Outschool
Open currency, time zone, and language settings
Log In

Shadows of the Past: Exploring Dark History Through the Ages

A captivating course designed for ages 14-18, delving into intriguing and thought-provoking historical events that have shaped our world, fostering critical thinking and a deeper understanding of the complexities of human history.
Miss Kennah, B.A. in Anthropology and Thanatology
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:
(5)
Class

What's included

1 live meeting
50 mins in-class hours per week

Class Experience

US Grade 9 - 12
*Coupon code for $10 off your first class until October 29, 2024: KENNAH2M1010*

Unveil the Shadows of the Past in this captivating and thought-provoking dark history course. Each week, students will embark on a haunting journey through chilling chapters of history, exploring events that delve into the depths of human experiences. From the tragic story of the Radium Girls to the mysterious phenomenon of the dancing plague, from the disturbing atrocities of Unit 731 to the ill-fated struggles of the Donner Party, and from the dark world of grave robbery in Edinburgh to the medieval torture and humiliation of women, this course offers a comprehensive examination of dark historical events.

Each week will be a new history topic, including topics recommended by students, such as: 

Week 1: The Radium Girls 
Week 2: The Dancing Plague of 1518
Week 3: Jonestown Massacre
Week 4: Unit 731 
Week 5: The Donner Party
Week 6: The Body Snatchers of Edinburgh
Week 7: Medieval Torture and Humiliation of Women
Week 8: New England Vampiric Panic
Week 9: Salem Witch Trials
Week 10: The Great Emu War
Week 11: The Bhopal Gas Tragedy
Week 12: The Tunguska Event
Week 13: The Children's Crusade
Week 14: The Holodomor
Week 15: Vlad the Impaler
Week 16: Ivan the Terrible
Week 17: Trail of Tears
Week 18: Ant Hill Kids
Week 19: Ted Bundy
Week 20: The Winchester Mystery House
Week 21: The Dyatlov Pass Incident
Week 22: The Hinterkaifeck Murders
Week 23: The Mary Celeste Mystery
Week 24: The Philadelphia Experiment
Week 25: The Axeman of New Orleans
Week 26: The H.H. Holmes Murder Castle
Week 27: The Chernobyl Disaster
Week 28: The Spanish Inquisition
Week 29: The Great Molasses Flood
Week 30: The Battle of Karánsebes
Week 31: The Black Death
Week 32: The Harpe Brothers (Serial Killers of Colonial America)
Week 33: The Romanov Assassination
Week 34: Milk Carton Children
Week 35: The Boys on the Tracks
Week 36: The History of Human Zoos
Week 37: Japanese Internment Camps
Week 38: Indigenous Boarding Schools
Week 39: Nahanni National Park Decapitations
Week 40: The Blue Fugates
Week 41: 536 CE, The Worst Year to Live During
Week 42: The Black Dahlia
Week 43: What Happened to Natalie Wood?
Week 44: The Manson Family & Sharon Tate
Week 45: Jack the Ripper
Week 46: What Happened to Amelia Earhart?
Week 47: Jonbenet Ramsey
Week 48: The Irish Potato Famine
Week 49: The European Witch Craze
Week 50: The Golden Age of Piracy
Week 51: The History of American Cowboys
Week 52: The Madness of Lighthouse Keepers
Week 52: The French Revolution/Reign of Terror
Week 53: Blackbeard
Week 54: Billy the Kid
Week 55: Joseph Stalin and the USSR
Week 56: Roswell, New Mexico
Week 57: The Rwandan Genocide
Week 58: The Treasure Hunt of Forrest Fenn
Week 59: The Holocaust and the Bielski Brothers
Week 60: The OJ Simpson Case
Week 61: The Tragedy of Princess Diana
Week 62: The Heist at Boston's Gardner Museum
Week 63: Thomas Edison vs. Nikola Tesla
Week 64: Oppenheimer and Los Alamos
Week 65: Alan Turing and How the British Outsmarted the Nazis
Week 66: Robert Durst and the Groundbreaking "The Jinx" Docuseries
Week 67: The US Government's Atomic Veterans
Week 68: The Effect of the Louisiana Purchase on the Enslaved Population
Week 69: Nazino Island and the Gulags
Week 70: Le Mans Massacre
Week 71: The Osage Tribe and Killers of the Flower Moon
Week 72: The Doctor with the 300% Mortality Rate
Week 73: The Tulip Economic Bubble
Week 74: The Habsburg Jaw
Week 75: History of the Samurai
Week 76: The Yakuza
Week 77: The History of Mental Health
Week 78: Mad as a Hatter -- Historical Usage of Mercury
Week 79: History of Caviar
Week 80: Chris McCandless
Week 81: The Voynich Manuscript
Week 82: How to Spot Propaganda, Dogwhistles, and Micro-aggressions
Week 83: The KKK, Sundown Towns, and Domestic Terrorism
Week 84: Anne Frank
Week 85: History of Juneteenth
Week 86: Black Wall Street (Tulsa, OK), Lake Lanier, & Central Park
Week 87: Would You Survive the Middle Ages?
Week 88: The Sweating Plague
Week 89: The Ides of March
Week 90: Dudleytown, CT
Week 91: The Cambodian Genocide
Week 92: Mao Zedong
Week 93: The Jacobite Rebellion
Week 94: King Leopold II

*Disclaimer: future topics to be announced

Through engaging discussions and multimedia resources, participants will uncover the lesser-known aspects of history, analyze the lasting impact of these dark chapters on society, and foster critical thinking, empathy, and a deeper understanding of the complexities of the human condition.

Join us as we explore the forgotten narratives, untangle the mysteries, and shed light on the shadows that have shaped our world. This course is designed for ages 14-18, providing a safe and supportive environment for students to explore sensitive topics and expand their historical knowledge. Come, be part of this fascinating journey into the darker side of history.

Other Details

Parental Guidance
Disclaimer: Please be advised that this course explores dark and disturbing topics from history, including murder, torture, cannibalism, and other sensitive subjects. These topics are presented with the intent of fostering historical understanding and critical thinking among students. However, it is essential to recognize that these discussions may be unsettling or triggering for some individuals. Parents and guardians are encouraged to review the course content and consider the emotional maturity and sensitivities of their child before enrolling them. It is important to prioritize the well-being and comfort of each student. Should any student feel uncomfortable or wish to opt-out of specific discussions, alternative assignments or activities can be provided upon request. We aim to create a supportive and inclusive learning environment, promoting empathy, respect, and responsible engagement with these historical topics.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
1. The Radium Girls: - Moore, Kate. "The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women." Sourcebooks, 2017. - Von Bergen, C. W., et al. "The Radium Girls: An Illustrated History." McFarland, 2019. - Mullen, Megan. "Radium Girls: Women and Industrial Health Reform, 1910-1935." University of North Carolina Press, 1999. 2. The Dancing Plague of 1518: - Waller, John F. "A Time to Dance, a Time to Die: The Extraordinary Story of the Dancing Plague of 1518." Icon Books, 2009. - Pappenheimer, Thomas. "The Dancing Mania of the Middle Ages." Kessinger Publishing, 2003. - Alvarez, Gonzalo. "The Dance of Death: The Hunt for the Eradication of the 1518 Epidemic of Dancing Mania." AuthorHouse, 2018. 3. Jonestown Massacre: - Reiterman, Tim, and John Jacobs. "Raven: The Untold Story of the Rev. Jim Jones and His People." Dutton, 1982. - Moore, Rebecca. "A Thousand Lives: The Untold Story of Hope, Deception, and Survival at Jonestown." Avery, 2011. - Kilduff, Marshall, and Ron Javers. "The Suicide Cult: The Inside Story of the Peoples Temple Sect and the Massacre in Guyana." Bantam Books, 1978. 4. Unit 731: - Harris, Sheldon H. "Factories of Death: Japanese Biological Warfare 1932-45 and the American Cover-Up." Routledge, 2002. - Williams, Peter. "Unit 731: The Forgotten Asian Auschwitz." Monsoon Books, 2012. - Gold, Hal. "Unit 731 Testimony." Tuttle Publishing, 2011. 5. The Donner Party: - Stewart, George R. "Ordeal by Hunger: The Story of the Donner Party." Mariner Books, 2009. - King, Jonathan. "Skeletons on the Zahara: A True Story of Survival." Back Bay Books, 2005. - Wallis, Michael. "The Best Land Under Heaven: The Donner Party in the Age of Manifest Destiny." Liveright, 2018. 6. The Body Snatchers of Edinburgh: - Stark, David. "The Corpse: A History." Harvard University Press, 2015. - Fergus, Howard. "The Limbless: A History of Amputation." Greenhill Books, 2005. - Richardson, Ruth. "The Making of Mr. Gray's Anatomy: Bodies, Books, Fortune, Fame." Oxford University Press, 2008. 7. Medieval Torture and Humiliation of Women: - Butler, Sara M. "The Language of Abuse: Marital Violence in Later Medieval England." Brill, 2007. - Gilchrist, Roberta. "Medieval Life: Archaeology and the Life Course." Boydell Press, 2012. - Bennett, Judith M. "Ale, Beer, and Brewsters in England: Women's Work in a Changing World, 1300-1600." Oxford University Press, 1999. 8. New England Vampiric Panic: - Bell, Michael E. "Food for the Dead: On the Trail of New England's Vampires." Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2001. - Browning, John Edgar. "Fates Worse Than Death: An Anthology of Gothic Horror." Valancourt Books, 2014. - Barber, Paul. "Vampires, Burial, and Death: Folklore and Reality." Yale University Press, 1988. Ensure to review the content and suitability of each source for middle school-aged students, as some topics may require adaptations or parental guidance.
5.0
5reviews
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
Miss Kennah brings a wealth of expertise and academic qualifications to the field of anthropology education. With a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology and Thanatology from the University of Rhode Island, and ongoing studies pursuing a master's degree in Anthropology at Harvard University, she possesses a strong foundation in the field. Additionally, Miss Kennah has gained valuable international experience during her time at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, where she studied and immersed herself in the vibrant local culture. This diverse educational background allows her to bring a rich global perspective to the classroom, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity among students. With her passion for anthropology and dedication to providing engaging and comprehensive instruction, Miss Kennah is committed to creating a stimulating learning environment that nurtures curiosity and critical thinking skills in every student.

Reviews

Live Group Class
Share

$18

weekly
1x per week
50 min

Completed by 16 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 14-18
1-7 learners per class

About
Support
SafetyPrivacyCA PrivacyLearner PrivacyManage Data PreferencesTerms
Financial Assistance
Get The App
Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play
© 2024 Outschool