Main content
Course: World History Project - 1750 to the Present > Unit 2
Lesson 4: Nationalism | 2.3- READ: Origins and Impacts of Nationalism
- BEFORE YOU WATCH: Nationalism
- WATCH: Nationalism
- READ: The World Revolution of 1848
- READ: Italian Nationalism — A Point of View
- READ: Bismarck and German Nationalism
- READ: Ethnic Nationalism
- READ: Rifa’a al-Tahtawi (Graphic Biography)
- BEFORE YOU WATCH: Samurai, Daimyo, Matthew Perry, and Nationalism
- WATCH: Samurai, Daimyo, Matthew Perry, and Nationalism
- Nationalism
© 2024 Khan AcademyTerms of usePrivacy PolicyCookie Notice
BEFORE YOU WATCH: Nationalism
Use the “Three Close Reads” approach as you watch the video below.
Use the “Three Close Reads” approach as you watch the video below (next in the lineup!). If you want to learn more about this strategy, click here.
First read: preview and skimming for gist
Before you watch, you should skim the transcript first. The skim should be very quick and give you the gist (general idea) of what the video is about. You should be looking at the title, thumbnails, pictures, and first few seconds of the video for the gist.
Second read: key ideas and understanding content
Now that you’ve skimmed the video transcript and taken a quick peek at the video, you should preview the questions you will be answering. These questions will help you get a better understanding of the concepts and arguments that are presented in the video. Keep in mind that when you watch the video, it is a good idea to write down any vocab you read or hear that is unfamiliar to you.
By the end of the second close read, you should be able to answer the following questions:
- How does this video define nationalism?
- What did Benedict Anderson mean when he called the nation an “imagined political community”?
- According to the video, where did nationalism begin and how did it spread?
- How did nationalism contribute to the extreme violence of the twentieth century?
- How do nationalists construct ideas about their nation?
- What is some evidence referenced in this video as to whether nationalism is good or bad?
Third read: evaluating and corroborating
Finally, here are some questions that will help you focus on why this video matters how it connects to other content you’ve studied.
At the end of the third read, you should be able to respond to these questions:
- The opening quote of this video is by the American novelist Kurt Vonnegut. In the quote, Vonnegut warns that “We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.” Why do you think this quote was included in this video?
- This video is pretty clear about nationalism’s impacts on communities. What are some ways that nationalism affected networks and production and distribution?
Now that you know what to look for, it’s time to watch! Remember to return to these questions once you’ve finished watching.