Entry 6

I once saw a post with this quote on Columbus Day. Until that day, I never knew the truth behind Christopher Columbus so I was confused when I saw the post. So I searched for the answer. We have a holiday for Christopher Columbus—students, adults, teachers get to take a day off. We reserve the day for him and celebrate as if he was a hero. If we wanted to celebrate it correctly, how about we do it by doing what he did? (Which is essentially what we have been celebrating). It sounds ridiculous...but really, we've been celebrating someone who "discovered" America by invading people's land and property and even went as far as killing them. I really love what the author said about writing history in another perspective. For example, he wrote the reading in the perspective of the Arawaks and how they were treated. I would love to read a history recount that is told from a minority’s perspective for once! There’s more to history than just government, warfare, and American leaders. I think we should deviate from that and also focus on everyone that was involved. The more we delve into different perspectives, the more open-minded we become. 

Entry 5

I drew a picture that depicts hypocrisy because that was the one takeaway that really stood out to me during this reading. When I was studying for my content exam, I remember reading about Thomas Jefferson. He was the author of Declaration of Independence and decreed that “all men are created equal.” I never knew he owned slave because I was never taught that. I was a ‘Thomas’ from Black Ants & Buddhists when I was reading—I was shocked. The textbooks and history teachers I learned from back then praised him. I really love that Thomas (the student), who is only in 2nd grade, has already developed such a strong sense of justice. He saw the hypocrisy in this and even decided to do a protest with his pals. They even wrote a letter to him? This is such an enrichment activity! I think teaching history accurately promotes open-minded students. They are active in the learning process. They get to discover the truths for themselves and create their own sense of justice. Kids are a lot more capable of understanding than we expected. We shouldn’t feel the need to protect them from the harsh truth. It’s never too early to start.

Entry 4

I really love the idea of ‘Junior Detectives’ from the reading, Junior Detectives with Primary Sources. When I heard this term, I was reminded of a Japanese cartoon I used to watch when I was little called Detective Conan. So for this entry, I chose a clip from the cartoon that focused on the Junior Detective Squad. The squad consists of elementary students who aren't smart, but they have a burning desire to solve cases. Because of their dedication, they were able to discover clues that detectives missed and ultimately ended up solving murder cases. Of course, our Junior Detectives in real life aren't going to solve murder cases, but if they are given the opportunity to discover on their own, they can learn a lot more! There is more history than just textbooks. I wholly believe that kids should get to pose questions and do their own investigations. Through that, learning is more meaningful. Primary resources is the closest source of information we have to the actual events. When working with primary resources, students are also essentially learning to work with evidence and give significance to the past. Moreover, the idea of solving a 'mystery’ really intrigues young students because it creates a sense of suspense that they love. Learning through discovery offers students the opportunity to make their own judgments and build the innate desire to seek the truth.