A Final Word of Encouragement . . .

[indianasmith]

I gave my World History Class their final exam today.  It was a pretty comprehensive final, with a large volume of information covering a thousand years of time and many different cultures.  So, to get them psyched up for it, I added this little "Motivational Message" to my test instructions.

AND SO WE MEET AGAIN.  You have seen the Pyramids rise and Babylon fall, braved the sand of the Coliseum at the height of Rome's power, stormed the walls of Constantinople, and heard the swish of the samurai's blade as it splits the air.  You have watched Dr. Luther nail the 95 theses to the cathedral door, heard Henry V cheer his men to victory at Agincourt.  You've seen Anne Boleyn lose her head, and Oliver Cromwell take King Charles' crown from his.  Through the splendor of Rome, the glories of Byzantium, the squalor of the Black Death, and the fury of the Hundred Years' War you have faithfully watched, learned, and listened.  Now is your moment!! Pen in hand, strike back!  Conquer this one last test and blaze your way to a summer of glory!    "ONCE MORE UNTO THE BREACH, DEAR FRIENDS!!!!!"

[Chainsawmidget]

Oh, that's nice. 

[Jack]

My history teacher was the most boring guy ever.  He sat at his desk and made WWII seem like nothing but a bunch of names and dates to memorize.  Bah!  Your kids are so lucky to have you Indy!

[Flangepart]

What Jack said! 
I had a history sense that began when my dad told me of his Navy days, which got me interested in aviation and so on from there.
Keep up the good work, of fellow bearded one!

[Josso]

My history teacher was the most boring guy ever.  He sat at his desk and made WWII seem like nothing but a bunch of names and dates to memorize.  Bah!  Your kids are so lucky to have you Indy!

I really wanted to do history at GCSE but the decent teacher was leaving and the one that couldn't control the class at all was the only one remaining + one we didn't know yet, so I did geography instead - didn't want to risk it, my buddy says that he didn't realise and spent 2 years to get an E or something in history.

[Umaril Has Returned]

I gave my World History Class their final exam today.  It was a pretty comprehensive final, with a large volume of information covering a thousand years of time and many different cultures.  So, to get them psyched up for it, I added this little "Motivational Message" to my test instructions.

AND SO WE MEET AGAIN.  You have seen the Pyramids rise and Babylon fall, braved the sand of the Coliseum at the height of Rome's power, stormed the walls of Constantinople, and heard the swish of the samurai's blade as it splits the air.  You have watched Dr. Luther nail the 95 theses to the cathedral door, heard Henry V cheer his men to victory at Agincourt.  You've seen Anne Boleyn lose her head, and Oliver Cromwell take King Charles' crown from his.  Through the splendor of Rome, the glories of Byzantium, the squalor of the Black Death, and the fury of the Hundred Years' War you have faithfully watched, learned, and listened.  Now is your moment!! Pen in hand, strike back!  Conquer this one last test and blaze your way to a summer of glory!    "ONCE MORE UNTO THE BREACH, DEAR FRIENDS!!!!!"

Now that's a motivational speech!

[Josso]

Indie how can I learn more basic history is there some kind of specialised wiki?

[indianasmith]

A good, readable history of the United States is THE  AMERICAN PAGEANT by Bailey and Kennedy.  Get one of the pre-1990's versions; the more recent ones are choked with bits and pieces of social history in an attempt to be all-inclusive which really hampers readability.  Then, if you want to specialize in an area, pick one of the better popular historians - Joseph Ellis and David McCullough, for example, have written some great works on the Revolutionary War era.