer of thinking about World History in a variety ways, school is underway. My interest in educational equity and disciplinary fidelity continue to motivate me to globalize the high school World History course. An excellent professional development session led by Dr. Keith Mayes refined my reasoning for continuing to globalize the course. In […]

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Curriculum History

Putting the World in the World History course

For the past several years globalizing my World History classes has animated my teaching practice.  I was fortunate to be able to share some of this work at the second annual Minnesota History Fest, where I presented “Putting the World in World War One in the World History Classroom.”  Teaching about World War One presents […]

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Curriculum History

Beyond Cause and Effect: Assessing Colonialism, Part III

Curricular framing of imperialism in high school World History classes often bears the marks of the Western Civilization courses that preceded them

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Assessment Curriculum History

Assessing Colonialism: Part II, Using Images

My interest in assessing colonialism involves the content as much as the process.  In the photograph assessment, which I am currently grading, I want students to address the racism inherent in both colonialism itself and how it is presented in textbooks.  The assignment, however, raises as many issues as it closes.  I am finding it much […]

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Curriculum History

White innocence and legality

History and social studies teachers should be wary of the ways that whiteness shaped and shapes who is included and who is excluded.

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Curriculum History

History, white folks need it now more than ever

I’m frankly a little embarrassed as a history teacher that I was slow to take seriously the popular support for and acquiescence to the possible authoritarianism of President-Elect Trump (for more on Trump’s authoritarianism see @sarahkendzior and Brendan Nyhan). Despite extensive reading and research since I started teaching in 1990, America, its past and present, is always more racist than […]