Renee Manelli

September 17, 2019January 28, 2021

Analyzing Bias Through the Boston Massacre

This activity focuses on analyzing a depiction of the Boston Massacre and trying to identify any bias that is present. I imagine this activity taking place soon after starting a unit surrounding the Revolutionary War (including causes and effects). The engraving on this Google Form is meant to depict a scene of the Boston Massacre, however there are ways to interpret bias from this specific source (looking at things such as who is inciting the violence in the illustration). Students will observe the engraving attached to the Google Form and answer the questions that follow based on their prior knowledge and what they observe in the illustration. This should practice students’ analytical skills as they try to interpret where bias came into play in this piece of history.

Original Google Form

September 10, 2019May 25, 2020

American Culture in the 1920s

A group of “Flapperette” girls in 1924; uploaded from inherited family photos. Source.

Notice some of the fashion choices of these women. For example, all but one of these women have chosen to wear pants rather than skirts. Do you think this was a normal clothing choice for women in the 1920s? Could their outfits be related to the social statement they are making?

Another thing that is common among these women is their choice of haircut. If you notice, all the women have very short hair. This is something that was common for the flapper style of the 1920s. What sort of message do you think these women were trying to send to the public with these short, blunt haircuts?

This is a combination of printed ads used in the May 1920 issue of National Geographic. Source. Courtesy of Don O’Brien.

Notice the tag line that the cigarette ad at the top of the page uses. What do you think is the significance of using words like “culture” and “refinement” in order to sell their product? Do you think this is a successful tactic?

Take a minute to process the illustration that accompanies the Deities cigarette ad. What is accurate about the image (if anything)? What is inaccurate? What does this sort of representation of a culture say about the social climate in America in the 1920s?

This photo captures an American couple on vacation in 1927; uploaded from inherited family photos. Source.

Notice this man behind the couple in the carriage. Judging by his position, it seems like he was tasked with pushing the couple around in the carriage. How might his opinion of the time this photo was taken differ from the couple on vacation?

Considering this photo was taken around the same time as the “Flapperettes” photo at the top of the post, how does this woman’s outfit compare to the women in the first picture? Do you think that this woman would be in favor of the Flapper social movement that was taking place during this decade?

August 28, 2019September 2, 2019

Teaching Meme

This meme is meant to make fun of the fact that as aspiring teachers we often think that we need to have all the answers since we are professionals. However, I know with myself, I also am prone to make human errors (like spacing out on the spelling of a word). This presents a dichotomy that I feel many teachers can relate to. It also is meant to remind us that we all make mistakes and not to put too much pressure on ourselves when we make little mistakes, which we are all bound to do at one point or another.