Category Archives: Teaching/classroom
Teaching US Environmental History during Trump’s first 100 days
This semester I found myself teaching U.S. Environmental History in what I’ll just call a disturbing political climate (har) for those of us concerned with our environment. In the past four months, Scott Pruitt, a “climate change denialist” and the former … Continue reading
On authority and objectivity
I’m continually struck by how many students seemingly prize the ideal of “objectivity” and neutrality, but more than that, how many of them are convinced those ideals are actually–or should be–manifested in scholarship and the media. I suppose we could … Continue reading
The trial of “an Indyan called Nangenutch or Will”
Although I haven’t posted about it here, I have been working on an essay that I think is about ready for some additional readers (one is already checking it out, another two are lined up and will see it probably … Continue reading
Fredericksburg ghost stories
It’s spring break and almost daylight savings, and so maybe I should be thinking about spring cleaning. But since we’re still dipping down into the single digits, and looking at 3-5 inches of snow and ice and frozenish crud tomorrow, … Continue reading
Teaching research methods
This semester I’m teaching a section of History 298: History Practicum, the second half of a two-course methods sequence for our majors. In the first half of the sequence, we focused more on historiography, and students finished the semester by … Continue reading
Take Note
I’m hardly the only one to have expended breath in unheeded arguments in favor of taking notes by hand, but it’s still nice to occasionally see something that better articulates and explains the rationale I try to share with students. I … Continue reading
