Posted on Leave a comment

Indigenous Ingenuity: Snow Goggles

When you hear “snow goggles”, you probably think of skiing or snowboarding. Goggles are important for winter sports to keep wind, snow, and sun out of your eyes. Of course, the Indigenous peoples of the Arctic are experts in snow and had to manage the snow’s bright reflection for millenia. How did they do it?  Before foam and plastic ski goggles, there were snow goggles made from wood, bone, and antler. There are hundreds of examples of snow goggles, also called Inuit goggles, and snow visors in museums, and Alaskan Natives continued to use them into the twentieth century. They…

Read more

Posted on Leave a comment

The Importance of Using Authentically Sourced Materials

At History Unboxed®, our commitment to authenticity sets us apart in the realm of education. We believe in going beyond textbooks, offering students a hands-on experience with materials sourced directly from the very places they are studying. But why is this so important to us? Cultural Authenticity When we use culturally authentic materials, it gives students an opportunity to experience windows and mirrors. “Windows and mirrors” means giving students windows to see into different cultures and experiences and mirrors to reflect their own identity and background. Authentic materials make for the clearest and most reflective windows and mirrors. When I…

Read more

Posted on Leave a comment

A Brief History of Book Banning

It’s Banned Book Week! This year’s theme is “Let Freedom Read!” In this blog post we are going to talk a little bit about the history of banning books, and give you a few suggestions on banned books that can be paired with specific History Unboxed® boxes. Let’s get started! Banned Book Week was started in 1982. At that time book banning had really ramped up and activists wanted to fight to make sure books were accessible to everyone. Each year, The Office of Intellectual Freedom at the American Library Association compiles a list of the most challenged books of…

Read more

Posted on Leave a comment

Why It’s Important to Teach Asian American & Pacific Island History All Year Long

As this year’s Asian & Pacific Island Heritage Month comes to a close, History Unboxed® is bringing you a guest blog post by Rachel Juliette on the importance of teaching Asian & Pacific Islander history, not just during the month of May, but the whole year through.   The U.S. has always had deep ties with Asia, but most schools don’t discuss this in depth. Professor Sohyun An of Kennesaw State University tells TIME that Asians were part of the United States before many white European immigrants came to the country. Unfortunately, most K-12 American history texts barely discuss this…

Read more