Teaching
History Online
Number
17: 11th November, 2001
Introduction
1.
EyeWitness
2.
Assassination
of John F. Kennedy
3.
The
Counter-Reformation
4.
Martin
Luther King Jr
5.
Women
In World History
6.
The
Rise of Hitler
7.
Protest
Movements
8.
NZ
Fighter Pilots Museum
Introduction
Spartacus Educational
publishes Teaching
History Online
every week. The newsletter includes news, reviews of websites and
articles on using ICT in the history classroom. Members of the mailing
list are invited to submit information for inclusion in future editions
of Teaching
History Online. In this way we hope to create
a community of people involved in using the Internet to teach history.
Currently there are 16,246 subscribers to the newsletter.
John Simkin
spartacus@pavilion.co.uk
EyeWitness:
Using personal narratives and other primary sources, this award-winning
web site enlivens history by presenting it in the words of those who
experienced it. First-hand accounts begin in ancient Greece and extend
through the 20th century covering such events as the destruction of
Pompeii, the murder of Thomas Becket, the Black Death of 1348, the
Battle of Gettysburg in 1863, the sinking of the Titanic, the Japanese
attack on Pearl Harbor, and many more. Vintage photographs, illustrations,
interactive maps and original audio recordings support these eyewitness
glimpses of history.
Assassination
of John F. Kennedy: John McAdams' website provides a comprehensive
overview of the issues, with pages on Dealey Plaza, the Single Bullet
Theory, Lee Harvey Oswald, Jack Ruby, the movie "JFK," Jim
Garrison's New Orleans investigation, and theories linking the assassination
to the CIA and the Vietnam War. A key purpose of the site is to debunk
the conspiracy theories and conspiracy factoids that have dominated
public perceptions of the assassination. Thus it is especially useful
to people who have read mostly conspiracy books, or seen one or more
conspiracy videos, or seen the movie "JFK" and want to know
the "rest of the story." There are numerous primary sources,
including Oswald's own political writings, witness testimony, FBI
reports, video and audio clips, and numerous photos.
The
Counter-Reformation: This is a detailed site covering all aspects
of the Counterreformation and is designed for Advanced level students.
The topics covered are: the Catholic Reformation; the Jesuits; the
success of the Jesuits; the
Council of Trent; aids to the Counterreformation; important Counterreformation
popes; important individuals to the
Counterreformation; Was the Counterreformation a success?
Martin
Luther King Jr: Few have had as much impact upon the American
consciousness as the late civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr. In recognition and support of his ideals of quality and fairness
for all, The Seattle Times created a Web site in 1995 that celebrates
this important historical figure. Since then, educators from throughout
the United States and the world have used the site as a teaching tool.
The site includes stories culled from The Seattle Times over the past
decade, as well as archival information such as a photo gallery and
audio clips of King's speeches. There's also a quiz and civil rights
timeline. One of the most fascinating features of the site is its
message board, which contains heartfelt tributes to King from people
of all ages all over the world. The site has proven very popular,
registering over 1 million page views each January and February.
Women
In World History offers an engaging way to access the historic
experiences of women in a global setting. It features biographies
of female rulers and national heroes, special topic categories such
as a world wide view of the lives of women in the first millennium,
the involvement of women during the Crusades, and quotes by women
from diverse regions and epics. Viewers can also find reviews of useful
general background books, a list of links to other sites, a wide variety
of classroom available lessons, and additional information in a question
and answer section. An on-line catalog describes fourteen curriculum
units designed to provide an easy way to include the perspective of
women in commonly taught history topics. Sample lessons and essays
are part of each unit description.
The
Rise of Hitler: This online lesson from School History allows
pupils to investigate and learn about the Rise of Hitler. It examines
a profile of Hitler, then goes on to investigate the key questions
of 'How did Hitler come to Power' and 'Why did people support Hitler'.
The lesson concludes with an assessment activity analyzing sources.
Tried and tested in class, the author, Andrew Field welcomes suggestions
for improvement (mrfield@btinternet.com).
Protest
Movements: This popular section of Schools History on Protest
Movements of the 18th and 19th centuries covers the history of Chartism,
the Luddites, The Swing Riots, the Rebecca Riots and provides an overview
of several other protests. Each page in the unit is accompanied by
an activity. A very useful introduction to the theme of conflict.
NZ
Fighter Pilots Museum: In 1945 New Zealand had a population of
under 1.5 million. During World War II this small country provided
(on a per capita basis) the largest number of aircrew (57,000) and
the largest number of fighter aces (94) of any country in the world.
It is a sad statement, also, that they contributed the largest number
of aircrew killed relative to population. The New Zealand Fighter
Pilots Museum is over eight years old. In that time over 165,000 visitors
from around the world have visited us to learn and be entertained.
In the four years since this site was launched, the number of visitors
to this website has surpassed twice that number.
Please email John Simkin at spartacus@pavilion.co.uk
if you have information you want included in next month's edition
of Teaching
History Online.
