Gerlich's Blog

After our last meeting, I know many of you were deeply worried that I wouldn't get to cover the Progressives before the end of the semester. Ahh yes, the great paradox of depth vs. breadth....Sadly, it still looks like I won't get to cover them, but I think they'll fit in nicely at the start of next semester when I introduce the themes of the 20th century in U.S. History. On a brighter note, Lary K. has kindly offered to give me time to show "O Brother, Where Art Thou" during his class period of our Humanities' class. Now, many of you may be wondering how in the world that movie fits into any curriculum. Well, it's a fun and visually interesting way to wrap up a semester that explored the recurring theme of "odyssey" in both our classes. Whether it was America's trek westward following Jefferson's dream or pursuing Hamilton's dream of urbanization and industrialization, or Odysseus' and the Old Man and the Sea's personal journeys, Lary and I are discovering more and more workable links between 9th grade history and English. In the last few weeks, Lary has done a great job of exploring the 1920s through the book, Witness. His work has freed up time constraints for me on completing American history through the Great Depression by the end of the semester. It's given greater depth and breadth to the political, economic, and social issues of the 1920s and 1930s. So I learned that voicing a frustration (the Progressive issue), might lead to help from a colleague. As the blind prophet said in "O Brother, Where Art Thou": The treasure you seek shall not be the treasure you find.
Thanks Lary!

posted by k gerlich @ 5:07 PM