tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post114159725529287931..comments2024-03-28T01:33:17.573-04:00Comments on History Is Elementary: George, We Hardly Knew Ye!EHThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17964668210604436937noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-85497859712206750352007-04-23T20:54:00.000-04:002007-04-23T20:54:00.000-04:00George Washington was an engineer on the canal up ...George Washington was an engineer on the canal up at Great Falls. In that area of the Potomac during a drought (which happens) you could easily throw a silver dollar across the Potomac. The river is much narrower than it is at Mount Vernon.Joyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04334846713290013451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1144108778122285242006-04-03T19:59:00.000-04:002006-04-03T19:59:00.000-04:00I used to wonder how slavery could go on for almos...I used to wonder how slavery could go on for almost 400 years and not one person in the history books is blamed for it!!! Not to mention who were the people who stole all the land from the Indians and Mexicans. I guess the people who did these things were the ones who wrote the history books, no doubt!! The history books have no input from the slaves or Indians at all. If they did then maybe there would be some truth to them. These devils actually convinced us that they are angels and heroes! They did not even like poor whites...they were an elitist class....I cannot think of anyone in history as we know it more selfish, greedy and evil than the founding fathers. Isn't it funny how Charlton Heston plays a slave in 'The Ten Commandments'and fights the evil Egyptian slaveowners but in real life he supports the exactly same kind of evil men by quoting the founding fathers in the 'Bowling For Columbine' movie. He might be a racist but he is definetly stupid.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1142636773109080232006-03-17T18:06:00.000-05:002006-03-17T18:06:00.000-05:00Easyliving, please understand at the elementary le...Easyliving, please understand at the elementary level social studies "class" isn't the only arena where history information can be discussed. Many teachers utilize reading class to teach social studies and science content as well. My fourth grade homeroom reads independently for 40 minutes each day. I have in my classroom approximately 300 books that have been purchased by my district but most I have bought myself. Students self-select what they read and you can bet I plan carefully what is in my library for them to use. If I'm teaching the American Rev. those books are in the forefront. Most of the "facts" I've collected have come from the student's own investigations during our reading time. Yes, time is a contraint and it is my ultimate enemy. <BR/>Nowhere in the post did I say I taught students every fact I related. Interesting twists in history, myths, and facinating facts are not time wasters. They are methods teachers can use to motivate students to dig for more on their own. All I need to do is throw out one quirky fact and say, "Let's try to see if we can find more", and they are off and running. That's how you build life-long history students.EHThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17964668210604436937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1142633329807800212006-03-17T17:08:00.000-05:002006-03-17T17:08:00.000-05:00Why do you doubt the story about Washington throwi...Why do you doubt the story about Washington throwing a dollar across the Potomac. We all know a dollar went a lot further in his day.<BR/><BR/>Seriously, besides the Rappahannock story, Washington as a young man did a lot of surveying in the wilderness, maybe he visited the Potomac well upstream where most anyone could have thrown a dollar across it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1142460956583865562006-03-15T17:15:00.000-05:002006-03-15T17:15:00.000-05:00Thank you for pointing out the fact that we had a ...Thank you for pointing out the fact that we had a pre-Constitution president. I was focusing on the initial time I introduce GW to my students which is mucho, mucho pre-Constitution. Since it is so hard for them to remember George Washington did not represent the U.S. during the French and Indian War I usually don't bring up extra interesting stuff until we have reached that point in history. I do teach my students about John Hanson, but I do so in the proper sequence. For us adults, though, I guess I could have included him in my post.EHThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17964668210604436937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1142451091089203172006-03-15T14:31:00.000-05:002006-03-15T14:31:00.000-05:00Your remaining list of "truths" after removing the...Your remaining list of "truths" after removing the myths does have one <I>semi-</I>truth on it. George Washington was the first president <I>under the Constitution</I>, but the first President of the United States under the earlier Articles of Confederation was <A HREF="http://www.marshallhall.org/hanson.html" REL="nofollow">John Hanson</A>. <BR/><BR/>I do love your list of actual facts, though: very thought provoking stuff.Ahistoricalityhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04004964192885891003noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1141880768385378112006-03-09T00:06:00.000-05:002006-03-09T00:06:00.000-05:00I stand corrected on the TB issue---smallpox was m...I stand corrected on the TB issue---smallpox was mentioned later in the post. I believe that is one reason why his supporters state he probably didn't father a child.EHThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17964668210604436937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1141877276853668512006-03-08T23:07:00.000-05:002006-03-08T23:07:00.000-05:00Actually, he got smallpox in the Caribbean when he...Actually, he got smallpox in the Caribbean when he was a young man, and many speculate that that made him sterile. His face bore the pockmarks until his death."Ms. Cornelius"https://www.blogger.com/profile/16970201479637588558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1141787805866124192006-03-07T22:16:00.000-05:002006-03-07T22:16:00.000-05:00Thanks for the interesting myths, and truths, abou...Thanks for the interesting myths, and truths, about WashingtonMike in Texashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00635962989639829455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1141783591506869112006-03-07T21:06:00.000-05:002006-03-07T21:06:00.000-05:00GREAT post!!! It is amazing to me what myths make ...GREAT post!!! It is amazing to me what myths make it to the high school level. We just started the Civil War...oh boy!<BR/><BR/>If you don't mind I'm going to link this post at www.compchaos.blogspot.comkontanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06421013605338521092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1141702790882651762006-03-06T22:39:00.000-05:002006-03-06T22:39:00.000-05:00Thank you Kevin. I have read Loewen's book and fi...Thank you Kevin. I have read Loewen's book and find it an interesting resource. I agree...critical learning needs to start as soon as possible.<BR/><BR/>My picture of "George" does look like Karl Lagerfeld. I just happened upon it while I was verifying some "myths" and "facts" and thought it would tie in <BR/>nicely. So often our younger students want to place historical figures in their own time period. It simply makes me cringe. However, this particular child artist really has it "goin' on!"<BR/><BR/>Thanks for commenting!EHThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17964668210604436937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1141692594616304052006-03-06T19:49:00.000-05:002006-03-06T19:49:00.000-05:00That image you have up of George Washington looks ...That image you have up of George Washington looks a LOT like fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1141688003378972542006-03-06T18:33:00.000-05:002006-03-06T18:33:00.000-05:00I think it is wonderful that you are exposing your...I think it is wonderful that you are exposing your students to the mythology behind American history at such an early age. It seems that you are doing it in a productive way that teaches them not to accept everything they hear or read in their books. I teach American history on the high school level and we always read a few chapters out of Loewen's book _Lies My Teachers Told Me_. It reinforces the importance of questioning.Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16445268373019332557noreply@blogger.com