Why Do We Learn History?
[ Class
Logs
]
Jueann
April 5, 1999
(I forgot to start the log until after we started, so I lost the introductions. I asked the question: "Why do we learn history?")
Debbie says, "And so we don't make the same mis-ta-kes?""
Jueann smiles to Debbie
Torey blinks and looks up again. Oops. "To um, to put us to sleep?" she teases before shaking her head. "Actually so that we remember important things that remind us of things like our rights and stuff?"
Jueann say, "We learn history so that those that came before us isn't forgotten plus we know why we do things certain ways. For instance, how do we know that there is a pass?"
Eirian slips quietly in from the Hold House.
Jueann say, "That's right Torey."
Jueann then asks, "ok, Someone give me a good example of what was done in the past?"
Jocelyn squirms nervously in her spot because she doesn't know what is going on, or how to answer any of these questions. She looks around, watching the other children and doing her best to listen so she /does/ know the next time.
Dione sits quietly in the back watching the other kids and Jueann, she doesn't raise her hand or offer any answers but just watches.
Torey beams, and squirms in her spot, and tries not to giggle. To put her to sleep.. it'll never will work. Nope. She hmms and then hops to her knees, raising her hand again, wiggling it about.
Jueann asks, "Torey?"
Torey sits on her heels again. "Well, lots of things have happened in the past." she says, "Like yesterday I went fishing... that's in the past." Yup, it is. "Also big things though, like when the storm came to Ista way 'fore I was born and tried to wreck everything."
Jueann chuckles, "Well Torey, fishing isn't so historical but the storm was. You know why?" Tessa walks quickly in from the Hold House. Torey ums, "Cause everyone remembers it because it 'fected a lot of people?" she guesses. Eirian raises her hand, willing to make a guess... Well, Tors answered it adequately, so she lower her hand.
Jueann asks, "Eirian, did I see your hand?" Shenya strides in from the Hold House.
Eirian nods and then stands. "I would have said because it affected the course of the history of the island." Then sits down again quietly.
Jueann nods, "how many knew that the original Lord Holder and his whole family was killed in the storm?
Debbie shakes her head.
Jueann nods. "They did. Can someone else give me another example of an event in the past?"
Debbie raises her hand.
You say, "Debbie?"
Torey knew, she heard the story, though that's the only reason she knew.. she never did meet the holder and his family.. though that may be because she wasn't born yet. She sits and looks about, listening.
Tessa raises a languid hand as she sits back into a chair. "I can."
Jueann smiles, "Tessa?"
Dione slowly raises her hand half an inch before she quickly scoots it back down again.
Eirian didn't but raises her hand for an answer.
Debbie lowers her hand and looks over at Tessa.
Jueann say, "You will each get a turn. Debbie you are first, then Tessa, then Dione, then Eirian.""
Debbie says, "The founding of the Weyrs."
Tessa smiles at Jueann, glad to be called on, "When Lessa brought up the 5 other weyrs, that happened in the past, didn't it?...I think it did." she finishes lamely."
Eliza walks slowly, with unnatural grace in from the Hold House.
Dione shyly signs a quick two words < Dragon Hatchings > followed by balling up like an egg and then pretending to hatch and flap her wings like a dragon would.
Jueann nods to Dione and signs back,
Eirian waits for Dione before giving her
answer. Standing, she
says softly, "In the very recent past, the dolphin hall moved
to Tillek." studying the desk in front of her, before sitting
down again.
Theo walks in from the Hold House.
Jueann say, "The move is current history. Which we'll get to later on.
And you children didn't know history. tsk tsk." She chuckles
softly. "Can anyone tell me what the question song was about?"
Shenya raises her hand hesitantly.
Theo says, "um... I've heard of it..."
Jueann say,
"Shenya"
Eirian raises her hand. She knows the answer to this particular point
in history.
Theo questions his brain but it can't remember
Jueann say,
"Eirian?"
Eirian stands and says softly "The question song was written by a
harper 400 turns ago so that Lessa could figure out the riddle
and go back in time to get the remaining weyrs, so that we
would be adequately protected from thread in this time period."
Shenya says, "The question song was written soon after the five
Weyrs disappeared. It was about what happened to them, though
it didn't have the answer. Lessa figured out that it meant the
weyrs came forward to her time.""
Jueann nods. "Correct. It this case of history, a song was used to
affect our present. If the question song had never been
written? Could Lessa thought of bringing the weyrs forward
into time?
Debbie shakes her head.
Jocelyn listens quietly, being a good little student, even if she isn't
all that helpful in answering questions. She licks her lips in
thought and unconsciously tugs on her hair. Shenya sits back,
thinking. After pondering on the question for a bit, she raises her
hand again.
Eirian shrugs and shakes her head "Probably not, but she had the
makings of it with her moves through recent time, back to her
hold."
Theo pauses for a second, and also raises his hand
Torey frowns as she raises her hand, curious.
Jueann smiles, making her students think. "This is why we study
history. We try to figure out why they did things and how they
affect us in the present.
Theo switches hands because one is tired
Jueann asks, "Theo?"
Theo pauses for a second, than asks "What was the song's lines?
Shenya says, "I'm
really sorry, but I have to go. I had fun while I
was here! Goodbye."" Shenya goes home.
Torey bounces on her knees, wrapping one hand over her head to hold
her other hand up as she waits and listens, none too still.
Jueann raises an eyebrow, "Theo, that song should've been taught to you
in your hold. But that's not important right now. We are
dealing with history and why does history affect the present.
So if Lessa hadn't solved the puzzle, would she have gone back?"
Reil shakes her head a couple of times.
Theo , thinking he's still
allowed to talk, says "I don't think so
because then she'd think she was doing something wrong."
Torey shakes her head back and forth, still holding her hand up.
Debbie raises a hand quietly.
Jueann chuckles, "ok. Debbie?"
Theo wonders how long Torey can keep her hand up.
Jueann asks,
"Torey?"
Tessa goes home. Debbie says, "No, cause if the riddle song
hadn't been written then she wouldn't go back cause the other
Weyrs wouldn't be empty."
Theo says, "Huh?"
Torey can keep it up forever, yes she can. "Which came first, the song
or Lessa goin' back, cause I heard that the song was written
cause she went back but she went back cause of the song,
but... how's that work?" she asks, tipping her head with quite the
confused look on her face.
Theo pauses for a second, thinking of what Debbie said, then shoots his
hand up. Theo says, "I think I can explain!"
Jueann nods. "And The weyrs would've been been in trouble in Lessa's
time." She chuckles at Torey, "Well the harpers are still debating
that one." Looking at Teraille, "Right?"
Theo says, "I think I can explain!" Theo wildly waves his hand
Torey's hand shoots up again as she once more bounces.
Theo wonders if his hand is seen by Jueann
Jueann sighs and asks, "Theo?" . Theo says, "I think that
if Lessa would have gone back no matter what, because the 200
turns ago the Thread had a... a..." Theo forgets what the Long Interval
was called"
Jueann raises an eyebrow,
"Torey?"
Torey sits on her heels and ponders. "Would the weyrs still have been
empty if Lessa hadn't gone tween and taken them all away and
brought them to her time? or would they have still been there,
or their kids.. er, grankids, or whomever?"
Theo quickly remembers. "The long interval! The thread didn't come that
time from the Red Star. So the people began to believe Thread
was a myth and mocked the Dragon Riders, and gave them less payments!
Eirian raises her hand, waiting patiently.
"Eirian?
Jueann asks, "Eirian?"
Theo continues, "So then the
Dragon Riders would have gotten smaller
till Lessa's time, but because of this, Lessa went back and
caused the weyrs to come with her, witch also caused the song
to be wrote!"
Eirian stands and then offers softly "This is just my opinion, but I
would think that as the need for the dragons died down over so
many years, many of them would have died off and the weyrs
would have been sorely understaffed if not altogether empty anyway
with disuse and disrespect."
Torey frowns as she thinks. "How could anybody disrespect a dragon,
they're huge, and they're neat and they're fun..."
Jueann nods. "As I said, the harpers have been debating the question
for turns. They are still debating it."
Torey sits back down on her heels and nods as she listens, pondering
the questions. Theo can't wait to grow up so he can crosscraft
and join the debate.
Jueann looks up at the candle mark. "Well we are almost through.
Any questions before I assign homework?"
Eirian looks over at Torey and says softly "People are greedy and
sometimes stupid, sometimes just downright mean. They would
disrespect a dragon and his rider if he was taking something
they thought they deserved." She studies the desk after that
whisper.
Debbie shakes her head.
In the distance, the drums announce the arrival of Senior Apprentice
Sapphira.
Jueann nods to
Eirian, "True." Torey shakes her head, still
pondering.. no more questions here.. yet.
Jueann chuckles, "homework time. I want you all write or draw me a
picture of a historical event."
Theo stands pondering... But rests on thinking up no questions
Theo ponders which one to do.
Jocelyn blinks slowly and tilts her head to look up at Karv, poking
gently at his arm, "Karv, Cece has homework." She crawls up
into his lap.
Dione grins as she looks about, deciding to draw something shyly she
gets up from her seat and wanders over towards the drawing
supplies < can I have some? >
Jueann says, "Class is dismissed"
Reil goes home.
Theo asks when the next class is
Jueann shrugs, "I do these once a month." Eirian sits in her
chair, thinking about the differences between recent history and
ancient history, and thinks she prefers ancient history to recent
history.
Theo prefers now.
Karvonen goes home.
Torey climbs to her feet and scrambles towards the door, chores to
do, people to find, questions to ask.
Debbie stands up, "Thank you for teaching us."
Torey hop-skips to the Hold House.
Teraille watches the room empty from her silent place in the rear of
the room.
Theo looks around and sighs, Becoming a Journeyman is going to take a
long time!
Eirian looks up, brought out of her reverie and stands to say as
well "Thank you Jueann, for teaching us." then sits down
again, hoping maybe they'll leave her be for a bit.
Jueann chuckles, watching her students leave and the sighs,
blowing out
her cheeks. "So what did you think of the lesson,
Teraille?"
She smiles at Eirian and nods. "you're welcome."
Debbie walks over to Teraille instead of the door, "I've seen you at
the Weyr, are you going to teach us there?"
Theo wonders....
Teraille laughs lightly. "It's not so different
from mine," she says, turning to grin at Debbie. "Indeed I
am," she acknowledges, reaching over to touch the girl on the arm.
"You're Debbie, right?"
Jueann say, "Theo, I'll let you when"
Theo says,
"Jueann, do you know anyone named Laria?"
Jueann blinks, and thinks, "hmm I
don't' think so."
Jocelyn walks to the Hold House.
Debbie
nodders, "Uh-huh"
Theo sighs, and wonders how many times he's going to miss her by a
minute again.
Jueann say,
"Teraille, want to come up to the apartment? I have fresh
klah and sweet rolls."
"I thought so," Teraille says lightly. "Well, Debbie, you did really
well in here. I'll have to remember that you know all about
history now." There is a light glimmer in her eyes. To Jueann,
she shakes her head. "I'd love to, but I should really get home."
Debbie grins, "Are you going to teach us stuff like that at the
Weyr?"
Jueann ahhs softly, then hearing a faint noise and blinking, "Oh dear.
Ke'chara is telling me one of the girls are awake."
Theo sighs. Time to go home and clean up again. "Bye everybody, and
thank you Jueann.
Jueann say, "Excuse me."
Teraille laughs at Debbie's question. "Maybe I will," she says
cheerfully. "Though I suspect I'll teach you the teaching songs more
than why they were written."
Debbie grins, "I like learning songs."
Jueann nods to the ladies
Logfile
from Jueann
