Top Gun in the 1980s When I first started teaching about the 1980s, I felt alone and afraid. I put on the self-confident, know-it-all style that Tom Cruise embodied in Top Gun, but deep down I worried because I knew that I was flying solo. There was no mother “goose” to protect or guide me.…
Entertainment versus Effect Our discussion of the 1970s began with a question for today: which would leave you more disgusted and demoralized, a terrible economy defined by inflation and few job opportunities OR a presidential political scandal that showed wickedness in high places. In groups of two, my wonderful students chattered and chattered. The result…
The Seventies Perhaps not a glorious decade to live in, the Seventies are a blast to teach. There is no widely held mythology about the seventies to debunk. When I have asked my students about it, they vaguely mention disco, and then someone remembers who John Travolta is (or was). They perhaps reference Jimmy Carter,…
Where Local Meets Global I like Kevin’s idea of centering on a few stories – to show the different faces and feelings of the spirit of the sixties and the civil rights revolution. I wonder, too, if touchstone events could draw out some of the gripping storylines. I’ve also used music to tell the stories,…
Elijah James Blum Memorial Fund Sorry to post this personal note on our blog, but I wanted to let people know about a new memorial fund being put together by San Diego State University. It is to honor my son Elijah James Blum. Here is a link to more information and ways to donate if you feel led. http://usreligion.blogspot.com/2011/11/our-gentle-whisper-religious-life-and.htmlThe History…
Documents and Discussions, 1945-1965 The class was all set up. I had asked them to imagine life when they were in fifth grade. “Who was your teacher?” “Mrs. Anderson,” one responded. “Who was your best friend?” A host of names were mumbled. What did your desk look like? When was recess? And then, I put…
I begin our focus on the United States after World War II by putting the students into groups of three and having them list anyone and everything they can name that somehow applies to the years 1945-1965. Then, of course, they share what they’ve got with the class. It helps in two ways: first, I…
The New Deal at War I’m behind, and it happens every semester. This week, we should be discussing the 1950s. I should be scarring them with a McCarthy-like “I know someone cheated on the exam, now everyone write down the name of someone who cheated or I’ll assume that you cheated; if you do not…
The Midterm Examination My Dad gave me lots of good advice, and some terrible. (an example of terrible advice was to “make friends with people who know how to fix things, cause then they can help you out.” This mercenary approach to friendship has never sat well with me and so I abandoned it years…
Music of the Great Depression Amid watching Something Borrowed and finding myself wanting more John Krasinski at every moment (he’s Jim on The Office for those who don’t know second-rate romantic comedy movies), I was struck by how much fun the soundtrack was. It narrated nicely the life and times of the now 30-year-old main…
