Thoughts on the Brinkman Presentation

Please share your thoughts on Baba Brinkman's presentation here at Cheshire. Was it what you expected after reading his introduction? Do you feel his arguments have academic merit? Does he make Chaucer more accessable to 21st century students? Favorite aspect?? Is this type of activity worth considering for future classes?

Due Monday AM

Swine Flu and Monkeypox

In response to a question posed in class about the origins of many diseases, an interesting article appeared in the 11/2/09 Forbes Magazine entitled "Swine Flue and Monkeypox," by Robert Langreth. The article focuses on an immunologist who is a leader in attempting to detect potentially deadly viruses before they spread widely among humans. The direct link will soon be provided.

Interesting Wikipedia Article

Washington Post article on Wikipedia. Highlights some of the benefits and flaws.

The behind-the-scenes historian

Vatican makes it easier for Anglicans to convert

Interesting article from the Washington Post. 465 years after Henry VIII split with the Catholic Church, and 411 years after the defeat of the Spanish Armada, the RCC is making headway in the Counter-Reformation.

"The Encounter"

How should we as a society view Columbus? Should he be celebrated? Vilified? Something else? Why?

Responses due by Friday 10/16

What if.....?

A good read for those interested in history is The Collected "What If..?", by Robert Cowley. What if Luther had not posted his 95 Thesis at Wittenberg? Was the Reformation inevitable? Why/Why not???

Due Monday PM

Get Out of Jail Free: Monopoly's Hidden Maps

Cool story for those interested in WWII history.

Get Out of Jail Free: Monopoly's Hidden Maps

Discuss/Evaluate Baba Brinkman's introduction to his Rap Canterbury Tales project. Does his work make Chaucer more accessible to a new generation or provide a better understanding of Chaucer? On the development of literature in Britain? Are Brinkman's translations any less "scholarly" than those you read in the Penguin Canterbury Tales? Share your thoughts on The Rap Canterbury Tales!

Due Friday 9/25

Modern Day Da Vinci

Is there a modern day DaVinci? Can you think of anyone in our time who may be looked upon in the same light centuries down the road? If so, who and why? If not, why not?

Summer Reading Articles

Discuss in a few paragraphs any aspect of the handout articles on the Middle Ages that you found interesting or surprising. Did these articles present a view of this period that might have challenged your preconceptions? If you need further prompts, consider the "Questions to Ponder"

Due Friday PM

Welcome HIST 1400: Modern Western Traditions Fall '09

Welcome to the upcoming sections of HIST 1400: Modern Western Traditions for this fall of '09. Your first submitted assignment is to create a google account (username and password) if you do not have one, and respond to this blog by clicking on "# comments" below and submitting a comment of "Test Submission."

Goodbye Lenin, Goodbye 2008-'09 School Year!

Respond to one of the following:
1) How would you characterize Alex's mother, Christiane, as a mother and a citizen of the GDR? In what ways are these two roles intertwined for her and her children? Does her affection for and devotion to the GDR make her seem sympathetic or odd (or both)?
2) Discuss the director's use of literary devices such as sarcasm and irony to address the social, political and economic realities facing East Germans in 1989/90. Is he effective? Use specific examples from the movie to illustrate your points.

Due Wednesday Evening. NO POSTS will be accepted late.

Post-War Europe

What is your analysis of the argument put forth in The Tragedy of American Diplomacy? Rethinking the Marshall Plan? What are the strengths and weaknesses of this thesis? Limit your responses to 2 pages MAX. There is an excellent site, http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/ , that includes video interviews with several key figures in Cold War politics. See in particular Episodes 2, 3 & 4.

Responses due Friday 6/8.

Cold War

Did David Hasselhoff really help end the Cold War? (Did Al Gore invent the Internet?) An amusing look at the end of the Cold War by the BBC. Don't worry, more reading is to come!

Ordinary Men

Video Link: Recent Lecture by Prof. Philip Zimbardo at MIT entitled "The Lucifer Effect." Prof. Zimbardo discusses his involvement in the Abu Ghraib trials of US military personnel in Iraq.



This second video link is from Dataline Australia and contains interviews with prison guards from Abu Grhaib and the former commanding officer,

Gallery Visit

Share your thoughts on the gallery visit. What did you like, dislike and why? What is art to you?

Period 8 Survey

Click Here to take survey

Life on the front.

Much of our focus will be on the lives and effects of war on individuals during the First and Second World Wars. Having viewed and discussed some aspects of life on the front, whether in the trenches, the air or at sea, what would be your greatest fear or challenge and why? (Don't just say dying.) Refer to examples from the sources we have used.

Due Monday 5/18.

WWI Readings

Respond to the following prompts:

• What ideas or themes presented in your chosen reading were new to you?
• Did the article lead you to look at this period of history any differently? Why/Why not?

TO GET CREDIT YOU MUST REFER SPECIFICALLY TO CONTENT FROM THE ARTICLES YOU ARE DISCUSSING.

(PHOTO: Francis Derwent Wood @ http://www.projectfacade.com/index.php)
Operation Mend is the modern evolution of the work begun by Sir Harold Delf Gillies, Francis Derwent Wood and others during the First World War. If you read "Faces of War" you should view both of these sites.

This response is due Friday 5/15.

Week of 5-4

Respond to 1 of the questions based on your reading.

1 - To what degree are Europeans responsible for the troubles in modern Africa?
2 - Who was the most influential thinker/philosopher of the 19th century? Why? (You may discuss someone from the assigned readings or another individual.)
3 - What's up with the facial hair? (Optional, will not receive credit.)