There are only a few days left to register for Humanities Advocacy Day, put on by the National Humanities Alliance. Consider joining in to lobby for history programs on Capitol Hill. In other news, a new U.S. History AP course is a year away, the National Archives has joined Foursquare, and Google presents a new “street view” of art museums. If you’re hungry for history this month you may be interested in a group of D.C. historians who meet to discuss decades old recipes, and a journalist who tried to eat like it was 1912. We also bring you two Civil War related articles on myths and 150th anniversary events.  Finally, check out a site on Middle East teaching resources and a pocket gentleman’s guide from 1870.

News

• Register for Humanities Advocacy Day and the NHA Annual Meeting by February 6
  This is the last week to register for the NHA Annual Meeting & Humanities Advocacy Day before the February 6 deadline. Participate in this year’s events and help “defend critical humanities programs.”
• New Advanced Placement Biology Is Ready to Roll Out, but U.S. History Isn’t
  The College Board has released updated AP Biology courses, but is holding off a year to put out updated history ones. The changes will include more material on 1491 to 1607 and from 1980 to the present. Though the challenge is choosing what to cut out in order to add new content in.
• The National Archives joins Foursquare!
  The National Archives has joined Foursquare, which is described as “a location-based social media network that enables users to share tips and other information at geographic locations nationwide.”
• Art Project, powered by Google
  Tour art museums around the world, or in your area (for instance, The Freer Gallery of Art in D.C.) through Google’s new Art Project site, which offers a “Street View” experience but in a museum.

Food

• An Extra Helping of History: Culinary Historians of Washington, D.C.
  The Washington Post’s free daily, Express, published an article this week a group of historians in D.C. who come together to experience food through history.
• Heavy on the butter: A week of eating like it’s 1912
  Using archived recipes, a Canadian journalist tries to follow Michael Pollan’s (The Omnivore’s Dilemma) advice to not eat “anything your great-great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food” for a week.  The result… lots of butter and cream.

Civil War

• On Going Viral: Reflections on Why the South Really Seceded
  Jim Loewen, whose exploration of sundown towns we noted in 2008, reflects on the responses to his Washington Post piece on myths about the Civil War in this HNN article.
• Anniversary Almanac: A Citizen’s Guide to Commemorative Civil War Parties and Presentations
  Check out a number of events (in the Washington, D.C. area), publications, and even fashion to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.

More

• Teaching the Middle East: A Resource for Educators
  With all the recent news coming out of Egypt and the Middle East, teachers may be looking for more resources to put it all in historical context. EDSITEment recommends the Teaching the Middle East site.
• A Guide to Houses No Gentleman Would Dare to Frequent
  The New York Times takes a look at an 1870 pocket-sized insider’s guide to some seedy neighborhood entertainment.

Contributors: David Darlington, Debbie Ann Doyle, Elisabeth Grant, Jim Grossman, Vernon Horn

This post first appeared on AHA Today.