What is History?

What is History?

• A collection of names, dates, and events, arranged chronologically?

What is History?

• “Useless Stuff crammed into our brains the night before the test, and quickly forgotten”

• (former student quote)

What is History?

• Helping kids understand their world, and how it has come to be the way it is, and where it might be going…

What is History?

• A way of thinking analytically about historical causes and effects

A Historian thinks about…

• What lies under the surface of any past event:

• Example:• The 9-11 Attacks

When considering a historical character, a historian questions

• What ideas or events spurred him in a certain direction?

KKK

Rosa Parks

A Historian thinks about…• What forces change

society?

The 6 G- Forces

Human energies which start with individual motivations, but come together and become powerful in groups

The 6 G- ForcesSource: Carl Gustavson

1. The Political force

2. The Economic force

3. The Religious force

4. The Military Technological force

5. The Ideological force

6. The Technological force

• Remember: PERMIT

The 6 G- Forces

#1 The Economic force

Economy = a group’s system to meet needs and divide surplus

The 6 G- Forces

#1 The Economic force

Examples:• a) labor unions:

groups of workers fighting for higher wages

The 6 G- Forces

#1 The Economic force

Examples:• b) Age of

exploration: the hunt for spices, gold, and slaves in new lands

The 6 G- Forces

#2 The Religious force

The 6 G- Forces

#2 The Religious force

• b) the belief of Palestinian Suicide-bombers that they will go to Heaven as their reward for their ultimate sacrifice

The 6 G- Forces: #2 The Religious force

a) the belief of English missionary Hudson Taylor that God wanted him to come to China to teach about Jesus

The 6 G- Forces

#3 The Political force• When organizations, having

key ideas and values, promote these to outsiders and enforce cooperation on members.

The 6 G- Forces#3 The Political force• All organizations

tend to fight for their own survival and increased strength, as well.

• The Kremlin / Red Square

The 6 G- Forces

• Examples of organizations:

• National governments (Brazil),

• religious denominations (Catholic Church),

• special interest groups (the NBA), international groups (the U.N),

• companies (Sony)

• Schools (LZMSN)

The 6 G- Forces#3 The Political force• a) the English monarchy, struggling to manage a

changing world, training Redcoats to crush rebellious American colonies

The 6 G- Forces#3 The Political force

• b) The Republican / Democratic party training young leaders to win the next election

The 6 G- Forces: # 4 The Technological force

The 6 G- Forces: # 4 The Technological force

• a) the development of mobile cannon making castles useless

The 6 G- Forces: # 4 The Technological force

• b) the improvement of Japanese robotic manufacturing techniques, allowing it to become a major auto exporter

The 6 G- Forces

5 The Ideological force: The Power of

an IDEA• Examples: a) A

patriot laying his life down because of his love of country = Nationalism

The 6 G- Forces#5 The Ideological force: ex. Manifest Destiny

The 6 G- Forces

#5 The Ideological force

• Example: • Racial equality

The 6 G- Forces

#6 The Military force• a) the mobilizing of

forces in Europe leading to WWI

The 6 G- Forces

#6 The Military force

• b) Hitler’s effective use of military aggression in expanding German borders and silencing his enemies

How can 2 forces work together?

• Teachers believe in improving the world through education (ideological)

• Teachers need a job to pay the rent and feed their families (economic); their salaries come from property taxes.

• School districts have elected school boards, who hire administrators (Mr. Richter) (political)

How can 2 forces work together?

• Eisenhower’s Warning about the “military-industrial complex” after WW2

• if the military becomes the biggest client for manufacturers then the nation will begin to invest more of its economy into military contracts. Senators from states building tanks see that jobs would be lost if tank orders stopped, and oppose spending cuts.

How can 2 forces work together?

• Christopher Columbus?

How can 2 forces work together?

• you?

Student Samples

• Sor Juana was a woman that was unique for her time. She had believed that all people, men and women, should be equal. She boldly spoke out for her beliefs and even wrote poems about them. She wanted to have a proper education and therefore asked her mother to let her go to a university. Her mother was fearful of such radial thinking and denied her the request. Sor Juana didn’t give up that easily though, so she taught herself and wrote some famous poems about the women’s lack of rights. Even though the odds were against her, Sor Juana did not give up easily and kept working for what she believed in. This example just shows how powerful ideological force can be. Jonathan

Student Samples

• Second, the religious force. These people do it for Jesus Christ, Buddha, Allah, Paikea, or some other God that has gotten into their minds. They want to be rewarded in heaven. They want God to see their good deeds -- Hubert

Student Samples

• The first force that affected the people in the presentations was the economic force. The economic force describes the need of riches or wood or and resource. An example of this force being played in history is Francisco Pizarro. He went to the America’s and wanted a whole room filled with gold from the Incas. This changed history because not only did Francisco “swim” in a room full of gold, but many people wanted to be and tried to be like him, thus leading to more conquistadors and affected native Americans. This force is very common in those times because resources were required and new land was being discovered. Andrew

Student Samples

• Economic Force: Many of the other people who decided to go on the Crusades had gone for various reasons including land, money, and adventure. Many of them were also the younger sons of nobles who were not entitled to any land, so they went on the Crusade for fortune. After they went there, they encountered exotic spices, rugs, and Oriental luxuries. This aroused the Europeans’ curiosity of new lands and their products, which lead to the exploration and discovery of America.

• Nancy

• presentation based on Carl Gustavson’s

• A Preface to History