History on Tap

There will be a 6th grade workshop on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 4:15 in the John Tyler Elementary library.  We will discuss the “What I need to know to pass the US History to 1877″ resource book, which was recently purchased by the Social Studies department.

The workshop will be a quick overview of the book.  You will NOT receive materials unless you attend the workshop.  Please RSVP to Mrs. West at mary.west@pps.k12.va.us or 393-8555 as soon as possible.

Just wanted to make you aware of a change to the blog.  I have tagged all the posts on the blog to try to make them as organized as possible and easily accessible.  If you click on a tag on the right sidebar then it will bring up all the posts that have that tag.  The most frequently used tags are larger in size.  (Check out “summer institutes” for example.)

So if you’re looking for something specific, just click that tag.  I hope this makes things more organized for you!

 The Goethe-Institut coordinates a two week institute to Germany during the summer.  K-12 Social Studies educators are eligible to apply. 

Travel expenses, some meals, and lodging are paid for by partners of the Goethe-Institut.  Participants are responsible for other charges (such as those that occur during free time, and incidental hotel costs.) 

The application is due in February.  It must be received by the Goethe-Institut by February 12, 2009.  Applicants will be notified of their status by mail during the latter half of March.

The Education Podcast Network has about 11 podcasts that discuss Jim Crow laws.  They are interviews with people who experienced the laws.  They are relatively short and would be a great way to incorporate some technology into your SS plans and allow your students to hear about Jim Crow laws from a primary source. 

The website also has a subject specific podcast list on the left sidebar.  There are many for SS that you may find interesting.  There are podcasts on the First Amendment, immigration, great speeches in American history, ancient civilizations, Williamsburg, economics, and many more.  Just make sure you listen to them once before playing them for your students…

According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  They host a summer institute for teachers every year in Cleveland where they show you how to incorporate music into your lesson plans.  Unfortunately I am not posting to tell you how to apply for an all expenses paid trip to the summer institute. 

I am posting to tell you that they have many lesson plans on line from previous institute participants.  There are 47 total, many of which could be used in the Social Studies classroom.  Lesson 1 for example, is entitled “Keep on Pushing:  Popular Music and the Civil Rights Movement.”  Lesson 19?  “Runaway Slaves.”  Lesson 41?  “Teaching Economics Through Rock and Roll:  Unemployment.” 

The lessons are very detailed and they all are very interesting and something I think students would enjoy.  You might want to share with the English teachers in your building as well.  There are several lessons incorporating music and particular authors or stories. 

I encourage you to check it out.  And although you may not be able to fit these ideas in right now, they might be fun projects to do after SOL’s!  Rock on!

  Here’s a link to a school in Nebraska where students podcast.  There are several social studies podcasts on the colonies, Revolutionary War, and the Constitution.  There are podcasts for other subjects as well.  Most of them are about 11 or 12 minutes long and contain different segments.  Segments include background information, vocabulary, poetry on the topic, biographies, and interesting web sites for students.  Check it out!

The Keizai Koho Center and the National Association of Japan-America Societies are sponsoring a ten day fellowship to Japan in the summer of 2009.  Teachers in grades 8-12 who teach Economics, Social Studies, and History are eligible. 

Air transportation, accomodations, and some meals are covered.  The itinerary includes time in Tokyo, as well as a visit to one destination outside of Tokyo. 

There is a homestay with a Japanese family during this fellowship!

Applications are due by February 28, 2009 and applicants will be notified in writing by March 31, 2009.

Check out the link above for more information and the appliation procedure and requirements.

The VA Pilot began their six part series on Massive Resistance yesterday.  The series includes a quiz, podcasts, video, an interactive timeline, editorials, and transcripts of letters and speeches.  It is a very interesting series with a wealth of useful information.  Save your newspapers, add the links to your favorites-I think this information will come in handy when teaching about Massive Resistance. 

http://hamptonroads.com/2008/09/special-report-fighting-massive-resistance

There’s also an article about the events Norfolk has planned to commemorate school integration.  They have quite a few events planned, but the one I want to mention is on February 1, 2009.  On that date the Chrysler Museum will waive it’s admission fee and have an open house for the exhibit “50 years Later:  The Lessons of Massive Resistance.”

http://hamptonroads.com/2008/09/norfolk-officials-announce-events-commemorate-school-integration

Here’s an interesting article published last week by National Geographic.  It discusses plans to build an underwater museum in Egypt, where visitors can veiw artifacts from Cleopatra’s palace.  It would be the world’s first underwater museum.  The article also includes a few pictures of artifacts as well as the proposed museum. 

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/09/080916-underwater-museum.html

There is an on-line quiz (ten questions) in today’s Pilot about Massive Resistance in Virginia.  This year marks the 50th anniversary of Virginia’s response to court ordered desegregation of public schools.  The Pilot will start a series on Massive Resistance on Sunday, September 28th, so be sure to check that out.  It will probably be a good resource to save and use later this year. 

http://hamptonroads.com/2008/09/how-much-do-you-know-about-massive-resistance