k-12 summer institute

The Role of Technology in Shaping Human History

How have societies historically viewed the role of information technology from cuneiform tablets to social media? What conditions fostered innovation in industrial and military technology and what were the social consequences? Why did technological innovations happen in one place and not another? And what is the role of technology in shaping a globalized world?

This summer institute explored the effects of technology on the development of and interaction between human societies.

Presentation Summaries

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The Role of Travelers in World History

Travelers’ tales are older than writing itself and have lost little of their popularity over time. For historians, travelers offer unique insights into cross-cultural exchange, as well as interpretive challenges.

This armchair journey with area scholars considered the role travelers have played in understanding history from ancient Rome to modern Pakistan. A panel of k-12 educators also shared ways this theme could be employed to engage students.

Presentation Summaries

Written by Stephen Pitcher

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The World Through Literature

July 20 - 22, 2015

Significant stories have been traded and transformed along trade routes as long as people have gathered together — exploring the human condition, speculating on “other” peoples, and defining social history. The 2015 Summer Institute focused on literary traditions....

Pop Culture in World History

Modern technologies enable young students to observe and - in some ways - participate in pop culture from around the world. What is pop culture and where does it come from? How have technological changes altered the production and spread of popular culture? Is modern pop culture actually more global than the popular culture of earlier periods?

Attendees at this k-12 Summer Institute will learn about expressions of pop culture from the pre-modern era into the internet age. Teachers willl leave with new ideas about how to discuss and analyze pop culture with their students.

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The View from the Sea: Oceans in World History

Summer Institute for k-12 Educators

June 26 – 28, 2017

World History courses often begin with a survey of river-basin societies, exploring the connection between agricultural surplus, irrigation projects, and centralizing power. Oceans and seas are conceived of as places in between - natural regional boundaries traversed only by merchants and military forces.

But what are the contours of a different World History – one with a view from the sea?

A focus on the ocean suggests new ways of thinking about everything from geography and...

Propaganda

Summer Institute for k-12 Teachers

June 22 - 26, 2020

5 online sessions, see schedule below

Each session will include a presentation by a scholar-expert, participant discussion, and a Q & A period.

What are the features, uses, and histories of propaganda? What techniques have governments and political movements used to construct and convey messages? How is propaganda related to the construction of national (or other) identities? Is propaganda...