European History Articles

Critical Thinking Skills: What Are They and How do I Get Them?

By Shannon B. | 4/10/2013 12:58 PM CST |

Everyone knows that demonstrating the ability to think critically on tests and assignments and in writing is the way to your teacher’s or professor’s heart. But how do you do that when you don’t even know what critical thinking is? Although “critical thinking” is a much debated term, I would simply call it your ability to analyze a given issue or problem. Okay, great, you say ... so what the heck does that mean?

Well ... it depends. There’s all sorts of different types of analysis. A math problem, for example, requires a different type of analysis from say the analysis of a world history...

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AP Exams Are Just Around the Corner: Are You Prepared?

By Shannon B. | 4/8/2013 1:24 PM CST |

The 2013 AP Exams will be administered over two weeks in May: May 6 through 10 and May 13 through 17. Click on the following link for more precise dates:

http://professionals.collegeboard.com/testing/ap/about/dates

For those taking the AP European History, AP US History, AP World History and AP English Language and Composition, the dreaded DBQ section is upon you! Are you ready?

Rather than demonstrating extensive knowledge, a confident time management strategy is key to succeeding on this particular part of the test. Because there is so much to do in so little time, students without one...

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The Handwriting on the Wall

By Stephen S. | 2/26/2013 11:46 AM CST |

In Daniel 5, Belshazzar gets the "handwriting on the wall" (that's where the modern phrase comes from) and Darius the Mede conquers him without hardly a fight. Having drunk soldiers for gate guards will do that. This is the end of Babylon as far as reigning kings. Then Darius takes over and the Medes and Persians reign (as noted in Daniel 2). However, archaeologists could not find Belshazzar if their life depended on it. Outside the Bible, that is. The Book of Daniel was the only historical reference for this king. We had, from archeaology, a complete list of the last kings of babylon and the...

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Making history interesting

By Adam K. | 2/4/2013 1:16 AM CST |

At my regular tutoring job, my new AP US and world history students will sometimes tell me, in detail, just how much they loathe the subject of history. When I ask them why they feel that way, the answer is almost always the same - they've got a dull history teacher at school.

This makes me sad. Ever since I could read, I've loved history, and now, twenty years and change later, it's still my favorite subject to read and write about. The old cliche "truth is stranger than fiction" really is true - history is full of amazing characters and unbelievable tales that even the most imaginative...

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Research Papers: Narrowing Your Topic for Your Final Draft

By Jeff S. | 12/13/2012 10:35 PM CST |

Nearly all high school and college students have a research paper requirement. Many college students are likely facing imminent research paper deadlines as the semester ends. Writing research papers can cause a lot of anxiety. This article will teach you how to narrow your research topic, clarify your thesis statement, and sort and organize your research to help you simplify your final editing process.

Editing for Both Quality and Quantity.One common issue is having a research paper that is either too long or too short. Narrowing and clarifying your topic will help you write a better thesis...

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Helping Students “Get” History

By Jeff S. | 11/6/2012 7:47 PM CST |

Many of my students have told me that Social Studies or History is their worst subject. When I ask why, they say they “just don’t get it”. I usually find out that they have a hard time connecting the dots. For example, they learn about the American Revolution but don’t understand how it connects to King George III and the Declaration of Independence. This article gives parents, tutors, and teachers some hints and tips for helping students connect the people, places, and events of history to improve their comprehension.

1. Use historical thinking skills.The National Center for History in the...

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How to use the Internet When Writing a Paper

By Dusty C. | 8/16/2012 2:02 PM CST |

When using the internet, it is important to make sure you have a quality source to site from. There are a varity of websites and blogs that are written with bias or an agenda, you always want to be confident you've sited a professional and not an ideologue. Colleges and libraries have a database you can access that have quality sources, and most everyone should have free access to them, but if you're like me, and you like to use something your professor hasn't seen or possibly is unaware of, then I suggest you look into the Library of Congress and the National Archives as a primary source. If...

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Avoiding summer slump

By Jeffry S. | 7/11/2012 4:53 PM CST |

The worst thing for a student can be summer vacations. The last thing on their minds is to keep up on what they learned throughout the previous school year. They want fun, freedom, excitement. None of these are often used by students to describe learning or school. However, it is important to their continued mental development that they maintain their level of understanding from school year to school year. Too much time is lost at the beginning of each school year trying to catch back up. This slipping backward can be avoided by doing simple skills every day during summer vacation.

Math...

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Standardized Exams - Tip 3

By Keith T. | 4/14/2012 7:03 AM CST |

This blog is specific to the AP (Advanced Placement Exams).

Not to date myself any further but how things have changed. When I was in High School, there were only a handful of exams that a student could sit for in terms of Advanced placement exams. There were your basic sciences, such as Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, and of course English Literature and US Government. However, nowadays, students have up to 34 AP exams to choose from, ranging from Chinese to Art History to French or any other subjects a student could imagine.

So why sit for these exams? what are the advantages?

First is...

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Fun English Practice 2: A Harder Holiday Song and a Little European History Too

By Deborah M. | 12/6/2011 12:51 PM CST |

(A glossary of the words spelled in all capital letters in this blog post appears at ITS end. See how much you can understand without looking at the glossary. Students: Remember to write new words in your vocabulary journal.)

Introduction

EVIDENCE of the Christian holiday Christmas is everywhere in December. The TWELVE days of Christmas begin on December 25, commonly called Christmas Day. December 26, more commonly in the United Kingdom than in the United States, is known as Boxing Day. However, at the time that this Christmas CAROL was written, BOXING DAY was also called the FEAST OF STE...

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