February 21-28

Classroom - Feb 21

1916 – The Battle of Verdun begins

1965 – Malcolm X is assassinated at the Audubon Ballroom

1947 – Edwin Land demonstrates the first instant camera

Why did Germany choose Verdun as the focal point of its 1916 offensive strategy?
How did months of artillery bombardment and trench warfare redefine the scale and psychology of industrialized war?
In what ways did Verdun shape French national identity and military doctrine after World War I?

1947 – Edwin Land demonstrates the first instant camera

1965 – Malcolm X is assassinated at the Audubon Ballroom

1947 – Edwin Land demonstrates the first instant camera

Why was instant photography more than a technical novelty in postwar America?
How did Polaroid technology shift the relationship between image-making, memory, and everyday life?
What does the rise of instant photography reveal about mid-20th century consumer culture and technological optimism?

1965 – Malcolm X is assassinated at the Audubon Ballroom

1965 – Malcolm X is assassinated at the Audubon Ballroom

1965 – Malcolm X is assassinated at the Audubon Ballroom

How had Malcolm X’s political philosophy evolved in the final year of his life?
Why did his assassination mark a turning point within the broader civil rights movement?
In what ways did his legacy continue to shape conversations about race, power, and self-determination after 1965?

Classroom - Feb 22

1848 – France abolishes slavery in its colonies

1879 – Woolworth opens his first successful five-and-dime

1879 – Woolworth opens his first successful five-and-dime

Why did revolutionary unrest in Paris influence colonial policy thousands of miles away?
How did the abolition of slavery reshape labor systems in places like Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana?
In what ways did emancipation in the French empire compare to abolition movements in the United States and Britain?

1879 – Woolworth opens his first successful five-and-dime

1879 – Woolworth opens his first successful five-and-dime

1879 – Woolworth opens his first successful five-and-dime

Why was standardized five- and ten-cent pricing revolutionary for everyday consumers?
How did fixed pricing change the relationship between shopkeepers and customers?
In what ways did Woolworth’s model help launch mass retail culture and modern consumer expectations?

1935 – Radar demonstration proves aircraft detection

1879 – Woolworth opens his first successful five-and-dime

1935 – Radar demonstration proves aircraft detection

Why was the ability to detect aircraft at a distance strategically important in the years leading up to World War II?
How did radar technology change the nature of defense and early warning systems?
What does the development of radar reveal about the relationship between scientific research and national security?