As some of you know, I homeschool my kids. And before, when I've needed help (the geography project- which has morphed into an ongoing 'book of centuries' kind of thing tied in with our history!), you guys have come to my aid. Anywho, the other day when we heard that Michael Jackson had passed away, I learned that my children are somewhat 'socially/culturally' ignorant. When my oldest son (who's 15) asked, 'Michael who?', I knew my poor kids need a little help! What I mean by that is that I feel that there are certain people (not necessarily related to history- e.i. MJ) that I feel my boys should at least have a passing knowledge of. Be it artists, singers, dancers, writers- I just feel they should know some of the people that has shaped their culture. And whether we like it or not, musical artists like MJ have done just that. What I need help with is a listing of people you feel have helped shape or reshape modern culture. Even certain criminals could be considered in this list because let's face it, Al Capone definitely reshaped American culture. Although, I'm not going to limit their exposure to America. Princess Di, for example, very famous, very influential to our world.
Here's a couple of names I've come up with... Norman Rockwell- while they would certainly know who Walt Disney is, Rockwell might not be as familiar. We've already established Michael Jackson. I've added Elvis, too. So, who do you feel has had major influences on our world? Someone you might not readily find in a history book. Like I said, include ALL examples- artists, writers, musicians, dancers, actors... and just anybody else that seems interesting.
Thanks in advance!
SQD
