Read about history
key notes :
What is History?
- History is the study of the past.
- It tells us about people, places, and events that happened long ago.
Why Do We Read History?
- To understand how people lived in the past.
- To learn from past mistakes and successes.
- To see how things have changed over time.
Sources of History
- Written records (books, diaries, letters).
- Oral stories passed down through generations.
- Artifacts like tools, clothes, coins, and buildings.
- Pictures and paintings from the past.
Important People in History
- Leaders, inventors, freedom fighters, explorers, and everyday heroes.
- Example: Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Abraham Lincoln.
Timelines and Dates
- Timelines help us see when events happened.
- Dates are important to understand the order of historical events.
Different Cultures and Civilizations
- History helps us learn about different cultures around the world.
- Ancient civilizations like Egypt, China, and the Indus Valley.
Local and National History
- Learn about the history of your town, state, and country.
- Important historical places and events that shaped your nation.
Learning from History
- Helps us respect different traditions and people.
- Encourages critical thinking and curiosity.
Learn with an example
🔥Read the text.
Big Cheese in the White House
The White House has long been a home for US presidents and their families. But from 1835 to early 1837, the White House was also home to a giant piece of cheese. This enormous cheddar cheese block measured over one metre wide and half a metre tall. It weighed six hundred thirty-five kilograms, which is about as much as a large horse!
Where did this chunk of cheddar come from? In 1835, a dairy farmer named Thomas Meacham made it as a gift for American President Andrew Jackson. Before delivering it to the White House, Meacham took the cheese on tour. He showed it off in the American cities of New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore. Finally, it arrived at the White House, where it was displayed for over a year.
American President Jackson welcomed the gift, but he wasn’t sure what to do with it. In 1837, he was getting ready to move out of the White House. So, he decided to share his cheddar treasure. On February 22, Jackson held a huge public party. About ten thousand people showed up to meet the president, talk with government leaders and, of course, eat cheese. In less than two hours, the cheese block was gone! However, the strong cheesy smell stayed around for much longer. The next president had to remove the curtains, paint the walls and air out the carpet to get rid of the odour.
The scent of the cheese eventually faded. However, the memory of Jackson’s famous party has lived on in other ways. In 2014, American President Barack Obama’s administration held a virtual event called ‘Big Block of Cheese Day’. Unlike Jackson’s event, Big Block of Cheese Day did not include actual cheese or a White House party. Instead of chatting with people over a plate of cheddar, government leaders connected with people online. They listened to ideas and answered questions that people sent to them on the internet. The event was a success, and Big Block of Cheese Day continued for two more years.
The White House may never again be home to a six hundred thirty-five kilogram chunk of cheese. However, the story of the giant cheese block continues to live on. It reminds leaders to think of new and creative ways to stay connected with the people they lead.
🔥What is the text about?
- It is about a big block of cheese and some White House events it inspired.
- It is about how the government passed a law about cheese-making.
- It is about American President Andrew Jackson and his love for cheddar cheese.
- It is about the many different types of parties held at the White House.
The text discusses the following ideas:
- American President Andrew Jackson received a huge block of cheese as a gift.
- The president held a big party and invited people to come and eat the cheese.
- The story of Jackson’s party inspired the government to create an event called Big Block of Cheese Day in 2014.
So, the text is about a big block of cheese and some White House events it inspired.
🔥Read the text.
Sweets from the Sky
When you are going through a difficult time, sometimes a sweet can help cheer you up. That is especially true if the sweet comes falling out of the sky. Sound impossible? Well, for some children living in West Berlin from 1948 to 1949, that is exactly what happened.
After World War II, the capital city of Germany was divided into East and West Berlin. The eastern part of the city was controlled by Russia. The western part was controlled by France, Britain and the US. However, in 1948, Russia tried to force the other countries to leave the city. The Russians blocked all of the usual trade and supply routes into West Berlin. The people of West Berlin feared they would soon run out of food and supplies. Then the US and other countries created Operation Vittles, a plan to fly food and other supplies into the city.
Each day, planes would deliver as many as seven thousand metric tonnes of supplies to West Berlin. One of the pilots responsible for this work was an American named Gail Halvorsen. During one delivery, Halvorsen met a group of West Berlin children who had gathered to watch the planes. Before returning to the air, Halvorsen gave the children some sticks of chewing gum. It wasn’t much, but the children were very grateful. Suddenly Halvorsen had an idea. He told the children that he would drop them some more sweets from his plane the next day.
Halvorsen tied the packages of sweets to small parachutes made from handkerchiefs. The packages dropped gently from the plane to the children on the ground. Afterwards, the children talked excitedly about the wonderful ‘Chocolate Flyer’ who dropped sweets from the sky. Halvorsen decided to make sweet airdrops a regular event. Soon, other pilots began to join Halvorsen, and Operation Little Vittles was born.
Eventually, news about the pilots’ actions began to spread. Many people who heard about the sweet airdrops wanted to help sustain them. American sweet companies sent the pilots free sweets, and school children in America made small cloth parachutes. Thanks to this effort, Operation Little Vittles continued for months, until supply routes finally reopened in 1949. For years afterwards, the children of West Berlin continued to send thank you letters to Halvorsen and the other pilots. These pilots had not just given the children sweets; they had given them something to look forward to during a difficult and uncertain time.
🔥What is the text about?
- It is about how planes dropped sweets into West Berlin from 1948 to 1949.
- It is about how American children got sweets during a shortage in the 1940s.
- It is about Gail Halvorsen’s experiences as a fighter pilot during World War II.
- It is about how sweets were used to turn people in East Berlin against Russia.
The text discusses the following ideas:
- From 1948 to 1949, planes delivered food and supplies to West Berlin.
- An American pilot decided to air-drop sweets to the children there.
- Soon other people and companies began helping with the sweet airdrops.
So, the text is about how planes dropped sweets into West Berlin from 1948 to 1949
🔥Read the text.
Sweets from the Sky
When you are going through a difficult time, sometimes a sweet can help cheer you up. That is especially true if the sweet comes falling out of the sky. Sound impossible? Well, for some children living in West Berlin from 1948 to 1949, that is exactly what happened.
After World War II, the capital city of Germany was divided into East and West Berlin. The eastern part of the city was controlled by Russia. The western part was controlled by France, Britain and the US. However, in 1948, Russia tried to force the other countries to leave the city. The Russians blocked all of the usual trade and supply routes into West Berlin. The people of West Berlin feared they would soon run out of food and supplies. Then the US and other countries created Operation Vittles, a plan to fly food and other supplies into the city.
Each day, planes would deliver as many as seven thousand metric tonnes of supplies to West Berlin. One of the pilots responsible for this work was an American named Gail Halvorsen. During one delivery, Halvorsen met a group of West Berlin children who had gathered to watch the planes. Before returning to the air, Halvorsen gave the children some sticks of chewing gum. It wasn’t much, but the children were very grateful. Suddenly Halvorsen had an idea. He told the children that he would drop them some more sweets from his plane the next day.
Halvorsen tied the packages of sweets to small parachutes made from handkerchiefs. The packages dropped gently from the plane to the children on the ground. Afterwards, the children talked excitedly about the wonderful ‘Chocolate Flyer’ who dropped sweets from the sky. Halvorsen decided to make sweet airdrops a regular event. Soon, other pilots began to join Halvorsen, and Operation Little Vittles was born.
Eventually, news about the pilots’ actions began to spread. Many people who heard about the sweet airdrops wanted to help sustain them. American sweet companies sent the pilots free sweets, and school children in America made small cloth parachutes. Thanks to this effort, Operation Little Vittles continued for months, until supply routes finally reopened in 1949. For years afterwards, the children of West Berlin continued to send thank you letters to Halvorsen and the other pilots. These pilots had not just given the children sweets; they had given them something to look forward to during a difficult and uncertain time.
What is the text about?
- It is about how American children got sweets during a shortage in the 1940s.
- It is about how sweets were used to turn people in East Berlin against Russia.
- It is about how planes dropped sweets into West Berlin from 1948 to 1949.
- It is about Gail Halvorsen’s experiences as a fighter pilot during World War II.
The text discusses the following ideas:
- From 1948 to 1949, planes delivered food and supplies to West Berlin.
- An American pilot decided to air-drop sweets to the children there.
- Soon other people and companies began helping with the sweet airdrops.
So, the text is about how planes dropped sweets into West Berlin from 1948 to 1949.
let’s practice!
Read the text.
March to the Sea
Salt is an important ingredient in food and in making our bodies work. So imagine if you could no longer afford to buy this important mineral. In fact, this happened to many people in India during the 1800s and early 1900s. One man was so unhappy about the price of salt, and about the reason behind it, that he protested with a 386-kilometre march to the sea.
Many Indians could not afford salt because Great Britain had put a high tax on it. The British had controlled India since 1858, and during their rule they made many unfair laws. The India Salt Act of 1882 raised the price of salt. It also prevented Indians from gathering and selling it themselves. As a result, they were forced to buy expensive salt from a British company.
Mohandas Gandhi was a civil rights leader trying to free India from British rule. Gandhi thought the Salt Act was unfair, and he decided to fight it with a peaceful protest. He planned to walk many kilometres to the ocean, where he would gather salt. To strengthen the protest, Gandhi encouraged other Indians to join him. However, he warned them that they could be arrested for breaking the law.
On 12 March 1930, Gandhi started marching towards the Arabian Sea with seventy-nine followers. Thousands more joined him along the way. After twenty-four long days, Gandhi and his followers finally reached the sea. Everyone, including news reporters from around the world, watched as Gandhi scooped up a lump of salt from the shore, boldly breaking the unjust law.
Soon after, Gandhi and some of his followers were put in jail. News of their arrest quickly spread around the world. However, people did not let fear of being arrested stop them. Thousands of Indians joined the peaceful protest. By the end of the year, over sixty thousand people had been jailed for breaking the Salt Act.
In January 1931, Gandhi was released from jail. He was able to negotiate an agreement with the British government: Gandhi agreed to call for an end to the salt protests; in return, Britain agreed to free the other prisoners and allow Indians to produce their own salt. Gandhi and the Indians showed the world that peaceful protest could lead to real change. After several years—and many protests—Indians won their freedom from British rule in 1947.