by Christopher R. Leahey (2010)
Investigates how the political struggles over the social studies curriculum, the corporate domination of the textbook and testing industry, and the curricular constraints of the No Child Left Behind Act combine to stifle historical inquiry and deprive students of meaningful social studies instruction. Using the controversial Vietnam War as a case study, holds textbook narratives up to the light, illuminating how the adoption process, interpretive framework, and selection of evidence combine to transform the past into thinly veiled historical myths. By attending to questions traditionally ignored in history education, this book challenges educators to rethink their pedagogical approaches to military conflict, American and otherwise. It calls on teachers to develop students critical sensibilities to ask questions, conduct research, evaluate evidence, and make meaning of the past, and provides classroom lessons for history educators and students to engage in rich, intellectual encounters with the historical record. From publisher description.
Carolyn Higbie
Using an inscription from the 1st century BC as the starting point, this text studies the ancient Greeks' perception of their past. Drawing on anthropological theory and archaeological and literary evidence, it explores how ancient Greeks reconstructed their past and utilised it in their present.
Renate Blumenfeld-Kosinski
This book explores the appropriation and transformation of classical mythology by French culture from the mid-twelfth century to about 1430. Each of the five chapters focuses on a specific moment in this process and asks: What were the purposes of transforming classical myth? Which techniques did poets use to integrate classical subject matter into their own texts? Was a special interpretive tradition created for vernacular texts?
Andrew Erskine
"Troy linked Greece and Rome. It was at once the subject of the greatest of Greek poems and the mother city of the Romans. It gave the Romans a place in the mythical past of the Greeks, it gave Greeks a way of approaching Rome, and it gave the emperor Augustus, descendant of Aeneas, a suitably elevated ancestry. In this book Andrew Erskine examines the role and meaning of Troy in the changing relationship between Greeks and Romans, as Rome is transformed from a minor Italian city into a Mediterranean superpower. In contrast to earlier studies the emphasis here is on the Greek rather than the Roman perspective. The book seeks to understand the significance of Rome's Trojan origins for the Greeks by considering the place of Troy and Trojans in Greek culture. It moves beyond the more familiar spheres of art and literature to explore the countless, overlapping, local traditions, the stories that cities told about themselves, a world often neglected by scholars."--BOOK JACKET.
Michael V. Uschan
"This new series from Lucent Books helps younger researchers understand the role of mythology in major historical cultures of the world. Each volume explores the origins and cultural importance of a specific mythology. Presented in an engaging narrative that explains mythology as a product of the culture that created it, each volume details the major characters, gods/goddesses, and themes reflected in the stories. Volumes also discuss the impact of the mythology on daily life at the time and throughout history. Ideal for middle- and high-schools, as well as public libraries, each Mythology and Culture Worldwide volume also features: A list and brief description of the major figures of the mythology, including a family tree illustrating their relationships; Five to six chapters exploring the mythology in detail; Informative sidebars highlighting related topics; Fact boxes providing at-a-glance information; Full-color maps, photographs and illustrations; A glossary of terminology; "For More Information" list of sources of additional information; A comprehensive index"-- "The Mythology and Culture Worldwide series from Lucent Books is designed to help young readers understand the origins, cultural importance and impact of world mythologies. Each volume focuses on one cultural or national mythology. Major myths, characters, gods and goddesses, and themes of the mythology are presented with a particular emphasis on tying these stories back to the geography, history, natural resources, technological state, social organization, religious beliefs, and values of the culture that created the mythology"--