Session 1
Independence and Dependence: The Diplomacy of the American Revolution, Professor Kurk Dorsey
When members of the Continental Congress declared the United States independent in July, 1776, they had high hopes that they could carve their own course in the world. Instead, they found themselves at the mercy of their various allies who had their own interests in shaping the world after 1776. This lecture will analyze how the Founding Fathers navigated the wide gulf between their hopes and reality between 1775 and 1783, focusing on the challenges of matching ideology with reality, crafting diplomacy in a new republic, and balancing loyalty to allies with the needs of the state.
Session 2 (choice)
Resistance through Textiles: Harvesting Flax and Processing Linen During the Revolutionary Era, 1760s-1770s, Professor Kimberly Alexander
Beginning in earnest in 1764, the importance of growing flax and processing linen in New Hampshire and New England was one important element of revolutionary resistance to imported English textiles. This presentation will focus on newspapers, spinning matches and extant garments, as well as the day and account books of New Hampshirites such as Samuel Lane, Josiah Brown, and Sarah Dearborn’s weaving accounts from Dover. We will discuss methods for engaging your students—from growing flax to thinking about sustainability and fast fashion.
Teaching the Bosnian War and Genocide, Dr. Sandra Grudić
This presentation provides an introduction to the Bosnian War and Genocide for K–12 educators, with a focus on historical context, key causes, main events, and long-term consequences. We will situate the conflict within the breakup of Yugoslavia, examine how political nationalism, ethnic tensions, and international inaction contributed to the escalation of violence, and highlight major episodes of persecution and genocide, including the siege of Sarajevo and the Srebrenica massacre. In addition to outlining the human and societal impact of the war, the session will explore how and why to teach this topic in K–12 settings. Participants will be introduced to age-appropriate teaching materials that can support thoughtful, sensitive, and engaging classroom instruction on the Bosnian War and Genocide.
Focusing Your AI(M): Navigating the Promise and Perils of AI in the History Classroom, Dr. Jordan Coulombe
What is the role of AI in historical inquiry? Rather than viewing AI as either an educational panacea or a threat to critical thinking, this session frames it as a practical tool that must serve clear pedagogical goals. Together, we will explore how to design outcome-driven assignments that integrate AI to deepen student engagement without sacrificing essential reading, communication, and analytical skills.
In this session, participants will:
- Learn core prompting strategies to use AI as a collaborative partner in co-creating lessons, rubrics, and activities.
- Align AI integration with specific, historical learning outcomes.
- Establish clear parameters and guardrails that promote student accountability.
Begin to develop practical guidelines and assignment frameworks ready for secondary classroom use.
Session 3
A Civics Renewal in (Higher) Ed?, Professor Scott Smith
Over the past decade there has been a push to renew civics education in both K12 and institutions of higher education. Over the past five years New Hampshire has passed two bills regarding civics in secondary schools (HB 1367 [2022] and SB 216 [2023]), and another was introduced earlier this year to establish a commission to study civics in the state (HB 1307), but it was ruled inexpedient to legislate. Several bills have also been floated to mandate a civics requirement at the college level, but these have been tabled or died in committee. The University of New Hampshire, meanwhile, has voted positively to add a civics requirement in its new general education framework. In this presentation we will consider the benefits of and obstacles to civics in the modern education framework.
Session 4 (choice)
Animals and World War I: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Teaching the Great War, Professor Nicoletta Gullace
This talk addresses the novel War Horse, a literary work that engages students as they learn about horses, history, and the exciting role of animals in World War I. The War Horse novel tells the story of a farm horse drafted onto the Western Front, offering a compelling and relatable account from the perspective of the horse and the boy who loved him. I will show slides from a lecture I prepared at the request of a Newmarket teacher, whose lesson plan involved an immersive field trip to UNH, where student visited the horse barns, attended my history lecture, enjoyed a pic-nic, and learned about the state university as a place where they belonged. I will also share with teachers some wonderful websites for teaching the History of World War I.
By integrating literature, history, and biology, the War Horse curriculum encourages students to use multiple perspectives to understand the past and the present. I look forward to sharing some insights from this ambitious project with Middle and High School teachers visiting UNH.
David, Solomon, and Jerusalem: Archaeology and the Evolving Historical Narrative, Professor David Bachrach
The early emergence of the Kingdom of Judah, the activities of David and Solomon, and particularly the development of the city of Jerusalem are among the most contested issues in Iron Age history. The generally accepted account of the reigns of these kings and of the size and importance of Jerusalem has changed dramatically, several times, over the course of the past half century. Archaeological discoveries in the past decade have led once more to dramatic new interpretations. In this session, we will discuss how scholarly views have evolved, and how increasingly sophisticated techniques of archaeological research, including C14 dating of tiny organic fragments, have led to a wholesale revision of the scholarly paradigm that coalesced during the 1990s and which had relegated the kingdom of Judah to the status of a small tribal entity, and David (if he existed) to the status a minor bandit lord.
Integrating Recent Historiographical Approaches into Courses on the Holocaust, Dr. Addis Mason
The Romans were arguably the most technologically advanced people/society of antiquity, not surprising given the opportunities available to them to borrow and modify the technologies of earlier civilizations. This presentation will introduce major aspects of their technological expertise, including surveying, arch construction, the development of concrete and mortar, plumbing, bridge and aqueduct construction, and baths.
