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2010-04-04T13:57:00.000-07:00

Another fun way to use Historybusters’ Presidential Concentration card deck…

2010-03-01T12:26:00.001-08:00

In order to celebrate President’s Day this past month, I decided to put the images from our Presidential card deck up on our corkboard. I chose to post the cards that had logos on the back, and I had the kids help me figure out their order by using the mnemonic phrases included in the card deck. Here are two of them showing off their work…

We even had a small space left after Obama, so I cut some yellow construction paper to size and created a flip card. On the outside of the card is a giant question mark. Inside the card, I taped a small mirror, implying that the next president could be any one of my students. My younger kids just loved it, and kept calling out “It’s me. It’s me. I am the next president.” Here is one of my older students looking in the mirror…

Next, I wrote out the mnemonic phrases on construction paper and posted them near the bottom of the corkboard. I then tossed the second half of the cards on a small table and challenged any kid who came in to put the cards in order. Here we have the first young man to accept my challenge.

Let’s just say that the activity has proven very popular. Whenever a group of kids has put the cards in order, they bring them to me and we check them together by saying the mnemonic phrases out loud. Lately, when I do so, everyone in the room chants with me. I see them checking out the board and phrases when I am not looking. Yesterday, I think I checked those cards every ten minutes. It was such a pleasure hearing third and fourth graders quietly arguing about why Cleveland has two cards, and why Tyler came next, not that “guy with the beard.” They were causally using obscure presidential names—names that many adults I know wouldn’t recognize.

I have slowly begun adding challenges to the game for the older kids. I talked earlier this week about the eight presidents who had died in office and why. (We even marked the four presidents who had been shot with "bullet holes," one of the kid's ideas, not mine) I have also begun challenging them to separate out individual cards and tell me how they died. Consequently, players have begun reading the back of the cards. I have also started to ask kids if they can point to the presidents who were alive during the Revolution, the Civil War, the Spanish American War, WWI, WWII, the Korean War etc. You get the idea. We have had a number of great discussions about each of those events because the kids begin to ask questions in order to answer my original question.

How much will sink in and last? Who knows, but it is a delight to find them interested.

Click here to access the card deck I used.

Give it a try, and as always, Happy Historybusting…

On this day in history....

2010-02-23T15:04:00.000-08:00

The 28th Regiment of the 5th Marines took Mount Suribachi and raised the American Flag

while the battle for control of Japanese-held Iwo Jima raged on. The moment was captured in a Pulitzer Prize winning photo by AP photographer Joe Rosenthal.

Here are some links that honor this event:

My favorite:

http://www.defense.gov/home/features/iwo_jima/index.html

Some other nice links:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/23/newsid_3564000/3564547.stm

http://www.nps.gov/archive/gwmp/usmc.htm

http://www.iwo-jima.navy.mil/default.aspx

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/battle_of_iwo_jima.htm

http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq87-3l.htm

http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/WW2Timeline/LUTZ/iwo.html

A wonderful Historybusting movie...

2010-02-23T14:19:00.000-08:00

Children of Huang Shi is a 2008 film based on the life of George Hogg, an independent journalist for the Associated Press during the Second Sino-Japanese War. I should warn you right now, the film is rate R. But then again, what movie that takes its viewers into the heart of Civil War China on the eve of World War II could not be rated R. The film's few scenes of the Japanese occupation and the Nanking Massacre were brutal and all too accurate. However, this film is about much more than Nanking. It is about a man who takes it upon himself to save over sixty orphaned boys from the terrors of that time by attempting a 700-mile march along the Silk Road.

As with all films, it is an abridged and altered version of his true story. The film has been criticized for ignoring the role of Rewi Alley, a Communist New Zealander celebrated in China's revolution. The film also turned real life New Zealander Kathleen Hall, who was associated with Alley, into an American without a past. Their romance adds to the story but is inaccurate. Several other inaccuracies occur within the film. Perhaps the most blatant inaccuracy occurs near the end of the film. At the risk of giving a bit too much away, let’s just say that the cut he received in the movie while fixing the truck didn’t happen. In truth, aftering bringing his boys to safety, Hogg stubbed his toe while playing basketball with them in July 1945. However, the events following that small injury were accurate. Overall, this film is destined to become one of our Historybusing favorites, and lucky, George Hogg left a first hand account of his life—an autobiography entitled I See a New China.

Click here for the film’s official website

Need to cite your sources???

2010-02-22T20:49:00.000-08:00

The dreaded day comes to all serious students when they are asked to write a research paper complete with citations and bibliography. Here are some excellent links that should help your students through their dread...

Rules for citing sources:

The rules of citation vary depending upon your purpose, teachers, and discipline. The one rule that never changes is “Always Cite Your Sources.” Citing your sources adds validity to your reports and ensures that you do not plagiarize. Here are two excellent websites about how to cite your sources:

http://www.rpi.edu/web/writingcenter/wc_web/school/citations.htm

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/instruct/guides/citations.html

Your teacher will most likely ask you to use MLA (Modern Language Association) for your citations; it is used in college level literature and the humanities papers. Here are some great websites to help you format both your footnotes and your bibliography.

MLA Style Guide (pdf) - Examples of how to cite sources for reference lists. From American University.
Bibme - Creates bibliographies, and one can then download the bibliography as an RTF file. Registration is free.
Documenting Sources: MLA Style - MLA in-text citations, list of works cited, information notes, manuscript format, and a sample paper. From http://www.dianahacker.com/
EasyBib - Fill in online form and site will generate standard bibliographic citations. Only MLA Style is free.
Frequently Asked Questions about the MLA Style - Official MLA site.
MLA Parenthetical Documentation - From St. Cloud State University.
Son of Citation Machine - Fill in online form and site will generate standard bibliographic and in-text citations.
MLA Citation Examples – Posted by Honolulu Community College Library
MLA Citation Examples – Posted by Long Island University
MLA Citation Guide from Ohio State University

I particularly like what they have to say about citing electronic sources (i.e. the Internet)

Electronic Resources

All for now...

A historybusters' tirade...

2010-01-29T14:00:00.000-08:00

Kamehameha V and Wikipedia:
A failure to fact check or proof read

I have tutored many history students whose teachers have told them “not to cite Wikipedia as a source,” yet they seem shocked when I explain to them why.

Recently, I spent quite a lot of time on Wikipedia, doing research for a set of Historybusters’ educational card decks. I needed the public domain images available on their site, but once again I was distressed by the quality of the site’s content. For those readers who are unfamiliar with Wikipedia, it is a volunteer, community-edited, free, on-line Encyclopedia. Any member of the Internet community may sign up to write articles, expand articles, or edit mistakes. Writers are expected to cite sources to primary documents in order to support any facts they include in their articles. A community of volunteer editors works to police new articles and ensure that additions meet Wikipedia’s expectations. This experiment in community editing has proven quite popular, and the site is usually the first link offered up on search engines like Google whenever students type in research word strings. Sadly, the site doesn’t always catch its mistakes or cite its contributor’s additions, which is why most educators tell their students not to use it.

Case in point:

According to the Wikipedia entry for Hawai’i’s King Kamehameha V, he “fell deeply in love with his cousin, Abigail Maheha at the Royal School. He was only 5 years old when he was caught sleeping with Abigail She became pregnant with his child when he was 15 and she 13. On February 4, 1846 when she was 6 months pregnant, she was removed from the Royal School, separated from Lot Kapuaiwa and forced to marry Keaupuni a commoner from Koloa Kauai, the gardener of her adopted mother Miriam Kekauonohi. These events could have led the young Prince to his renounce marriage for the rest of his life, including that to his adopted sister Bernice Pauahi Paki. She eventually married Charles R. Bishop.”

Now, I won’t even mention the poor writing quality with its passive construction and missing puntuation marks. Ooops, I guess that I just mentioned them. Ahh well. What I really wanted to point out is the lack of primary source references within this article. When I broke out my family copy of The Hawaiian Chiefs’ Children’s School by Mary A. Richards, which contains first hand accounts of her Grandparents’ experiences as the school’s teachers, I discovered that Miss Abigail Maheha was indeed “excused from the school activities,” on January 18, 1847, and on February 4, 1847, she was married to the commoner Keaupuni—“a scholar of the High School, but without any diploma.” I guess that I can forgive an online encyclpedia for getting the year off by one, after all, what is one year in the life of a nation. However, The Hawaiian Chiefs’ Children’s School makes no mention of Lot Kamehameha’s involvement in the event. It does however mention Lot’s brother Moses Kekuaiwa, who was expelled from the school over that same period because of ceratin “escapades, but lightly touched upon in his written confession.” It seems that Lot’s older brother was the lad who had the affair with little Abigail. So what is the big deal? Well, consider the rest of this particular Wikipedia entry:

“Rumors has it that (Lot) ask's Bernice to take the Throne. As Lot laid bedstricken, he answered those that came to visit him while preparations for his birthday celebration was underway: "The Good Lord cannot take me today, today is my birthday". He was steadfest, (onipa'a) he believed till the end that he would recover, meaning he never proposed the Throne to Bernice! What is true is that a rumor of such could be of great help in conniving everyone to believe that Bernice should inherit thru Princess Ruth the Bulk of the Kamehameha Lands. Today, the 300 plus descendents of Lot Kapuaiwa Kamehameha and Abigail Maheha thru their only daughter Keanolani, are the only Direct Lineal Descendents of the Kamehameha Dynasty, for Lot was the last of the Kamehameha's to sit upon the Throne, therefore making his Branch the Lineal Branch. All other branches are either collateral or issued of a branch that was not the last of the Kamehameha's to rule . About 150 of then still live on the island of Kauai with about 100 of them in or around the Town of Hanapepe.”

If you can get past the use of an exclaimation point in an encyclopedia entry without throwing your hands up in disgust, you can see that this entry wishes to claim that “the only Direct Lineal Descendents of the Kamehameha Dynasty” belongs to a family on Kaua’i and that the “Bulk of the Kamehameha Lands” should not have gone to Bernice Pauahi Bishop as they did. Now, I am not going to write a history paper explaining why such a claim seems totally unfounded to me. I will simply enourage you to research the lives of King Lot Kamehameh V and Bernice Pauahi Bishop on your own, without relying on Wikipedia or any seconday source. You might just discover the deep repect and affection they held for each other. You might also discover that Lot never “renounced marriage for the rest of his life,” he simply gave his blessing to Bernice’s choice of husband, releasing her from their expected royal betrothal with the words, “She is to good for me.”

Now don’t get me wrong. Wikipedia has its uses. I use it to find public domain images and remind myself of names or dates that I might have forgotten. I also have found some wonderful primary source websites by visiting the external links providied at the bottom of each Wikipedia entry. However, just as often, I have found patently commercial links that are full of specularion, gossip, opinion, and regurgitated wives’ tales. So if you do allow youself, or your young scholars, to use Wikipedia, teach them to be skeptical and always double check all Internet facts with multiple primary source materials.

A few people that I have shared this story with have suggested that I become an editor for Wikipeadia. I remind them that Wikipedia recruites a volunteer army. Editing and fact checking for Wikipeadia is a full time occupation, and I have my own wars to fight. Indeed, the volunteer army that Wikipeadia has asembled has done an amazing job. I simply suggest that we as participents need to be familiar with their fight, so we will not be misinformed by any of their overlooked battles.

I also suggest that when you do research, you try out the educational websearch available on our members' site. Here is the link:

http://www.navigatinglife.org/historybustersmemberscenter/id106.html

As always happy historybusting...

New Historybusting card decks for your kids

2010-01-29T13:52:00.000-08:00

Kids love games, unfortunately most history related games, on and off line, resemble trivia contests, so they only test what kids already know. I have been looking for games that can actually teach kids new information. While considering the problem, I stumbled upon an old idea, cards. Couldn't I design a card deck, which would let kids play all of their favorite games while giving them a little history at the same time? The following card decks are the result.

Please give them a try and let me know what your kids think. I know that with my own group of first through third graders, they loved playing war with the deck and the players all understood how BC and AD dates worked within one afternoon, and I barely had to explain a thing.

So without further ado, here come the cards:

Card Decks
Classical Conquest Deck
HTML, Word
Medieval Conquest Deck
HTML, Word
Renaissance Mind Deck
HTML, Word
Reformation Conquest Deck
HTML, Word
Hawaiian Conquest Deck
HTML, Word

Not a member?

I have also posted a copy of Classical Conquest just for you. Here are the links:

Classical Conquest

HTML, Word

Today's Twiddle and Answer...

2009-09-09T13:14:00.000-07:00

What is the smallest locally proclaimed National Forest in America?

Adak National Forest, a.k.a. The Christmas Tree Forest.

Made up of 33 evergreens, Adak National Forest began as a tree-planting project designed to improve soldier moral during WWII. Local residents placed a sign, which humorously reads Enter and Leaving the Adak National Forest, next to the grove some time in the early 1960s.

While the base was under military command, residents annually decorated the entire “forest” in Christmas tree lights. Today the base is closed, and Adak has become part of the National Parks System.

Sources: http://www.nps.gov/akso/cr/akrcultural/CulturalMain/2ndLevel/NHL/NHLAdak.htm
http://wikimapia.org/5458511/Adak-National-Forest
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1016/is_n11-12_v99/ai_14795515/

Photos:
http://www.orneveien.org/adak/contributors/wickersham/06.htm
http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/152/1747/480/scan0003.0.jpg

Today's History Twiddle and Answer

2009-09-09T11:20:00.000-07:00

What common natural disaster took an estimated 60,000 lives along the Austrian and Italian front during WWI?

…it was the avalanche alone…that would account for a third of the total combatants killed in the higher, western half of the Alpine front…

Source: http://www.worldwar1.com/itafront/avalan.htm

Twittle Side Note:
I originally began researching this Twittle because of an entry on Thinkquest claiming that avalanches were deliberately used as weapons during WWI.

"The World War 1 Tyrolean Avalanches
1916-1918

Avalanches were used as highly effective weapons during World War 1. This disastrous weapon started when lot's of snow fell in the Alp's during the December of 1916. People could tell that the avalanche risk was high. A big avalanche killed 250 soldiers while tumbling down on the barracks. Some unknown person got the idea that avalanches could make a highly effective weapon. The avalanche war had begun. Avalanches could be started and even directed by just bombing a mountain. History has not yet calculated the exact number of deaths. Deaths have been estimated as high as 40,000 on each fighting side. Humans are responsible for these death causing, disastrous avalanche killer."

Source: http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/01747/tyrolean_avalanches.htm

However, historian Richard Galli has this to say on the subject:

"It has been said that opposing forces deliberately set off bombs, or fired artillery over columns of troops and transport to cause avalanches during WWI. This author finds these accounts unbelievable fiction or modern exaggerations for several reasons. The Alpini I knew said they had never heard these tales. "This sounds like Hollywood….perhaps in some other war, but we could never do such a thing," I was told. All "reports" of these deliberate avalanches seem to come from post-World Wat II studies about avalanches, not accounts of alpine warfare in the Great War. Not that I have read every tale of the Italian front, but nothing I have yet come across mentions this peculiar utilization of nature.

In truth there was little combat or movement in the Alpine front in winter; just surviving nature was enough of a struggle. Deep snow severely limits movement of ski patrols, let alone regiments or batteries. Monelli's personal accounts of mountain warfare states "during the winter months the engagements were few, almost as if only to stretch oneself out a bit, to surprise an outpost or mock an opponent." Perhaps a patrol was caught too close to a front line gun and suffered a fate worse than shellfire, but in 1915 a mountain offensive in winter was logistically impossible. [5] Hence, planned avalanche ambushes seem improbable.

A final reason to discount the idea of deliberately set avalanches is found in the live-and-let-live attitudes of the soldiers of the Great War towards their adversaries, especially on the front line. This factor would seem likely to be greater on the Alpine front. For generations these Austrians and Italians had been meeting frequently on summit and pass, at markets and weddings. Would the men of the Alps knowingly have tried to bury their neighbors alive? There are, however, stories passed down of cease-fires called after avalanches, with both sides assisting in rescue efforts, that seem more revealing of the soldiers true feelings on the matter. [6]"

Source: http://www.worldwar1.com/itafront/avalan.htm

So what's the lesson?

Don't believe everything you read, always search for primary sources, and happy historybusting...

Answer to today's Twiddle

2009-09-08T22:03:00.000-07:00

What is the location of the northernmost golf tournament in the world?

Mount Dundas, which overlooks the polar ice cap, three glaciers, and Thule Air Base in Greenland, is the location of the Annual Mount Dundas Open, the world’s northernmost golf tournament.

Participants meet at the bottom of Mount Dundas, toss their golf clubs and other equipment onto helicopters, and then race 800 feet up the loose shale mountainside in order to reach Dundas’s rock filled golf course. The final 75 feet of the race features a rope climb up shear rock.

All participants are allowed extra golf balls to compensate for any that might fly off the mountain.

Here are a couple fun links written by those who have played on the course, as well as a few links about life on Thule Air Base:

http://www.frostbox.dk/foto/serie5_us.asp

http://books.google.com/books?id=03TEnneiS0kC&pg=PA51&lpg=PA51&dq=mount+dundas+golf+to&source=bl&ots=achTNHV-MC&sig=TlBDbuiUSax_Ma1YU639TY55kgE&hl=en&ei=fDSnSu77H5D4sQP-5JnIBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10#v=onepage&q=mount%20dundas%20golf%20to&f=false

http://www.thule.af.mil/
http://www.thule.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=5022

Where is Thule? http://depts.washington.edu/icylands/projects/thule/maps/thulemap.php

Photo source: http://www.afweather.af.mil/news/story_media.asp?id=123031433

Today's Riddle: What is the western hemisphere’s oldest constitution?

2009-09-06T16:35:00.000-07:00

Okay, let me think. I know that bunch really cool radical thinkers, who eventually became sanctified as America’s founding fathers, signed some document in 1776.

No wait, that was the Declaration of Independence. The United States Constitution wasn’t written let alone ratified until after the Revolutionary War.

I’m guessing that this is a trick question.

It is probably something that I never learned about in school. Something called The Constitution of the Five Nations, or The Iroquois Book of the Great Law, which some historians believe existed as early as 1390 A.D., while others insist was first created between 1450-1500 A.D…” source http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/iroquois.html

Either way, they beat the American Constitution by a few hundred years. And you know something else? Portland State University had put together an amazing website about the influence of the Iroquois Constitution on our own United States Constitution. It turns out that we modern Americans owe the Iroquois Confederacy quite a lot.

Don’t believe me? See for yourself at http://www.iroquoisdemocracy.pdx.edu/

As always, Happy Historybusting...

The answer to today's riddle...

2009-09-06T04:11:00.000-07:00

How is it that Obama can be America's 44th president, yet only be the 43rd American to have ever become president?

Hint: It has nothing to do with his birth certificate.

Answer: It has something to do with our 22nd president.
Or was it our 24th president?
Let me think for a moment.
Oh yeah, America's 22nd and 24th president were the same guy.
I think his name was Grover something, and he was a popular president at the time.

Here is Grover Cleveland's biography from the White House's Official Website

Another fun fact about President Cleveland: He is the only American president who was elected as a single man and married during his term in the White House.

Have fun and happy histroybusters...

How do I sign up for Historybuster's Twitter Riddler Program?

2009-09-05T12:44:00.000-07:00

Simple enough...

First: You must sign up for your own free Twitter account. It's easy, and Twitter will walk you through it. Here is the link to sign up: http://twitter.com/

Second: Once you have your account, simply click on the option to Find People and run a search for Historybuster

Once you have found the Historybuster username, simply click on the option to follow.

As a follower of our histoybusting twitterings, you will recieve a daily fun factoid or riddle to share with your kids...

Take care and happy hisotrybusting....

Answer to today's tweet riddle...

2009-09-05T11:52:00.000-07:00

What famous Russian Tsar placed a tax of 100 rubbles on men who refused to shave their beards? Answer: Peter the Great, who lived from 1682 to 1725.

Peter wanted to modernize his citizens, so he instituted many reforms designed to "Europeanize" them. Here is an excerpt from Jean Rousset de Missy's book, Life of Peter the Great, written about 1730.

The tsar labored at the reform of fashions, or, more properly speaking, of dress. Until that time the Russians had always worn long beards, which they cherished and preserved with much care, allowing them to hang down on their bosoms, without even cutting the moustache. With these long beards they wore the hair very short, except the ecclesiastics, who, to distinguish themselves, wore it very long. The tsar, in order to reform that custom, ordered that gentlemen, merchants, and other subjects, except priests and peasants, should each pay a tax of one hundred rubles a year if they wished to keep their beards; the commoners had to pay one kopek each. Officials were stationed at the gates of the towns to collect that tax, which the Russians regarded as an enormous sin on the part of the tsar and as a thing which tended to the abolition of their religion.

These insinuations, which came from the priests, occasioned the publication of many pamphlets in Moscow, where for that reason alone the tsar was regarded as a tyrant and a pagan; and there were many old Russians who, after having their beards shaved off, saved them preciously, in order to have them placed in their coffins, fearing that they would not be allowed to enter heaven without their beards. As for the young men, they followed the new custom with the more readiness as it made them appear more agreeable to the fair sex.

From the reform in beards we may pass to that of clothes. Their garments, like those of the Orientals, were very long, reaching to the heel. The tsar issued an ordinance abolishing that costume, commanding all the boyars [i.e., the nobles] and all those who had positions at court to dress after the French fashion, and likewise to adorn their clothes with gold or silver according to their means. As for the rest of the people, the following method was employed. A suit of clothes cut according to the new fashion was hung at the gate of the city, with a decree enjoining upon all except peasants to have their clothes made on this model, upon penalty of being forced to kneel and have all that part of their garments which fell below the knee cut off, or pay two grives every time they entered the town with clothes in the old style. Since the guards at the gates executed their duty in curtailing the garments in a sportive spirit, the people were amused and readily abandoned their old dress, especially in Moscow and its environs, and in the towns which the tsar often visited.

The dress of the women was changed, too. English hairdressing was substituted for the caps and bonnets hitherto worn; bodices, stays, and skirts, for the former undergarments. . . The same ordinance also provided that in the future women, as well as men, should be invited to entertainments, such as weddings, banquets, and the like, where both sexes should mingle in the same hall, as in Holland and England. It was likewise added that these entertainments should conclude with concerts and dances, but that only those should be admitted who were dressed in English costumes. His Majesty set the example in all these changes. . .

Source: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/petergreat.html
Image: http://library.osu.edu/sites/exhibits/petheo/peterthegreat.htm

All for now and Happy Historybusting

Answer to today's tweet riddle...

2009-09-02T18:37:00.000-07:00

How could a man be born in 1967 but die in 1821?

Answer: He lived from 1967 to 1821 B.C.

Four Facts Every Proactive Parent Should Know

2009-08-22T18:56:00.000-07:00

A disturbing 2008 survey conducted by Common Core shows that far too many graduating seniors fail when it comes to answering even the most basic history and literary questions. However, the same survey discovered that the higher achievers tended to have four things in common.

One: At least one of their parents had a college degree.

Two: Most had read at least one piece of literature not assigned at school.

Three: Invariably, they took part in local cultural events with their friends and families—visiting museums, concerts, and plays.

Four: Often they were members of an orchestra, band, performance group, or choir.

These happy few tended to achieve grades one to two levels higher than students who lacked these advantages. So what can a proactive parent do to take advantage of this survey? Well, if you are already doing all of the above, congratulate yourself for doing your utmost to provide your kids with the support they need to succeed in a subject where, according to the US Department of Education, “the amount of weekly instructional time…fell by 22 percent between 1988 and 2004.”

Congratulations aside, what about the rest of us? I mean what can parents do if they don’t have college degrees? Well, mentoring becomes all the more important. Parents should actively seek out opportunities for their kids to interact with college graduates in a casual setting. I am sorry if that sounds snobbish, and I do know many self-educated individuals who could beat the average college graduate in Jeopardy. That being said, encouraging your kids to hang out with educated people, whether college educated or self-educated, will foster a love of learning in your kids. Children tend to live up to the expectations of those they admire, so be sure to provide your kids with role models worth admiring. Many organizations exist to foster these relationships, and a proactive parent will find a way to encourage these important childhood friendships. Consider Big Brothers, Big Sisters, or having them volunteer for a community organization that interests them. When I was a kid, I practically lived at our various community theatres, and I learned more about literature while volunteering for those theatres than I ever did in high school.

Next, encourage your kids to read for fun. Make friends with your local librarians and ask them for help finding books that will appeal to your child. Keep lots of book options on hand at home. Make personal reading time more important than chore time, homework time, and even bedtime. In other words, when children are reading, they get to keep reading and nothing is allowed to get between them and their book. I know as a child, I hated bedtime because I was never tired. My mother bought me a bedside light and let me read quietly in bed for as late as I wanted. Consequently, I devoured books by the dozens.

Finally, even if you can’t afford spending time or money on museums and plays, you can still provide access to cultural activities through film and the Internet. For example, if you know that your kids are about to study American History then rent HBO’s John Adams and watch it together. Check out PBS’s wonderful documentary and companion website entitled Liberty! If you know that they are about to read Romeo and Juliet then rent Zeferelli’s brilliant production and watch it together. Many of these films are available at your library. Now, merely sitting your kids down and telling them to watch a documentary will not work. Actively watching these programs and exploring these websites together is the key. Moreover, keeping these activities fun is essential. Eventually, they will learn how to seek out answers on their own, and then they will be truly educated. While you are at it, every so often, you might try taking out a map and ask them if they can help you find Afghanistan. Even better, take out a timeline and ask them if they know when an important historical event happened. Don’t worry if you don’t know. Discovering the answers together can be twice as much fun, and Historybusters will continue to help you find the answers whenever we can.

The bottom line? People do not value what they do not perceive as valuable. If you as a parent do not value literature and history by making some small space for it in your daily life then your kids will follow suite. It doesn’t take much to hook a curious young mind on history and literature. After all, who doesn’t like a good story? And that is what we are talking about here—the world’s greatest stories.

In honor of this day in history...

2009-08-18T16:02:00.000-07:00

On August 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which guarantees the right of women to vote, was ratified when Tennessee became the 36th state to approve it. In Honor of that event, Historybusters would like to recommend the following movie:

Iron Jawed Angels might be just the ticket to get your daughters interest in Women’s History. Featuring an all-star cast, including Hilary Swank, Angelica Huston, Julia Ormond, Brooke Smith, and Frances O’Connor, Iron Jawed Angles tells the story of suffragettes Alice Paul and Lucy Burns and their fight for women’s right to vote. Admittedly a bit heavy handed in places, it does manage to make one feel grateful to the many women who fought for a right that is too often neglected. Family friendly, but with mature content

Want to learn more about the Suffrage Movement? Check out these websites:

Women involved in early reform movements

PBS companion site for Not for Ourselves Alone

PBS introduction for One Woman, One Vote

Timeline of the Women's suffrage movement

Women's suffrage from the Susan B. Anthony Canter

Lesson plan for Suffrage from the Library of Congress

The fight for suffrage from Digital History

Lucy Burns & Alice Paul at the Libray of Congress

In Honor of Nagasaki and Hiroshima

2009-08-04T19:34:00.000-07:00

On August 6, 1945, the US military dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima, over 192,000 people died. Three days later, on August 9, the US dropped a second atomic bomb, this time on Nagasaki, over 74,000 people died. On August 15, Japan's Emperor Hirohito surrendered and WWII was over.

Perhaps the most powerful film commemorating these events is not a film at all but a feature length cartoon entitled Barefoot Gen, created by Japan's award winning manga artist Keiji Nakazawa. Born in Hiroshima in 1939, Nakazawa was one of only two in his family to survive the 1945 bombing. He was seven years old at the time. In Barefoot Gen, he tells his story as only an eyewitness can. This is not a cartoon for children. Barefoot Gen is a powerful and personal statement about the human cost of atomic warfare. It contains strong images and adult themes. We recommend it highly.

For other Historybusters' recommendations for Nagasaki and Hiroshima, click here. Members will also find a wealth of information in their members' center. Simply visit the WWII area of the center and scroll down to The Bomb.

As always, Happy Historybusting...

Why history teachers hate Wikipedia and what you can do about it.

2009-04-11T19:05:00.000-07:00

Do all history teachers hate Wikipedia? In truth, hate is probably too strong a word. After all, Wikipedia has many useful features, and even I, a card carrying Wikipedia hating history teacher, have used it upon occasion. But if we don’t all hate it, then why do so many of us stipulate that our students do not use Wikipedia as a research source?

Problem One: Wikipedia has no official editor or fact checker, so the site is known to contains mistakes and content biases. I run across mistakes all the time. Once, while I was preparing a curriculum for the film Spirit Bear: The Simon Jackson Story, Wikipedia linked me to a biography about a different Simon Jackson. If I hadn’t been checking all my sources, I would have made a seriously foolish mistake. As for biases, the site even has a page where readers may question any article’s neutrality, along with a backlog of articles yet to be processed and a request for volunteer help. As a researcher, I’ve learned how to find facts within biases, but how many high school students take the time to read the discussion behind the discussion?

Problem Two: The site does not really feature primary source material. If you look up Spirit Bear in Wikipedia, you will find this entry. If you Google past Wikipedia, you will suddenly you find this site, which contains Simon Jackson’s story told in his own words. Look up Apollo 13 on Wikipedia and you will find this entry. Search a little further on the web, and you will stumble on this official e-book about the Apollo missions posted by NASA Headquarters. It includes a first hand five-page account of what happened aboard Apollo 13 written by one of the three men who lived it, James A. Lovell. Take a look at the difference between the Wikipedia entry and the five-page account written by Lovell, and you tell me which is the more interesting and accurate account. You tell me why a history teacher might actually want a student to search past Wikipedia.

Problem Three: The writing on Wikipedia is largely atrocious, causing many an editor to cringe in terror. It is full of passive construction, vague subjects, and run on sentences. People add information by adding facts to existing ideas; so most sentences end up constructed something like this:

Apollo 13 was intended to be the third manned lunar-landing mission, part of Project Apollo under NASA in the United States, that would look more closely into the surface of the moon.

A good editor might take the time to write this:

“NASA intended Apollo 13 to be Project Apollo’s third manned lunar-landing and designed its systems to examine the lunar surface up close.”

I know this edit may seem silly to many people, but how will kids ever learn to write clear and effective sentences if they are constantly exposed to unclear and wordy writing?

Problem Four: Wikipedia is too easy. In our instant access online world, information is one click away. When kids use search engines to do historical research, nine times out of ten Wikipedia is the first link offered to them. Moreover, I don’t blame them for clicking on the Wikipedia link because they have come to depend on it. They know that most of the other links presented to them lead to an endless number of commercial sites offering links to another endless number of commercial sites.

So what is a student of history to do?

Google has a free online search feature for its AdSense members that has solved the problem for my students. I was able to formate a specialized search engine that weeds out all sites based upon my preferences. I designed my new search engine so it will only access educational, miliatry, governmental, and a few hand picked organizational sites. In other words, the search engine only looks for URLs with edu, mil, int., and gov, designations. When I tried my new search engine, I was thrilled with the outcome. I immediately found dozens of excellent sites that that would have been buried by other search engines. In fact, I found the wonderful online e-book by NASA on my specialized search engine within the first page of listings. My students and I have said goodbye to the overly commercialized misinformation super highway and finally said hello to a search engine that quickly meets both our scholastic needs.

The Google AdSense account is free. You just need to have a blog or website where you can insert the HTML codes to access your new search engine.

If you are a member of Historybusters, you can access the search engine I’ve just described through your members center. Give it a try the next time your kids have to do online research, and discover how much more fun the informational super highway is without all the commercial traffic.

Saint Patrick's Day is almost here...

2009-03-04T15:31:00.000-08:00

Did you know that Saint Patrick was not Irish, and he never drove a single snake from Ireland? In fact, Ireland never had any snakes; however, Ireland did have a strong pagan tradition that considered the snake sacred. The Irish legend about St. Patrick driving the snakes from Ireland really refers to his driving the old pagan religion out of Ireland. Keep that in mind this Saint Patrick’s Day.

In honor of Saint Patrick’s Day, Historybusters has a few movie recommendations.

Patrick is a fine documentary that doesn’t recount the simple folk myths about Saint Patrick. Instead, this documentary, narrated by Liam Neeson and Gabriel Byrne, offers a dramatic new look at one of the best-loved and least-understood icons of world religion. The story of the real St. Patrick is part adventure tale and part spiritual awakening with the future saint rising from slave to liberator; learning to forgive and ultimately love his enemies; taking up a cause no one believed in; and finally lighting a fire that kept western civilization alive. This film is very family friendly.

St. Patrick: Apostle of Ireland is another fine documentary about the life of the real Saint Patrick. Only two documents written by Patrick, the Confession and his Letter to Coroticus, an Irish warlord, remain to tell us about this important man. Yet these brief writings captured his emotional state, his innermost feelings, and his aspirations. Read in voice-over and mixed with evocative music and gorgeous photography, Patrick’s words carry the viewer back in time to re-live the experience of walking side by side with him. From his birth to his death, viewers are able to witness Patrick’s physical struggles and to participate fully in his transformation and spiritual mission. For those interested in the topic, it is an entrancing piece of work and very family friendly.

Fun Fact about Saint Patty’s Day: In Ireland, those of the Protestant faith do not wear green to honor the day. They wear Orange in honor of William of Orange and their Protestant faith.

To help you understand a bit more about the fight between the Protestant Orange and the Catholic Green here are five more films that we would like to recommend in honor of the day:

Michael Collins
Irish writer-director Neil Jordan tackles the controversial biography of IRA member Michael Collins, one of Ireland’s most important 20th century political leaders, in a lavish film that won critical acclaim on both continents. The film follows Collins as he matures from guerrilla fighter to national statesman, creating a vivid portrait of 1920’s Ireland and its politics. Michael Collins is a wonderfully accurate and superbly crafted film, featuring performances by Liam Neeson, Julia Roberts, Allen Rickman, Aidan Quinn, and Stephan Rae. It does contain mature content.

In the Name of the Father is a 1993 film directed by Jim Sheridan based on the true life story of the Guildford Four, four people falsely convicted of the IRA's Guildford pub bombing which killed 4 off-duty British soldiers and a civilian. The screenplay was adapted by Terry George and Jim Sheridan from the autobiography Proved Innocent by Gerry Conlon. It is a powerful film that contains mature content.

The Wind That Shakes the Barley
Set during the early days of the Irish Republican Army, The Wind That Shakes the Barley provides a mesmerizing look at the profound emotional transitions a fictional young doctor goes through on his road to becoming a saboteur and killer. Providing excellent background into the birth and existence of the IRA, this outstanding film contains mature content.

January 30, 1972, is known as Bloody Sunday in Ireland. Named for the protest that took a violent turn in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. British paratroopers, trying to restore order after a particularly unruly period of unrest, opened fire on a peaceful demonstration; fourteen Irish Catholic civil-rights protesters died. Based Don Mullan's politically influential book Eyewitness Bloody Sunday, this is the definite film about a tragedy most American’s only know about from U2's song "Sunday Bloody Sunday." Filmed in such a way as to make the audience feels that they are there, this truly fine film contains mature content.

The Secret of Roan Inish is technically not history. In fact, it is pure kid friendly fantasy. However, it provides such a delightful look at Irish folklore and life in post World War II Ireland that Historybusters can't help but recommend watching it this month.

And finally, if you are a fan of David Lean films, you should check out Ryan’s Daughter. Set in 1916 Ireland, this gorgeous film tells the story of an Irish girl who has an affair with a British officer during World War I, despite opposition from her nationalist neighbors. The film is a very loose adaptation of Gustave Flaubert's novel Madame Bovary. It does contain mature content.

Hope you find time to sample some Irish history this month. Until next time, thanks and Happy Historybusting...

Hey Members, we have uploaded a new e-book for you

2009-03-04T14:10:00.000-08:00

The e-book is called World War II: The Build Up to War. It is Part One in a series that we will be uploading this month about World War II. Beginning with Hitler's rise to power in 1933 and ending with his signing of the Tripartite Pact with Italy and Japan in 1940, this e-book includes all the events and terms your kids are likely to encounter on a history test about the build up to WWII; it also features twenty-one films that can help make the topic interesting, including Soldier of Orange, Das Boat, Enigma, Sink the Bismarck, Dunkirk, Hope and Glory, and many, many more. Drop by your member's drop box to download it.

Meanwhile, Happy Historybusting...

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr.

2009-01-16T08:56:00.000-08:00

In honor of the month which gave birth to Martin Luther King Jr., Historybusters has put together a new curriculum on the American Civil Rights Movement beginning with the first African slaves purchaced in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1619, and ending with the election of Barak Obama.in 2008. Members may download this new e-book from their drop box.

Here are just a few of the thirty-three films we recommend:

Race to Freedom
Africans in America
Amazing Grace
Gods and Generals
Gettysburg
Missisipi Burning
Rosewood
Miss Evers' Boys
Our Friend Martin
Citizen King
Gandhi
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Tuskegee Airmen
Something the Lord Made
The Rosa Parks Story
Disney's Ruby Bridges
A Soldiers Story
Frontline's The Choice 2008

In honor of the many past heros, Historybusters asks that you take a moment to share one of these wonderful films with your kids this month.

Historybusters Review of Frost Nixon

2009-01-16T08:41:00.000-08:00

Frost Nixon is certainly accurate enought to help someone pass a test, and on the whole we do reccommend it. It should be noted that the Frost Nixon Interviews were not nearly as important as the film makes them out to be, and the interviews themselves are much more interesting to me as a historian. However, if you want to introduce your kids to the Watergate scandal, you can't go wrong with Frost Nixon. We recommend that you also check out All the President's Men and The Pentagon Papers. Both films are Historybuster favortites. Put together all three films, along with the curriculum we have uploaded into the members' drop box, and your kids will be well informed.

Two investigative reporters from the Washington Post, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein were assigned to investigate the Watergate burglary. Based on a number of tips they received from a political source nicknamed Deep Throat, Woodward and Berstein uncovered a link between the Watergate burglars and the White House Plumbers. All the President's Men, starring Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford, is a marvelous retelling of their story.

Starring James Spader, The Pentagon Papers tells the story of Daniel Ellsberg, the Rand employee who leaked top secret papers to the New York Times in order to set the record straight about America's military and political involvement in Vietnam. It's another Historybusting favorite.

To download the curriculum for these films, drop by your members' drop box...

If you want to know more about Watergate, click here for a wonderful website by the Ford Library...

Got another riddle for you to share with your kids...

2008-12-14T13:57:00.000-08:00

A man was born in nineteen-sixty and died in nineteen twelve. How was this possible?

Click on the comments to learn the answer.

In Honor of the Space Race

2008-12-06T15:42:00.000-08:00

One of our members requested information about good family friendly films that could bring the Space Race alive. We whole heartily recommend the following award-winning, entertaining, and wonderfully accurate films...

Apollo 13 tells the story of Commander James A. Lovell, Command Module pilot John L. "Jack" Swigert, and Lunar Module pilot Fred W. Haise, who launched from earth on April 11, 1970 in the ill-fated Apollo 13. Two days after the launch, an explosion caused by an electrical fault in an oxygen tank crippled the Apollo spacecraft. Despite great hardship caused by severe constraints on power, the crew successfully returned to Earth. The mission was thus called a "Successful Failure." This wonderful film certainly brings that moment to life.

The Right Stuff tells the story of NASA’s Mercury Program, and the seven men chosen to lead the missions, Malcolm Scott Carpenter, “Gordo” Cooper, Jr., John Glenn, “Gus” Grissom, “Wally” Schirra, Alan Shepard, and “Deke” Slayton. Full of brilliant performances, this film will keep you riveted while it educates.

Wonderfully kid friendly, October Sky tells the story of Homer Hickam, son of a West Virginia coal miner who was inspired by the first Sputnik launch to take up rocketry, eventually becoming a NASA engineer. While attending Big Creek High School in 1960, he led a group of boys who built rockets. They called themselves the Big Creek Missile Agency and went on to win the National Science Fair and full college scholarships. Perhaps the best historical element of this film is its combination of Space Race dreams with West Virginia coal town reality. This film introduces kids to the concept of company towns in which everyone lived in a company house, sent their kids to a company school, and shopped in a company store. It also gently introduces them to the union movements who objected to so much company contol, and the powerful draw space flight had on everyday Americans at the time.

From Earth to the Moon is a Golden Globe winning twelve episode miniseries that relates the entire space race, from the Mercury and Gemini projects to the legendary Apollo missions. It may not be star studded, but it tells the full story and entertains at the same time.

In the Shadow of the Moon is a wonderful award-winning documentary that brought together the surviving members of NASA's Apollo missions and allowed them to tell their story in their own words. Mixed with archival footage, we get to meet the men who lived the experience and actually walked on the moon.

All of these films are family friendly, and Historybusters Members may download a Historybusters curriculum full of background and fun facts from their members' drop box to make the Space Race Story even more accessible.

Got a question for you...

2008-11-27T14:28:00.001-08:00

To find out the answer, visit http://www.navigatinglife.org/historybusters/id94.html ...

For information about Iraq, Al-Qaeda, and the War on Terror

2008-11-26T13:41:00.001-08:00

A Historybusters Top Video Recommendation: Frontline

Historybusters would like to recommend the following 23 Frontline episodes about the Middle East, Iran, Iraq, Afganistan, Al Qaeda, and the War on Terror. Spying on the Home Front, Endgame, Cheney’s Law, Showdown with Iran, Rules of Engagement, Bush’s war, Bad Voodoo’s War, The Torture Question, The Insurgency, The Dark Side, Return of the Taliban, The Lost Year in Iraq, The Enemy Within, Gangs of Iraq, Truth War and Consequences, Beyond Baghdad, Son of Al Qaeda, Rumsfeld’s War, New Al Qaeda Front, The Soldier’s Heart, Private Warriors, The Man Who Knew, The War Behind Closed Doors. You may view all of these episode free on-line by clicking on this link. You may also find many of them at your local library, or purchase them from this site. If you download the drop box curriculums for either Turtles Can Fly or The Iraq War, you will find useful background information before watching the programs. Finally, Frontline has a fantastic teacher's center with images, discussion topics, activities, maps, and more. Click here to check it out with your kids.

Three new curriculums for members to download...

2008-11-26T13:28:00.000-08:00

Vist your member's drop box to download these curriculums...

Turtles Can Fly Rich with humor, ambition, and courage, this remarkable award-winning film puts a human face on the Iraqi conflict by telling the story of the US invasion of Iraq through the eyes of a young Kurdish boy named Satellite. You will laugh and cry, so be sure to have Kleenex handy. Subtitled, it contains deeply mature content. This curriculum is similar to our Iraq War Curriculum, but includes a special emphasis on Sunni, Shia, and Kurdish history, including a brief explanation of the Ottoman and Safavid Empires. It is designed for Turtles Can Fly, but you will find it useful for any film about Iraq.

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Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare An award winning production of a literary classic, which is also based on Plutarch and therefore quite historically accurate. Historybusters recommends this production as a great way to introduce your kids to history and Shakespeare at the same time.

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Julius Caesar
by William Shakespeare
A star-studded production of a literary classic, which also happens to be based on Plutarch and quite historically accurate. For those members who are bored by Shakespeare, we can only add, perhaps you were introduced to him incorrectly. He wrote plays not novel. He is meant to be seen, not read. This production may get your kids hooked on him before they have to read his plays in class.
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In honor of Thanksgiving...

2008-11-26T13:23:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and across the county, elementary schools have been having children draw pilgrim's hat and tutkeys. In honor of the full story, Historybusters would like to recommend the following:

Although the characters in this History Channel recreation are a bit one dimensional, Desperate Crossing is an effective and entertaining depiction of the journey of the pilgrims, their settlement at Plymouth, and the first Thanksgiving. I did not care for the one sided and overly simplified view of King James, or the politics that first made the Pilgrims flee England. Nor did I care for their cliff note explanation of why the people of the Netherlands developed tolerance. However, they handled the crossing well, and did a find job explaining some of the reasons the Pilgrims were able to develop good relations with the indigenous peoples about to become their new neighbors. I particularly liked their depiction of Squanto and how important he was to the colony’s survival. All in all, I can recommend it for any young person studying the first Thanksgiving. It is very family friendly, and if you happen to have the History Channel, you might want to keep your eye out for it this Thursday with your VCR ready.

A thought about reading

2008-11-26T13:20:00.000-08:00

I know that Historybusters is all about getting kids hooked on history through story, but that doesn’t mean kids should not be encouraged to read. Sadly, I work with more and more young people who can read the words, but when I ask them to explain what they just read, that can’t. Reading comprehension is critical, and when your child can’t explain what he or she has just read, you have a serious problem. So here are some tips for turning your kids into avid and effective readers…

1. Start turning you kids into bookworms early. Get them a library pass as soon as they have started school, introduce them to their local children’s librarian, and try to take them there at least once every two weeks. Your local librarian is the best source for recommending age appropriate books that will intrigue your child. Make the library and event and tradition. When I started the seventh grade, my mom began having me walk over to the local library after school. She would pick me up after I had spent an hour finishing up my homework and pouring through their books.

2. Set up a reward system for independent reading. The best age to begin this is approximately ten. By this time, kids read words effectively, but still have difficulty comprehending what they have read. What they need is lots and lots of practice on age appropriate books that they actually find interesting. Give them three months to read five books, and be sure to keep a record of each book as they have finished it. Let them choose the books, but be sure they are age appropriate and just a little challenging. Again, your local children’s librarian should be able to help them chose. If they accomplish their goal of five books, let them have a little family party to celebrate.

3. Keep bed times early, but buy them a bedside light and tell them that they can stay up reading quietly as long as they want.

4. Find a book that is not in the children’s section, which contains a story and character that you think you child will find interesting. Spend some time reading it to them. When you are well into the book and you are pretty sure that your child want to know how it ends, hand them the book ask them to finish it on their own. My mom did this with me. The book was Mary Stewart’s The Crystal Cave, and it is still one of my all time favorites.

In honor of November 11...

2008-11-11T13:10:00.000-08:00

Why do we use November 11 to celebrate our veterans? It was on November 11, 1918 that the Armistice ending WWI officially took effect, beginning on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Celebrated as the war to end all wars, WWI was the first global conflict. Nearly a hundred years and several wars later, Historybusters would like to recommend a few Historybusting gems…

In Lawrence of Arabia, Peter O'Toole gives a star-making performance as T.E. Lawrence, the eccentric British officer who united the desert tribes of Arabia against the Ottoman Turks during World War I. Director David Lean delivers sweeping battle sequences and breathtaking images, but the film is really about the adventures and trials that transform one man into a legend. This film is mature, but family friendly.

Gallipoli
Set during World War I, this brutally honest movie was co-written by director Peter Weir. It tells the story of two fictionalized best friends who put aside their hopes and dreams to join the war effort. This film eventually follows them as they enlist and are sent to Gallipoli to fight the Turks. The first half of the film is devoted to their lives and their strong friendship. The second half details the doomed war efforts of the Aussies, who are no match for the powerful and aggressive Turkish army. This film is family friendly, but with mature content.

Sergeant York
Produced in 1941, partly as an American call to arms in WWII, Sergeant York is a surprisingly accurate retelling of the life of Sgt. Alvin York, recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor. Much of the script is taken directly from Sgt. York's diary, and York himself served as an advisor throughout the filming. York even chose Gary Cooper to play his character; Cooper returned the favor by giving one of the strongest performances of his career. The story begins before America’s involvement in the war. We meet York in his home state of Tennessee and quickly learn that this world-class sharpshooter is a pacifist. Drafted to fight, he is blocked from killing by his beliefs. The underlying theme of this memorable film concerns how a self-effacing and peaceful man managed to capture a German position single-handedly and save the lives of his fellow soldiers. It contains some mature content.

Behind the Lines
Based upon Pat Barker’s suburb psychological 1991 war novel Regeneration, this extraordinary World War I film is based on true events. It is set in 1917 at a British Army hospital in Craiglockart, Scotland. There we meet a pioneering psychiatrist named Dr. William Rivers and the many soldiers he must heal and send back to the front. It is a unique story about the invisible wounds of war, two visionary poets, and one visionary physician. Family friendly, but with mature content.

Paths to Glory
Based on the semi-fictional novel by Humphrey Cobb, Paths to Glory stars Kirk Douglas in one of his finest roles—Colonel Dax, commander of a battle-worn regiment of the French army serving along the western front during World War I. Held in their trenches under the threat of German artillery, the regiment is ordered on a suicidal mission to capture an enemy stronghold. This suicidal attack is loosely based upon the battle for Fort Douamont during the Battle of Verdun, where over 300,000 French soldiers lost their lives. When the mission inevitably fails, French generals order the selection of three soldiers to be tried and executed on the charge of cowardice. Colonel Dax is chosen to defend them. Paths to Glory contains moderately mature content.

The lost Battalion
This 2001 A&E production starring Rick Schroder, Jamie Harris, Phil McKey, Jay Rodan and Adam James II, tells the true World War I story of an American unit that was surrounded by German troops and bombarded mercilessly by both sides. It portrays the surreal brutalities of a war where carrier pigeons and machine guns were the tools of victory, and creates memorable characters well worth knowing. This is a wonderful depiction of a horrific time; it contains mature content.

The Life and and Death of Colonel Blimp
If you have never seen Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's 1943 production of The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, get ready for a treat. The main character is based on a popular comic strip character of the time, but the amazing performance of Roger Livesey as the General Clive Wynne-Candy is much more than comic. We first meet the imposingly rotund General as a blustering old duffer serving in WWII. He oozes stuffy, pompous, and outmoded values. However, traveling back 40 years to the beginning of Crimean War, we see a different man altogether: a young and dashing officer nicknamed "Sugar" Candy. Through a series of relationships set against the events of three wars, we come to understand how difficult it is for him to adapt his sense of military honor to modern notions of "total war." Incidentally, this is the film that Winston Churchill tried to have banned because of its sympathetic portrayal of a German officer. Charming in every way, the film is family friendly, with mildly mature content.

To see a complete list of our WWI recommendations, visit Historybusters Store of Knowledge…

The American Presidents

2008-11-10T16:16:00.000-08:00

In honor of the election, and just because we wanted to, Historybusters has put together an e-book on the American Presidents. Official members may download a copy for free from thier drop box at ftp://ftp.navigatinglife.org/Presidents/. If you want to view a sample, visit the new members center on our main web site .

Thanks and happy historybusters...

Passing on some great links

2008-09-29T10:58:00.000-07:00

While searching for images of the cave drawings in La Marche, France, I stumbled across a fantastic website with links and images to over 42 Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic archeological sites in Europe, Russia, Asia, and Australia. This website has great photos for the kids, along with articles that explain the period. Have your kids drop by. For that matter, I recommend that you drop by even if you have no kids.

The world’s many Stone Age archeological sites:
http://www.donsmaps.com/indexsites.html

Venus figures from the Stone Age:
http://www.donsmaps.com/indexsites.html

Paintings, engravings, and sculptures from the Stone Age
http://www.donsmaps.com/indexpaintings.html

Stone Age plants, animals, people, and geography
http://www.donsmaps.com/indexanimals.html

Stone Age tools and decorative objects
http://www.donsmaps.com/indextools.html

Archeological forgeries, hoaxes and curiosities
http://www.donsmaps.com/hoax.html

Maps of the Earth Children’s Series showing the extent of the last Ice Age and more
http://www.donsmaps.com/indexmaps.html

Modern Paintings depicting Stone Age life
http://www.donsmaps.com/caselli.html
http://www.iabrno.cz/agalerie/aagalery.htm

Thanks and Happy Historybusting...

On Line Version of the Timeline

2008-09-25T13:03:00.000-07:00

Greetings Historybusters...

We are posting an one-line version of the extended timeline...

You can access it at the following link http://www.navigatinglife.org/historybusters/id75.html

Have fun and happy Historybusting

Curriculum Update

2008-09-25T12:08:00.000-07:00

We have updated the look of our curriculums. Please take a look and tell us what you think...Here is a sample of the new 300 curriculum.

http://www.navigatinglife.org/historybusters/id73.html

The World's Longest Timeline Unveiled

2008-09-24T11:24:00.000-07:00

Recently Historybusters unveiled the World's Longest Timeline in an effort to provide kids and their parents with some visual historical perspective. After all, we hear historians toss around the names of various historical eras all the time, but they mean nothing until we can put them into context. The Timeline does just that. Here are some pictures of the event...

Wandering through time...
Asking questions...
Pointing out moments...
On a 74.3 yard Timeline!

We will be posting video on U-Tube.

As soon as its ready we will post a link to it here.

In the meantime,

here is a close up of one century in the timeline...

We have set up a discussion page on Facebook

2008-09-17T06:41:00.000-07:00

Greetings Historybusters

In order to facilitate discussions between members, we have set up a Groups Page on Facebook. You can start a discussion topic, reply to questions, post pictures, post videos, invite your friends, and even post links to site you think other members can use. Take a look at

http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=836782715&ref=profile#/group.php?gid=25636208970

Hope you find this new tool helpful and happy historybusting...

In honor of the Cambodian Killing Fields and their survivors

2008-09-10T23:36:00.000-07:00

The Killing Fields tells the true story of New York Times reporter Sidney Schanberg and his Cambodian assistant Dith Pran, who was left to the mercy of the Khmer Rouge after Schanberg was evacuated. Filmmaker Roland Joffé, previously a documentary producer, made his feature film debut with this account of Dith's survival in the ensuing madness of the Khmer Rouge's genocidal campaign. This film has violent and mature content. Click here to preview a video download of The Killing Fields

Swimming To Cambodia: Humorist Spalding Gray sits behind a desk throughout the entire film, recounting his exploits and chance encounters while playing a minor role in the film 'The Killing Fields'. While making us laugh, Gray manages to give one of the clearest explanations of the events leading up to the Cambodian killing fields that I’ve ever viewed on film, allowing his audience to understand why such an atrocity happened. This film has mature content.

The Flute Player is a profound one-hour documentary about the life and work of Cambodian genocide survivor Arn Chorn-Pond. Arn was just a boy when Cambodia's Khmer Rouge military regime took power in 1975. For four long years, Arn followed the strict orders of the Khmer Rouge — doing whatever it took to save his own life amidst torture, murder, starvation and brainwashing. While imprisoned in a labor camp, Arn participated in the execution of others in order to survive, and he played propaganda songs on his flute for his captors' entertainment. At fourteen, Arn was forced by the Khmer Rouge to fight against the Vietnamese when they invaded Cambodia in 1979. After seeing his friends killed on the front lines, he escaped to the jungle, eventually finding his way to a Thai refugee camp. Two years later, an American refugee worker adopted Arn and brought him to the United States. Today at the age of 38, Arn has taken his very tragic past and turned it into something inspirational. A true must see for anyone wanting to understand the impact of the Cambodian Killing Fields on the future, this documentary is family friendly. Click here for a complete study guide for grades 9-12.

To purchase a copy of "The Flute Player" contact:

Nicole Tse
Distribution Associate
Center for Asian American Media
145 Ninth Street, Suite 350
San Francisco, CA 94103-2641

Phone: (415) 552-9550
Fax: (415) 863-7428

Note: Center for Asian American Media is formerly NAATA.

For additional information, or if you would like to schedule director Jocelyn Glatzer or Arn Chorn-Pond for a speaking engagement please see: http://www.thefluteplayer.net/ or contact jeff@thefluteplayer.net

If you are interested in learning more about Arn's programs in Cambodia please visit: www.cambodianmasters.org/index.htm or contact:

Beni Chhun
Cambodian Living Arts
World Education
44 Farnsworth Street
Boston, MA 02210 USA
Phone: (617) 482-9485
Fax: (617) 482-0617

In honor of September 11

2008-09-10T13:35:00.000-07:00

The anniversary of September 11 is almost upon us. In honor of that fateful day, Historybusters would like to recommend any or all of the following:

9/11 - The Commemorative Edition
On the morning of September 11, 2001, two French brothers, Jules and Gedeon Naudet, were working on a documentary about a rookie New York City firefighter. Hearing a roar in the sky, Jules turned his camera upward--just in time to film the only existing image of the first plane crashing into the World Trade Center. In a fateful instant, Jules and Gedeon became eyewitnesses to the most shocking and defining incident of our time. With cameras rolling, the Naudets followed NYC firefighters into the heart of what would be known as Ground Zero. What emerged is an unforgettably powerful visual document and a stirring tribute to real-life heroes who, in their city's darkest hour, rose to extraordinary acts of courage and compassion. This film is family friendly. It is perhaps the most powerful and honest production of this day recorded.

Looking For My Brother
An incredibly moving documentary about one man's search for his brother in the aftermath of 9/11. Family friendly, but with mature content.

Flight 93: The Movie
Flight 93 is an intense made for TV movie about the events that took place on Flight 93 on the morning of September 11, 2001. Originally broadcast on the A & E Network, the drama focuses on the passengers who attempted to take back the plane from the terrorists – they include Tom Burnett, Todd Beamer, and Mark Bingham. However, the action also reveals the chaotic nature of the ground response, from the White House bunker to the offices of the Federal Aviation Agency. Director Peter Markle and screenwriter Nevin Schreiner stay rooted in the facts as we know them. Speculation is necessary for some of the dramatic details, but Flight 93 has the unmistakable ring of truth. Produced with the cooperation of the family members of those who perished on Flight 93, this well-crafted Television movie handles difficult material with respect. This film is family friendly, but with mature conflict.

Meeting Osama Bin Laden
An extremely informative documentary about the life, works, and philosophy of Osama Bin Laden. If the saying is true, “know thy enemy as thyself,” then this important documentary tracing Bin Laden’s life is a must see. Family friendly, but with mature content.

Frontline: The Al Qaeda Files
An exceptional Frontline episode examining the birth, religion, extremism, and politics of Al Qeada.

The 50 Years War - Israel & The Arabs
The 50 Years War examines the conflict between Israel and its Middle Eastern neighbors. Using archival footage and extensive interviews with participants, this two-video set produced by PBS begins by explaining the conditions in Palestine at the end of World War II and the crisis created by the exodus of European Jews immigrating to the Middle East after the Holocaust. It explains the withdrawal of the British, the formation of Israel, the local struggles intensified by the cold war, the Six Day War, and more. This skillful, dramatic, and balanced production is a must see for any young person studying the history of today. Family friendly, but with mature content.

The best way to teach Geography

2008-09-10T10:59:00.000-07:00

The other day, I saw a three year old on Oprah who could point out every country on a world map. The entire audience was amazed. I, on the other hand, was not. Every two year has the capacity to learn geography. They love color, they are infinitely curious, and they love interaction. All they need is a map and a parent who tells them what the counties are. Their ability to absorb information at that age will do the rest.

In other words, if you want your child to know Geography, you need to get them a world map. My mother likes to tell me about the map puzzle she had as a child. I have put together a widget to get you started. I particularly like the map placemat and the wooden world map floor puzzle, but all of the products are good.

Happy historybusting...

Amazon.com Widgets

Again I have been reminded why Historybusters exists

2008-09-10T10:14:00.000-07:00

Just yesterday I was helping a new student with his History and English assignments. A young Freshman who knew nothing about the Dark Ages, the Renaissance, or the Reformation. In the back of my mind, I couldn't help but think, if only he had seen the film Luther, he would have a concept about the Reformation. The film Kingdom of Heaven would have given him a background for the Dark Ages. Any one of the many movies about Henry VIII would have explained the break with the Church of England. He could have a broad spectrum of images and ideas to build on if only someone had taken the time to introduce them to him through film. As it is, he has one school year to learn a tidal wave of information from a dry old history book. No wonder he finds history boring. Too many facts to memorise and nothing exciting to tie the facts to.

Please don't let this happen to your kids, make a point of showing them quality historical films from a young age. Make a point of showing them maps, pictures, and timelines. Don't force them to start history class without a basic understanding of history to build upon.

Answer to Pamela's question

2008-09-04T07:46:00.000-07:00

Pamela C. has asked me a question. She has a fifteen year old boy and wanted to view some samples of the video downloads.

Pamela, not all of the movies I recommend can be downloaded, but all are available in DVD or VHS format. It depends on the movies. I have put together a widget of films that can be downloaded. If you click on an image, it will take you to the site and let you see a sample. I have also provided a link to PBS.org's Frontline. You can view any of the episodes for free at any time. I hope that gives you the samples you need. I've tried to select a few things that I think might interest a fifteen year old.

Here you go:

Amazon.com Widgets

Turtles Can Fly: Too few films capture war from the point of view of the children who endure it--perhaps because it's awful to contemplate. But Turtles Can Fly manages to be both heartbreaking and galvanizing in its depiction of young Iraqis waiting for the U.S. Army to roll over their village on the border of Turkey. Since the U.S. has linked its fate with that troubled country, learning a little about the Iraqi people would be good for everyone involved; fortunately, Turtles Can Fly is more than just an educational opportunity. Rich humor helps balance the harrowing circumstances, making the movie a riveting experience. It is subtitled and family friendly with some mature content. Once you get to the site, look to the left for the link to the video download.
First Churchills: Here are the first two episodes, takes you back to the world and politics of 16^th Century Britain
Battlefield Britain: Here are the first two episodes, features kid friendly documentaries about major British battles
In Search of the Trojan War: Here are the first two episodes, this documentary features ancient classical history
Enemy at the Gate: A film that takes you into the world of Stalingrad during WWII. It is an excellent movie to introduce the harshness of Stalin’s regime. It contains mature content, so be aware.
Flags of Our Fathers: A film that takes you to the Battle of Iwo Jima during WWII. It contains mature content, so be aware.
Auschwitz: Very nice documentary series about Auschwitz, this link is to the episode entitle escape from Auschwitz

Here is the link to Frontline: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/view/

This years' Movie Curriculums

2008-09-03T10:38:00.001-07:00

I’ve been asked to provide a list of the movie curriculums that Historybusters will be providing this year. We will be focusing this year primarily on European and American History.

September will feature classical World History focusing on Greece and Egypt.
October will feature Roman History.
November will deal with the Dark ages and the Crusades.
December will look at the Renaissance.
January will explore the Reformation.
February will focus on the Age of Expansion and Exploration.
March will look at the American Revolution.
April will deal with the French Revolution and Napoleon.
May will focus on the Industrial Revolution and Colonialism.
June will focus on the Build up to WWI.
July will introduce the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression.
August will deal with WWII.
September will deal with the Cold War.

World History will be our focus next year…

Hope that gives you some idea of what to expect. By the way, each curriculum will recommend more than one movie from the period to be watched either independently or as a set. For example: the complete Greek curriculum will provide background for several Greek myths, 300, Alexander the Great, a few Greek plays, and several documentaries, while the Roman curriculum will provide background on Julius Caesar, Caesar and Cleopatra, Cleopatra, Anthony and Cleopatra, I Claudius, The Warrior Queen, Attila, and several documentaries. Obviously, you won’t have time to get to them all, so pick and choose as you see fit.

Take care and happy historybusting...

Answer to a question about the AP History Exam

2008-09-03T10:28:00.000-07:00

Tandy C. sent me a great question about AP tests for home schoolers, and I want to post it and our answer.

Her question:

I'm intrigued with your well-researched list of films and the opportunity that this provides for families wishing to do AP History at home without having to go through a virtual charter school. Question: When student are through going through this Kaplan program, how do they go about registering to take the AP History exam and get credit for it as other "regular" students?

Our answer:

Homeschooled students can still take the exams by arranging to test at a participating school.

§ Call AP Services no later than March 1 to get the names and telephone numbers of local AP Coordinators. Prepare a list of the exams you plan to take prior to calling so that the appropriate Coordinators can be identified

§ Contact the AP Coordinators identified by AP Services no later than March 15.

When calling Coordinators to arrange testing, make sure to tell them:

§ You are trying to locate a school willing to administer exams to homeschooled students or students from schools that do not offer AP.

§ You will use a different school code so your exam grade(s) will be reported separately from the school at which you test. (Homeschooled students will use the state homeschool code provided by the Coordinator on the day of the exam; students attending schools will use their school code.)

§ The exams you plan to take.

Once you locate a school willing to administer the exams, that school's AP Coordinator is responsible for ordering your exam materials, telling you when and where to appear for the exams, and collecting your fees, which he or she may negotiate to recover additional proctoring or administration costs. That school must administer the exams for you; it cannot forward them to you or your school for handling.

Hope that helps.

Got a question for you...

2008-08-30T11:44:00.000-07:00

Click on comments for the answer...

Turn watching 300 into a fun lesson about the Greco-Persian Wars

2008-08-30T11:41:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to Historybusters' newest curriculum for the movie 300

http://www.navigatinglife.org/historybusters/id70.html

Have fun...

Ryan asked for some pictures

2008-08-30T10:52:00.000-07:00

Thirteen year old, Ryan G. sent a message after going through out 300 movie curriculum. He asked to see more about the types of weapons the Spartans used at the Battle of Thermopylae. Here you go. All these images are from Wikipedia Commons, and Historybusters thanks them for the use.

A map of the city states involved in the Greco-Persian Wars

A Corinthian helmet
The skull of the warrior was actually found inside

A picture of a Greek Phalanx

Bronze swords from the period

Urns depicting Greek Hopilite Warriors

Greek hopilite armour

Corinthian Helmet

There you go Ryan...hope it helps

If anyone else has found great images about either the Persians or the Spartans, please let us know in a comment

Lynn

P. S.

Here are a few excellent websites that feature Thermopylae

http://edsitement.neh.gov/persiagreecewars01.asp
http://www.livius.org/th/thermopylae/thermopylae2.html
http://www.sp.uconn.edu/~jujutsu/progress.html
http://www.300spartanwarriors.com/battleofthermopylae/thermopylae480bc.html

A Great Game to help your kids remember the Presidents in order

2008-08-30T09:35:00.000-07:00

Have them build an Acronym and see how silly and memorable they can make it...

Here, here is one my group did together...

When a janitor made mold another janitor verbally harrassed two poor tailless filliies piercingly because local Johns grant hazy gardens. Anyway, clearly harassment can make roses taller. Will hard cooling help roses to eventually kill Johns? No, for cars run between climbing bushes.

Why not check it against the list of Presidents.

Washington
Adams
Jefferson
Madison
Monroe
Adam, John Quincey
Jackson
Van Buren
Harrison
Tyler
Polk
Taylor
Fillmore
Pierce
Buchanan
Lincoln
Johnson, Andrew
Grant
Hayes
Garfield
Arthur
Cleveland
Harrison, Benjamin
Cleveland (second term)
McKinley
Roosevelt, Teddy
Taft
Wilson
Harding
Coolidge
Hoover
Roosevelt
Truman
Eisenhower
Kennedy
Johnson, Lydon B.
Nixson
Ford
Carter
Reagan
Bush, George
Clinton
Bush, George W.

Try making your own Acronym or improving this one and add it to the comments.

Have fun...

How Accurate was Alexander, the recent Oliver Stone movie?

2008-08-04T18:32:00.000-07:00

Hey Eric,

Regarding your question about the accuracy of Alexander. I finally got around to seeing it, and I here is my review.

Alexander, Oliver Stone’s 150 million dollar epic, is actually pretty accurate. Not perfect, no retelling ever is, however Oliver Stone does faithfully recreates what little we know about the look and feel of the period. His battle scenes are pretty dead on. He even manages to provide a clear picture of Alexander’s upbringing, including his conniving, murdering, snake-charming mother, although I sincerely doubt that Olympias really had snakes with her all the time even though she was a practitioner of the old religions. That being said, I feel compelled to add that Stone’s epic seemed high in gloss and low on humanity. We never really understand what made Alexander great. We are shown a lot of the “what happened,” but never the “why.” This movie is a fine introduction into the world of Alexander, but if you want to learn more about Alexander and enjoy historical fiction, I recommend reading The Persian Boy and Funeral Games by Mary Renault. They are an easy read, and both are wonderful. If you prefer a biography, Alan Fildes and Joann Fletcher's Alexander the Great is excellent. If you are allergic to reading, you can check out the documentary, In The Footsteps of Alexander. We have a link to it in our Store of Knowledge. Now, about the gay question…Alexander, like many men of his times, did have liaisons with both sexes. He lived in a society that considered intimate relationships between men natural; he also lived in a society that believed world conquest was a good thing. It’s foolish to judge him by “modern” standards. This film contains mature content.

Hope my review helps...Lynn