Author Archives: JRM
Rearrange the Past
One of the biggest benefits of teaching AP Research is the excuse of spending time on JSTOR reading old Journal of American History articles. An early search of mine was for Richard White articles. His 1999 article, “The Nationalization of Nature,” … Continue reading
Things Are All Upside Down
Earlier this year, at a potluck dinner, a new acquaintance learned I was a history teacher and did that thing many do – told a story about themselves. Her story was a familiar one: about how “crazy left-wing” her high … Continue reading
Civil Fine of Their Own
I recently decided to pay less attention to politics and even lesser attention (grammar?) to the politics around education. I teach at a charter school and charter schools make strange bedfellows; liberal teachers with a social justice tilt often funded … Continue reading
An Illusion of Nutrition
The guys from On Top of the World podcast recently began a fascinating exploration of food history. They mentioned a critique of overemphasizing (or maybe solely focusing) on the role of sugar in the slave trade. Expanding the exploration of … Continue reading
A Lost, Bowlegged Cossack with Rickets
A medium to longterm goal of mine is a re-write of our ancient civilizations, pre-history, and Neolithic Revolution curriculum. Pre-600 CE is not an area of expertise of mine; I know enough about it to know it’s way more fascinating … Continue reading
A Horror-Show, For Sure
Last night I flipped through Hunter S. Thompson’s Gonzo Papers Vol. 1, looking for some peace of mind in his coverage of Nixon in 1969. I was not disappointed. From “Memoirs of a Wretched Weekend in Washington”: The Inauguration weekend … Continue reading
Simple, Convenient and Seemingly Coherent Narrative
Michiko Kakutani provides me with another addition to my nightstand in his review of Jason Stanley’s “How Propaganda Works“. Leaving the Belfer National Conference for Educators years ago I completely re-wrote how I taught “propaganda”, but often felt I missed something … Continue reading
