LESSON PLAN FOR TODAY: COMMON HISTORY

First we review what makes up a lesson plan.

Wiki says:

 

A lesson plan is a teacher’s detailed description of the course of instruction or “learning trajectory” for a lesson.

A daily lesson plan is developed by a teacher to guide class learning.

Details will vary depending on the preference of the teacher, subject being covered, and the needs of the students.

 

The links to lesson, class, and students came with wiki, not from me. I just linked to lesson plan, the rest is extra.

Does the idea of a lesson plan, or lesson planning, seem, well, remedial.

Here we go day after day, counting down, counting up, sometimes both at the same time, getting lost, then it’s a new day and time to start over.

Sooooo, let’s start over, beginning with basic training.

You’ve heard of basic training?

It’s very remedial. You know, basic.

Remedial education (also known as developmental education, basic skills education, compensatory education, preparatory education, and academic upgrading) is assigned to assist students in order to achieve expected competencies in core academic skills such as literacy and numeracy.

Whereas special education is designed specifically for students with special needs, remedial education can be designed for any students, with or without special needs; the defining trait is simply that they have reached a point of lack of preparedness, regardless of why.

For example, even people of high intelligence can be under-prepared if their education was disrupted,^[4] for example, by internal displacement during civil disorder or a war.

 

Wiki’s got a super-long listing under war.

What is it good for?

 

Before We Dive Into Common History . . .

The guy at the top is Mr. Smithsonian pulling back the curtain to show you what you think you know, and so much more.

The guy in this shot is taking a header into Lake Havasu to show the kids what not to do.

History, to keep it simple, is an agreement between people who did something, people who witnessed them doing it, people who wrote about what happened, and people who make their own shit up just to join the conversation.

 

Did something:  I jumped in a lake.

Witnessed something: Look, he’s jumping in a lake.

Wrote it:  He climbed the rugged cliff, raised his arms, and launched into the air.

Shit talk: That’s me in the Olympics winning a gold medal.

 

The problems pop out when common people can’t tell the difference between the four.

I’m not a fan of the ‘good people on both sides’ theory.

Good people, as defined by unreliable shit-faced shit-talkers, can’t possibly get a fair shake.

That’s why today’s lesson plan is more important than ever.

History is an agreement between people. 

Take World War Two history, for example, where everyday people fell under the dark clouds spread by nations intent on world domination.

The arsenal of democracy prevailed and set up camp in those nations whose intent was world domination.

Just to keep an eye on the investment?

Call it a waste of money, or call it readiness and preparedness, but keeping a cap on modern nations with a history of crazy pays off.

It pays off to send men, women, and riches to bases in foreign lands who then come back with a better world view than their backyards.

Part of this lesson plan is remembering that the sky is always brown for the man with his head up his butt.

Don’t ask them about the weather.

 

Now Then, Common History For Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Everyday we wake up and confront problems that need attention, a wall to scale.

There’s always more than one, so it seems hopeless and why try?

The best answer is reminding yourself how you scaled other walls, solved other problems.

If it’s too big, get help, if it’s too small to fret over, don’t fret, but if it looks like something you can handle, get going.

Warm up, loosen up, get ready. Shake it off, kick it loose, and go.

It might take more than one try, it might not look pretty, but once you decide to go, keep going until you’re done.

 

Two things happen:

You get over the hurdle and move to the next.

Or, you walk around it, spent and weak, so weak that stepping over the next hurdle trips you up.

Lesson plan review on Common History:

Drag your slack-ass over to the impediment, reach up, walk around, then decide to drag your protruding gut over the top.

Or do a running vault and spring to the top and jump like it’s a launch pad for a super hero.

Either way, get over it the best you can, then share the experience with others.

My buddy bet me twenty bucks I couldn’t get over this wall set up outside Gill Coliseum at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon.

We were there for a wrestling match, which meant I pulled out all two of my two Beaver Wrestling stories.

I asked him if he wanted to hand it over now, or wait. He waited, which added to the fire.

I was a gym guy, a former Army guy, former Bulldog, and I was climbing that wall one way or another.

I ran it, ran at it again, then the third time I reached up and swung one leg up for a foot hold and pulled myself over like a sloth inching along.

 

PS:

Understanding common history lesson plan: define a problem, learn what was done to solve it, then find better ideas with better results.

 

PSS: 

Misunderstanding common history lesson plan: ignore a problem, panic, make things worse.

If the boss is dazed and confused and insists everyone else is dazed and confused, not him, then the stage is set.

That’s when everyone agrees with yanking people off the street with masked men and unmarked cars and calling it law and order.

That’s when it’s okay holding people in American camps and calling it due process.

That’s when important people put on their big boy shoes over sagging kankles and dance their dance.

Soon enough the music stops, the band packs up, lights go on, and everyone looks around at the mess and says, “I had no idea.”

Mr. Smithsonian is here to take your ticket, your vote, and hold the curtain for you.