Reading Exercise Guide Video Notes
Introduction
- Purpose: This guide is designed to help students navigate the challenging reading exercises for this class.
- Goal: Assist students in understanding how to approach these exercises successfully.
- Recommendation: Print out the reading document for easier annotation and engagement.
Pre-Exercise Preparation
- Download and print the document from the Canvas shell.
- Read the document thoroughly before engaging with the video and exercises.
- Key Questions to Consider:
- What do historians do according to the author?
- How does the author acquire knowledge of historical events?
Exercise Approach
- These exercises are not quizzes; they are designed to deepen understanding through closer reading.
- Each question is meant to guide you back to the document to explore details further.
Question Walkthrough
Question 2
- Focus: Author of "Peasant Fires: The Drummer of Nicholas Hausen."
- Answer: Richard Wunderli, a professional historian, not a novelist.
- Details: Look for author information at the back of the document for context.
Question 3
- Topic: Interpretation by historians.
- Key Points:
- Historians interpret documents, each other, and themselves.
- Look on page 5 for specifics.
Question 4
- Quote Analysis: "I made up most of that."
- Context: Find the meaning of this statement on page 4.
- Understanding: Relates to constructing narratives in history.
Question 5
- Source Inquiry: Get most of our information about Hans from clergy who saw him as a threat.
Question 6
- Significance: Why was Hans's life documented?
- Answer: Documented due to his visions and subsequent revolts.
Question 7
- Belief Assessment: How does Wunderli assess Behem's beliefs?
- Approach: Focuses on human activity and historical outcomes, not the validity of the beliefs.
Question 8
- Contextual Information: Details shared by Wunderli about 15th-century life.
- Strategies: Validate whether all provided statements are correct based on the document.
Question 9
- Exercise Types: Differences between initial reading exercises (secondary sources) and later primary source exercises.
Final Thoughts
- Feedback Invitation: Encourages feedback on the usefulness of this guide.
- Submission: Double-check answers before submission.
- Post-Quiz Notes: Review notes provided after each question to strengthen understanding and skills.
- Essay Preparation: Use exercises and notes to prepare for the final essay.
By following this guide, students should be better equipped to tackle reading exercises, engage in thoughtful discussion, and prepare for their final essay effectively. Always consider the historical context, author background, and the broader implications of the questions posed.