https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3 Please read the excerpt written by the historian Howard Zinn. Take some time to reflect (do you agree, disagree? why/why not) and share your thoughts on the board. en-us 2018-01-02 03:34:09 UTC 2025-11-14 20:37:51 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Lightdecrease.png masonk2 https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218274750 Historian's thoughts-]]> 2018-01-02 03:38:48 UTC https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218274750 liampataky2021 https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299120 This is a brilliant piece of work from Zinn and makes me look forward to reading more of what he has to say. In this short excerpt he is explaining both that we must look on and reflect upon both the bad events and the good ones, and that however small our actions are, they mean something and can help create a better future for the present and later generations. Going into this year there is much sorrow and much grief but there is also hope that things may change. The catalyst for human innovation and progression is hope. Perhaps this year, insurgent groups such as ISIS or others will be brought down. Perhaps this year new and better power sources will be sought out and implemented. It is difficult to say all that will happen but I have hope that it will be great. Because we can make it that way.  ]]> 2018-01-02 12:28:21 UTC https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299120 jacobstolberg2021 https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299124 I do agree with Zinn's words on reflecting into the past and the future. Zinn is very optimistic looking both forward and back, but he doesn't shy away from acknowledging the bad times that have occured. Hard/ bad times bring out some of the best in people, and those people can help bring about easier and merrier times. He speaks the truth in saying that if we only focus in on the bad, we lose all hope and drive to do anything. In focusing on the good however, we are able to realize the potential that we all have to do great things, and we can go on to do those great things to bring about better lives. In the last section he tells us all to seize our own future and make it our own, creating our own perfect present.

]]> 2018-01-02 12:28:24 UTC https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299124 melijackson2021 https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299151 Zinn has an optimistic point of view. He believes that you need to look at a situation from all sides and see how it is not all bad. This relates to 2018 because even though there has been a lot of bad things happening recently there has also been a lot of good things happening.He is basically saying focusing on the bad parts of everything will get you nowhere and that .He does not what you to be "foolishly romantic" but he wants you to know that human history is not just cruel. Human history has sacrifice,compassion, courage, and kindness.  I would kind of agree that this relates to 2018.  There is always going to be cruelty but there is always going to be kindness and compassion. ]]> 2018-01-02 12:28:47 UTC https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299151 benjamingranville2021 https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299155 Zinn's words connect to our new year because in 2017 many bad things happened, but a lot of good things happened also. He explains that if you focus on the bad you will it will change your view badly on society, but if you look at the good you will feel more confident in your choices and wont bring people down but up in spirit making yours and their year better.]]> 2018-01-02 12:28:49 UTC https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299155 ryanbutler2021 https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299173 In the begining parts of this writing piece it is resembling that you shall have an open mind comming into a new change.  To have a positive state of thinking is the better way to go.  Which ever path you decide to take will determine your fate/future,  it's iup to you to decide weather it shall be positive or negative.  
As the writing piece is closing it displays determination. It's pretty much saying, don'y wait for an oppurtunity, go out and grab it yourself. It also states that even if you are surrouned by negativity, still being on earthg in a positive way is a victory.]]> 2018-01-02 12:29:01 UTC https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299173 delaneysherman2021 https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299203 Zinn's thoughts portray the view that perspective on the status quo and future makes or breaks it. He is advocating that being an optimist is the ultimate game-changer that can lead to success, no matter where the starting point is. In order to achieve greatness, one must have a positive outlook and not discard all hope because of the past. He believes that the world's connotation is never set in stone. People should also stray from solely relying on others and take their strengths into account to improve the future as hard work inspires others. ]]> 2018-01-02 12:29:22 UTC https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299203 isabellasosa2021 https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299216 What I´m getting from this quote is that you need to have hope. You need to get inspiration from others. Don´t always look in the bad of things because if you look at bad then you won´t do well. If you can look at something and be like well if this person did this in harder circumstances, then I can definitely accomplish my goal. A person´s view on the things in their life can determine their future. Yet again you can´t be just looking at the good, you have to look at some not so awesome things that have happened in our history, but you have to learn from it and how that problem was resolved. ]]> 2018-01-02 12:29:32 UTC https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299216 charleyblair2021 https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299218 In this piece of writing from Howard Zinn I think he is explaining that even though there are some bad times that go on we can still be hopeful about the future and not be so wrapped up in the past. He says that if we choose to focus on the bad things it will destroy your capacity to do something, but of you focus on the good things it will give you the energy to act, not everything has to revolve around the bad things that happen.]]> 2018-01-02 12:29:33 UTC https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299218 spencercote2021 https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299238 I agree with Zinn's words. They express a sense of optimism yielded from the positive events in history. He acknowledges not both the good and the bad present in the history of our world, which is not an easy thing to do as the bad usually over shadows the good. Zinn's optimistic sentiment can be applied to our new year as we go in to 2018, a lot of bad happened last year, and we can either move on from it, pushing the good things that happened to the forefront, or we can stay stuck, unwilling to move past prior issues. ]]> 2018-01-02 12:29:46 UTC https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299238 oliviaellis2021 https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299239 What Howard Zinn was trying to say is that based on what we choose to remember, the good or bad can determine the direction of our lives. He believes that we should recognize both aspects and use them to help create our "utopian" future.]]> 2018-01-02 12:29:47 UTC https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299239 matthewbrown2021 https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299240 Howard states that it is not foolish to be optimistic. If we focus on only the negative events of the year, then it will limit our ability to correct our paths. For this New Year, we can follow Howard's words and focus less on the negative events of the year, but not forget their impact, as to keep an example to build upon.

]]> 2018-01-02 12:29:48 UTC https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299240 marissagebhardt2021 https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299247 What Zinns words mean in this reading is that how we go about handling our past and present determines the outcome of our future. If we make good choices based on what we have, we can do great things. This also applies to how we go about our 2018. If we focus on all things bad, we will never get anywhere good. But, if we overcome what we go through this year, we come out stronger (physically and mentally) than before. ]]> 2018-01-02 12:29:51 UTC https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299247 connorhayes2021 https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299306 He wants people to not only focus on the negative aspects of our lives, he wants us to notice and prioritize our good and happy parts of our lives and use it to create a better, safer, more enjoyable world. He believes if we keep focusing in the negative we will keep going in the wrong direction with our world. Also. he says we don't have to wait for this "Utopian future" because our defiance against a negative world already makes it a better place. I very much agree with Mr. Zinn because with all the wrong in the world, if we just stopped hurting other people and tried to live peacefully together, we would be happier for it.]]> 2018-01-02 12:30:40 UTC https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299306 nolson2021 https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299353 Zinns words are connected to the  new year because it shows how the bad and the good can affect our future and determine what can happen next. We shouldn't always focus on the bad because that will affect our outlook on society and the future, But we should focus on the good things and the present.]]> 2018-01-02 12:31:07 UTC https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299353 seanbrown2021 https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299362 I agree with Zinn in that dwelling on the negative things will get us nowhere and that a Back to The Future-esque future will not just appear without collective human effort to struggle through, persevere and focus on the good in  the world. I feel like this pertains to the previous year greatly with the possible threat of war with North Korea.]]> 2018-01-02 12:31:14 UTC https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299362 tylermckay2021 https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299400 i agree with what he was saying. he is saying that good things come of bad things. he is also trying to have us use events that happen before to help prevent something like that happening again ]]> 2018-01-02 12:31:36 UTC https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299400 timothygoddard2021 https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299425 Zinn states that people are going to have tough times in their life regardless so you have to stay positive. So the connection is to stay positive during the new year. I also agree what he is saying in his statement. ]]> 2018-01-02 12:31:51 UTC https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299425 stephenolsen2021 https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299614 What Zinn is saying in this text is how we make our decisions and the way we make them it could determine our lives, the choices that are good gives us energy to act and the possibility of making things go in a different directions. If we choose to only see the bad things it will destroy our capacity to do so as Zinn says. He also says the future is infinite successions of presents. ]]> 2018-01-02 12:33:14 UTC https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218299614 briellelaurent2021 https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218300648 Howard Zinn wants to show that all the bad in the world should not be focused on. Thinking that society will never be good just because of the violence in society today will never end the violence. The best way to improve our world is using hope in bad times. If we use the hope and determination to change the world now, each second into the future will be better than the last. ]]> 2018-01-02 12:39:31 UTC https://padlet.com/leicesterpublicschools/7d7pm8antp3/wish/218300648