Who are Nutty & Chip?
In 2000, while a student teacher at Holt High School [pictured left], Dr. Hartnell began writing packets to use in addition to the course text. Originally called the "All You Need to Know..." guides, these packets grew into Dr. Hartnell's "Pathways Through History", which were so popular that they became the class textbook. In 2008, Dr. Hartnell overhauled all of his packets to make them even easier to understand... thus Nutty the A.D.D. Squirrel's "Scramblin' thru History" was born! In 2012, Dr. Hartnell launched Nutty's very own site so everyone can access his material on the go! Four years after hitting the ol' "www", Nutty's A.D.H.D. cousin - aptly named "Chip" - joined the crew!
All You Need to Know... Guides (2000-2005)
It's hard for me to look back on my original guides and NOT vomit. I mean, at the time, I was excited about how they looked... but now, well, too plain. Too much white space. [Click picture for a larger version.]
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For those that know me, you know my OCD won't allow me to NOT line things up properly. This is somewhat apparent in these early packets - but certainly noticeable later on. Not enough is "happening" on this page in my mind. But, hey, "A" for effort. [Click picture for a larger version.]
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Pathways Through History (2005-2008)
I believe I "came into" my element as a researcher and writer when I began my "Pathways" series. Even the covers were more inviting, and I started pressing the limits on where the margins were... just how much could I cram onto a page?! [Click picture for a larger version.]
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The amount of time it took to research, write, and design every page in each of my "Pathways" chapters was staggering. Hours were spent finding the perfect picture for each section... then cropping them so they'd fit nicely with the text. And I would pine away over making sure everthing lined up. So, so, SO many long nights. [Click picture for a larger version.]
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Scramblin' Thru History (2008-2012)
The idea to use a crazy-eyed squirrel came after stumbling upon the clipart during a late-night image search for a "Pathways" chapter in 2008. I knew I had to have that image... so I plunked down the $18.97 to legally purchase and download the squirrel from Brad Fitzpatrick. I then affectionately named him "Nutty" (the cartoon squirrel... not Brad. He's still called Brad). From that point on, I really re-thought how I wanted to present my material. As someone who has A.D.D., it seemed only logical that since I knew the minds of my students, how they functioned, and how they read, I could write a series of handouts I knew they would enjoy (and be able to follow). [Click picture for a larger version.]
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To this day, I really enjoy my design layout for "Nutty". The flow of the information is excellent; it is easy to read, get distracted by something shiny, and pick up where you left off without missing a beat. The "Quick Facts" and "Did You Know?" sidebars added a new element to the presentation of the material. [Click picture for a larger version.]
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Nutty the A.D.D. Squirrel's Website (2012-Present)
So here we are... the Internet. The ol' w-w-w. The World Wide Web. The "Final Frontier" for all of my guides, handouts, packets, and chapters!
Chip the A.D.H.D. Beaver (2016-Present)
In 2016, I revisited the birthplace of Nutty and purchased the rights to use a cartoon beaver from Brad Fitzpatrick. Named "Chip", this super busy beaver serves as Nutty's A.D.H.D. cousin. Chip brings an even more condensed version of history to the table!