TOK Toolkit by titiksha goswami

2020

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 05:21:27 UTC

1. "Others have seen what is and asked why. I have seen what could be and asked why not" (Pablo Picasso). Explore this distinction with reference to two areas of knowledge.

2. "There is a sharp line between describing something and offering an explanation of it." To what extent do you agree with this claim?

3. Does it matter that your personal circumstances influence how seriously your knowledge is taken?

4. "The role of analogy is to aid understanding rather than to provide justification." To what extent do you agree with this statement?

5. "Given that every theory has its limitations, we need to retain a multiplicity of theories to understand the world." Discuss this claim with reference to two areas of knowledge.

6. "Present knowledge is wholly dependent on past knowledge." Discuss this claim with reference to two areas of knowledge.

How to integrate TOK into all subjects

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 05:24:09 UTC

One of the biggest challenges an IB Diploma Programme (DP) teacher faces is finding ways to integrate Theory of Knowledge (TOK) into all subjects.

TOK Knowledge Question

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 05:25:50 UTC

Knowledge questions are central to the course in general, and the essay and presentation in particular. It’s therefore vital to build up an understanding of what they are, and how to handle them. Students get confused about knowledge questions because they think they are more than what they actually are. The IB has always asked TOK students to consider this concept, but has never quite decided on how best to label it.

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 05:26:01 UTC

While these link to a basic definition of each of the terms, it is only to give you an idea of the concepts involved in the term. You'll build and develop your own understandings of the terms in your classes.

How to Structure a Theory of Knowledge Essay

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 05:26:37 UTC

TOK Essay outline

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 05:27:00 UTC

are you curious to know how to write TOK Essay!!

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 05:27:11 UTC

A TOK Understanding Knowledge& Knowers Workshop

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 05:27:38 UTC

Take a moment to reflect on the painting below by Rene Magritte “Treachery of Images” which he created in 1928-1929. This is the image that appears on the cover of your TOK course overview. As a critical thinker & “knower”, you will need to develop the skills that will allow you to observe, examine, experiment, interpret, reflect, evaluate & assess yourself & the world around you.

The TOK exhibition

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 05:27:49 UTC

The "brand new" TOK exhibition is worth 33% of the grades. It is assessed internally, but moderated externally. The exhibition aims to assess how you can apply TOK concepts to the real world.

Theory of Knowledge

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 05:27:58 UTC

Remote Teaching Resources for IB Teachers serves as a vessel to project my passions, and clue in my loyal readers as to what inspires me in this crazy world.

Knowing and Knowledge: Kathleen Alexander at TEDxVirginiaTech

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 05:36:11 UTC

Dr. Kathleen Alexander has been conducting research in East and Southern Africa for over twenty years.

Michael Dunn: What Makes a Good Knowledge Question?

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 05:36:21 UTC

Michael Dunn creator of http://theoryofknowledge.net/ and experienced Theory of Knowledge teacher answers the question: What makes a good Knowledge Question? in his guide to Theory of Knowledge for the IB Diploma.

IB study tips: theory of knowledge

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 05:36:56 UTC

Questions for reflections

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 05:41:09 UTC

Is everything art? (Think Tracey Emin's My Bed, Marcel Duchamp's The Fountain)
To what extent do you gain understanding of human psychology in general, or society's dynamics n general, from the particular version in the particular novel?
If an artist makes a copy of a great painting that is so well done that he can deceive most experts, is he as great an artist as the original painter?
What distinguishes propaganda from art that expresses a point of view?
To what extent do artists, critics, and members of the general public audiences all share the same criteria for evaluating the work of art?
Are there concepts, named in language, that you think are extremely important - perhaps even essential - in discussing and evaluating the arts?
To what extent do you think that some of the arts gain their communicative power by being free of language and its confines?
What characteristics do the arts share in common in their ways of working?
To what extent do the arts help us to see the world with new eyes?
Do you think there are universal standards of beauty, or do you think they vary from country to country?
'It's a great work of art, but I don't like it.' - How, if at all, can someone say this with consistency?
How much can we learn about the way a culture sees the world by studying the art that it produces?
Does a colour photograph capture nature more accurately than a black and white one?
To what extent do you think you can understand or appreciate a work of art if you know nothing about the context?
To what extent do you think artists ought to engage with the political issues of the day?
When, if ever, do you think that a work of art should be censored?
To what extend does - and should - art inform our ethical position?

The idea of 'ethical art' is nonsense. We have to separate art from life

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 05:41:22 UTC

On Criteria for good art (1984)

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 05:41:32 UTC

How art gives shape to cultural change - Thelma Golden

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 05:41:40 UTC

Thelma Golden, curator at the Studio Museum in Harlem, talks through three recent shows that explore how art examines and redefines culture. The "post-black" artists she works with are using their art to provoke a new dialogue about race and culture -- and about the meaning of art itself.

The family history of Facebook: how social media will change the world

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 06:13:32 UTC

I’m fascinated by social media. My Gen X friends can’t understand it. Most of them are too busy struggling with families and careers to spend time glued to Facebook and Twitter.

Why Study History Through Primary Sources

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 06:13:44 UTC

It is clear that all our information in regard to past events and conditions must be derived from evidence of some kind. This evidence is called the source.

The Fundamentals of History

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 06:14:02 UTC

Historians do not, as too many of my colleagues keep mindlessly repeating, "reconstruct" the past.

History Guide

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 06:14:11 UTC

What follows are a series of quotations about history and the historian's craft. They have been culled from a variety of sources and they appear here in totally random order. Their purpose is to incite, energize and stimulate your historical imagination.

Questions for Reflections

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 06:14:20 UTC

Is it possible for historical writing to be free from perspective?
What is a fact in history?
How can historical accounts be assessed?
How can one gauge the extent to which a history is told from a particular cultural or national perspective?
To what extent do you think that people learn from their mistakes, and to what extent do you think they keep making the same mistakes?
If you keep a diary, what determines what you choose to include and what you choose to omit?
What is the relation between the style of language used and the history written?
What distinguishes a better historical account from a worse one?
How do we decide which events are historically significant?

Why Study History? (1985)

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 06:14:29 UTC

Why should anyone bother learning about things that happened far away and long ago? Who cares about Cleopatra, Charlemagne, Montezuma or Confucius? And why worry about George Washington, or how democratic government and industrial society arose? Isn't there quite enough to learn about the world today?

WorldmapperRediscover the world as you’ve never seen it before

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 06:14:38 UTC

Worldmapper is a collection of world maps called cartograms, where territories are resized on each map according to the subject of interest. Our range of maps is continuously extended and updated. Explore the world as you’ve never seen it before!

AOK Human Sciences

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 06:15:37 UTC

The Idea That a Scientific Theory Can Be ‘Falsified’ Is a Myth

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 06:15:47 UTC

J.B.S. Haldane, one of the founders of modern evolutionary biology theory, was reportedly asked what it would take for him to lose faith in the theory of evolution and is said to have replied, “Fossil rabbits in the Precambrian.”

Spindle Cells

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 06:16:00 UTC

Is empathy a purely human quality? In this segment, Jad and Robert explore the inner workings of the spindle cell, those long neurons that might connect thoughts to feelings, with the help of Dr. Patrick Hof and Jonah Lehrer. Then they talk to Dr. Clive Wynne again to get a different take on how to connect with an animal.

10 Ways Young Generations Are Better Than Their Parents

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 06:16:09 UTC

Young people get a bad rap. Current generations are often portrayed as unmotivated and irresponsible compared to the hard-working, sensible generations that came before them.

Top 10 Unethical Psychological Experiments

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 06:16:18 UTC

Psychology is a relatively new science which gained popularity in the early 20th century with Wilhelm Wundt.

How bacteria "talk"

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 06:18:46 UTC

Bonnie Bassler discovered that bacteria "talk" to each other, using a chemical language that lets them coordinate defense and mount attacks. The find has stunning implications for medicine, industry — and our understanding of ourselves.

Thomas Kuhn: Paradigms and what is Science?

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 06:18:55 UTC

Everything you need to teach and to learn chemistry!

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 06:19:09 UTC

Here you will find exemplary digital resources, tools, and online services; your 24:7 aid for teaching and learning chemistry. A collaborative, community-driven effort, ChemEd DL is the place for sharing your work and benefitting from what others have done.

SYMPHONY OF SCIENCE

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 06:19:18 UTC

The series puts a new spin on science by remixing lectures, documentaries, and movies into music videos celebrating the most mind-blowing knowledge we have. The videos have been used in classrooms around the world as a means to get people interested in science.

Philosophy v science: which can answer the big questions of life?

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 06:19:27 UTC

Philosopher Julian Baggini fears that, as we learn more and more about the universe, scientists are becoming increasingly determined to stamp their mark on other disciplines. Here, he challenges theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss over 'mission creep' among his peers

Maths IA – Maths Exploration Topics

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 06:21:25 UTC

The Abacus

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 06:21:32 UTC

Articles, excerpts and reader-submitted analyses related to the abacus.

The History of Mathematics

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 06:21:46 UTC

Exploring the concepts, ideas, and results of mathematics is a fascinating topic. On the one hand some breakthroughs in mathematical thought we will study came as accidents, and on the other hand as consequences of attempts to solve some great open problem.

The beautiful math of coral

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 06:21:56 UTC

By combining art and math, this talk provides compelling information for anyone interested in either field. I learned so much about coral reefs, crochet work, hyperbolic geometry — and how two seemingly divergent disciplines can merge to form something beautiful.

Math Professor Helps Uncover Art Fakes

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 06:22:06 UTC

Determining what is real and what is fake has long been a problem for art curators. It is estimated that 20 percent of the worldwide art market is made up of forgeries.

Indigenous Ways of Knowing: An Introduction to Crossing Cultures

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 06:32:35 UTC

Professor Stephen Gilchrist discusses the exhibition Crossing Cultures: The Owen and Wagner Collection of Contemporary Aboriginal Art.

Education transforms lives

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 06:32:44 UTC

Education transforms lives and is at the heart of UNESCO’s mission to build peace, eradicate poverty and drive sustainable development.

Schooling the world

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 06:32:54 UTC

"If you wanted to change a culture in a single generation, how would you do it?
You would change the way it educates its children."
Read the Essays and Articles.

Tools for Teaching and Research in Indigenous Studies

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 06:33:03 UTC

"The Indigenous Knowledge Commons provides a forum for thinking creatively about the social and cultural roles of Indigenous Studies, especially in relation to online teaching and research in the field."

Indigenous Knowledge Systems/Alaska Native Ways of Knowing

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 06:33:11 UTC

This article seeks to extend our understanding of the processes of learning that occur within and at the intersection of diverse world views and knowledge systems, drawing on experiences derived from across Fourth World contexts, with an emphasis on the Alaska context in particular.

WHAT IS TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE?

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 06:33:23 UTC

An Eskimo hunter once saw a polar bear far off across flat ice, where he couldnít stalk it without being seen. But he knew an old technique of mimicking a seal. He lay down in plain sight, conspicuous in his dark parka and pants, then lifted and dropped his head like a seal, scratched the ice and imitated flippers with his hands.

Critical Thinking Part 2: Broken Logic

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 06:37:58 UTC

Critical Thinking Part 1: A Valuable Argument

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 06:38:08 UTC

INDUCTIVE AND DEDUCTIVE REASONING

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 06:38:17 UTC

Logical Fallacies

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 06:38:26 UTC

The ability to identify logical fallacies in the arguments of others, and to avoid them in one’s own arguments, is both valuable and increasingly rare.

How algorithms shape our world

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 06:38:36 UTC

Kevin really got me thinking about the hidden forces that run our world, and the unintended consequences we create when we rely too heavily on algorithms to make decisions for us. It's a cautionary tale, but an important one.

Does Language Shape What We Think?

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 07:02:03 UTC

A new study looks at what happens when a language doesn't have words for numbers

How the internet is changing language

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 07:02:14 UTC

'To Google' has become a universally understood verb and many countries are developing their own internet slang. But is the web changing language and is everyone up to speed?

Does Your Language Shape How You Think?

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 07:03:23 UTC

Seventy years ago, in 1940, a popular science magazine published a short article that set in motion one of the trendiest intellectual fads of the 20th century.

Will we ever... talk to the animals?

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 07:03:34 UTC

History is littered with animals who have "communicated" with humans, but as work with dolphins shows it is difficult to strike up a two-way conversation.

Language - Questions for reflection

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 07:03:43 UTC

How much could you know about the world if you had no language or means of communicating with other people?
How easy is it to misunderstand the body language of someone from a different culture?
?? Do you think animals have language ?
?? Is it possible to think without language? How does language facilitate, extend, direct or limit thinking?
?? To what extent is your use of language accompanied by images? Does every word conjure up an image or only some of them?
?? Do you think communication would be improved if we got rid of vague words, or do you think they sometimes serve a useful purpose?
?? To what extent can punctuation help to reduce the ambiguity of a sentence?
?? In what ways does learning a second language contribute to, and expand, your knowledge of the world? Give some examples of words in your own language, or your second language, which have no precise English equivalent.
?? What are the main advantages and disadvantages of classifying people according to their nationality?
?? If you are fluent in more than one language, to what extent do you think differently when you switch between languages?
?? What kinds of experiences elude language altogether? Do we have alternative means of communication?

How the language you speak changes your view of the world

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 07:03:56 UTC

Bilinguals get all the perks. Better job prospects, a cognitive boost and even protection against dementia.

World Ethnologue

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 07:04:05 UTC

It’s hard to find clarity in a sea of over 7,000 languages. With Ethnologue you can get the details right – and make wise decisions for your business, clients, or research.

Language In Use

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 07:04:15 UTC

This site aims to help students learn about - and teachers teach - the English language.
See The Site Map for a full list of pages and themes.
There are tasks to help work through the material, expert advice and strategies for identifying unknown texts..

Understanding Body Language & The Signals...

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 07:04:25 UTC

Body language is one our most subtle, yet important modes of communication. Understanding body language, or non-verbal communication, enables us to positively develop our communication style, and improve our relationships with people around us.

How authors from Dickens to Dr Seuss invented the words we use every day

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 07:04:35 UTC

The English language didn't just spring from nowhere. So who introduced such gems as 🤬, meme, nerd and butterfingers?

The Power of the Spoken Word

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 07:04:44 UTC

The power of the spoken word is a concept shared by many cultures and its roots go deep into pre-literate history.

Language In Usehear it, speak it,understand it & use it

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 07:04:53 UTC

A worldwide collaboration tostrengthen endangered languages

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 07:05:03 UTC

Use the category buttons below to easily search our resources on information, academic publications, and research concerning the world’s endangered languages! Our resources include information on anthropology, sociology, education, cognitive science, environmental science, public policy, and more and have been uploaded by users and researchers alike.

Words of the world

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 07:05:12 UTC

"From Nazi to Chocolate, words play a vital role in our lives.
And each word has its own story.
But where do they come from? What do they mean? How do they change?
Some of these questions will be answered by "Words of the World" - a series of short videos presented by experts from the University of Nottingham's School of Modern Languages and Cultures."

titikshaghy2 — 2020-09-30 07:12:07 UTC

You can drop in suggestions and feedback TO THE LIBRARIAN address in the below web link or Email me: titiksha.goswami@dpsiedge.edu.in

IB webliography

titikshaghy2 — 2020-10-03 04:13:03 UTC

Philosophy News: What is Knowledge?

titikshaghy2 — 2020-10-03 06:31:48 UTC

Recommendation:

Instead of reading a whole epistemology book, a very handy summary. For teachers newly assigned to teach TOK. The section on Further Reading is also worth exploring at the end of the page. Source : https://www.philosophynews.com/post/2011/09/22/What-is-Knowledge.aspx

Pew Research Center: Religion and Public Life

titikshaghy2 — 2020-10-03 06:38:35 UTC

Summary:

What Americans know about religion.

Recommendation:

Students may take the Quiz to test their religious knowledge, and read some informative articles. The whole website of the Pew Center is worth extensive exploration. Source : https://www.pewforum.org/2019/07/23/factors-linked-with-religious-knowledge/

Visit Website

Who Am I? A philosophical inquiry - Amy Adkins

titikshaghy2 — 2020-10-03 06:41:16 UTC

Summary:

This resource gives a general overview of the questions students will be asking when learning about this subject. It introduces a question many historic figures have asked and can help get into the mindset of tackling the TOK Essay.

Recommendation:

As a recommended watch before deciding which question to answer in the essay. Source : https://ed.ted.com/lessons/who-am-i-a-philosophical-inquiry-amy-adkins

Endangered LanguagesUNESCO

titikshaghy2 — 2020-10-03 06:47:27 UTC

titikshaghy2 — 2020-10-03 07:07:16 UTC

Summary:

Close to a hundred recordings of pieces of classical music, played by ten master pianists.

Recommendation:

This is an opportunity to move off the focus from paintings to music. Some of the questions asked in the context of paintings can be asked again regarding music, to check to what extent answers may vary depending on the medium. As an area of knowledge, art both conveys knowledge and requires knowledge to be fully appreciated. Both aspects can be examined here: can it be said that a musical piece "conveys knowledge" (and is it then describable or ineffable?); and how does knowledge about music in general and about this piece and this musician in particular, contribute to our enjoyment? Source : https://www.limelightmagazine.com.au/features/the-10-greatest-pianists-of-all-time/

Visit Website

titikshaghy2 — 2020-10-18 11:34:06 UTC

“Words like ‘bone,’ ‘pubic,’ and ‘stream’ are frankly ridiculous to ban in a field where we regularly find pubic bones in streams,” one participant said of the filter, which organizers had to thwart.

By Becky Ferreira

titikshagoswami — 2020-11-17 08:15:12 UTC

Diploma Programme Assessment procedures

titikshaghy2 — 2024-01-31 03:15:50 UTC

2023

Theory of knowledge teacher support material

titikshaghy2 — 2024-01-31 03:18:07 UTC

TOK 10 changes

titikshaghy2 — 2024-01-31 03:20:05 UTC

The May 2024 TOK Essay Prescribed Titles

2024-02-08 05:25:52 UTC

Is subjectivity overly celebrated in the arts but unfairly condemned in history? Discuss with reference to the arts and history.

How can we reconcile the opposing demands for specialization and generalization in the production of knowledge? Discuss with reference to mathematics and one other area of knowledge.

Nothing is more exciting than fresh ideas, so why are areas of knowledge often so slow to adopt them? Discuss with reference to the human sciences and one other area of knowledge.

Do we underestimate the challenges of taking knowledge out of its original context and transferring it to a different context? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Do we need custodians of knowledge? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Are we too quick to assume that the most recent evidence is inevitably the strongest? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.

A Guardian article, exploring the way Portugal is ‘grappling with the legacy of its colonial past’ - specifically, their role in the slave trade.

titikshaghy2 — 2024-07-19 09:32:44 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE How should countries approach the more morally repugnant episodes of their past?

KEY TERMS Confronting, Responsibility, Structural racism, Words vs. action, Denial, Incomplete image, Sanitised interpretation, Nationalistic perspective

LINKS TO History, Natural sciences

A History Today article, looking at how much we can learn about the past from people’s clothing.

titikshaghy2 — 2024-07-19 09:38:40 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Divide up into groups, and focus on one of the historians - Maria Hayward, Christine Checinska, Andrew Brooks, Haley Schroer. Think about: what type of clothing do they discuss? What does it tell us about society at that time? What insights does it provide us with that other evidence can’t give us? To wrap up: How important is it to use historical evidence other than formal documentation when we investigate the past?

A Guardian article, which asserts that without considering climate, you cannot properly understand the past.

titikshaghy2 — 2024-07-19 09:40:11 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE In what way has history changed, in terms of the types of evidence we now draw on to explore the past? How are ‘climate archives’ now playing such an important part in the way we explain events - and what examples does the article give of these? Why are historians now paying much more attention to the role of climate change in shaping past events? Overall, how does investigating past events within the context of climate change encourage us to address existential questions in the present? What does this reveal about the nature of historical enquiry?

KEY TERMS Transforming ideas, Accuracy, New tools and methods, New evidence, Existential questions

LINKS TO History, Natural sciences

A History Today article, taking a broad look at the debate surrounding statues that celebrate controversial characters from the past.

titikshaghy2 — 2024-07-19 09:41:50 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE This article is useful in helping us to arrive at a position on the recent controversies surrounding statues in the US, UK, and many other countries around the world. It also helps us to understand the importance of exploring issues via the consideration of the right questions. First of these is, ‘What purpose do statues serve?’ Going on from here, how has this purpose changed over time? For an answer to this, focus on the quote in the last paragraph: “On the one hand are those who regard them as embodying some essential and imperishable historical certainty. On the other are observers who are able – and willing – to look beyond a particular statue to a more complex and contestable past reality.” Which camp do the students fall into? You can also check out this Aeon article for further reference!

KEY TERMS Purpose, Controversial, Statuomania, Political values

LINKS TO History, Politics, the arts

A Guardian article, looking at a recent study that concluded The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas could fuel dangerous holocaust fallacies.

titikshaghy2 — 2024-07-19 09:43:04 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Given the popularity of the book and film in schools, it’s probably worth asking students whether they have read/seen The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, and what their impressions were of it. Then read the article: what are the ‘inaccuracies and fallacies’ that researchers have pinpointed? How did John Boyne (the author) justify his work - and does this seem valid? Overall, does this story indicate that fictional accounts of the past should always be avoided when seeking to understand history, or can they be used as part of the source material we use to explore major events?

KEY TERMS Inaccuracies and fallacies, Contested, Truthful, Misconceptions

LINKS TO History, The arts

A New Humanist article, which considers the importance of remembering historical injustices, as a way of guarding against the misuse of power in the present.

titikshaghy2 — 2024-07-19 09:44:06 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE The adage about those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it is, perhaps, overly simplistic. But this article offers a more nuanced version: forgetting the past (or mis-remembering it) prevents us from holding those in power to account. Do students agree with this? Does this provide us with a clearer idea of the purpose of history? And, building on what we saw in the first story this month, what further insights does this article give us into ‘power’?

KEY TERMS Power, Historical commemoration, Social construction of history, Collective past

LINKS TO History, Human sciences, politics

A History Today article, looking at the impact on how we view the past of the invention of the timeline.

titikshaghy2 — 2024-07-19 10:04:31 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Who was Joseph Priestley, and what motivated him to design the timeline? How did it reflect his beliefs about human society? What were the underlying principles of the timeline? Why do you think it made such an impact on the world? To wrap up: How important are imaginative leaps in helping us to visualize and understand the world?

KEY TERMS Revolutionised, Chronologies, Abstract ideas, Visualise, Improving, Progress

LINKS TO History, Human sciences

A National Geographic article, assessing whether the Indiana Jones movies have helped or harmed archaeology.

titikshaghy2 — 2024-07-19 10:05:37 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE What does the parallel example of Steven Spielberg’s film Jaws indicate about how a movie can negatively affect the way we view the (natural) world? How have the Indiana Jones movies had both negative and positive effects on the way we view and carry out archaeology? What point does Janina Ramirez make about the movies stimulating “imagination, storytelling, and world-building”? What does Albert Lin mean when he refers to these - and other - movies being different “tracks of reality”? To wrap up: Are movies and other works of art ‘imaginations’ designed to produce pleasure, or are they the means to help us better understand the world around us?

KEY TERMS Fiction-informed assumptions, Role model, Imaginations, Original cultures, Stories, Explorers, Tracks of reality

LINKS TO History, The arts

A CNN article, looking at how a group of teachers from Texas considered reterming ‘slave trade’ as ‘involuntary relocation’.

titikshaghy2 — 2024-07-19 10:06:27 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Why did the board decide to rethink the term ‘Enslaved Peoples’? How does it change our understanding by using the term 'involuntary relocation’ instead of the ‘slave trade’? How is this linked to political affiliations in the USA? Overall, how do language and politics influence the way we understand the past, and how can we ensure that they do not undermine our objectivity?

KEY TERMS Contentious debate, Age-appropriate, Truthful knowledge, Accurate descriptions

LINKS TO History, Language, Politics, Human sciences

An LA Times article, looking at how the LA Museum of the Holocaust is changing its name, and developing a clearer mission in order to fight hatred and intolerance.

titikshaghy2 — 2024-07-19 10:07:15 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE This is essentially a story about communication: the museum has changed its name, and its logo, and hopes that this will have a profound impact on the way it is viewed (compare this to what’s happening with the Hagia Sophia). How does the way ideas are communicated change our perception of them? What is more important: the message, or the way it is conveyed?

KEY TERMS Rebranding, Universal gesture of communication

LINKS TO History, Language

This History Today article features the opinions of four different historians, who offer their thoughts on whether social media helps or hinders the pursuit of history.

titikshaghy2 — 2024-07-19 10:08:00 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Use the terms identified above to summarize the point of each of the historians. Process whether they are being positive or negative about the impact of social media - or both. Then come to a conclusion: does social media help or hinder us from understanding the past? What do we need to know about it in order to ensure that it provides us with valuable historical knowledge? To what extent does its impact depend on who we are?

KEY TERMS Tabloid headline quality, Patterns of control, Online bubble, Ease of access

LINKS TO History, Technology, Language