One of my favorite ways of teaching history is to role play historical characters . At various times I have been "Rev. Youngs" preaching a Puritan sermon to my students, Andrew Carnegie describing the steel magnate's fabulous career, and "Uncle Bill" debating the merits of Woman Suffrage with his anti-suffragist niece "Nancy" -- played by a teaching assistant. Today I did my best to channel for Patrick Henry so that I could enable my students to hear him deliver his powerful "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" speech, which he delivered in Virginia on the eve of the American Revolution.
The picture below is me channeling for Patrick Henry. And below that is the link to the YouTube video of the "lesson."
The picture below is me channeling for Patrick Henry. And below that is the link to the YouTube video of the "lesson."
I would tell you more about Henry's speech, but I want you to look at the YouTube video below for that information. In class today (October 10, 2013) one of my students filmed my introductory lecture and my rendition of the speech. I had delivered it many times before, but never seen myself on film as I was delivering it. Was I too mild and beseeching during much of the speech, I ask myself. Should I have hammered away more consistently at my fellow Virginians to make my points? How did Patrick Henry himself deliver the speech? Every time I "play" Patrick Henry, I use a slightly different approach.
One thing I do know is that I especially appreciate my students when I deliver the speech. They really listen carefully, which is always gratifying for a teacher.
One thing I must confess is that I muffed my lines this time in several places. Sometimes I deliver the talk entirely from memory, and sometimes I use a cheat sheet, as I did today. I'm going for memory next time, but that takes a lot of practice. I'd better get started.
Here is the YouTube video with the Patrick Henry "lesson" and speech. James Myers, one of my students in the class did the camera-work.
One thing I do know is that I especially appreciate my students when I deliver the speech. They really listen carefully, which is always gratifying for a teacher.
One thing I must confess is that I muffed my lines this time in several places. Sometimes I deliver the talk entirely from memory, and sometimes I use a cheat sheet, as I did today. I'm going for memory next time, but that takes a lot of practice. I'd better get started.
Here is the YouTube video with the Patrick Henry "lesson" and speech. James Myers, one of my students in the class did the camera-work.
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