Mr. Robert Sandler had Dr. Matthew Dalkek, a political science professor from George Washington University come to his AP U.S. History classes to discuss his upcoming book on the John Birch Society. The John Birch Society was a right-wing political group founded in 1958 that opposed communism, civil rights & the fluoridation of water. Dr. Dallek spoke with the class about his research in the archives of the Library of Congress and the Anti-Defamation League. He then explained how this organization wanted to impeach Chief Justice Earl Warren and President Eisenhower, and pull America out of the United Nations. The students loved the lecture and the Q&A where students drew connections between the John Birch Society & QAnon.
The image from the talk is shared. Students practiced historical thinking skills like analyzing song lyrics and other primary documents. We are so grateful Dr. Dallek was wiling to share his academic research and expose the students to the process of writing a scholarly work.
