The study of history is an antidote to the hubris of the present – the idea that everything we have, everything we do and everything we think is the ultimate, the best. (David McCullough)
Thinking about the musings from DAY 15: Are You Guilty Of…Presentism?…
I would submit to you that the concept of presentism just might be the most important concept that a student can ever take away from their history class. Presentism is also perhaps the most important concept ignored by their history teacher. In the teachers defense however, it is possible that they themselves may have never been taught about presentism in the first place, let alone teach the concept to their students.
After all, if you don’t know what to look for…how will you know when you find it?
The tardy bell rings and class begins.
“Alright guys, remember that I was going to ask you the same question that I asked you at the end of the last class period? The question was: So, how did the ziggurat get there?”
Nothing.
Usually, if the first time that I ask that question was asked on a Friday, the odds that any of the students will remember much relating to what was discussed back then, to answer correctly on a Monday, is quite slim indeed.
Teachers are always fighting with weekends for the students attention, especially on Mondays.
“Okay, I know that most, if not all of you, have slept since then, so I will do a quick recap from our last class.”
“There were two lifestyles that I offered you to select, based on your life experiences you have had so far: Would you wish to live around the year 1900, as a king or queen, or would you rather be living today as yourself.”
The confusion on many faces now have vanished and it appears that they do in fact remember the end of class the day before.
Sometimes, it seems that all of this is just a game. The students have to be messing with me…I know they are.
I think.
But I digress.
As we review the more obvious answer, living as themselves in today’s life, I then shift back to Sargon of Akkad, and his unification of the Sumerian City-States, (Akkadian Empire), as the picture of the ziggurat in present-day Iraq is showing on the screen.
“Do you remember when I asked you what time you went to sleep last night?”
Many heads move up and down in the affirmative.
“And do you also remember when I asked you that if there are 25 students in the classroom right now, how many potential bed times were there last night?”
“25!” is uttered from at least one student before I have a chance to call on anyone.
Now, for the most part, the majority of students are now up to speed from the information we discussed from class the day before.
I restate the question that ended the class period the day before:
“So, how did the ziggurat get there?”
Before answering the question, I encourage the students to think about all that would be needed to build that ziggurat they see on the screen.
The planning. The land. The resources. The finances. The time.
And…
The labor.
Sargon and his Akkadian Empire did not have access to…the One Ring…or the Elder Wand…or the Infinity Gauntlet. In fact the only thing that he did have access to, was labor to build it.
And that took time. Years at least. A couple of decades were needed in most instances, to complete a ziggurat.
I explain to them that at this time, if they were not farming they were most likely assisting in the building of the ziggurat.
I ask them a simple question:
“If we already know that there would most likely be 25 different times you all woke up every morning, do you think that the ziggurat would be completed sooner, later, or at about the same time, that the ziggurat in Iraq was completed, which was approximately 20 years?”
The answer is clear, it would take longer to complete.
And if that answer is absolutely not acceptable to the leader of the Akkadian Empire.
What is acceptable for Sargon of Akkad to complete the ziggurat in Iraq, or any other ziggurat in his empire for that matter, is to have access to: government, laws, and slaves.
Sargon of Akkad is the leader, he is the one who wants a ziggurat to be built…preferably before he dies, so that he can enjoy it, and perhaps brag about it, while he is still alive. As the leader, he is commanding that it be built. As an aside, he is also in command of the military…
There. He just created government.
If there are 25 students and they go to bed potentially at 25 different times, that may work…in their homes. However, as I explain to the students, the reason why the bell rings at 8:00am Monday through Friday is because it is an expectation that they are in their first period class. If they arrive late, consequences range from a Wednesday night detention, to Saturday school, to ultimately truancy, depending on multiple factors.
So, for the most part, the expectation is that my students are at school Monday through Friday by 8:00am or face consequences…
Or, if we go back over 4,000 years ago to Sargon of Akkad and the building of the ziggurat. That will require far more than 25 people to create it in two decades or less.
The workers need to be on site to work on the ziggurat by 8:00am Monday through Friday.
There. He has just created a law.
I explain to the students that building a ziggurat in Iraq over 4,000 years ago, and earning a high school diploma today in the United States are quite similar, at least from a time perspective.
Both will take years to complete.
Do the students all want to be at school by 8:00am Monday through Friday for at least 9 months, in order to earn their diploma?
No.
Do the students all want to take AP World History with me as their teacher, in order to earn their diploma?
No.
Do the students all want to willingly: read articles and textbooks, color-code maps, write essays and answer multiple-choice questions, for months, in the hopes of earning a passing grade, in order to earn their diploma?
No way.
Would you if given the choice?
The same can be said for those working to create and complete that ziggurat.
Do you think they wanted to do that work, for the most part from dawn to dusk…5 days a week, (at least), all year round, with no days off for holidays, to build a ziggurat?
Snow days of course, are out of the question since Iraq is in the desert.
No. Way.
This is how a student in the United States public school system can be compared to a worker working on a ziggurat in Iraq over 4,000 years ago.
Well, how then does the ziggurat get built?
Someone has to build it for Sargon of Akkad…
There. Now, you have slaves.
Can you imagine a world without slaves?
The concept of presentism will be wrapped up next time….
Do not feel discouraged if you still are not understanding the significance of presentism. Do not feel discouraged if you do not see the connection between what happened over 4,000 years ago in the Akkadian Empire and how it relates to you today. Instead, embrace the idea that knowledge is power and you gained some more knowledge that you had before reading this. Embrace the idea that by truly understanding the significance of presentism, the world around you may make more sense no matter what your history grade was back in school.
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. (John 16:13 KJV)
Was today’s blog a little confusing at times? Was the content perhaps a little overwhelming? Did you feel lost not understanding some or most of the subject matter?
Those feelings are totally understandable and it is ok to have one or more of those feelings. Remember that you are reading Day 16: Does Presentism Affect The Way You View The World?
If you haven’t been in class since the first day of school…or when the project began…or when the contract was first signed, etc., these feelings make perfect and logistical sense.
Please feel free to go back to where all of this began: