As the U.S. Supreme Court convenes this week to hear oral arguments on a number of important issues, the History Department launched a new elective course titled “Decisive Moments in United States History.” The course is modeled after the popular Science and Society course offered in the Winter Trimester. It is being team taught by […]
Archives: Mike McGowan
Overhauling the Ninth-grade History Curriculum
Dr. Delvecchio and I just finished day #2 with our new freshmen historians. We’re also on day #2 of a bit of an experiment this year. Instead of following the well-worn path of the traditional European history survey, we’re revamping the curriculum by creating thematic units that invite students to connect a “moment” in European […]
World War I Comes (Back) to Thacher
During three of the last four years, one part of the tenth-graders’ exploration of World War I in European History has been a project that investigates the participation of Thacher students in the Great War. Librarians Bonnie LaForge and Jenn Finley-McGill helped me greatly in the creation of a unique project that allows our students […]
Classroom discoveries: the power of culture
It’s been so good to be back in the classroom with curious and bright minds. Over the last two weeks, there have been a gaggle of moments when I’ve been impressed and startled by my students’ insights. Yesterday in European History, the tenth-graders and I were wrapping up a unit on European imperialism in Africa […]
A Holiday: Some time to reflect on the winter
Yes, it’s true, most faculty members look forward to holidays as much as do the students. I’ve spent the first few hours of the holiday catching up on some much-needed grading and responding to emails. The holiday also offers a very brief respite from the busy Thacher schedule to reflect on the winter term, […]
Thacher Students Burst Bubble at UCLA Model UN
We frequently talk about how the Thacher bubble cuts us off from what’s happening in the rest of the world. The thickness of this bubble seems to increase during the latter part of each trimester, as the build-up of tests, projects, and exams causes us all to become even more inward looking. Despite this tendency, […]
Creative Learning: Made in America
As I continue to reflect upon and make sense of the recent week-long Thacher trip to Japan and China, I’ve thought a great deal about why so many Chinese students want to study in the US. Recent articles in the New York Times and The Chronicle of Higher Education, along with a story on NPR, document […]
Back from Japan & China
This is the longest day of my life. Literally, it is. I left Shanghai this morning (11/7) at 9am, switched planes in Tokyo at 2 pm, arrived to LAX at 7:30 am, attended assembly at 10:45, taught classes from 12:15-1:45, prepped, picked up my kids, went to formal dinner at 6:15, attended a faculty meeting […]