I would consider myself very illiterate when it comes to history. I found it dull when in school. Reading from textbooks, answering end-of-chapter questions did little to excite me towards history. Add to the mix the fact none of my history classes ever made it into the 20th century, you might understand my excitement with the simulation we did via Twitter about Pearl Harbor. This activity made history come alive! I gained so many insights into what it might have been like had I been there myself. Had I read this in a history textbook, I would never have learned that Mr. Austin was a hero who held the porthole open for Adolph Mortenson, knowing he wouldn't fit and would become one of the 2,402 people who would eventually die on this horrific day. By reading all the different accounts, I gained a personal perspective. I wanted to cry when Harry Meid learns his buddy's plane has been attacked. The 2,402 people who died had friends, co-workers, and families that mourned them. If you don't connect with someone in this era, history just becomes a bunch of statistics and facts. This experience took facts and statistics and made them live and breathe. I clapped when Harry Meid later learns his buddy is safe because the enemy had run out of ammo.
I am so thrilled Camille took the time and trouble to set this simulation. For those teaching U.S. and/or world history, what a fabulous tool! Hopefully, you can inspire students to use primary sources to create a retelling that can include many different perspectives! How invaluable to help students feel empathy about people in the past as well as inspire a love of history for their future endeavors! FABULOUS!
I am so thrilled Camille took the time and trouble to set this simulation. For those teaching U.S. and/or world history, what a fabulous tool! Hopefully, you can inspire students to use primary sources to create a retelling that can include many different perspectives! How invaluable to help students feel empathy about people in the past as well as inspire a love of history for their future endeavors! FABULOUS!