History – Awesome Stories

New Member-Created AwesomeStory: Thaddeus Kosciuszko: Hero of the American Revolution

AwesomeStory Member Kay Teehan wrote a new story: Thaddeus Kosciuszko: Hero of the American Revolution, read about it here!

We are constantly rolling out new stories here at AS and Kay’s latest is a gem: a look into the life of Polish-born and eventual American Revolutionary War patriot Thaddeus Kosciuszko. Koscuiszko came to America brimming with enthusiasm to beat the Brits and quickly gained the trust of Franklin, Jefferson and Washington. Kosciuszko helped American troupes evade the British army many times and many ways before going on to lead military action in France and his native Poland. His character is as compelling an element of his story as was his military prowess; Kosciuszko vehemently opposed the decimation of the American Indian as well as the enslavement of Africans, while additionally advocating for equal rights for women. His will decreed for the release of his and Jefferson’s slaves and allotted money toward their education.

Kay Teehan is already a prolific contributor at Awesome Stories, please read more of her stories in our database. Her enthusiasm and volume of contribution is no surprise considering her years of teaching at many levels focusing on utilizing technology and online resources to maximize engagement with academic studies…she’s written three books on the subject!

Now you can write your own AwesomeStories!

Join as a member or as a free trial member and use AwesomeStoryMaker to create your own!

New Member-Created AwesomeStory: The Boy Who Became the Dalai Lama

child Dalai Lama — the Dalai Lama as a child

Item! Pope Francis isn’t the only Holiness worth knowing about. Who are we talking about? Tenzin Gyatso aka the Dalai Lama. That’s right, Awesome Teacher Leader and site author extraordinaire Kay Teehan delivers another useful piece of research.

Awesome stories comprises thousands of stories authored by found Carole Bos and we are increasingly expanding with contributions through user/member/leader-generated content. Check out how to become a Maker through our story building program.

Fun fact about the Dalai Lama: it is believed that the Dalai Lama is the same soul, reincarnated over and over again through living beings. The current holder of the position was envisioned by a monk who saw the house where the future Lama lived. The recently deceased Lama’s head repeatedly pointed in the direction (north west) where earthly body of the new Lama could be found, no matter how many times the monks tried to reposition the head to face forward. Find out more of his Holiness’s amazing story here.

Now you can write your own AwesomeStories!

Join as a member or as a free trial member and use AwesomeStoryMaker to create your own!

New Member-Created Story: The How and Why of the Mask Worn in Boardwalk Empire

Jack Huston Boardwalk Empire — character of Richard Harrow wearing Anna Coleman Ladd type mask

New member story published on awesomestories.com! Awesome Teacher Leader Jacquie Sewell takes us in to a little known facet of WWI, and a detail that was used as part of a major story line in the HBO series Boardwalk Empire.

Many of us are fans of the opulent and thrilling HBO series Boardwalk Empire inspired by real life Atlantic City bootlegger and gangster Nucky Johnson. The noble and tragic character of Richard Harrow is based on one of these American heroes who after suffering mutilation to his face struggled to assimilate with life back home using the aide of a prosthetic mask such as Anna Coleman Ladd fashioned.

Awesome Stories has a tremendous library of primary source based content ready to be used in the classroom. One source of this volume of content is our team of Awesome Teacher Leaders as well as other site members. Elementary school librarian Jacquie Sewell brings us a fascinating story taking us back to a poignant and moving aspect of World War I, sculptress Anna Coleman Ladd’s commitment to creating lifelike masks for soldiers of WWI whose faces were disfigured during combat. Plastic surgery was not yet an option at this time.

Awesome Teacher Leaders and Members are contributing new stories every week, tune in for fresh stories and AS updates here!

Pope Francis Primer

Obama Francis Vatican — President Obama meet Pope Francis in the Vatican, 2014.

Pope Francis, born Jorge Bergoglio in Argentina is considered a very modern and progressive pope, as well as a more humble and approachable pope than those of the past. Francis is a pope of firsts, first Jesuit pope, first from the Americas and first from South America. Pope Francis has made fighting poverty one of his chief causes.

While maintaining traditional Catholic stances opposing contraception, abortion and homosexuality Francis’s greatest principal is that of Jesus’s teachings of mercy. Therefore, though he condemns certain practices as immoral he does not condemn the practitioners themselves, believing all beings to be deserving of love and compassion. Francis has also championed open dialogue with and acceptance of other faiths including Judaism, Islam,Protestantism, Atheism and has worked to mend the over 1000 year rift with Orthodox Christianity.

In an unusual precedent of diplomacy US President Barack Obama enlisted Pope Francis to aide in reopening relations with Cuba which he successfully shepherded to completion. Only two years into his papacy Pope Francis continues to surprise including his acknowledgement of and concern regarding climate change. His historic visit to the United States in September 2015 is sure to include new revelations on not just his stances but his whole manner and approach to interacting with all beings, not only Catholics.

This Week: van Gogh’s “Lover’s Lane” Sells for $66.3 Million

Vincent van Gogh felt he was a failure in his lifetime, borrowing money for food and paints from his brother Theo. If only Vincent could know that his painting of the Alyscamps cemetery in France sold May 5, 2015 for $66.3 million!

Read our StoryBrief about his trip to the cemetery with Paul Gaugin and how one artist influenced the other to paint beyond what was immediately seen.

And our multi-chapter Vincent van Gogh Story provides yet more insight into the life of this artist who changed how we all see things.

For tips on how to leverage natural student interest in van Gogh’s art and life, take a look at longtime adjunct professor Sandie Linn’s StoryBrief “Teaching with AwesomeStories Vincent van Gogh Story to Deepen Reading, Reflection and Writing for ESL Students”.