History Dr’s Back to School Video for Teachers
This video that I created in September to give teachers a little boost for the beginning of the school year has gotten more than 1000 views on Facebook. I hope that you’ll like it too. I want teachers to know how important they can be in the life of a student, even if it’s not always apparent in the moment. Start the….Read more
Tips for Tired Teachers on Owning the Dreaded Duties
If you tell yourself that you’d rather be doing something else during your institutional duties, you just made what you are doing now 1000 times harder. Many teachers approach these duties, such as lunchroom supervision, as just that — a duty. We’d rather be doing something else, and this is just a chore to be endured. Employment contracts for teachers often….Read more
Does Business Acumen Help Presidents Succeed?
Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney said in 2012 that a candidate for president should spend at least three years working in business before becoming president of the United States, quoting a small business owner who thought that this requirement should be enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. Interesting proposal. (Ironically, it would have disqualified his own running mate, Paul Ryan.) The idea, an old one, is….Read more
Video: Titans of the Gilded Age
This video tells the stories of some of the big business titans of the Gilded Age. When the Civil War ended in 1865, an old and pressing set of issues—slavery, states’ rights and secession– went off the national stage. Arriving on stage were mining, manufacturing and railroads. America’s history had turned the page. The age of corporate consolidation was….Read more
The Rise of Presidential Campaigning
Presidential campaigns were not always the expensive and brutal battles we recognize today. Our first leaders did not even campaign at all. Why? It was considered vulgar and venal to promote one’s self. It suggested deceit and dishonor. Many founders used pen names when they published, to separate personalities from issues. Some of the great pseudonyms included “The Federal Farmer,”….Read more
3 Crucial Tips for Teachers on Back to School Night
Back to School night can be nerve wracking for teachers. You are on stage and under a microscope. Having heard all about you at the dinner table, parents finally get to take a look at you for themselves. Some may come eager to see the teacher their child raves about, and some may come with complaints, grievances and rotten fruit….Read more
Unions: Crony Cartel or Collective Voice?
Legend has it that Henry Ford Jr was touring a car production plant with union official Walter Reuther. Ford pointed to his automated robots and smiled at Reuther. “How are you going to get the robots to pay union dues, Walter?” Ford quipped. “How are you going to get the robots to buy your cars, Henry?” Reuther replied. ….Read more
Did Jefferson Foresee Today’s Racial Divide?
Recently, NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for the national anthem, in part because of a little known verse that celebrates slavery. The national soul is being tested again. We all know the paradox of Thomas Jefferson. Despite his claim that all humans are created equal, he held slaves himself and did not free them in his will. He referred to Native….Read more
7 Tips to Becoming a Leader Who Influences, Not Commands
The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help them or concluded that you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership. –General Colin Powell Our society grapples with problems of leadership. Difficult decisions clash with strong emotions–with severe….Read more
Shays Rebellion Lesson Plan, Yours for Free
&lt;/p&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=”display:inline;”&gt;<br /> &lt;img height=”1″ width=”1″ style=”border-style:none;” alt=”” src=”//www.googleadservices.com/pagead/conversion/988540412/?label=LIFjCKuKrGsQ_Nuv1wM&amp;amp;guid=ON&amp;amp;script=0″/&gt;&lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;p&gt; Welcome to the History Dr community! We hope you enjoy the free lesson plan and find it useful. It’s designed for social studies and American/U.S. history classes from grades 8th-12th. If you are interested in more experiential plans and games that really work in the classroom in terms of….Read more