fandomhigh | Entries tagged with history

"Right, well. Today is our last day of class," Jon noted. "Which rather snuck up on me, so I haven't got an actual final planned, but those don't seem to be terribly important or usual here anyway. Instead, why don't we do this - you can all quiz me. Ask any questions you like about British history, and I will answer them to the best of my ability."

He shrugged. He could know a lot, he might as well make use of both an Oxford education and an eldritch fear god.

intheeyeofthebeholding

Jon hadn't bothered looking professional today. His clothes were well-put-together but rumpled, his hair looked like he'd been running his fingers through it repeatedly, and he was very obviously tired.

He was almost smiling, though, his face softer than it usually got. This could probably be explained by the...guest speakers? interactive exhibit?

Kittens and cats. There were enough for every student to have several, and until the students settled, Jon was perfectly happy being a jungle gym and furniture for all of them.

"It's believed that humans domesticated cats at least four millennia ago, possibly as long ago as ten or twelve. The first evidence of cats in Britain comes with the Romans around two millennia ago, and the cats mercifully stayed longer than the Romans did. Since then they've had an occasionally rocky history, at times being blamed for witchcraft or plague, but mostly growing up alongside civilisation, being mousers and vermin-hunters and companions. There are currently over 8.5 million pet cats in the UK. And today is International Cat Day, so we're going to learn and experience what makes them so wonderful, and give some of them the praise and worship they deserve."

intheeyeofthebeholding

Jon was in front of the class today, his hair tightly slicked back, his shirt and trousers crisp, and his spine as straight as he could stand. His demeanour was just as stiff.

"Today we're talking about Elizabeth Fry. She lived in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, and was known as "the angel of prisons". She was a prison reformer, social reformer, abolitionist, and philanthropist.

"She was a Quaker minister, she advocated for and helped distribute smallpox vaccines in the villages around where she lived, and later in life founded a school for nurses where they were taught the radical notion that the poor should be treated as well as the rich.

"One of the things she was mainly known for, however, was prison reform. She visited Newgate Prison and discovered appalling conditions, then worked to get them improved. She consulted with both prison authorities and the prisoners themselves, who came to respect her. She introduced a system of classification of prisoners, helped to get women and men incarcerated separately, and got them new clothing, education, and paid employment, with the idea of reforming rather than punishing. Her testament to the House of Commons also helped to get measures passed that instituted female wardens to guard female prisoners, did away with iron manacles, and abolished the death penalty for 130 crimes.

"She continued her work to also improve conditions on prison ships, and she opened a homeless shelter and provided help for the poor. She also, as did many Quakers, opposed slavery and campaigned for its abolition. All in all, she was remarkably influential and helpful and did quite a bit of good in her lifetime and after."

He nodded curtly. "Any questions?"

intheeyeofthebeholding

Jon rushed into the classroom, waving good-bye to the squirrels, half of whom just settled in the room anyway.

"I would like to apologise to you all," he began. "I'm terribly sorry for my tardiness. Unfortunately, the lesson I had planned for today was...well, it's illegible." Leroy had spilled hot fudge on it.

"So instead of that, we'll have," he grimaced, "a 'movie day'." He felt like a bit of a failure having to do it. "I've selected a film that involves several somewhat fictionalised eras of British history, at least, and I hope you will all enjoy it."

He fiddled with the a/v equipment and pressed Play.

intheeyeofthebeholding

Jon waved at everybody and ran a hand through his hair, which was getting a bit shaggy now he thought about it. He shook himself.

"Right. Boudicca, who lived in the first century, was queen of the Iceni tribe of Celts in modern-day East Anglia. Her husband, Prasutagus, was an independent ally of Rome, and divided his estate between his daughters and the Roman emperor Nero, who was known for neither his generosity nor his fairness. When Prasutagus died, the Romans took all of his lands and revoked the Iceni's status as allies.

( cw, mention of rape )

intheeyeofthebeholding

Jon fiddled for quite a while with the projector, trying to get it to show his screen. Look, he was an avatar of dread knowledge, not of tech support. Eventually, it showed a picture.

"John Blanke. Or possible 'Blak', there's some dispute. One of the earliest well-attested Black people in England after the Romans left. Well, 'left', but anyway. Probably came as one of Catherine of Aragon's attendants in the early years of the sixteenth century. Just to be clear, when I say 'earliest well-attested', what I mean is not a lot was written about average people in a way that's come down to us, not that he was the first ever Black man there. We know there were others living there, we simply don't know much about them. Still, anybody trying to complain that only whites are 'historically accurate' can get stuffed, preferably with pages of history texts." Ahem.

"Anyway, he was a trumpeter, as you can see." He waved at the picture. "This is from the Westminster Tournament Roll, a set of documents depicting a joust called by Henry VIII to celebrate the birth of his first son. He played at Henry's coronation and at his father's funeral.

"We also know he successfully petitioned the king to take the position of a dead trumpeter, then successfully petitioned to have his wages doubled, and when he was married, the king gave him wedding gifts including a purple gown. He was there, he was known, and he was valued."

Jon nodded decisively. "So, let me know if there are any questions, and I'll try to answer anything I can about life at that time or what we know of that John."

shiroi_tiger

"We've given up on movies," Nathan announced, because before he even said hello to the class today, that seemed like something that was important to say right up front. "At least when it comes to Lincoln. This week, we're going to just talk. I'm sure you were all starting to miss our lectures, anyway."

Come on, Nathan. How could anybody miss your lectures when they had such quality entertainment to fill the void?

( Who doesn't enjoy our fine rambles? )

shiroi_tiger

Hey, both teachers were here this week for class! And it wasn't even a movie day. Be proud of them, students. Goody and Nathan were almost approaching 'functional human' status, now. Maybe someday.

They lived in perpetual hope.

"My apologies for missing last week," Nathan said, nodding to the class at large. "I was... detained, I suppose is the proper word, by a group of gremlins having a slumber party in my living room." And there was no way in hell he was going out a window just to get to class. "I hope whatever film Mr. Robicheaux chose to show you was educational."

Or at least entertaining. That was about the best they could hope for in this day and age.

( This week, Appomattox. )

shiroi_tiger

There was no historically inaccurate movie for the kids to watch this week. Or maybe it was accurate. You don't know what Lincoln did or didn't do. He was an enigma.

Just kidding, there are a million biographies on the man.

( Today we'll be trying to set the record straight about Lincoln. )

[OOC: Open!]

wefindintheashes

Once again, students would walk into a danger shop that was all set up for a movie day.

The teachers weren't giving up on this, damn it.

"We're going to try for that Lincoln documentary again," Nathan said, giving the danger shop controls a suspicious side-eye. "Since he was one of the major players in the war, and all."

Seriously. He was Kind Of A Big Deal.

"Certainly more kindly remembered than Davis," Goody chimed in. Because Davis was a worthless little shit when it came to being president. He had himself some Opinions on the matter.

"Mr. Algren assures me that this video does not involve children singing about the government this time. My apologizes to anyone who enjoyed it last time."

All one of you.

"No singing children," Nathan agreed, firmly. "So, might as well get comfortable. This is going to be a bit dry."

He hit play.

Sigh.

"...beggin' your pardon, Mr. Algren, but I don't believe Mr. Lincoln was much of a vampire hunter?" Thanks for stating the obvious, Goodnight.

"Well, he is now," Nathan muttered, shaking his head. "We can lecture about the man next week. If anybody needs me, I'll be over... there."

Thumping his forehead against a wall.

Enjoy the movie, kids.

shiroi_tiger

Class was back in the danger shop after the little fiasco with the video attempt. Though, at least two people had enjoyed that one. Bless their hearts.

The room had been programmed (by Nathan) to look like a version of Virginia that would have been a little more familiar for both of their teachers. Which meant the rare road and whole lot of wooded areas surrounding them. Oh, and the rivers and streams cutting through the land. Couldn't forget those.

( And... March )

shiroi_tiger

Once again, the class was meeting in the Danger Shop, because Nathan was just that kind of teacher, and there was nothing like actually sitting in the middle of what was generally considered the front lines to really hammer in just what it was that the students were supposed to be learning today.

... About food.

( Mmmmm, rations. )

shiroi_tiger

The class was once again in the danger shop and there wasn't even any complaining from Goodnight. Though that may have been due to the whole post-weekend ~~hangover~~ terrible… terribleness. They were in what could be dubbed 'the countryside' with a number of well dressed (for the 19th century) people surrounding them with carriages and blankets set out to have a lovely day of picnicking.

For what it was worth, Nathan wasn't faring much better. While the weekend had been welcome in its own way, the conclusion of it had left something to be desired. And had involved whisky. A lot of whisky.

"Some of you have probably had more interesting weekends than others," Nathan noted, with all the dignity, grace, and eloquence of a man who wanted to shoot a Winchester through the sun so that it would stop shining in his goddamn eyes, even though he couldn't have been bothered to program the danger shop into a night scenario to avoid that. "So we'll try to keep this lecture short."

And not because they, themselves, were not feeling up to the task today. Really.

( Blissfully short, yes. )

shiroi_tiger

There were two archaically dressed gentleman at the head of the class. You know, in case you were doubting the whole 'Civil War veteran' thing. There you go.

( So many books were written about this damned thing... )

[OOC: And OCD up! The management would like to apologize in advance for this semester.]

throughaphase

Last night Kitty had sent emails to come to the classroom today, where she started out with, "Because nope. We're just going to straight up have a movie day today. And it's a movie that's historically inaccurate and Mel Gibson turned out to be terrible, but at least you might learn some pop culture references you didn't know before."

It'd been a long few days, okay?

throughaphase

Class met at the causeway today, where they then took a portal to...

"Welcome to Berlin, on November 9, 1989," Kitty began. "After World War II, Germany was split into two sides: East Germany was communist, while West Germany was democratic. The German Democratic Republic of East Germany put up a 96-mile concrete wall in 1961 to separate the two, and to keep East Germans from escaping to the western side, or 'conspire with the enemy' or whatever. 3.5 million East Germans emigrated to West Germany before the wall. The East side considered it an Anti-Facist Protective Wall, but for all the so-called protection it divided families and friends, who were unable to see each other for years.

"Then in 1987, David Bowie played a concert in West Berlin, close to the wall. East Berlin could hear it, and started riots, which was the first in a series of riots against the wall. President Reagan spoke out against it. then in 1989, 13,000 East Germans escaped through Hungary to Austria, which set off a chain of events including travel restrictions and more refugees fleeing and protests, and finally there were crossings open between East and West Germany, including through Berlin. The party leader was given a statement to read at a press conference but didn't know how to interpret it, and he thought the changes took place immediately. So thousands of people flooded the gates, demanding to be let through. There were so many people the guards really had no choice, and people streamed through to reconnect with people, and to literally start chipping away at the wall with tools.

"So this is your scene today. If you want to help tear something down, go for it. It's gonna take a while to finish, I doubt they'll mind the help. If you want to just watch the scene, that's fine too."

throughaphase

Today the class was most definitely in the Danger Shop, where they were on the deck of a cruise ship, with people in early 1900's garb around.

"Welcome to the Titanic," Kitty began. "You've probably heard of it. This ship is currently on its maiden voyage, between Southampton and New York, and at the very end of today, it's going to hit an iceberg and take two hours and forty minutes to sink. This ship was considered unsinkable, and no one was prepared for any real emergency. There weren't enough lifeboats, and they weren't filled when they were sent out, stranding a lot of people on the sinking ship. There are also some major class issues, seeing as how the people in steerage had been basically left to fend for themselves while the lower decks flooded. Distress calls were either ignored, or other ships were too far away to help. By the time rescue came, after the ship was done, somewhere over seven hundred people had survived.

"You're in the Danger Shop now, so you're not going to be hanging around actual doomed people," Kitty assured them. "But I want you to wander around, see what things were like before everything was terrible, and just take it in."

throughaphase

Kitty was really disappointed that the kids were in a real class today. She really hadn't meant for this to happen.

"So a funny thing happens when you turn into a kid over the weekend and have a first period class," she said. "Class doesn't get done in time. I'm sorry. I do have a movie for you, though, so at least you get to learn something."

throughaphase

Today class took place in the gym, where they could sit on mats.

"All right, so. If you've been watching the news, or social media, you know about what's going on with the election. Some of you might be scared, some of you might not. Either way, know that Fandom is safe. This is the most accepting place ever, you're in no danger here, and the island is kind of used to trouble. So you're okay here. And if you want to do something to help, I have a giant packet by the door with resources," Kitty said. "For now, if you have any questions, now' the time to ask. I don't know everything, but I'll do what I can.

"And then you can spend the rest of class hitting things."

throughaphase

Over the weekend the students had gotten an email telling them to wear/bring warm clothes and meet at the causeway. When everyone got there, they took a portal off into the middle of the Washington mall, which was cold, and very crowded. If you hadn't put those layers on, you might want to now.

"We have a presidential election this week, and if you've been following the news at all, thank god," Kitty said. "Every four years we elect someone, usually from one of two political parties, though there can be more, to lead the country. In 2008, we elected Barack Obama, a Senator from Illinois, and the first black man to ever become president. It took forty-three people before we got to that, so you might have a clue as to how historic this was. Not only that, weeks before the election, the stock market crashed, throwing us into a recession he had to pull us out of. Over the course of two terms for a total of eight years, he managed to do it." And maybe Kitty hadn't been here for a lot of that, but still. Collective 'us.'

"So here we are, on January 20, 2009, as he's inaugurated into office. And remember to take in the awesomeness of the hat when we get to it."

throughaphase

Class was in the classroom today, where Kitty greeted them with, "Good morning and happy Halloween. Apparently the Danger Shop is in on the trick part of trick or treat because it decided to eat my programming right before class. So you guys are going to get a movie day. Trust me, you'll stay awake."

throughaphase

Today, the students would meet at the causeway for class, where they took a portal for once to... a ballpark.

"Sorry about last week. I was trying not to die of a post-vacation bug. Won't happen again. So, something historic happened this weekend," Kitty said, and if you'd heard her shrieking on Saturday night you knew where this was going. "The Chicago Cubs, a baseball team, won the National League pennant, and will be moving on to the World Series. You might not think this matters, and I'll be hurt if you admit it but I'll understand. But hear me out: the last they made it to the World Series was 71 years ago. The last time they won was in 1908. Let's just say there was a goat, and a curse, and I'm a little worried about invoking wrath so I'm not going to go into it. There is a reason I'm bringing you here, though, besides that I'm the teacher and I want to, but 1908 was 108 years ago. Slavery had ended 43 years prior, and wouldn't have their first black player until 1947. Women couldn't vote yet. New Mexico, Arizona, Hawaii and Alaska weren't states yet. The Titanic hadn't even been built yet. Cars were introduced two weeks before the World Series. Have you ever heard someone say something is the best thing to happen since sliced bread? Sliced bread didn't exist. What I'm getting at is, this is a whole other world you're stepping into.

"Right now, we're at Bennett Park in Michigan, facing off against the Detroit Tigers. Lucky for us this is a record low attendance game thanks to scalping issues, so there's room for us. Since we're kind of going to stand out, we're going to find a quiet place to sit, and watch the game, and nobody jinx us for the future."

throughaphase

Class met in the Danger Shop today, which was cramped, and looked very much like the inside of a lunar module, but a little larger than it really was. It was still super cramped, so hopefully you all liked each other. Also, right outside would be the moon.

"Welcome to Apollo 11," Kitty began. "It's July 20, 1969. This might be really primitive to anyone who's used to a lot of space travel, but we're still pretty new at it. At this point in history, the US and the Soviet Union have been engaged in a space race for fourteen years. The two were engaged in the Cold War after World War II- which I guarantee we'll go into more in other classes- and they were trying very hard to one-up each other on this. The Russians had gotten a satellite before the US, and got the first man in space, but the US won out when it came to putting a man on the actual moon. Today, Neil Armstrong is going to step foot on the surface, followed by Buzz Aldrin, and they'll spend a couple hours gathering rocks and such to bring back to Earth, and then later to deal with people trying to claim it's all a hoax." Her tone might have told the students what she thought of that. You're going to get to step out and watch it. But first, you're going to get to put on space suits, because you can't really have fun on the moon if you're not in a spacesuit."

throughaphase

Class today was being held in a cemetery in the Danger Shop. It was crowded, full of soldiers and civilians, and somewhere in the middle of it, a man was speaking.

( Welcome to Gettysburg )

throughaphase

Today the students would find themselves on a ship in the Danger Shop at night, surrounded by over a hundred men in colonial garb, tossing things over the side of the ship into the water.

"Some of you asked to see some of the founding of this country, so here's one big event," Kitty greeted them. "It's December 16, 1773, and we're in Boston. Some backstory for those of you who are new here: in the 1600s, people fled England so they could pursue the religion of their choice, though England still had control. This wasn't really America yet. And after the French and Indian War, the Americans weren't too happy that they were getting taxed on imports of tea, which they felt was unfair since they weren't involved and weren't represented in Parliament. This became known as 'taxation without representation,' and sparked a rebellion. The Americans started smuggling tea for their enormous collective habit, so the British cut the tax and then ended up taxing it and other things later. Samuel Adams, one of the founders of the country and one of the Sons of Liberty, a group of people including a few founding fathers, sold it as stripping them of their human rights, because if they had no voice, they shouldn't be dealing with this.

"So the Sons of Liberty dressed as Native Americans, which is problematic, but apparently symbolized that they were Americans now, and not British subjects, which is fine until you find out what happened to the Native Americans," Kitty said. And at least the men around them weren't wearing headdresses you'd see at Coachella, but covered with blankets with coal dust on their faces to try and disguise them. "What they're doing now is opening up and throwing 340 cases of British East India Company tea overboard. In modern money, it's about one point seven million dollars of damage. So, for this class... you can watch, or you can join them, if you'd like. It's simulated, so if you want to pick up a hatchet and destroy some property, do it here and not anywhere else, okay?"

throughaphase

It was too late for Kitty to send an email and know the students would get it on time, so she just went ahead and programmed the Danger Shop into being a theater.

"So I spent the weekend as a fourteen-year-old, and I have never been so happy to have the squirrels be slacking or whatever," Kitty greeted them. "So we're going to watch a movie. Some background, since we have people representing different times and places and if you turn on the TV or have a conversation or open up social media you're going to be drowned in news about this sort of thing anyway: here in America, every four years we hold an election to decide who's going to lead the country. Richard Nixon was our 36th president, a Republican from California who served from 1969-1974 after serving as vice president for eight years under Eisenhower. Without spoiling anything for those of you who are new to this, let's just say it didn't end well for him, and he's why every scandal to this date ends in -gate. So take in the movie, and if you fall asleep I get to wake you up and embarrass you."

throughaphase

Today the class was in a Danger Shopped outdoor concert venue. No way was Kitty taking them to the real one without chaperones. But it was crowded and still kind of muddy, and there was music, so.

"Welcome to Woodstock," she greeted them. "This is Monday, August 18, 1969, the end of one of the biggest events in music history. The sixties were a pretty big decade, and hippies were a very big thing. They were very big into peace and love and pacificism, and also illegal drugs and free love which you will not be getting in class. That summer, a free concert was put on in upstate New York, not actually in Woodstock, which gave way to the attendance of four hundred thousand people. This is nothing. This is only about thirty thousand here. A state of emergency was declared for the county, people came over from the Air Force base to help keep things peaceful, and that was probably good because things weren't even finished before the festival started, and they were way underprepared for how many people they got here. Also the festival was supposed to only be three days, but rain delays meant that the very last performer didn't go on until 8 am Monday morning. And that's what you're going to see today.

"So find a spot, relax, and enjoy Jimi Hendrix. If you're from here and now, it'll make your parents and grandparents so jealous."

throughaphase

The students had received an email to meet at the Danger Shop, which looked and felt like a windy day on a North Carolina beach in December.

"Sorry if it's a little chilly," Kitty greeted them. "Welcome to Firsthand History. I'm your teacher, Kitty Pryde-Barton, and I don't really care what you call me since I'm still getting used to one of those names a little. In this class, we're going to visit certain times in history, where you'll get to see what it was actually like to be there. And since there are a lot of different timelines and universes represented at this school, I'm basing this class off of this particular world's timeline. Depending on the situation, we may be in here, or we may portal off to wherever it is. I'll let you know ahead of time. And because this is what we're doing, I want to know what kinds of things you want to see. Whether it's seeing a world event or just visiting a specific time period, I'd like to make sure you can see what you're actually interested in seeing. So since you're going to be doing introductions all week, let's start there. Tell me your name, when and where you're from, and what you want to see."

And then once the last student had introduced themselves, Kitty stepped aside, where the students should see a very old plane in the background. "By the way, if you're wondering where we are, welcome to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in 1903. Enjoy the flight."

wandering-stone.livejournal.com

When class showed up today they would find that it was set up for a movie today. There was even popcorn and movie treats for the students to enjoy. Apparently even Jones would have the occasional light class.

"Last week we talked about the evolution of writing," Jones said as everyone took their seats. "And before that storytelling. Eventually myths and legends that were initially written down took the form of fiction. Today we will be watching a movie pictorial of what is considered one of the greatest playwrights on this planet. I hope you enjoy it."

For the record, Jones had never heard of Baz Luhrmann or seen one of his movies before. This would be an educational experience for her.

wandering-stone.livejournal.com

Jones had sent out a notice for everyone to meet in the art room today instead of the danger shop or the regular class room. When students arrived they would see workstations set up with slabs of wet clay and various clay implements.

"Today we are discussing the written language," Jones began as everyone took their seats. "Before the written language, most history and stories were told in an oral tradition. With the birth of thought and stories, eventually a system was created to recreate and replace the oral tradition which led to more accuracy and less changes to original story. Initially these languages were more symbols which translated directly into words. Eventually this would evolve into a system of letters and characters. Each culture would build upon the previous cultures language model until today's modern language. Even now these languages change with the advent of technology and social media. However that's another class."

She gestured to the slabs of clay in front of them. "One of the important historical discoveries on this world was the Rosetta stone. It was a stone inscribed with a decree issued at Memphis, Egypt, in 196 BC on behalf of King Ptolemy V. The decree appeared in three scripts: the upper text was Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, the middle portion Demotic script, and the lowest Ancient Greek. Because it presents essentially the same text in all three scripts, it provided the key to the modern understanding of Egyptian hieroglyphs."

She then began to give out instructions and translation sheets. "Today you will be making your own form of a Rosetta stone. You will pick a phrase or quote in English or your native tongue and translate it into Sumerian and Egyptian hieroglyphs. I chose Sumerian as the script translation will be easier for you than demotic. Transcribe the phrases in each language onto the tablet. I will then have them placed in the kiln and returned to you next week. Please begin."

wandering-stone.livejournal.com

Today when the class entered the Danger Shop, They would find the environment to be resembling that of Mount Olympus. Statues of the Greek Gods surrounded the site. And as part of the class exercise, Jones was wearing an outfit similarly worn by ancient Greeks.

"As humans began to progress in their knowledge, they became more established in communities. Agriculture played a large part of this settling as humans stayed in one place to tend crops instead of hunting and gathering. However once humanity began to establish itself in a stable form, another significant develop began. One of thought.

She gestured around the room. "What you see here is an edifice of another time. One where mankind sought to find answers to questions no one on this planet had ever thought before. 'How did the world come to being? What is my place in the universe?' These simple questions brought about a line of thought which led to the development of philosphy and religion. Most of the Western world tend to think of ancient Greece as the birthplace of such thought, but other cultures around the world had similar aspects, including Africas, Native Americans and Asians."

"Most of these thoughts started with simple tales which grew into myths. It is mankind's gift of creativity which spawned this tales leading to the belief of a higher power. Native Americans tell a tale of the god Coyote, who placed the stars in the sky. The story of Osirus and Isis tell a tale of death and rebirth as well as the roots of Agriculture. In Greek myths it is Prometheus who brought the gift of fire to mankind and Demeter who brought about the change of seasons."

She gestured to the class to sit. "Today, I would like to hear any myths from your world. If you are from Earth, I would like to hear your favorite."

wandering-stone.livejournal.com

When the students entered into the Danger Shop today, they would find that it resembled a meadow outside a cave. Various humans (Well. Okay. Cro-magnons.) walked the meadows carrying primitive spears and bows.

They would also find their teacher covered in dirt and animal skins. Oh, and she just happened to be wrestling with a giant buffalo. ~~And unlike the linked image, Jones is totally wearing a top.~~ Once Jones had wrestled the creature to the ground the other primitive humans went in for the kill. Jones then stepped back as the tribe finished the job and addressed the students.

"We're going to jump ahead to early human development," she began. "I assumed you would rather skip ahead from dinosaurs to now unless you wanted to experience a frozen ice age. Previous students at my last school did not seem to appreciate the class. We are now in the paleolithic era where man began to develop tools for day to day life. While the Cro-magnons here are more known for their stone tools, they were also adept at using fibers and creating artwork. Think on that for a second. The creation of tools and use of fibers were done for survival but art is something else entirely. Certainly it was most likely used for communication or education but this is considered the first time that a species created such a thing differentiating themselves from the rest of the planet. This is a key developing factor in the evolution of humans. Creativity."

She gestured to the camp around them. "Today I would like you to visit various stations and attempt to use some of the tools of the tribe to better understand where your people came from and what they overcame."

wandering-stone.livejournal.com

When the students entered the Danger Shop today they would probably notice that the simulation looked nothing like the planet Earth. In fact it looked like something out of a black and white B-Movie. In fact the entire simulation appeared to make everyone look like they were in a black and white movie.

Jones stood in the middle of the simulation looking unaffected by the whole thing. "I apologize class as we will not be researching primitive cultures today as-"

A holographic image appeared showing a rather deragned looking man. "SPACEMONAUTS!" He shouted. "Disaster has struck! The evil aliens known as the Engimarons have stolen's Earth's Niffugma! The linchpin for all of Earth's extra terrestrial defenses! They have taken it into this bunker to calibrate it to their weaponry! We must recover the Niffugma before all is lost! Into the bunker, Spacemonauts! ... Oh, and watch out for booby-traps."

The image blipped out and Jones continued on as if she wasn't interrupted.

"-we will be doing a rather fanciful science fiction simulation. Please change into your jumpsuits and try to enjoy it. The booby traps will do you no harm but you will not be able to progress any further in the simulation."

wandering-stone.livejournal.com

When the class showed up at the danger room today they would find that it had been programmed to simulate a rather humid environment with a dense forest surrounding a riverbank. Furthermore they would find it teaming with life... specifically dinosaurs. Lots of dinosaurs. For the most part they seemed to be ignoring Jones who stood in the middle of the riverbed.

"We are going to skip over the development of amphibians to reptiles and dinosaurs. I find that most students tend to get bored easily though dinosaurs provide ample entertainment," Jones began. "Suffice to say that when plant life began to grow, animals evolved to get to food outside of the water. This evolved into lungs and feet and arms. Eventually this brings us to the Triassic period which occurred 250 million years ago."

She gestured at the riverbank as if it was a showcase of some sort. "Most plant and animal life were commonly along the banks of rivers and the sea. There was also a semi-desert environment which was made mostly of scrub brush. During the Triassic period the Earth had mostly one landmass known as Pangaea. When the Jurassic period started, roughly 200 million years ago, Pangaea began to break up allowing rift valleys to form which increased the amount of water inland. Former desert areas changed climates and caused more growth of vegetation. Seasonal rainfall began and produced forests of tree ferns and ginkgoes providing a large feeding ground for herbivores. As these dinosaurs proliferated the natural order change and carnivores left the water to feed upon the herbivores. As Pangaea further began to break up, climates continued to change and dinosaurs became strongly differentiated by landmass.

"Approximately 66 million years ago the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event occurred. It is theorized at this time a massive comet or asteroid crashed into the planet causing a catastrophic effect on the environment. This caused a mass-extinction of approximately three-quarters of plan an animal species at the time. Most non-avian dinosaurs were effect however certain mammals, lizards, reptiles and insects were able to evolve. Many groups underwent remarkable and prolific divergence into new forms and species with the disrupted and emptied ecological niches left by the extinction. That however will be covered more in the next class."

She then began to pass out another set of handouts. "I've programmed the environment to display various types of dinosaurs throughout the various periods. Historically this is inaccurate but in terms of education I will make this allowance. Please tour the area and identify as many dinosaurs as you are able. You will find the brontosaurus is listed. Please do not try to correct me with the name apatosaurus. Recent research have shown that the brontosaurus did truly exist. Please be careful while approaching the dinosaurs. While safety protocols are in place, I'd rather not have any carnivores' instincts kick in to prey upon you. You may begin."

wandering-stone.livejournal.com

When the students entered the Danger Shop today, they would find that it was dark, extremely hot and that they were walking on a partially molten surface.

Jones immediately jumped into the lecture when everyone arrived. Introductions? Pff. That was for other classes.

( Welcome to the History of Earth )

1stinkinpercent.livejournal.com

Riley had the students in a regular classroom today. He was sitting on the desk, swinging his feet back and forth while he waited for everyone to wander in and settle down. Once they did, he stood up.

"Hey guys, thanks for coming and for being pretty great this semester," he said, nodding. "I'm gonna be sticking around next semester so I hope to see some of you guys again. I don't have a lot planned for your final. No comprehensive tests or multiple choice exams or pages where you have to write essays. Basically, I've got one question that I want you to answer on the blank sheets of paper in front of you."

He gave a nod to the paper and pen that was situated on each desk. "So, for your final, just answer this question: are overlooked historical events important or have they been overlooked for a reason and therefore shouldn't be examined further?"

And that was it. Riley nodded at the students and let them get going on the final.

Current Mood: calm

1stinkinpercent.livejournal.com

Riley had been so busy with research yesterday that he'd completely forgotten to plan a class for today. He didn't feel all that sheepish but he knew he had to figure out something for the students to do.

"Hey guys," he said, nodding in greeting to them. "I think we can all safely assume that something a little weird is going on around the island what with the random radio broadcasts, the new business, the new vending machines..."

He paused. "And speaking of those, please be careful if you do have a new gun. Don't shoot yourself in the foot or face or neck or anything."

Just trying to be a responsible adult and all.

"With that in mind, I didn't really plan a class today. So, I brought in a movie for those that wanna watch it. It's animated and lighthearted and sort of historical if you squint. Hope you don't mind."

Then, he popped in the movie and sat down so he could continue looking into a few things.

Current Mood: contemplative

1stinkinpercent.livejournal.com

The class was back in the Danger Shop today and Riley was at the front of the room, waiting. He was a little tired because woken up way too early when he'd found a herd of tiny white horses in his living. And they did not want to leave either.

"Welcome back," he said around a yawn. "Today, we're learning about something a little closer to him. We're going to Elbert Country in Georgia to see what's commonly called America's Stonehenge. Riley held up a picture.

"These are the Georgia Guidestones. Compared to other things we've talked about, these things are really, really new. They were only erected in 1979. They're are ten guidelines carved in English, Spanish, Swahili, Hindi, Hebrew, Chinese and Russian. The guidelines are: Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature, guide reproduction wisely — improving fitness and diversity, unite humanity with a living new language, rule passion — faith — tradition — and all things with tempered reason, protect people and nations with fair laws and just courts, let all nations rule internally resolving external disputes in a world court, avoid petty laws and useless officials, balance personal rights with social duties, prize truth — beauty — love — seeking harmony with the infinite, and be not a cancer on the earth — Leave room for nature — Leave room for nature."

Riley stopped and passed out a worksheet with the guidelines listed on them. "These guidestones are supposed to lead to an Age of Reason. The creators are just known as a small group of Americans who want the Age of Reason."

With the lecture mostly over, Riley flipped the sim on. "So, we're going to take a look at the Georgia Guidestones. Take a look at the carvings, the astronomical symbols, think on them and wonder if they really could lead to an Age of Reason."

And then he sent the students on their way.

Current Mood: confused

1stinkinpercent.livejournal.com

Class was back in session and Riley had them in the Danger Shop again. He was leaning against one of the walls, waiting for the students to file in and get settled.

"So, we've got a bit of an easy class today but we're going back to a pretty significant period in history to enjoy," Riley said once everyone had settled in. "Today, we're going back to the year 1962. And today, you're going to be able to listen in to the the Fab Four having their very first recording session under the name the Beatles. This is the beginning of a big thing and while this event in history isn't as well known as some of the other periods in Beatles history, I still think we should check it out, see how the boys were doing when they were very young and hadn't hit it big."

Riley got the sim started and they were all inside a recording studio that looked its age. They were in a booth and in front of them was the band, setting up and getting ready to record. It was pretty damn cool to see.

1stinkinpercent.livejournal.com

Class was meeting in the Danger Shop today to make it easier to complete today's activity. Riley was at the front of the room, arms crossed while he leaned against the desk.

"Today, we're going to the country of Jordan," he explained, glancing at everyone. "We're going to take a walk around a city called Petra. Petra is a magnificent city that's hidden within Jordan's deserts and can only be found by walking through a very narrow gorge."

He paused for a second. "Let me give you some background about Petra and how she got to where she is today. Two thousand years ago, Petra stood at a crossroads of the ancient Near East. Camel caravans passed through, loaded with spices, textiles and incense from distant regions--and through such commerce, the city flourished. Its people, the Nabataeans, harnessed precious water, enabling the population to soar to perhaps 20,000. The Nabataeans also erected monumental tombs, memorializing their kings and leaders. But over time political control changed, and so did trade routes. Eventually the city fell silent, forgotten by the outside world."

Riley passed out a small handout containing some basic facts about Petra. "This city was only rediscovered in 1812. When you think about it, that's not very long ago. And that's where we are today, taking a walk around the city. In particular, I'd like you guys to check out the architecture because it's all carved into sandstone cliffs. It's unlike anything you might ever see again. Be careful but definitely enjoy."

Riley started the simulation and started off towards the city himself to take a look around.

Current Mood: good

1stinkinpercent.livejournal.com

Riley decided to go with a lighthearted class today. It seemed like a day for it and he wanted to give the kids a bit of a break. They were back in the Danger Shop since he needed it for the activity.

"So, how many of you guys have heard of the Loch Ness Monster?" Riley figured at least a few of them would have heard the name. "Today, we're going to talk about Nessie's lesser known sister. While Nessie has a well known place in history, Tahoe Tessie does not."

Unfortunately, Riley didn't have any pictures to show off of Tessie. "Tessie supposedly resides in America's largest alpine lake, Lake Tahoe. The legend of Tessie actually goes back quite far. The Washoe and Paiute tribes told tales of Tessie as far back as the 19th century. They told of a creature that lived in an underwater tunnel called Cave Rock and sightings continue today."

Riley paused for a second. "People say that Tessie is between ten and eighty feet long, has a serpentine body as wide across as a barrel and ranges in color from jet black to turquoise. People say the skin is smooth despite having reptilian features. So, theories on what Tessie is?"

He waited again to see if anyone would pipe up before he pressed on. "The most popular theory is that Tessie is either a sauropod Plesiosaur, Pliosaur, Icthyosaur or a Mosasaur due to the fossils of the creatures being found in the surrounding Nevada dessert and Sierra Nevada mountains. Tessie experts dismiss these theories because they say the lake was formed during the last Ice Age which meant the dinosaurs were extinct by then. Another theory is that it might be a population of Sturgeon or even a new species of Freshwater eel."

Obviously, no one really knew what Tessie was. Riley flipped on the sim. "Today, we're at Lake Tahoe. There are boats, diving gear and anything else you might need to go look for Tessie. See if you can find her and if you do, give a shout so we can all see!"

Riley didn't think anyone would find Tessie but you never knew!

Current Mood: happy

1stinkinpercent.livejournal.com

Today, class was meeting in the Danger Shop. Riley just hoped his bad luck with electronics didn't extend over to this place because he really couldn't afford to pay to fix technology like this.

"Today, we're going to talk about the Boston Molasses Disaster. Sounds funny, doesn't it?" Riley asked, looking around. "You might be surprised once I finish up telling you about it. In 1919, molasses was the primary household sweetener and was also fermented to produce ethyl alcohol which was used in manufacturing. Basically, what happened was that Purity Distilling Company had a 2,300,000 tank full of molasses and one day, the tank burst. The cause was chalked up to shoddy building and changing temperatures. So, that mechanical malfunction sent an eight foot wave of molasses crashing down the street at thirty five miles per hours."

He paused to let people imagine that scene and then held up an image so they could take a look at the aftermath. It seemed to be straight out of a cartoon but the results were really pretty awful. "That much molasses was enough to knock people into buildings, send houses off foundations and push an elevated train off its girders. There were deaths, unfortunately. The harbor was stained brown until summer. It took two weeks to clean the whole thing up and the only good that seemed to come from it was that it led to increased government oversight of businesses and industry. It also led to some of of the very first class action lawsuits in Massachusetts as well."

Finished with the serious parts of the lecture, Riley perked up. "But, let me tell you, Boston recovered well from that and today, we're gonna see one of the better parts of Boston. I don't want to send you out of this class on a sad note and I definitely don't want to bring your days down. Today, you're gonna get to visit Robin's Candy. This place is filled with candy and I'm letting you loose inside of it today. Enjoy Boston and enjoy some candy. "

He started to get the simulation going before he stopped again. "Oh, and one last thing, if anyone knows how individual electronics devices can get fried without any wiring going bad, can you let me know? Happened to me and I've got no clue. It seemed like whatever happened was focused solely on random things of mine. Some got fried, others didn't. Okay, anyway, go get some candy."

With that, he got the simulation going and sent the kids off to get some candy.

Current Mood: good

1stinkinpercent.livejournal.com

It was time for class again and Riley had thrown together a class at some point last night when he'd been unable to sleep. Apparently, insomnia was a time for productivity.

"Welcome back, guys," he greeted, nodding at them. "Today, we're going to talk about the Baltic Sea Anomaly. This is actually a fairly recent event. In 2011, a Swedish diving team made a bizarre discovery in the Baltic Sea."

Riley held up a picture of said anomaly.

"The researchers said it was 197 feet in diameter which means it wasn't a small object. But, they had no real explanation as to what it was. The researchers thought it was stone but no volcanic activity has ever been reported in the Baltic Sea so it had to be something else. In 2012, the team returned to the site of the anomaly to do more research and hopefully figure out what the thing was. After reaching the site, the team reported that all their electronic equipment, including a satellite phone would not work within 200 meters of the site. After closer examination, the anomaly was described as a 'huge mushroom' with a thick pillar rising 26 feet out of the seabed with a 13 foot thick dome on the top. Ocean X. the research team, says they observed wall-like features on the formation’s surface, straight lines, right angles, and circular shaped stones."

He paused and passed a copy of the picture out to the students. "In July of 2012, it was suggested that the object may be a Nazi anti-submarine defense system that was used during the Second World War, which had wire mesh to confuse British and Russian submarine radar. If the anomaly is an anti-submarine defense system, the discovery could have historical significance. It could also help explain why electrical equipment has been known to not work near the area. "

Riley crossed his arms and smiled. "And, of course, there are people who think it's a UFO or even a secret government spacecraft. The location of the anomaly is completely unknown to this day. Everyone has an opinion on this thing. Me? After the things I've seen recently, I'm gonna go with some secret government facility but I might be wrong. So today, we're just gonna talk, take it easy. Tell me the strangest thing you believe in. Are you someone who believes in ghosts and aliens and angels? Or are you a cold, hard scientist?"

Riley nodded at one of the students to get them started.

Current Mood: calm

1stinkinpercent.livejournal.com

Riley wasn't sure about his students but he knew he still didn't want to be back in class after such a long vacation. Alas, though, it was over and he was there. He was just still a little tired. But, last night's insomnia meant he'd thrown together a class for today so he was proud of himself there.

"Welcome back," Riley said, nodding at everyone. "Hope your vacation was just as amazing as mine was. If not well, sorry. Better luck next time. Today, we're in the computer lab for what I hope it an interesting but easy lesson. We're going to talk about Alan Mathison Turing. Anyone know who he is? Anyone?"

He waited and when he got no responses, he pressed on. "Alan Turing was a British mathematician that had one of the most influential careers of any mathematician and yet is frequently left out from history books. In World War II, Turing was a code breaker for Britain and was successful in cracking many German codes using his own an electromechanical machine that could find settings for the Enigma machine."

He paused after the introduction and handed out a short worksheet on Turing to the class. "Turing’s invention of the Turing machine proved that some such machine would be capable of performing any conceivable mathematical computation if it were representable as an algorithm. This undoubtedly had a profound impact on the future of computing and has subsequently profoundly impacted our lives. He also had a significant impact on artificial intelligence as well as differentiating a computer from human. An example of this would be CAPTCHA, that annoying thing you have to do once in a while to submit anything on the internet."

Riley hated CAPTCHA and these days, they were getting insanely complicated. "So, know why you haven't heard of him? Turing was gay at a time when it really, really was not accepted. He was forced to take female hormones so he wouldn't have to go to prison. He battled depression for most of his life and allegedly took his own life though his family says it was an accident."

Riley paused for a moment. "Look, if you're feeling like this guy was, like you're at the bottom of your rope. Reach out, man. Someone's there to help you. Don't take your own life. You're worth more than that."

With that done, he took a breath and sighed. "So, since a lot of Turing's work revolved around the computer, that's what we're gonna use today. But, you guys to to play The Oregon Trail. This isn't something Turing ever did but see how far and how fast you can get to Oregon without catching brain fever. Enjoy."

With that, he let the class get to work.

1stinkinpercent.livejournal.com

The class was back in the Danger Shop and Riley was reading through a book as the students filed in. It was a book on writing structure and vocabulary use which was embarrassing but he didn't want his own book to sound dull.

When everyone had arrived, he shut the book and jumped into the topic. "Hey guys, glad you all survived your parents/guardians/siblings/other visitors and made it back. Hope you had fun. Today, we're going to talk about something called Rongorongo. Fun name to say, right? Okay, maybe it's just me."

It was probably just you, Riley.

"Rongorongo is considered the Easter Island Mystery. It's an indecipherable hieroglyphic script used by the region's early inhabitants. No other neighboring oceanic people possessed any sort of written language but Rongorongo appeared mysteriously in the 1700's which, when you think about it, was not that long ago in the grand scheme of things. But, guess what?"

Come on, just guess. What happens to all good history mysteries?

"The language was lost along with any hope for deciphering it after early European colonizers banished it because of its suspected pagan roots. But history never fades completely and two dozen weathered and burn wooden objections containting Rongorongo script were found and are now safely in museums across the world. None of them are still on Easter Island. They still haven't been deciphered though some have managed to work out some calendrical and genealogical information from the script."

So, not much at all. "Today, we're on Easter Island where I've set up the sim to actually have the Rongorongo markings still intact. What I want you guys to do is explore Easter Island and take a look at the different glyphs of script they used. See what you can decipher or what you think about the writings. See if you can crack the Rongorongo code."

And then he got the sim going and Easter Island appeared before them.

Current Mood: accomplished

1stinkinpercent.livejournal.com

It was safe to say that Riley was still feeling like he could run a few hundred laps and then write the rest of his book this morning. The feeling from yesterday hadn't abated and he'd written several thousand words only to trash them and rewrite them again. He was pretty grateful to have a class to teach to give him something to do.

"Hey guys," he said, rubbing a hand through his hair. "Anyone else been feeling weird? I forgot to get my flu shot this year and I think I'm paying for it."

Of course, he didn't feel sick but what else could it be?

"Anyway, today we're going to talk about the state of Franklin. Anyone know what that is?" He glanced around and didn't expect to see any hands in the air. "Yeah, didn't think so. After the Revolutionary War ended, we had thirteen colonies. Or did we? The state of Franklin, named in honor of Benjamin Franklin, was a part of North Carolina that decided they'd have better luck living on their own than being part of the federal government. So, they seceded but they ran into a buzzsaw. Congress refused to let Franklin join the Union so they became an independent republic. For four years, they chugged along by writing their own constitution, making deals with local Native American tribes and even attempting to negotiate a treaty with Spain."

He paused there to catch his breath and fan himself. "Not bad for a new state, huh? Of course, the last one was the straw that broke the camel's back and Franklin's governor was subsequently arrested. Franklin eventually ran out of steam and became part of the newly formed state of Tennessee in 1796."

Still, Franklin had done pretty damn good for their short time on their own. "Today, we're gonna see how you do with creating an independent nation. We're in the Danger Shop again and each of you is going to end up in a simulation where you're the president, the leader, the head honcho. What I want you guys to do is figure out the path your independent republic will take. What will be your first order of business? Will you write a constitution? What kind of laws would you have? Would you be a dictatorship? A democracy? A monarchy? Will you lead with an iron fist or will you be gentle and benevolent? Go as wild as you'd like and we'll see how your constituents react!"

And with that, he sent the students on their way to their leadership roles.

Current Mood: hyper

1stinkinpercent.livejournal.com

Again, the class was meeting in the Danger Shop to try and give a more authentic feel to the historical events they were discussing. Riley had sent Ben an email about this the other night and there had been jealousy and smugness. It was good to have one up on Ben sometimes. Very, very good.

"Welcome back," Riley greeted. "Today, we're going to talk about one very specific rebellion. When you think of a rebellion during the time of slavery, you probably think of Nat Turner's rebellion, right? That's the big one all the history textbooks teach you about. Well, while that one is very important, there were many rebellions before it that set the stage for Nat Turner. In 1811, a slave by the name of Charles Deslondes led a group of between two hundred and five hundred slaves on a march towards the city of New Orleans. Their mission? They wanted to conquer New Orleans and establish a black republic on the Louisiana coast."

Riley paused for a paused to pass out a worksheet detailing the various facts about the rebellion they were talking about. "During their two day and twenty mile march, the slaves burned down plantation houses, destroyed crops, and killed two white men. They were only armed with hand tools. The New Orleans milita got word of the uprising and attacked, squelching the rebellion and killing Deslondes."

He wasn't going to go into gruesome details there. "So, why haven't we heard of him? The big thing is that, in the aftermath, New Orleans downplayed the entire incident. They called the slaves bandits and nothing more. Other outlets completely ignored the story all together, turning a blind eye to a huge rebellion. Today, there is one plaque to commemorate this rebellion. Just one. It's a sad thing. And if you look carefully, that plaque barely acknowledges the rebellion. It acknowledges the plantation. Seriously."

He held up a photo of the plaque before turning to the simulation. "Today, we're in New Orleans. No, I'm not going to be throwing you into the rebellion or anything like that. I don't want anyone using guns even if they're not really real. We are in New Orleans a few years after Charles Deslondes' rebellion. Slavery still persists though there are more rebellions occurring across the United States. Feel free to explore and get a feel for how different the US was and see if you can find anything that hasn't changed from then to now. I'll be around if you need me."

With that, he got the simulation started.

Current Mood: busy

1stinkinpercent.livejournal.com

Today, class was meeting in the Danger Shop. That meant Riley had gotten there early just to try and figure out how the dang thing worked so he wouldn't blow anyone up or trap them all in a simulation. And, of course, sending pictures of the whole thing to Ben just to rub in the cool tech he got to play with. Ben started going into a lecture about the inventor of computers and Riley turned his phone off just as the students started filing in.

"Hey guys, welcome to class," Riley said, looking a little strange in his huge coat. But, the reason for that would be made clear soon. "Before we get started, there's coats and gloves up here for you guys. You're gonna need them because today, we're going to the Helike and the winters are brutal."

He waited for everyone to get geared up before he got the simulation going and then it was pretty cold. "Helike is sometimes called a real life Atlantis. The city was founded during the Bronze Age and Poseidon was their patron, meaning he was pretty much the guy they worshiped and prayed to. They were a huge player when it came to monuments of religious importance. Helike was a bustling metropolis, almost like a New York for the ancient times until disaster struck. An earthquake destroyed large swaths of the city and was followed up by a tsunami that pretty much drowned everything. The city lay in ruins and, over the years, silt covered the ruins until everything eventually disappeared. The disaster was blamed on the inhabitants of the city pissing of Poseidon and when you scorn a God, you tend to get pretty messed up."

They weren't going to witness the earthquake or tsunami though. He didn't need to see that or experience it.

"With no sign of the city, people began to think Helike was a myth, not real. But, Helike was real. It wasn't rediscovered until 2001, though. The ruins of this great city lay untouched and buried and forgotten for that long and yet, there were still people interested enough and who had enough belief to keep looking and they found it! Today, we're here in Helike before the disaster. Take a look around, walk the streets, enjoy the ancient times and imagine how people could lose an entire city."

With that, Riley set them off towards the city.

1stinkinpercent.livejournal.com

This week, Riley wasn't late. He still took a few moments to style his hair with his fingers before the students arrived but his time management skills were much improved so he wasn't looked harried and rushed at the start of class today. Success!

"Welcome back," he greeted with a nod. "It looks like we all didn't decide that this island was too insane to run away so we're all back here to enjoy each other's company again. I'd say that's a moderate success."

You hadn't run into anything too strange yet, Riley. Don't get cocky.

"So today, we're gonna jump right into things. We're going to start with something called The Voynich Manuscript. Anyone heard of this? Probably not, right? The only reason I know anything about it is that a friend back home is a cryptographer and a pretty good one and even he can't figure this out."

Riley passed out a sheet with some information about the manuscript. "This manuscript is written in an unknown language complete with some pretty detailed illustrations and no one has managed to crack it yet so no one knows what the heck it's saying. Of course, this means people come up with all sorts of off the wall theories and speculation because they can. And you and I can't say they're wrong because maybe they're right. Most people think that the manuscript is addressing topics of medieval or early modern medicine just due to the illustrations that are in the manuscript but again, it's not for certain. At times, the pictures do make you think that the book is about medicine but then you'll find drawings of astronomical charts or things that look like sunflowers and you're back to the drawing board."

Riley stopped for a moment and let everyone skim the worksheet. "And then, of course, a lot of people seem to think this manuscript is a complete and utter hoax. People point to being unable to read the freaking thing as supporting evidence for not meaning anything at all while those that think it's real say it's too sophisticated to be fake. The bottom line is no one knows. Today, we're going to try and replicate the Voynich Manuscript. Basically, I want you guys to think of something you want to say to the future and write it in code. Then, we're gonna put them in this box -- "

Riley pointed to an old shoe box that was sitting on his desk. " -- and I'm going to take the box and bury them somewhere here on the island. At some point in the future, someone's going to dig them up and they'll find your letters and they'll most likely wanna know what they say so they'll try and crack the code. See how hard you can make it for them and if you need any help with ways to write your words, let me know."

Current Mood: dorky

1stinkinpercent.livejournal.com

First day of class and Riley had overslept. Not bad enough to be late but bad enough that he'd stumbled into the classroom with his laptop shoved hastily in his bag, his tie askew (don't ask why he was wearing a tie, he thought it was mandatory for teaching) and his hair standing on end. He had about five minutes to style his hair with his hands before students started arriving.

And then there were students in front of him and Riley was staring owlishly. Right, he had to talk. He was in charge here. Not Ben. Not Abigail. Not Ian.

"Uh, hey there," he said carefully. "I'm Riley Poole and looks like I'm gonna be your teacher for this class. I'm pretty new here so I'd appreciate any laughing at me be done when I'm not paying attention. I have a fragile ego."

Not really.

"Anyway, if you're here, you apparently want to learn about historical events that tend to get overlooked or overshadowed by other things such as limited information being available about the event, other situations made to be more important and thus focused on or people just being bored and not caring about the event. So, that's what we'll cover today. But, I know it's the first class so we won't get too deep into things yet."

Even if he wanted to. Hey, he loved history too. He just didn't want to marry it like Ben did. "We'll start easy. Sybil Ludington is sometimes called the female Paul Revere. She was sixteen years old when she rode over forty miles through rough terrain on her horse, Star, to alert the American colonial forces that the British were coming. She was that young and that fearless and yet, history doesn't remember her. They remember Paul Revere even though Sybil Ludington rode further than him and was younger than him. But, history remembers Revere, which is unfortunate. So, for introductions, let me know your name and how you'd make sure history doesn't forget you over some other person."

Riley leaned against his desk and nodded at a student to go first.

Fandom High RPG

About the Game

---       Master Game Index
---       IC Community Tags
---       Thinking of Joining?
---       Application Information
---       Existing Character Directory

In-Character Comms

School and Grounds
---       Fandom High School
---       Staff Lounge
---       TA Lounge
---       Student Dorms

Around the Island
---       Fandom Town
---       Fandom Clinic

Communications
---       Radio News Recaps
---       Student Newspaper
---       IC Social Media Posts

Off-Island Travel
---       FH Trips

Once Upon a Time...
---       FH Wishverse AU

Out-of-Character Comms

---       Main OOC Comm
---       Plot Development
---       OOC-but-IC Fun

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Disclaimer

Fandom High is a not-for-profit text-based game/group writing exercise, featuring fictional characters and settings from a variety of creators, used without permission but for entertainment purposes only.

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