Several years ago, a rare specimen washed up on a beach in Cornwall, England: A 100 year-old Greenland Shark. Even at a century old, this shark would still be considered a juvenile. These Arctic-dwelling predators don’t reach full adulthood until 150 years of age. They grow up to 25 feet long and eat anything they can get from fish to seals to moose if given the chance. Female Greenland sharks gestate for between 8 and 18 years before giving birth to live young. But Greenland sharks are most well known for their long lifespans; the oldest specimen captured was…
The Middle East: What’s in a name?
The Middle East. You can’t consume the news or study history without hearing about this multicultural and multi-ethnic region. Many of us could probably point to it on a map or name some of the related countries, but it’s important to remember just how vast and vibrant this area is! Take a moment to pull up a map now–digital is fine! Place your finger on Egypt, home to the pharaohs and the Great Pyramid. Trace your finger up the Nile River to the Mediterranean Sea. Tracing along the coast, you’ve reached the Levant, home to the Ancient Israelites and Phoenicians.…
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…
Historical Research: Wikipedia
This week we are starting a new series on historical research. In this blog post we will focus on historical research using Wikipedia, and its strengths and weaknesses. This post is by Stephanie Hanson, History Unboxed’s® Creative Director. When I was majoring in history, I had to write a senior thesis. The course was called “1968” and my topic had to center around major events that took place in that year. I knew I wanted to write about the American Indian Movement, but had zero background knowledge other than their occupation of Alcatraz Island. My research required primary sources and…