Peter Pappas

Creator of “The Forgotten Files: Because the past is still teaching." Fueled by jazz, biking, books, film, garlic. AI curious. Distinguished Educator 


Biking around
People's Republic of Portland
Peter Pappasppappas
2026-01-06

@Photo55 Thanks. Will fix that

Peter Pappasppappas
2026-01-06

Watching Trump’s Venezuela adventurism, I keep thinking about how often U.S. power gets sold as “necessary” and “for their own good,” right up until the bill comes due.
I turned that into a teacher-friendly lesson using Library of Congress political cartoons. It stays usable in class while still asking hard questions. peterpappas.com/2026/01/the-co

Color political cartoon from Judge titled "A Thing Well Begun Is Half Done." A caricature of President William McKinley stands on a map of North and Central America, using a pick axe to dig a canal across the isthmus between the Atlantic and the Pacific. U.S.-flagged ships crowd both coasts, and American flags mark places like Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. In the background, Uncle Sam stands near the U.S. Capitol carrying tools and a flag, implying Washington is backing the project as part of national expansion.
Peter Pappasppappas
2025-12-02

Pro tip: when a White House builds a “Media Offenders” list, you can pretty much read it as “Start here for solid Trump coverage.” Thanks for the reading list, Mr. President.
whitehouse.gov/mediabias/?cst

Peter Pappasppappas
2025-12-02

Turn your students into historical detectives. I just posted a way to use AI to create custom mystery activities where every student holds a clue and the whole class has to argue their way to an explanation. peterpappas.com/2025/12/design

Roadside billboard reading “MYSTERY SPOT” in large blue letters on a white arrow, with a red question mark in the center, yellow ovals that say “MILLION VISITORS” and “FOUR ATTRACTIONS,” and a smaller panel reading “WORLD FAMOUS OPEN RAIN OR SHINE 200 FT,” set against trees and flagpoles under a clear blue sky.
Peter Pappasppappas
2025-10-15

Young Republican’s racist chat leaks are not a shock to history teachers. Currier and Ives’ “Darktown comics” sold by the tens of thousands and trained Americans to laugh at brutality. See the comics and connect the dots. forgottenfiles.substack.com/p/

Currier and Ives, 1887 lithograph, “The Darktown Fire Brigade, Under Full Steam. Now den Squirt, for all She’s Wuff.” Racist caricatures of Black firefighters scramble at a blaze. A steam pumper smokes at left. Water strikes a woman sliding down a pole. Men lug logs, a striped mattress, and two infants. The caption uses minstrel dialect to mock Black competence.
Peter Pappasppappas
2025-07-17

@ktneely No. iPhone 16 Pro + Photomator filter + vignette

Peter Pappasppappas
2025-07-17

Portland wakes to a warm dawn, the horizon already hinting at the furnace that awaits

Predawn view from Southwest Portland: Mt. Hood’s silhouette glows beneath a fiery orange sky, forested ridgelines recede in hazy layers, and the cable-stayed Tilikum Crossing sparkles above the Willamette River while South Waterfront buildings shine below—an early scene that foreshadows a sweltering day ahead.
Peter Pappasppappas
2025-07-15

AI took the coding jobs. The philosophers are just asking why.

Bar chart titled “Unemployment Rate of Recent Graduates showing lower unemployment rates for Philosophy and Art History Majors than Computer engineering or Computer Science
Peter Pappasppappas
2025-06-24

"From 1910s 'Better Baby' fairs to MAGA's fertility crusade--discover how America's eugenic past still shapes today's immigration and family policies." forgottenfiles.substack.com/p/

Composite header: on the left, a black-and-white photo of a toddler in a diaper standing hands-on-hips; on the right, a vintage poster that reads "Better Baby Contest -- Indiana State Fair, Aug. 31 to Sept. 7." The pairing evokes early-20th-century baby competitions linked to the eugenics movement.
Peter Pappasppappas
2025-06-20

Teaching historical thinking with a million-year timeline, three clashing perspectives - and a little help from ChatGPT peterpappas.com/2025/06/rewind

A spiral clock of time
Peter Pappasppappas
2025-06-20

@royterdw @xankarn It's a treasure

Peter Pappasppappas
2025-05-29

@xankarn Good luck. I’ve biked the sections around Rochester

Peter Pappasppappas
2025-05-17

@random_industries Just used the default photo setting in iPhone 16 Pro

Peter Pappasppappas
2025-05-17

@jawnsy Ferry dock south east of downtown.

Peter Pappasppappas
2025-05-17

@adub last week

Peter Pappasppappas
2025-05-17

Toronto Sunset. No filters.

Photo of Toronto skyline from the water. Blazing sunset reflected in the water. Silhouette of city
Peter Pappasppappas
2025-03-30

Somewhere in this setup is the illusion of productivity.

Dual-monitor desk setup showing a March Madness basketball game on one screen and a Portland Thorns soccer match on the other, with Apple devices neatly arranged—everything suggests productivity, but none is happening.
Peter Pappasppappas
2025-03-15

Good food, good friends.Looked up from my plate and found a masterpiece in the shadows. Cheers to the little moments.

A photograph capturing intersecting shadows of geometric patterns on a glass or reflective surface. The image features warm golden tones with crisp lines forming an abstract composition. Faint tree branches are also visible through the reflections, adding depth to the visual layering.

Client Info

Server: https://mastodon.social
Version: 2025.07
Repository: https://github.com/cyevgeniy/lmst