A Different View
STUDENT MATERIALSSTUDENT MATERIALSS-1A DIFFERENT VIEWWORLD HISTORY PROJECT / LESSON 5.3 ACTIVITYPurposeThis is a fun way to think about differing perspectives and how a simple shift in viewpoint might completely change the meaning of something. Multiple historians looking at one event will often come up with very different interpretations of the same historical account. This can also be said about how any two people can have differing views of the same process or situation. This is often most noticeable in political debates, but also when there are different perspectives of an event, such as the interpretation or recounting of a war from the winning versus losing side.ProcessRead the following poem. Worst Day Ever?by Chanie GorkinToday was the absolute worst day everAnd don’t try to convince me thatThere’s something good in every dayBecause, when you take a closer look,This world is a pretty evil place.Even ifSome goodness does shine through once in a whileSatisfaction and happiness don’t last.And it’s not true thatIt’s all in the mind and heartBecauseTrue happiness can be attainedOnly if one’s surroundings are good.It’s not true that good existsI’m sure you can agree thatThe realityCreatesMy attitudeIt’s all beyond my controlAnd you’ll never in a million years hear me say thatToday was a very good day.—Now read it from bottom to the top, the other way,And see what I really feel about my day.Once you’re done reading the poem in both directions, think about how this poem can be an analogy for how historians (and people generally) often interpret the same event in a variety of different ways. Can you think of a more recent time when people had very different views of the same event or circumstances?