It's All Perspective: History Depends on Who's Telling It - A Self Paced Course

This self paced class does not have live meetings.  There is a live version of this course if you would rather have live meetings.  

In this short, one month course, students will analyze historical events from various perspectives to understand that there is often more than one way to recount history.  They will analyze why and how history is recorded the way it is, and consider the need to dig deeper into events to understand a greater  context and perspective.  The concepts of perspective, bias, primary materials, close reading, and corroboration are explored through the course of the four weeks. To that end, students will study history as told from various perspectives, gender, culture, class etc, in an effort to understand the various ways in which history can be viewed and recorded.  Examples may include the history of the American pioneer as viewed from a man and a woman's point of view, the American Farmworkers movement and the leadership of Ceasar Chavez AND Delores Huerta, World War II and the internment of the Japanese, and the Mau Mau uprising in Kenya in the fight for independence.

The ultimate goal of this course is the help students learn to read material and take in information with an analytical mind, to think more deeply about the material given to them and to develop important critical thinking skills.  The aim is also to be sure that the learners are enjoying themselves through fun exercises designed to engage the learners in a fun infused environment while still developing important analytical skills.  

Using a combination of pre-taped video lectures from the teacher, readings, audio visual support in understanding concepts, learners to work to consider perspective and bias in historical materials, learning how to critically analyze information to understand historical perspective.