The course came out of requests for classes that focused on the world wars (junior high) and the Holocaust (high school). A semester is an eight week course, with one hour periods. I didn't feel I could adequately cover both world wars in eight weeks, or even do justice to an eight week course on the Holocaust. So it became a combined course, two periods for two semesters, junior high and high school together first period and then just high school the second period to expound on ideas presented the first hour. My favored approach to teaching history is to eschew all textbooks, present the basic facts, and then add in the literature and empirical resources of the period covered. So whatever book(s) I choose, I want there to be a give and take of facts, immersion into the social conditions and world views, and original thought output by students; because how can study history from our current societies or worldview and have it be meaningful in any way?
I spent several months reading books, searching for books, and considering so many different angles as I put together a basic outline. Two weeks ago, I knew I had to wrap up the searching period and make a final decision. I decided to search one last time and gave myself an evening to nail it down. I found two books:
The first book (left) is just a super fun overview of the war that's jam packed with factoids that appeal to most readers: from the technological advancements of warfare to spying, songs of the soldiers, and many other fascinating snippets. It's the book on the right, however, that has blown my mind. This November marks the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War. I've given quite a bit of thought to the timing of this course. It seems more than appropriate to teach it now-- to bring to light this "war to end all wars."
In my quest for a literary offering, most go to the disillusioned cynics that wrote their novels from the drudgery and hopelessness of war and a post-war world-- the likes of Ernest Hemingway, TS Elliot, Erich Remarque, and Robert Graves. I just couldn't do it. I had fiddled quite a bit with the idea of Tolkien and the movie appendices of The Lord of the Rings, but was that really a possibility to go biting off on? This is a junior high/high school class and Tolkien nuances would be difficult, not to mention overwhelming from a teacher's stand point of planning. It was a good idea, but the output could be ghastly. My evening to settle on my book selection brought me A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War by Joseph Loconte. It felt right. It looked right (and don't both books look just lovely together?). I had never read it, but the reviews were compelling. With a healthy side of C.S. Lewis-- that I always somehow look over in terms of his World War I experiences-- it seemed perfect. Done.
I read it in three days. Each and every bit of every lesson I had in my outline was in the pages of this book. Loconte was saying all the things I had jumbled up in my brain and spattered in copious scribbles upon notebook paper, sticky notes, napkins, paper scraps, and note pads. Then I needed to see how to break up the reading for this eight week course. There are seven chapters that are more than manageable for weekly assignments. My nerd heart rejoiced.
Planning continued and I'm right at a week before the first class, making today a fine-tuning-of-the- course day. I utilize a wide variety of video clips because I'm aware this age group really doesn't want to hear me lecture for an hour or two. The outline, the books, the reading assignments, the multimedia options... they have all just flowed. I've been on cloud nine most of the afternoon and evening watching it all sync. Then my teacher's assistant texted me with a youtube link and the "Have you seen this??" text screaming up from my phone. It's a trailer for a documentary based on this book for a five part documentary that begins on the 11th of November, 2018, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Armistice. This will air seventeen days after my course ends. I experienced the most absurd, most preposterously nerdy adrenaline rush. It's all the things.
I've never doubted where my passions lay. This level of excitement amuses me. This course will be fantastic. Now to not scare the students with how stupid thrilled I am with all the nerd stuff.
