About Me and History!
Hi, my name is Jamie Farley, and I am so excited to spend the year with you! First, I little about myself.... That's me, with my son, Rowan, and Captain America (not a historical figure!). I have always loved history, ever since I was a little girl, and know I get to share that love with you. School-wise, I received a double undergraduate degree in history and English literature (focusing on British and European literature) from UNR, and received a Master's in history at UNR as well. I studied mostly Irish, English and French history, but studied world history and the history of colonialism as well. So, about history in general...
I know what you students are thinking.... I hate history, history is so boring, it's only about old rich white dudes, why do I care what happened 500, 600, 700 years ago? I can't wait to sit on Facebook during this entire class, none of this affects my life.... Am I on the right track? Well, hopefully this class will change your mind. Not only is history important to know, it will help make you a better person. And there are some pretty cool stories and lives that we will learn about. And, these people that we will talk about, read about, read their own thoughts, they are just like you. Say your older brother/sister is the most popular kid in school, and you're you..... You're Richard III, his brother was the most powerful and well-liked king at the time. Can you imagine the pressure? Say your boyfriend/girlfriend broke up with you, and started dating your best friend.... You're Catherine of Aragon! Say you're in the chess club and people make fun of you for it (don't let them get to you), you're Louis XVI (he was obsessed with creating locks, interesting hobby!). History is filled with the stories of dating, power, intense family relationships, the problem with extracurricular activities, and the bigger questions of the past/present/future that we all deal with on a regular basis. So, with that said, let's embark on this amazing adventure that is history! We are going to be looking at the most amazing times and places in history: ancient Europe, early exploration, the Middle Ages, the Enlightenment, the Scientific Revolution, the French Revolution, Romanticism, the Industrial Revolution, World Wars, and we will be talking about issues such as religion, race, ethnicity, citizenship, women's rights, class struggles, colonialism, wealth, capitalism, socialism, love and hate. Sounds pretty amazing, right? I promise you, if you engage and come in with an open mind, you will find out some really amazing things! |