A Note From the Creator of this Site
The purpose of this site is to present historically accurate information to high school students students in a more relaxed, accesible way. Many times, students are given assignments that require them to extract information from dense, hard to read sources. Of course, those sources--whether primary or secondary--provide meaningful, important information; however, much of that information is often lost in the convolution, unfamiliar language, and length of the sources. In contrast, I want this site to be much more friendly and understandable to students who are writing some of their first legitimate research papers. The information is all reliable, yet the language is much more accesible.
With this site, I desire for students to spend more time learning and appreciating history instead of spending valuable time poring over and translating confusing text. This is especially pertinent when dealing with the topic of this site, the Copperheads. Personally, I took an AP US History course in high school, and I am in the middle of taking my first college history course called Western Warfare Since 1789. The Copperheads were never mentioned in either of those classes. In fact, I had never heard of the Copperheads until I took a Writing 101 course called The Civil War: Live, for which this website was created. Even then, the Copperheads only appeared in a few paragraphs in an essay by James McPherson, entitled Spend Much Time in Reading The Daily Papers, and then disappeared from our readings. The point: the Copperheads are unfamiliar to most high school students, but that doesn't make them any less important. I want to make them more accesible and understandable.
Another goal of my site is to get students to interact one-on-one with primary sources. That is the point of the videos at the top of most of the pages--all of which include a quote relating to that section of the site, pictures as a backdrop, subtitles, and a college-age student providing narration. In addition, I sum up and translate quotes found around the site to make the primary source from which it was derived easier to read. There are also many pictures, links, and interactive features included on each page. Additionally, I include the primary sources themselves at the bottom of each page for the students to explore further. Once again, I want the students reading this site to get the most out of it that they can, whether they are reading the text, looking at a picture, or watching a video. History does NOT have to be boring and stuffy; it can be humorous, it can be accessible, and it can be fun.
Thank you so much for visiting my site. Please feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, or feedback.
Danielle Lazarus
Duke University
Class of 2016
[email protected]
With this site, I desire for students to spend more time learning and appreciating history instead of spending valuable time poring over and translating confusing text. This is especially pertinent when dealing with the topic of this site, the Copperheads. Personally, I took an AP US History course in high school, and I am in the middle of taking my first college history course called Western Warfare Since 1789. The Copperheads were never mentioned in either of those classes. In fact, I had never heard of the Copperheads until I took a Writing 101 course called The Civil War: Live, for which this website was created. Even then, the Copperheads only appeared in a few paragraphs in an essay by James McPherson, entitled Spend Much Time in Reading The Daily Papers, and then disappeared from our readings. The point: the Copperheads are unfamiliar to most high school students, but that doesn't make them any less important. I want to make them more accesible and understandable.
Another goal of my site is to get students to interact one-on-one with primary sources. That is the point of the videos at the top of most of the pages--all of which include a quote relating to that section of the site, pictures as a backdrop, subtitles, and a college-age student providing narration. In addition, I sum up and translate quotes found around the site to make the primary source from which it was derived easier to read. There are also many pictures, links, and interactive features included on each page. Additionally, I include the primary sources themselves at the bottom of each page for the students to explore further. Once again, I want the students reading this site to get the most out of it that they can, whether they are reading the text, looking at a picture, or watching a video. History does NOT have to be boring and stuffy; it can be humorous, it can be accessible, and it can be fun.
Thank you so much for visiting my site. Please feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, or feedback.
Danielle Lazarus
Duke University
Class of 2016
[email protected]