Why Do We Study History?


Today we learned that history is the study of the past ... and we discussed whether it might be more valuable to study the future, rather than the past!

Lucca and Dylan made a terrific point: they said that it's only possible to think clearly about the future after you understand your past. Learning about your past, they said, gives you a sense of your identity and helps you understand where you came from.

Sonia made a particularly sophisticated point. She said that if you really want to "live in the moment", you shouldn't get overly wrapped up in thinking about the past. Still, said Sonia, it's important not to completely ignore history, especially since it helps us learn from previous mistakes.

To give the students a sense of where we'll begin the story of humankind (during tomorrow's class), we briefly talked about the very beginning of the universe.

The students had all sorts of great questions about the Big Bang Theory ("what caused the Big Bang"? "how can there be nothing?!").


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Today was also our first Musical Monday. We listened to Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto. Several students pointed out the pianist's intense concentration. Here's are some of the other excellent observations:

Maggie: The musicians look like they are really enjoying this piece. For them, it doesn't look like work. They are happy.

Edward: There are so many different musicians, but they are all playing as one. They are in perfect synch.

Peyton: They move with their instruments and with the music. They have a flow and a swagger.

Izzy: Even though each musician has an individual style, the orchestra is very organized in the way that they play -- they even sway together.

Lucca: "The pianist closes her eyes and adventures off with the music..."

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