“The Progress of the Century,” Currier & Ives, 1876
In a program held October 13, 2009, Ed O’Donnell discussed “The Transformation of Antebellum America.” The main themes he identified in teaching the content were:
Three Revolutions
- The Transportation Revolution
- The Communication Revolution
- The Market Revolution
Two Migrations
- Immigration
- Westward Expansion
Two Ideas
- Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion
- Perfectionism and the Reform Impulse (Abolition)
O’Donnell applied this particular context to his broader approach to teaching history, which involves:
Conflict: Finding and Exploring Conflict and Debate
Agency: Recognizing How People Shape Their Era
Choices: History is the Study of Choices – Nothing is inevitable!
Relevance: Make Connections (carefully) to the Present
Documents and Images
With images, O’Donnell advocates using the SIGHT method:
Scan for important details
Identify the conflict or tension
Guess the creator’s intent or message
Hear the voices
Talk or write about your observations
Handouts:
Historical Habits of the Mind – Bradley Commission
I’ll be interested in hearing how people use this material in their classrooms!
Thanks for the outline. I can’t download the SIGHT or the Quotes hand-outs.