History Commons^™

Diary Of Joe And Josephine Nomad Assignment, Kitty Lam

Kitty Lam

The Eurasian nomads did not leave behind an abundance of written sources. Because these were primarily non-literate societies, many of the written sources on these people were created by people from settled civilizations. If the nomads could tell us about their encounters with the settled civilizations, how would they tell that story? What evidence would they leave behind? This assessment encourages students to showcase their creativity while demonstrating their understanding of the relationship between nomadic and sedentary civilizations in Eurasia.

Silk Road Traveler Identity Quest: Text, Kitty Lam

Kitty Lam

Who wrote this text?

“In the country of ‘the lord of elephants’ the people are quick and enthusiastic, and entirely given to learning. They cultivate especially magical arts. They wear a robe thrown across them, with their right shoulder bare; their hair is done up in a ball on the top, and left undressed on the four sides. Their various tribes occupy different towns; their houses are built stage over stage.”

Silk Road Encounters: Real And/Or Imagined?, Kitty Lam

Kitty Lam

This unit plan outlines my approach to world history with a thematic focus on the movement of people, goods and ideas. The Silk Road serves a metaphor for one of the oldest and most significant networks for long distance east-west exchange, and offers ample opportunity for students to conceptualize movement in a world historical context. This unit provides a framework for students to consider the different kinds of people who facilitated cross-cultural exchange of goods and ideas and the multiple factors that shaped human mobility. This broad unit is divided into two parts: Part A emphasizes the significance of nomadic …

Homes Across The Border: Russian Summer Houses In The Karelian Isthmus And The Finnish State, 1917–1927, Kitty Lam

Kitty Lam

At the end of the 19th century, numerous St. Petersburg residents established their summer homes in the Karelian Isthmus, a picturesque region in the Grand Duchy of Finland, an autonomous province of the Russian Empire. The ease of travel between the Russian imperial capital and the Finnish seaside towns contributed to this practice. After 1917, a new border regime delineated the nascent Finnish state from the equally new Russian/ Soviet state. This change displaced the majority of Russian proprietors, as well as those imperial subjects who rented vacation properties from local Finns. This article addresses how state-building practices distinguishing between …

Session B-2: Pirates: Past And Present, Kitty Lam

Kitty Lam

Piracy has endured for as long as maritime trade has existed. From the ancient Mediterranean world to the modern-day Somali coast, pirates have threatened merchant ships. The legacy of piracy has inspired countless songs, poems, novels, and movies. Who were pirates? What did they want? Where did they go? How did they interact with states? Students have internalized stereotypes about pirates from popular culture, but rarely consider these questions about piracy. This workshop will examine the significance of piracy in world history through texts and visual material. Case studies will be global, but focus on the early modern period.

Crusades Primary Source Quest: Student Handouts, Kitty Lam

Kitty Lam

The scenario:

About 30 years ago, a group of archeologists discovered excerpts of texts written by people who had witnessed the Crusades, buried inside the tomb of a scholar who died in the late 13^th century. The archaeologists hired Bernard, an archivist at the Museum of the Middle Ages, to analyze the texts and determine just exactly what these documents were and who wrote them. Unfortunately, before Bernard had finished his task, aliens had abducted Bernard and the team of archeologists who discovered the documents. No one heard from any of these people again, and the discovery was forgotten …