War and Peace is set during a. The Russian Revolution b. The Napoleonic Wars c. World War I
The number of characters in War and Peace is nearly a. 600 b. 800 c. 1,000
War and Peace can be described as a. simple b. fantastical c. realistic
Discussion/essay questions
What is the longest book you have ever read? Do you prefer long books or short ones?
What is the purpose of reading fictional stories about history? Do you think fiction is as useful as facts? Why or why not?
Transcript
War and Peace is a book by Russian author Leo Tolstoy. It was originally serialized in a magazine in 1865, but Tolstoy left the serial unfinished and published the whole book in 1869. The story follows five Russian families during the Napoleonic Wars. War and Peace is notorious for its length and complexity. It is more than 1,000 pages long, and it contains almost 600 different characters. It is also famous for its realistic treatment of war and human experiences. Even though War and Peace is a work of fiction, Tolstoy did not consider it a novel. Many of its chapters are descriptions of historic events. Others are philosophical arguments. War and Peace has a reputation for being difficult to read, but it is widely considered a literary masterpiece.
In 1967, One Hundred Years of Solitude was published in a. Spanish b. Italian c. French
The story can be described as a. science fiction b. fantasy c. magical realism
In 1982, a. the book was first translated b. the book began to sell extremely well c. Márquez won the Nobel Prize in Literature
Discussion/essay questions
What can fiction teach us about history? Why might someone choose to tell a story about the past?
Transcript
One Hundred Years of Solitude is a 1967 novel by Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez. It was originally published in Spanish, and first translated into English in 1970. It follows seven generations of a family called the Buendías, who live in an isolated town called Macondo. The novel has a non-linear structure, telling the strange, often mystical stories of the Buendías out of order. It is one of the most famous works of magical realism in literature. It has been interpreted as an allegory for the history of Colombia, documenting the effects of colonialism and civil wars over a century. One Hundred Years of Solitude has won many international prizes, including literary awards in Italy and France. Márquez himself won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982.
In 1698, a London newspaper published a hoax about a. a disastrous festival b. a lion-washing ceremony c. England switching to a lunar calendar
The Roman festival Hilaria was a celebration of a. the stars b. the equinox c. the theatre
A hoax about the history of April Fools’ was accidentally reported by a. the BBC b. the Associated Press c. the Washington Post
Discussion/essay questions
Have you ever been pranked or pranked someone else? Why do you think pranks bring us joy?
Hoaxes have become more common in the age of the internet. Have you ever believed a hoax? What are some good practices for determining if information is true?
Transcript
Many countries around the world celebrate a day of pranks and jokes on April 1st. Most April Fools’ pranks take place between friends, but the day is also an opportunity to trick the general public. Media companies often report hoaxes on April 1st to fool gullible audience members. This tradition dates back to 1698, when a London newspaper reported on a fictitious lion-washing ceremony. The origins of the holiday are disputed. One theory is that it evolved out of Hilaria, a Roman spring equinox festival. Another is that it began with the switch to the Gregorian calendar in 16th-century France. People who continued to celebrate the new year in April became the targets of pranks. There have even been April Fools’ hoaxes about the history of April Fools’, one of which was accidentally reported by the Associated Press in 1983.
In 1945, a. the Soviet Union tested their first atomic bomb b. the US dropped their first atomic bomb c. both countries signed agreements about atomic bombs
Both countries knew that deploying a nuclear weapon would result in a. winning the Cold War b. losing global support c. mutual assured destruction
The 1972 agreement a. dismantled all nuclear weapons b. limited the collection and testing of nuclear weapons c. limited which countries could have nuclear weapons
Discussion/essay questions
Even though full nuclear warfare has never taken place, access to nuclear weapons has changed the way countries conduct war. Why is this? How do current conflicts demonstrate this?
Transcript
The nuclear arms race was a period of competition between the United States and the Soviet Union as both superpowers developed and tested nuclear weaponry. It began in 1945, when the American military dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The Americans and the Soviets had been allies in World War II, but this event escalated growing distrust between the two countries. Both knew that deploying a nuclear missile would result in what was termed mutual assured destruction, but they continued to develop nuclear technology out of fear that the other country would strike first. In 1972, both countries signed an agreement that limited the collection and testing of nuclear weapons. However, there is still global concern about the nuclear arsenals of powerful countries.
Cleopatra’s body was a. mummified b. destroyed c. never found
Some historians have suggested a. that Cleopatra never really existed b. that Cleopatra’s beauty was a myth c. that Cleopatra was actually multiple people
Aside from her beauty, Cleopatra was known for her a. intelligence b. kindness c. physical strength
Discussion/essay questions
Do you know of any other people who have been mischaracterized by history?
Why is history difficult to agree on?
Transcript
Cleopatra VII, or simply Cleopatra, was the last pharaoh of ancient Egypt. She reigned from 51–30 BCE. There are conflicting stories about Cleopatra’s life. Her body was never found, and most surviving accounts of her are secondhand. Although she is often depicted as a beautiful seductress, some historians have claimed that this was a Roman fabrication meant to delegitimize her as a leader. Records suggest that Cleopatra was known for her intelligence rather than her beauty. She spoke several languages, and was ruthless in protecting her throne. Still, she is remembered for her romantic involvement with Roman leaders Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. The “seductress” persona has made her an iconic figure in popular culture, and it is now difficult to separate history from myth.
The camera obscura was a. a device that took photographs on silver sheets b. a low-cost camera that anyone could buy c. a dark room that projected an image through a hole
The first permanent photograph was taken in a. 1800 b. 1826 c. 1900
A daguerreotype was a. a photograph taken using colour film b. a digital photograph stored as a set of numbers c. a photograph taken on a silver sheet
Discussion/essay questions
What are some ways that society has been changed by the ability to take pictures?
Transcript
The earliest stage of the camera’s invention was the camera obscura, a device used by ancient Chinese and Greek civilizations. The camera obscura was a dark room that let in a small amount of light through a hole and projected a mirror image of an object outside. In 1826, Joseph Nicéphore Niépce created the first permanent photograph by using light-sensitive substances inside a camera obscura. By the late 1800s, inventor Louis Daguerre had created a camera that could take photographs on silver sheets. These photographs were called daguerreotypes. However, they were expensive and not widely available. Photography became more accessible in the 20th century, when anyone could buy low-cost film cameras. Today, digital cameras work by using electrical signals to gather and store information about the light they detect.
The treasure is supposedly buried in a. Virginia b. Florida c. Georgia
Thomas Beale supposedly created a. the pamphlet b. the ciphers c. the map
The key to the decoded cipher was a. the Constitution b. the Bible c. the Declaration of Independence
Discussion/essay questions
Linguists have found that the writing style of the decoded message is similar to the writing style of the pamphlet. This has caused many people to believe that the author of the pamphlet made up the story. What do you think?
Transcript
The Beale ciphers are coded messages that supposedly reveal the location of buried treasure in Virginia. The ciphers were first published in 1885 in a pamphlet written by an anonymous author. According to the pamphlet, the person who wrote the code was an explorer named Thomas Beale, who had hidden a large amount of gold, silver, and jewels. This stash would be worth millions of dollars today. Beale supposedly left behind three ciphers that explained the treasure and its location. The author of the pamphlet decoded one of the ciphers after discovering that the United States Declaration of Independence was the key. The other two ciphers are still unsolved. Though people have been fascinated by the ciphers for many years, there is little historical evidence of the treasure.
Have you ever been to a famous historical site? What did you see?
People around the world are fascinated by the ancient city. Why do you think humans are so interested in the past?
Transcript
Pompeii was an ancient city in Italy. In 79 A.D., it was buried under ash after the eruption of a volcano called Mount Vesuvius. The eruption was documented by a writer known as Pliny the Younger, who escaped from the city when he was 17 years old. For nearly 2000 years after the eruption, the city was completely abandoned. However, in 1748, a group of explorers discovered that the ash had preserved many of Pompeii’s buildings, skeletons, and artifacts. This helped archaeologists learn more about what life was like in ancient Rome. But to this day, archaeologists have only uncovered about two thirds of Pompeii’s ruins. The rest of the city is still buried under ash and debris.
Prohibition was a period of time when alcohol was banned in the United States. It came about because of the protests of temperance unions, which believed that banning alcohol would reduce poverty and crime. The American government outlawed the sale of alcohol in 1920, but this ban was not very effective. Secret bars called speakeasies began to appear throughout the country, where people could order alcohol by speaking in code. Prohibition also gave gangs an opportunity to profit from the illegal sale of alcohol. People known as rum-runners would smuggle alcohol across the Canadian border in order to sell it in the U.S. By 1933, it became clear that the ban had failed, and the government passed a new law allowing the sale of alcohol once again.
Today, factories are everywhere. Mass production is the easiest way for companies to make and sell their products. However, factories can be very bad for the environment, because they pollute the air and contribute to climate change. How do you think factories can reduce the harm they cause to the environment?
Transcript
The Industrial Revolution was a period of time when people began to use new technology to mass-produce items. It began in Europe in the 18th century, when new power sources like steam engines, electricity, and oil were becoming common. The first country that started to industrialize was Britain, because they had the wealth that was necessary to build new machines. Soon, other European countries began to build machines too. This change caused a lot of people to start working in factories instead of on farms. However, some factories had very poor working conditions. Because of this, factory workers began to form unions so that they could protest against unfair treatment. This was when many countries decided to create laws to help protect workers. These new laws banned child labour, restricted working hours, and tried to make factories safer.
How has the Renaissance affected art, science, culture, and politics today?
What do you think was the most important invention from the Renaissance period?
Transcript
The Renaissance was a period of cultural change in Europe. The term ‘renaissance’ is a French word, meaning ‘rebirth’. The Renaissance began in Italy in the 14th century, when a movement called humanism became very popular. Humanism emerged after 14th-century Europeans began to rediscover ancient Greek philosophy. The main ideas of humanism were that humans deserved to pursue wealth and happiness, and that science, literature, and the arts were essential to human life. This was a contrast to the Middle Ages, when religion was often considered the most important part of life. Humanism encouraged many people to study and create art. One of the most well-known artists of this period was Italian painter Leonardo Da Vinci, the creator of the Mona Lisa. Although the Renaissance ended around the 17th century, the ideas and discoveries from back then are still influential in many cultures today.
The economic state of the United States (and many other countries) has changed a lot since the Great Depression. Do you think such a disastrous recession could ever happen again? What factors could cause this?
Transcript
The Great Depression was a worldwide economic recession. It began in 1929 in the United States, when the value of stocks decreased drastically. People who had invested their savings lost a lot of money, and an overall decrease in spending caused many Americans to lose their jobs. This downturn quickly began to affect the rest of the world, because the United States couldn’t afford to trade with other countries frequently. This was a particularly difficult time for American farmers, who were also dealing with harsh climate conditions like droughts and dust storms. Many unemployed farmers from the prairie states began to migrate west in hopes of finding work. Throughout the recession, the American government worked to build welfare programs to help support unemployed people. These programs contributed to the end of the Great Depression in 1939, around the start of World War II.
Although it may sound like fun to visit an island full of rabbits, tourism has caused unfortunate consequences. People who feed the rabbits are contributing to an overpopulation problem that is harmful to the island’s natural ecosystem. How could tourism be regulated to protect the ecosystem?
Transcript
Okunoshima, a small island off the coast of Japan, is a place mostly populated by rabbits. The island is a popular tourist destination for people who want to spend the day with cute animals. Tourists can reach this island by taking a ferry over from the mainland. Although Okunoshima is mostly known for the rabbits that live there today, it is also a very historical site. The island was once used to produce chemical weapons during World War II. Back then, these weapon factories were kept so secret that Okunoshima wasn’t even labelled on Japanese maps. Many people believe that the island’s rabbit population is related to this history. A common theory is that the military once brought rabbits to the island to test chemicals on, and a few rabbits were released into the wild. Today, over 1,000 rabbits live there, and the population is only growing.
The novel To Kill a Mockingbird is still taught in many schools today. Do you think the issues in this novel are still relevant? Why or why not?
Transcript
In 1960, American author Harper Lee published her first novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. The book was made into an award-winning movie two years later. The story takes place in the 1930s. It follows a young girl named Scout who lives in Alabama. Scout begins to learn about racism in her time when her father, defence lawyer Atticus Finch, receives backlash for representing a black man in court. This is difficult for Scout and her brother, Jem, because they have to deal with insults from their friends, neighbours, and even family members. During this time, Atticus teaches them to respect all people, regardless of race.
Do you have any resolutions this year? How do you plan to achieve them?
Transcript
The Origin of the New Year’s Celebration Today, New Year’s is a festive holiday celebrated all around the world. The tradition began 4,000 years ago in ancient Mesopotamia, where the people celebrated each year with an 11-day festival. Even back then, people made New Year’s resolutions. They believed that making promises to improve themselves helped to make sure the gods would stay happy with the kingdom. During that time, the celebration took place in March, but a new calendar was introduced over 1,000 years later in Ancient Rome. Since then, New Year’s has mostly been celebrated on January 1st.
