Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Horrible Histories (extra credit)

"Horrible Histories" was a show that ran on British television from 2009-2013.  The series is based on a series of books directed at (it seems) middle school age kids.  A few clips that amuse me and are at least sort of relevant to what we are doing in class.  For extra credit, view two or three of these clips and add a comment.  Which clips did you watch?  What did you think of this approach to history?  Would you recommend them to another student?

[For some reason, YouTube isn't working for me today, and I haven't been able to preview the links.  I hope they work--and that they're what I want!]

Posted by Ancient Art at

17 comments:

  1. UnknownSeptember 8, 2015 at 2:07 PM

    I found these videos extremely amusing. I felt this approach on history was a good one because it's funny and educational; however, the videos completely focused on the dark, gruesome, and scatological history, rather than hardly any of the positives. I felt that while I learned major concepts, I wasn't exposed to all the concepts that happened in past.

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  2. AnonymousSeptember 8, 2015 at 2:55 PM

    Pretty funny stuff with some interesting information thrown in there as well.
    Matthew Traylor

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  3. Tiana KjerstadSeptember 8, 2015 at 6:26 PM

    I watched Gunpowder Plot, Henry VII News Report, and Elizabeth I Portrait/ Shakespeare Game Show. I really enjoyed this approach because it was comical and educational. Each clip provided a brief and concise overview of the historical events. I would definitely recommend the clips to another student if they were struggling understanding some of the information, plus everyone always enjoys a little comic relief.

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  4. UnknownSeptember 8, 2015 at 6:55 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  5. UnknownSeptember 8, 2015 at 6:56 PM

    I watched the Gunpowder Plot, Henry VII News Report, and Henry VII Song. I found these clips funny but yet they were still educational. They do a good job of making parts of history interesting so students will want to learn more about it.

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  6. AnonymousSeptember 8, 2015 at 7:00 PM

    These videos are extremely nerdy in a very funny way. I watched the gunpowder plot, Elizabeth I, and Execution of Anne Bolyn. I thought that Elizabeth looking at herself in a mirror was hilarious.
    -Evan Brandner

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  7. Breanna HaugeSeptember 9, 2015 at 8:51 AM

    I watched the Gunpowder Plot and Divorced, Beheaded and Died. I like this approach to understanding history a little bit better. Some explanations get to wordy, but not Horrible Histories- they are simple and to the point. I would definitely recommend these videos to another student that is having trouble understanding or simply just wants to know more.
    -Breanna Hauge

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  8. AnonymousSeptember 9, 2015 at 11:04 AM

    I have watched a few of these videos as I have found them very interesting with how it was back then in the day. it kind of gives a funny tune to the video while you also take in what actually happened so you get some learning from it as well. These videos just make you understand in a more logical way of thinking.
    -Stephanie R Cooper

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  9. AnonymousSeptember 9, 2015 at 11:29 AM

    I watched all of the videos, and I found them very enjoyable. They take some very serious subjects and make them fun and understandable.
    -Grace Gasperich

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  10. AnonymousSeptember 9, 2015 at 5:36 PM

    I watched Divorced, Beheaded, and Died, Execution of Anne Bolyn, and Mary Tudor Song. I think this approach to history makes it more fun and interesting for everyone but especially younger kids. Is another student liked history I would recommend it to them.
    -Amy Wockenfuss

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  11. DGALLSeptember 9, 2015 at 7:32 PM

    I watched the Gunpowder Plot, the Henry VIII News Report and the Tudor Song. I found them all fairly funny and educational at the same time. It was a way to be taught the material, understand it and enjoy it all at the same time. I didn't get bored but they did get a little carried away in some of the videos. I would recommend them to others who are having trouble understanding the lectures.
    -Dan Gallagher

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  12. AnonymousSeptember 10, 2015 at 10:37 AM

    I watched Gunpowder Plot, Henry VIII News Report, and Henry VII song. They were very educational, but also very entertaining. They were meant to teach younger people about history by using pictures, music, and a fake news report. I would definitely recommend these videos to others who are younger, or don't really understand the lectures.
    -Joe Jay

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  13. AnonymousSeptember 10, 2015 at 10:52 AM

    I watched the Gunpowder Plot and Divorced, Beheaded, and Died. I picked these two because I thought they sounded the most interesting out of the ones on the list. I think it is cool how they come up with songs and music to help kids remember important history days or moments.
    {Shelby Braun}

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  14. AnonymousSeptember 10, 2015 at 1:00 PM

    I watched Divorced, Beheaded, and Died and the Gunpowder Plot because I recognized that they were about some of the stuff we talked about in class. I think having history videos like these are a good approach to learning because its outside the box. I would recommend these videos to anyone who is wanting a new way to learn something.

    ~Lindsey Friedrichsen

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  15. AnonymousSeptember 13, 2015 at 1:44 PM

    I watched "Gunpowder Plot", "Henry VIII News Report", and "Divorced, Beheaded, Died" since I had a little bit of knowledge about each situation. I really liked the approach they took because the videos are amusing. I think we watched "Divorced, Beheaded, Died" in our SI for HIST 121 or HIST 151 last year. I would recommend these videos to students because they are "catchy" videos and they help you gain a brief understanding of the situations.

    Alicia Kuipers

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  16. Stacey McDonaldSeptember 28, 2015 at 10:59 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  17. Stacey McDonaldSeptember 28, 2015 at 10:59 AM

    I decided to watch the Elizabeth I Portrait/Shakespeare Game Show and Gunpowder Plot videos. I actually really enjoyed the brief videos. Although the videos go through the material fairly quickly, they are still informative and amusing to watch. I would recommend the videos to any student who wants a quick summary of important historical events.

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