Class #34--8th Grade History

Monday, January 31, 2011, 10:00 A.M. 8th Grade History Class. Class #34 on my “50 Classes or Bust!” journey. I have been looking forward to this class all weekend, as I knew that Mr. Shawen would begin the period with a discussion of the unfolding civil unrest in Egypt. In fact, that is just what happens, and I am learning a great deal as I type this blog post. The class discusses alliances, geography, peace treaties, and the intricacies and “stickiness” of the US position, i.e. how we are trying to balancing democracy and stability in the Middle East. Mr. Shawen expertly guides the students through the complexities of the issues; he is in his thirtieth year teaching at Calvert and is the only faculty member to have won both of our teaching honors: the Apgar Award and the Deborah Dorsey Albert Award. At approximately 10:15, the class transitions to a discussion of pre-World War I Europe. The students compare and contrast the political map of 1914 to the map of today. Mr. Shawen walks the class through the Franco-Russian alliance and the resulting German Schlieffen Plan, which aimed to conquer France in six weeks so that Germany could turn its full attention to Russia. The students also discuss warfare tactics and how guns evolved over the course of several wars over the course of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The conversation is fast-paced and stimulating. I wish I could continue attending in subsequent days!