ABSTRACT
For many students there is little difference between themselves and those who populated the past other than the fact that people in the past were “stupid” and those living now are much brighter. Emerging in the 1870s, the Pledge of Allegiance, as written by Edward Bellamy, started as a poem to recognize the 400th anniversary of the expeditions of Christopher Columbus. Beyond applying an understanding of text, context, and subtext, the central disciplinary concept emphasized in this lesson is change and continuity over time. The Little Bighorn lesson allows students to examine the event as a historic symbol of the broader movement westward. Defenders of lecture often refer to how it quickly, efficiently, and concisely presents information to students. Working in pairs or triads, students are instructed to read the source and identify how it depicts the events of the day, its participants, and the outcome.
