Tag: open ended social studies

The Great Wall and Borders Beyond Our Control

Editor

How and why do governments regulate the flow of people and information? Is the government’s interest always the same as the people’s?

This lesson was reported from:
Adapted in part from open sources.

Continue reading “The Great Wall and Borders Beyond Our Control” →

The Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang and the Projection of Power

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What makes a great leader?  How do we know when a government is powerful? Can these words “great” and “powerful” mean different things?

This lesson was reported from:

Lintong, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China.

Adapted in part from open sources.

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The Sandinistas

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What happens after a revolution, when those who ceded power don’t want to admit it’s gone? What right do nations have to preemptively attack the governments of other nations?
This lesson was reported from:
Adapted in part from open sources.

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Augusto Sandino, National Hero

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Is it heroic or foolish to fight against impossible odds, even if you know you are right? When is violence and revolt a justifiable strategy for change?
This lesson was reported from:
Adapted in part from open sources.

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William Walker, the Grey-Eyed Man of Destiny

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Does might make right? If you can do something, should you? Who decides what history is worth learning?
This lesson was reported from:
Adapted in part from open sources.

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A Basic History of Nicaragua

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How does a nation with colonial origins synthesize its own identity? How does a small nation assert its own will in the shadow of a much more economically and militarily powerful neighbor?
This lesson was reported from:
Adapted in part from open sources.

Continue reading “A Basic History of Nicaragua” →

The Khmer Rouge: Genocide in the Name of Utopia

Editor
How is history used to support ideology? Is violence by a government against its own civilian population ever justified? Why are certain events given priority over others in history books?
This lesson was reported from:
Adapted in part from open sources.

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The Aztec: Life Under the Fifth Sun in Old Mexico

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Fund for Teachers and the Inca Empire

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Thanks to a generous grant from Fund for Teachers, I’ll be spending the better part of the summer researching and producing an extensive set of lessons on the history and legacy of one of the world’s great civilizations – the Inca Empire.