tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48149117314815506632024-03-05T22:04:24.792-08:00Social Science EducationDr. Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17174770267192421178noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814911731481550663.post-29181839406152960912017-02-07T13:42:00.002-08:002017-02-07T13:42:45.157-08:00Current Events - Immigration and Refugee Executive Order<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The <a href="http://choices.edu/" target="_blank">Choices Program</a> at Brown University continues to provide helpful content for teaching current events. This free curriculum package includes a complete <a href="http://choices.edu/resources/twtn/twtn-executive-order.php?utm_source=Choices+Newsletter+List&utm_campaign=f027e5e0b2-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_01_06&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_af2c96b5f0-f027e5e0b2-81092081&mc_cid=f027e5e0b2&mc_eid=628bd7cbf9" target="_blank">lesson plan</a> with handouts and 14 helpful sources for students to evaluate: 7 in favor of the Executive Order and 7 opposed. If you have not already done so, be sure to get signed up for their free email updates.<br /><br />Dr. Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17174770267192421178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814911731481550663.post-12011841962946913852014-09-10T16:32:00.000-07:002014-09-10T16:32:19.535-07:00Current (CURRENT) Events: The ISIS ThreatIn less than two hours, President Obama will address the United States public about the current situation in the Middle East and present what White House officials have cited as a "<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/10/us/obama-isis-congress.html?_r=0" target="_blank">comprehensive plan</a>" for how the U.S. and its allies will address the ISIS threat. The subject has tremendous relevance to the American public and many teachers see it as an opportunity to help their students learn more about this very current event--if they only had time to develop a lesson with more depth than simply reading or watching news accounts.<br />
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I have found the <a href="http://www.choices.edu/" target="_blank">Choices Program</a> out of Brown University to be tremendously helpful with these types of topics. (I highlighted some of their government curriculum in a <a href="http://socialscienceeducation.blogspot.com/2009/09/center-for-civic-education-constitution.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>.) So far, I have only taken advantage of their free materials and am signed up for their email notifications, which included yesterday's link to a free lesson plan, "ISIS: A New Threat." I've only had a brief chance to look at this free material; however, I consider it an invaluable resource for teachers because it at least gives them a starting point for bringing in such a current event immediately into their classroom.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Curriculum from <a href="http://www.choices.edu/" target="_blank">Choices Program</a></span></div>
Dr. Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17174770267192421178noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814911731481550663.post-3883537071214465992014-08-05T11:42:00.003-07:002014-08-05T11:43:16.078-07:00Back to School (with Common Core, Historical Thinking, RtI, PARCC...)<i>Yikes. It looks like I have been on a bit of a hiatus and not keeping up with posts about resources...</i><br />
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Anyway, I recently emailed some newer resources with a former student who graduated in 2010 and is now gainfully employed at a great school (congrats again, JG) and though I would share them here as well. In honor of back to school, below is a summary of some of my previous posts with new resources I have been using in professional development seminars and my methods courses but have failed to blog earlier.<br />
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As anyone in PK12 education knows, public education is experiencing what I would call a perfect storm. That is, in the past we have always encountered updated curricula, mandates, and the like; however, now it seems like there are major changes happening all at once: Common Core, PARCC, RtI, and Danielson-inspired teacher observation models, to name a few. Granted, there are important debates related to the merit of these changes; however, I will leave that debate aside and focus on resources that can help teachers with the elements of these curricula I find the most welcoming in the social studies classroom. That is, "cite evidence to support a claim" (basically the first 6th grade Common Core standard for ELA-Social Studies) is more flexible and relevant than requiring students to memorize states and capitals or the first five presidents of the U.S. Alas, I digress, so on to the resources:<br />
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<b>1) Thinking Like a Historian Gains Ground</b><br />
Sam Wineburg's <a href="http://historicalthinkingmatters.org/" target="_blank">Historical Thinking Matters</a> is often cited as a clear alignment with the new Common Core/Illinois Learning standards. The Stanford History Education Group (SHEG) now has over 100 <a href="http://sheg.stanford.edu/us" target="_blank">US</a> and <a href="http://sheg.stanford.edu/world" target="_blank">World</a> History primary source lessons "ready to use." <br />
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Related past posts are <a href="http://socialscienceeducation.blogspot.com/2009/04/historical-thinking-matter.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://socialscienceeducation.blogspot.com/2010/08/dont-buy-textbook.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<b>2) Seeing it Helps - Classroom Videos</b><br />
<a href="http://www.teachingchannel.org/" target="_blank">The Teaching Channel</a> has video clips of some of these lessons being used, including teachers discussing how they implement the curriculum. They are very nicely produced and a great free resource. Just search for "Reading Like a Historian," and you will find them.<br />
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Related past post is <a href="http://socialscienceeducation.blogspot.com/2013/08/august-28-2013-50-years-since-march-on.html" target="_blank">here</a>. <br />
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<b>3) Beyond the Bubble--Oh, How True (or False) It Is</b><br />
There are some major changes happening in assessment. SHEG has another <a href="http://beyondthebubble.stanford.edu/" target="_blank">website</a> to support some of these transitions.<br />
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<b>4) It's HOW, not WHAT</b><br />
Of course, it is important to be familiar with the Common Core Standards related to history/social studies, and it is equally helpful to see how these standards are going to be assessed. PARCC (Pearson's Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) is the assessment we are now using in Illinois (and elsewhere), and the released/sample tests are very revealing about how students will be evaluated. Take the 6-8 and/or High School ELA <a href="http://practice.parcc.testnav.com/#" target="_blank">tests</a> to see the Social Studies-ELA relationship and emphasis on non-fiction reading.<br />
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Further, above is an example of what I would argue is a subtle but important shift in assessment for middle and high school students. In the 6-8 ELA test, note the question on the second page: "According to 'The Biography of Amelia Earhart,' which events had the most significant impact on Earhart's life?" Students select 4 of the 7 choices. The "catch" is that all 7 events are listed in the source. Students have to identify which 4 are the most significant, according to the source (not their own opinion). That means they are not just reading WHAT the source says but HOW it says it. That is, 3 of the choices are just mentioned in passing; however, 4 of the events are given much more emphasis in the source. (Note that 3 or so of the events are quickly listed in paragraph #3 as opposed to other events that get their own paragraph.) Some students are used to just "hunting and finding" key phrases from the question or multiple choice options to find their answer. Now they have to focus (and likely read, not just skim) on how the author presents information.<br />
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Also be sure to see the additional sample PARCC items under "Practice Tests" in the blue banner across the same launch <a href="http://practice.parcc.testnav.com/#" target="_blank">page</a>. I like the science questions that have students corroborate how the same scientific study is presented in a newspaper article, a news video, and excerpts from a professional journal.<br />
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<b>5) G.I.D. (Google It, Dammit)</b><br />
A great way to think of the PARCC assessments is: Students are given the answer; they just have to identify evidence that would support that conclusion. The first Common Core standard in social studies for 6th graders is cite evidence to support a claim. I've given 10th and 8th graders <a href="http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/recon/jb_recon_burnham_3_e.html" target="_blank">this 1909 cartoon</a> and the claim: "This 1909 political cartoon is AGAINST women getting the right to vote." Then, I have them circle two parts of the image (evidence) that support this claim and explain why. This stumps some students (oddly enough) when they see "Election Day" written across the bottom of the cartoon or "Votes for Women" in the upper right-hand corner, and they want to conclude that the cartoon is in favor of women's suffrage. Even more interesting (and pretty exciting, if you ask me) is that their teachers point out that some of the students who are struggling in their classroom (i.e. have a hard time memorizing information) do better on this exercise than their peers who are "higher-performing students"when it comes to traditional recall tests. Some students can master questions that have them memorize the year women got the right to vote but have been given too few opportunities to actually analyze a source. I would argue that the latter is a more relevant skill for students, and (compared to what we have had in Illinois) it is a stronger focus in the Common Core Standards. The former only requires a Google search and someone who can corroborate, critique, and evaluate the sites where they find the answer(s). These are media literacy skills.<br />
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Related posts tagged as Media Literacy are <a href="http://socialscienceeducation.blogspot.com/search/label/media%20literacy" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<b>6) One Happy Spiraling (hopefully not too out of control) Curriculum</b><br />
Finally, to see how this all ties together, I presented this <a href="http://prezi.com/tzot-ope8ho0/aligning-common-core-elementary-through-high-school/" target="_blank">Prezi</a> at a national conference with a high school teacher. In the Prezi, we focus on how the Common Core is a spiraling curriculum (i.e. note how the 5th-grade standards in the first column are reflected--with more sophistication--in the 10th-grade standards). Further, we show how curriculum constructed in this manner (note the matrix/table format) allows teachers to revisit the same skill throughout the semester with different topics. That's an RtI connection that should be explain further at another time.<br />
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<i>I hope that you find some helpful resources and here's to a great 2014-2015 school year. Keep up the great work, everyone!</i><br />
<br />Dr. Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17174770267192421178noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814911731481550663.post-44100437710170370522013-10-23T15:26:00.003-07:002013-10-23T15:26:29.303-07:00Teaching Current Events? There's a (GIS) Map for That...I continue to be amazed with the amount of (free) resources available for introducing students to (and engaging them with) GIS. If you want a quick overview of what GIS is and how it relates to geography, consider this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrfBIVx739E" target="_blank">video</a>. You can also click on the "GIS" tag/label to find my other entries on this topic.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRbOfiOFMKLdVw49_BVWMXU4y7oa3TFa7JiKIoHkDRBAidi8pvSVg54twiuKVpxH-54q_jwlCGWeJNkhiaV-J5CldUWV3FES_krBKj9KGumjAIjEjJ6s7kthHSMpEnCmhI3KNP00sHucc/s1600/ESRI_StoryMaps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRbOfiOFMKLdVw49_BVWMXU4y7oa3TFa7JiKIoHkDRBAidi8pvSVg54twiuKVpxH-54q_jwlCGWeJNkhiaV-J5CldUWV3FES_krBKj9KGumjAIjEjJ6s7kthHSMpEnCmhI3KNP00sHucc/s400/ESRI_StoryMaps.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ESRI's Storytelling Maps page</td></tr>
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<b>Storytelling with Maps</b> <br />
I was recently introduced to a few ESRI resources that help students learn about past and current events through maps and GIS data. An excellent resource is <a href="http://storymaps.esri.com/home/" target="_blank">ESRI's Storytelling with Maps</a>. There, you can explore topics ranging from <a href="http://storymaps.esri.com/stories/2013/ShaleGas/" target="_blank">Fracking /Shale Gas Boom</a> to <a href="http://mediamaps.esri.com/real-pirates-of-the-caribbean/" target="_blank">The Real Pirates of the Caribbean</a> to <a href="http://storymaps.esri.com/stories/doctors/" target="_blank">Health Care</a>. You can even explore costs by state under the <a href="http://mediamaps.esri.com/health-exchange-costs/" target="_blank">Federal Healthcare Exchanges</a> initiative (i.e., Affordable Care Act/Obamacare). Exploring these topics digitally through time and space is a great opportunity for students to begin learning how to interpret data and maps.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqrTb4aZe_L3iLcaMhHN05IoKdNM2btGZGZrOEYlw_Ld76x5A35pGb2ZWyyYTrCFok3GRt7uZ46qO2Co4LUMJQ_Z85DLM3nVh5B9DVe4RYv2D9XVZkelzKltR9FmzGgLoQM8P6fQqac9o/s1600/ESRI_TimePlace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqrTb4aZe_L3iLcaMhHN05IoKdNM2btGZGZrOEYlw_Ld76x5A35pGb2ZWyyYTrCFok3GRt7uZ46qO2Co4LUMJQ_Z85DLM3nVh5B9DVe4RYv2D9XVZkelzKltR9FmzGgLoQM8P6fQqac9o/s400/ESRI_TimePlace.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ESRI's Time and Place Module: Indian Removal Act of 1830</td></tr>
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<b>Additional Resources</b> <br />
ESRI also has some additional resources worth mentioning. Their "<a href="http://intimeandplace.org/" target="_blank">Time and Place</a>" modules include topics such as the Dust Bowl and the Indian Removal Act of 1830. Students are provided maps and documents as a way to integrate information from a variety of sources to form an argument. (Notice the potential Common Core connection here?)<br />
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<b>GIS Jobs</b> <br />
Finally, those not sure why GIS should be part of the curricula in secondary schools need only be reminded on how many public and private sectors use this information. ESRI provides several snapshots of these <a href="http://www.esri.com/industries" target="_blank">GIS-related jobs</a>, too (e.g., farming, military, retail stores). P-12 education is catching up with this approach to geography, and these (and other) free resources are making this topic more accessible to schools on tight budgets. Happy exploring...<br />
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<br />Dr. Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17174770267192421178noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814911731481550663.post-19434544491500850062013-08-28T15:23:00.002-07:002013-10-23T15:29:35.136-07:00August 28, 2013: 50 Years Since the March on WashingtonToday, bells rang at 3pm EST to commemorate the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. More specifically, ringing the bells at three was to signify the importance of one person and one speech, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream." Fifty years later, this powerful speech has become the central focus for the march and civil rights in the U.S, yet a lot of other speeches and individuals were (and are) equally important.<br />
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In this post, I thought I would share some resources related to this important date in history. First, I want to highlight an invaluable online video resource, <a href="https://www.teachingchannel.org/" target="_blank">The Teaching Channel</a>. There, you can find hundreds of classroom videos of lessons specifically tied to the Common Core Standards. Inside this archive, you can find about 14 videos related to the Standford History Education Group's project, <a href="http://sheg.stanford.edu/home_page" target="_blank">Reading Like a Historian</a>. At the Stanford site, you can find over <u><b>75 quality PRIMARY SOURCE <a href="http://sheg.stanford.edu/rlh" target="_blank">lessons</a></b></u><a href="http://sheg.stanford.edu/rlh" target="_blank"> </a>for U.S. and World History.<br />
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Here are some lesson ideas for today's historic event from both sites:<br />
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1) Teaching Channel's Corroboration Lesson <a href="https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/reading-like-a-historian-corroboration" target="_blank">Video</a> for March on Washington (note the full lesson is linked in the lower right-hand corner when you scroll down the screen).<br />
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2) Stanford History Education Group's Corroboration <a href="http://sheg.stanford.edu/civil-rights-act-1964" target="_blank">Lesson</a> Plan for Civil Rights Act of 1964, which includes an excerpt from the speech John Lewis gave at the march in 1963.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitRF-cufba9cGPRVrG4Ux6cAKdq4DXetirytVCBlOl8SnjZ1rMiHl20zYvlmyOy7O4PfxP6FJ1LYoUTwdOzT1GCiIDVOAFv2GYIc4-O7D_TqZR96nO6_Aiwp4C5YI3CPduJmaia_uzdDU/s1600/March_RLH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitRF-cufba9cGPRVrG4Ux6cAKdq4DXetirytVCBlOl8SnjZ1rMiHl20zYvlmyOy7O4PfxP6FJ1LYoUTwdOzT1GCiIDVOAFv2GYIc4-O7D_TqZR96nO6_Aiwp4C5YI3CPduJmaia_uzdDU/s400/March_RLH.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />Dr. Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17174770267192421178noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814911731481550663.post-73608415950625000482012-06-06T05:55:00.000-07:002012-06-06T05:55:25.628-07:00T.A.L.L. Presentation - June 6, 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0T6lh42Kvd27MKwYvPmN96R_g8IsY2s9gj8iZMtG69JlQM3QJB_L1xphq8pRbk64rpK7CCLR13IzLYXv2esz-H2Pr6HSVCfhaV7GDwtq_TsH-ep7tpnHMQal5XMGX0Gr7mXwAzF28LY/s1600/TALL+Prezi.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0T6lh42Kvd27MKwYvPmN96R_g8IsY2s9gj8iZMtG69JlQM3QJB_L1xphq8pRbk64rpK7CCLR13IzLYXv2esz-H2Pr6HSVCfhaV7GDwtq_TsH-ep7tpnHMQal5XMGX0Gr7mXwAzF28LY/s320/TALL+Prezi.tiff" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here are resources related to my presentation for the T.A.L.L. Conference.<br />
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Link to <a href="http://prezi.com/knytkbxgtnwy/miller-tall-presentation/" target="_blank">Prezi presentation</a>.<br />
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<b>GET THE LESSON</b><br />
Link to a full description of the <a href="http://udlexchange.cast.org/lesson/9962" target="_blank">lesson</a> for the 1830 Indian Removal Act.<br />
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<b>CREATE A BOOK </b><br />
Link to <a href="http://bookbuilder.cast.org/" target="_blank">UDL Book Builder</a> for creating sources with scaffolds.<br />
(I have links to additional primary source books/lessons in a <a href="http://socialscienceeducation.blogspot.com/2011/02/book-builder-project-at-ate.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>.)<br />
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<b>CREATE A PRIMARY SOURCE LESSON</b><br />
Link to <a href="http://docsteach.org/">DocsTeach.org</a> lesson examples and templates for creating your own.<b> </b><br />
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<b>GET EXAMPLES OF HISTORICAL THINKING UNITS</b><br />
Link to four units at <a href="http://historicalthinkingmatters.org/" target="_blank">Historical Thinking Matters</a>.<br />
(I talk more about this source in a <a href="http://socialscienceeducation.blogspot.com/2009/04/historical-thinking-matter.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>.) <br />
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<b>GET COLLECTIONS OF SOURCES</b><br />
Link to <a href="http://sheg.stanford.edu/?q=node/45" target="_blank">Stanford History Education Group's</a> collections of primary sources for over 70 lessons.<br />
(I talk more about this source in a <a href="http://socialscienceeducation.blogspot.com/2010/08/dont-buy-textbook.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>.) <br />
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Link to the History Project's <a href="http://historyproject.ucdavis.edu/lessons/" target="_blank">Document Source Problems Collection</a>.<br />
(I talk more about this source in a <a href="http://socialscienceeducation.blogspot.com/2010/04/primary-sources-primary-sources-primary.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>.) <br />
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<br />Dr. Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17174770267192421178noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814911731481550663.post-5590271002920637712012-05-21T07:00:00.000-07:002012-05-21T07:02:56.149-07:00Google Earth - Record a TourI imagine the typical day at Google starts with a simple question: "Wouldn't it be cool if...?" I have endlessly enjoyed the benefits of Google Scholar, Google Book, and, of course, Google Earth. A great option I recently learned about Google Earth is the record tour option. Here is a quick video that gives the overview for this option:<a href="http://youtu.be/iuz6P2ftWB0"> http://youtu.be/iuz6P2ftWB0</a><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/iuz6P2ftWB0" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Sounds like a good assignment for my social science methods course...Dr. Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17174770267192421178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814911731481550663.post-12575137163677168562011-10-26T14:41:00.000-07:002011-11-09T10:58:26.131-08:00More GIS<span style="font-style: italic;">I've admittedly been away from my posting for too long, and the number of amazing resources out there continues to proliferate. I have a lot of catching up to do, so here's a start...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Let's talk about Geography</span> Geography is not memorizing states and capitals or regurgitating the locations of countries around the world. Sure, that may be an important skill for some, but this discipline deserves more serious attention in PreK-12 schools.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioc-fSnZfkyMM_pTX9yW_DqrVB_Arnsdjr0iJ3BT98nd60XjZUNrTqho0veIRzrpTsDD6T6OzhwAET1FZ1Byq6eEONKTLqcoHdx3pkAHwwo0E1QXJ6C3eWZZBeJGHlQvaDN9hHUMvFkAA/s1600/GIS2-Jobs.jpg"><br /></a><br />Recently, I've had students working a lot with GIS, and this is an area I want to continue to explore, and here's why. Consider the image below. It shows the types of public and private industries that use GIS. Each link takes you to different stories/testimonials about how companies, government agencies, etc. use GIS. For example, "Retail" takes you to stories about how companies that range from Nike to Petsmart use GIS for their business.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioc-fSnZfkyMM_pTX9yW_DqrVB_Arnsdjr0iJ3BT98nd60XjZUNrTqho0veIRzrpTsDD6T6OzhwAET1FZ1Byq6eEONKTLqcoHdx3pkAHwwo0E1QXJ6C3eWZZBeJGHlQvaDN9hHUMvFkAA/s1600/GIS2-Jobs.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 281px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioc-fSnZfkyMM_pTX9yW_DqrVB_Arnsdjr0iJ3BT98nd60XjZUNrTqho0veIRzrpTsDD6T6OzhwAET1FZ1Byq6eEONKTLqcoHdx3pkAHwwo0E1QXJ6C3eWZZBeJGHlQvaDN9hHUMvFkAA/s400/GIS2-Jobs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667921833593109794" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.esri.com/industries.html">ESRI's</a> look at how industries use GIS.</span><br /></div><br />As this site illustrates, just about any job students may be interested in is using GIS in some form. Granted, if we source this website, we will find that it is produced by ESRI, a major GIS software developer and clearninghouse. Their bias aside, GIS is still an important tool we should be exposing students to in our classrooms. But how?<br /><br />Below are a few more resources to help GIS become a major focus in the classroom. Some sites are just cool tools, others are full-fledged curricula that let students use GIS as an invaluable research tool.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Where are People Moving?</span><br />An interesting GIS map Forbes Magazine compiled allows the user to see where people were moving to and from in 2008. For example, if you click on Jackson County, IL, you see arrows reaching the county from various other counties around the US. When you "mouse over" these other counties, a pop-up will reveal how many people moved to Jackson Co. from that county in Oregon and how many people in Jackson Co moved to Oregon. This is a great tool for teaching the theme of Movement with a contemporary lens.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWp9myJ2r6cFXJFd5bJWN3tpLsT0SSrdeJRtQ0N4NmLuBU-obDD26Nm1YByo86z_iQ40zrCIoyWYN7eFl4qBtZK-TXFjVMQYxQZyJrjyGvoYNrTH3-2gdbgTmF10jOjKoS0bAmh-TGSgk/s1600/GIS2-Forbes.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 281px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWp9myJ2r6cFXJFd5bJWN3tpLsT0SSrdeJRtQ0N4NmLuBU-obDD26Nm1YByo86z_iQ40zrCIoyWYN7eFl4qBtZK-TXFjVMQYxQZyJrjyGvoYNrTH3-2gdbgTmF10jOjKoS0bAmh-TGSgk/s400/GIS2-Forbes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667921823624559266" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Interactive <a href="http://www.forbes.com/2010/06/04/migration-moving-wealthy-interactive-counties-map.html">Forbes</a> Movement Map</span><br /></div><br />To find free GIS maps similar to this one from Forbes, read this <a href="http://mapcruzin.blogspot.com/2011/10/where-are-free-maps-and-other-stuff.html">mapcruzin.com blog entry</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tornadoes Everywhere</span> Google Earth is another great tool where we're seeing a lot of universities and private interests use to create interactive maps. One example of a topic of relevance here in the Midwest is tornadoes. Recently, Joplin, MO was in the news as one of the deadliest tornadoes in recent history. If students want to explore this topic further, they can use the interactive map at <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.tornadopaths.org">tornadopaths.org</a>. Here, students can view where tornadoes touched down within the last 48 hours, on this day in history, or near a specified zip code. Clicking on the tornado icons that appear on the map allows the user to see the tornado's path, level of destruction, and fatalities.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVydShpchW74jFQDAB7KgUwYAEWfIpkyA1O9PcKWADTW5SE0HmP9CC5JPRo2a1wIEqSXYgEZClH22fe0Z1FK99ejGwmjEaABBlr14Wjul24G2wajf0TUrhkXeMngM5pGDCx5kY8sU-wdk/s1600/GIS2-tornado.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 281px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVydShpchW74jFQDAB7KgUwYAEWfIpkyA1O9PcKWADTW5SE0HmP9CC5JPRo2a1wIEqSXYgEZClH22fe0Z1FK99ejGwmjEaABBlr14Wjul24G2wajf0TUrhkXeMngM5pGDCx5kY8sU-wdk/s400/GIS2-tornado.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667921830768728674" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Map from <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.tornadopaths.org">tornadopaths.org</a><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />If teachers are interested in keeping up with the other types of GIS-type tools are out there, they can check out this amazing blog: <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.gearthblog.com">www.gearthblog.com</a>.<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTVqHVV_h04umsUHeKD81bmRuykjsicF42EfUJQncOTRFtk9zXRS3mXR-yL5eHufOJhPa1Us9LCg9MNHrg8EFJLzpdepL6qxbs63D8KiBCdkXwvDvxZLNbHNJoSqXTC4B47TZNf7SO2Jo/s1600/GIS2-gearthblog.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 281px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTVqHVV_h04umsUHeKD81bmRuykjsicF42EfUJQncOTRFtk9zXRS3mXR-yL5eHufOJhPa1Us9LCg9MNHrg8EFJLzpdepL6qxbs63D8KiBCdkXwvDvxZLNbHNJoSqXTC4B47TZNf7SO2Jo/s400/GIS2-gearthblog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667921822273999714" border="0" /></a></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.gearthblog.com"><span style="font-size:85%;">Google Earth Blog</span></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">GIS for History</span><br />This site deserves its own entry, but I'll at least mention it here. At <a href="http://www.gisforhistory.org/">gisforhistory.org</a>, students (and teachers) are provided with four full lessons: Slavery in America, The Great Migration, The First Census: America in 1790, and US Expansion. In each module or unit, students work with primary source documents and an interactive map to explore certain questions such as "</span>What factors made this migration possible?<span style="font-size:100%;">" (Great Migration Question). Scoring guides are provided in the teachers section. Click on the graphic below for more information on how to navigate these incredible maps.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQzMT7YYnZsAulqaVXtL-jhnTIxzq2ALMKCdw6oKaNJxWHOdf13vpbxj9cO8X9F-ZzVA7R9qXwSe97Gx3Qc60l2cvfKbgoId_hQlh-bMDAmMolRL1fclOuGFTQ2zUYjRCQqHpEZIbcZmM/s1600/GIS2-forHIST.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQzMT7YYnZsAulqaVXtL-jhnTIxzq2ALMKCdw6oKaNJxWHOdf13vpbxj9cO8X9F-ZzVA7R9qXwSe97Gx3Qc60l2cvfKbgoId_hQlh-bMDAmMolRL1fclOuGFTQ2zUYjRCQqHpEZIbcZmM/s400/GIS2-forHIST.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667931941780082434" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Examples of map features from <a href="http://www.gisforhistory.org/">gisforhistory.org</a><br /></span></div></div></div>Dr. Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17174770267192421178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814911731481550663.post-32472040141546747402011-02-16T04:54:00.000-08:002011-02-16T05:07:21.259-08:00Book Builder Project at ATE<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJi9OZpO4RUvkAeeEKgEOrmTJDL3GDOtROAiBa1IrdkS8iUFITga8wxom2GI_a8bI_7KvDNM9mp1X14bTGl3aRCYzdATBYci30xuwARgiBq1SHwzS0sRooqJdXZz_DTUuKKnFrFbGLEcI/s1600/Prezi-5thGrade.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 121px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJi9OZpO4RUvkAeeEKgEOrmTJDL3GDOtROAiBa1IrdkS8iUFITga8wxom2GI_a8bI_7KvDNM9mp1X14bTGl3aRCYzdATBYci30xuwARgiBq1SHwzS0sRooqJdXZz_DTUuKKnFrFbGLEcI/s400/Prezi-5thGrade.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574272665665898098" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This week, I presented my <a href="http://bookbuilder.cast.org/">Book Builder </a>projects at the Association of Teacher Educators annual meeting in sunny Orlando, FL. As promised in my presentation, here are links to the books I have created with a 5th grade teacher to use in her classroom. Here's also a link to my <a href="https://prezi.com/secure/f51ae97615448870e1c6f167a773afc524c444ad/">Prezi</a> I used for the presentation.<br /><br />They Book Builder lessons are:<br />1. <a href="http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view.php?op=share&book=6518b3d5d650778c5f285f00bcc2ab06&sid=3847">Washington Crossing the Delaware</a><br />2.<a href="http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view.php?op=share&book=4d7b46f7eb13a23367836067a32fb932&sid=3844"> </a><a href="http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view.php?op=share&book=4d7b46f7eb13a23367836067a32fb932&sid=3844">Indian Removal Act</a> (5th Grade Version)<br />3. <a href="http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view.php?op=share&book=f60e20df804b335ad2e1f8398dfde143&sid=3846">Slavery in the U.S. Constitution</a><br />4. <a href="http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view.php?op=share&book=15620fd758658e14de5e16d31690f9a6&sid=3842">Indian Removal Act</a> (7th Grade Version)<br />5. <a href="http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view.php?op=share&book=5e07f6d998eb6883f4c778cbd152cb98&sid=3843">Body Ritual of the Nacirema</a> - Notice that it only has text. The students' task for this reading was to illustrate the Nacirema for the "cover" of this book.Dr. Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17174770267192421178noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814911731481550663.post-19135252303062683692010-08-16T09:53:00.000-07:002010-08-16T10:47:31.695-07:00viz. A Blog for Media Literacy Pedagogy<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3uUox8UDNCRUj8W8GfbtMH0Jr8e28dMR70Ydxqcf5tdEhZOS7tlEWkQNlIuKWwj2TFSFOO8vTc-wxghmzXlRRkyYPEMk4RhZh7PsevX7FLDtoZrAyfhFvCSFb-Cn-VaGIbG74-La-Mko/s1600/Viz-Media-Literacy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3uUox8UDNCRUj8W8GfbtMH0Jr8e28dMR70Ydxqcf5tdEhZOS7tlEWkQNlIuKWwj2TFSFOO8vTc-wxghmzXlRRkyYPEMk4RhZh7PsevX7FLDtoZrAyfhFvCSFb-Cn-VaGIbG74-La-Mko/s400/Viz-Media-Literacy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506062586651314962" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">via <a href="http://viz.dwrl.utexas.edu/">viz</a></span><br /></div><br />While doing an image search for an unrelated project, I came across this informative blog, <a href="http://viz.dwrl.utexas.edu/">vis. Visual Rhetoric, Visual Culture, Pedagogy</a>, from the University of Texas. As the subtitle explains, this blog has a nicely arranged series of posts related to a curriculum I usually refer to as media literacy on my blog. Namely, this curriculum focuses on the creative techniques advertisers, governments, or any other creators of propaganda use to inform or persuade an intended audience.<br /><br />Granted, at first glance, some of the content found on the viz website might seem "too philosophical" for elementary and secondary social studies students; however, the concepts presented in several of the its posts provide a helpful structure for any social studies curriculum.<br /><br />Here's what I mean:<br /><br />In the secondary social studies classroom, media literacy pedagogy usually makes a brief, yet underdeveloped and unconnected, appearance during a unit on World War II. I've seen what feels like countless lessons on WWII Propaganda Posters. The usual routine is to show students a series of posters and to point out how countries dehumanized the enemy. In other cases, this lesson amounts to little more than an interesting slide show intended to "break up" the usual lecture routine. Such a poster activity is no doubt a great way to introduce students to visual culture, but these activities usually lack a coherent connection to the rest of the curriculum or the students' everyday lives, for that matter. For example, consider the possibility that some of the techniques (e.g., guilt, peer pressure) governments used for WWII propaganda posters are also found in a commercial for a candy bar.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6u5s0bpb7ohJeaTNx0hfqVnokn2js_b92nVtebbl40BqU4Fr8vDB-aPG89d4zZYwyUTV9jm2Yh1vB4eRFRA6yok54kiiBkER7lbpt6c8e-Lf9zwemgImY4XocWBQAGDoFRBfjXDEfjVk/s1600/viz2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 324px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6u5s0bpb7ohJeaTNx0hfqVnokn2js_b92nVtebbl40BqU4Fr8vDB-aPG89d4zZYwyUTV9jm2Yh1vB4eRFRA6yok54kiiBkER7lbpt6c8e-Lf9zwemgImY4XocWBQAGDoFRBfjXDEfjVk/s400/viz2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506063984179798498" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">via <a href="http://viz.dwrl.utexas.edu/">viz</a></span><br /></div><br />An example of pedagogy related to WWII posters on the the viz website is under the "<a href="http://viz.cwrl.utexas.edu/content/assignments">assignments</a>" section with a lesson titled "<a href="http://viz.cwrl.utexas.edu/node/265">Visual Rhetoric and Violence</a>." There is also a great series of related posts tagged "<a href="http://viz.cwrl.utexas.edu/taxonomy/term/145">Propaganda</a>." The central message throughout these posts and assignments is an emphasis on comparing "arguments, strategies/appeals, and effectiveness." Another website/resource that can guide the "strategies" question is "<a href="http://memory.loc.gov/learn//features/political_cartoon/index.html">It's No Laughing Matter</a>" from the Library of Congress. (See <a href="http://socialscienceeducation.blogspot.com/2009/09/teaching-with-political-cartoons.html">previous post</a> for more detail.)<br /><br />Anyway... I just found the viz site, so I have some more exploring to do to see what I can use for my methods course.<br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12pt;" ></span><!--EndFragment-->Dr. Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17174770267192421178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814911731481550663.post-72754438034230578742010-08-10T07:11:00.000-07:002010-08-10T07:34:14.972-07:00Don't Buy a Textbook<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijP336e3y1ZzERy7tkekm4hLrzw_XeF_56hOacdU8wnoEnnsKgAt2Gn24RV3fjMkeGj9t0hiCCXFeeS_SYnxVyRVLSTnbDj39YO5Yuri4sDyuy9EToUmPazH0KzeYXQl4ktUG5vK41L1E/s1600/Stanford-History.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 161px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijP336e3y1ZzERy7tkekm4hLrzw_XeF_56hOacdU8wnoEnnsKgAt2Gn24RV3fjMkeGj9t0hiCCXFeeS_SYnxVyRVLSTnbDj39YO5Yuri4sDyuy9EToUmPazH0KzeYXQl4ktUG5vK41L1E/s400/Stanford-History.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503789068254479218" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Stanford History Education Group's <a href="http://sheg.stanford.edu/">Reading Like a Historian</a><br /></span></div><br />I recently received an email from a Superintendent in Massachusetts. It was time to buy an American history textbook series, and he wanted to know if I had any suggestions. My quick answer is: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Don't buy a textbook. There's too much out there that's free and a lot better.</span> Below is an updated version of the longer answer I sent him.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1) Get a Free Secondary Source/Textbook</span><br />Overall, my recommendations reflect a "balanced" approach of breadth and depth of coverage, which also allows your teachers to use a variety of sources. For example, I was extremely impressed with an approach used at Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School. There, the teachers kept an older set of textbooks on the shelf in the classroom--similar to a set of hard copy encyclopedias for occasional use. For more engaging instruction, teachers used supplementary materials from a variety of sources.<br /><br />I realize that teachers often want a textbook. So an example of a FREE copy of an updated secondary source/textbook can be found at <a href="http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/">Digital History</a>, a collaboration that includes the Chicago Historical Society. There you will find a link to a <a href="http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/hyper_titles.cfm">free online textbook </a> as well as numerous supplementary sources.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2) Access Digital Text for Using CAST's Book Builder</span><br />Easy access to this free digital textbook (which can also be printed out) would open up the opportunity for your teachers to use, when appropriate, <a href="http://bookbuilder.cast.org/">CAST's Book Builder</a>. I, as well as the middle school teachers I work with in Southern Illinois, have been so happy with this program's flexibility. It is truly amazing. <a href="http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view.php?op=view&book=27527&page=1">Here is an example of a lesson I developed with Book Builder for a recent research project in a fifth-grade classroom</a>. Granted, every student in this middle school classroom had their own netbook, which I realize is not a reality in every classroom.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3) Consider the Choices Curriculum</span><br />Not spending money on a traditional textbook series frees up dollars for supplementary texts that support the topics your teachers would like to explore with much more depth. Lately, I have really liked what the <a href="http://www.choices.edu/index.php">Choices Program</a> from Brown University has developed. On their website you will find several text series related to <a href="http://www.choices.edu/resources/detail.php?id=37">American History</a> and Current Events topics, to name a few. This website also offers an amazing collection of videos of scholars discussing the issues presented in the series. Keep in mind these readers were originally developed for secondary students, so your teachers would want to review them to make sure they are appropriate for your students before ordering.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4) See how Historical Thinking Matters Could Support your Curriculum</span><br />Professor Sam Wineburg's website, <a href="http://historicalthinkingmatters.org/">Historical Thinking Matters </a> is the closest curriculum I have found that matches the types of supports CAST developed for their program, Think Like a Historian. If you are interested in learning more, I provide highlights about this website, including links to teaching materials, UDL-like supports such as Graphic Organizers, etc. in one of my <a href="http://socialscienceeducation.blogspot.com/2009/04/historical-thinking-matter.html">previous blog entries</a>. I also recently received an email from TeachingHistory.org announcing the availability of 75 American History lessons through the <a href="http://sheg.stanford.edu/">Stanford History Education Group</a>, another organization tied to Sam Wineburg. These lessons emphasize historical thinking, thus the website's title: <a href="http://sheg.stanford.edu/">Reading Like a Historian</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5) Include Civic Education</span> Another important topic for the middle level learner is civics education. <a href="http://www.civiced.org/index.php?page=navigation_menus">The Center for Civic Education</a> offers some helpful titles.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6) Include Holocaust Curriculum</span> In Illinois, all districts are required to include a focus on the Holocaust in their curriculum. The best resource for these materials is <a href="http://www.facinghistory.org/">Facing History and Ourselves</a>, which is headquartered in Brookline, MA.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7) Don't Forget Children's Literature</span> Saving money on a traditional textbook series also allows you to buy classroom sets of nonfiction texts. For example, Robert H. Mayer's When the Children Marched: The Birmingham Civil Rights Movement recently received an honorable mention from the Carter G. Woodson Committee as a middle level text that promotes social justice. These types of texts are more engaging than the bombardment of facts presented in traditional textbooks.<br /><br />I realize my response is a bit more verbose than a quick suggestion for one textbook series; however, I have been less than pleased with what's typically being published by the major textbook companies, especially in terms of the activity sheets they are producing under the banner of "English Language Learning (ELL) Strategies." For example, a major textbook company did provide activity sheets for English Language Learners, but these "accommodations" on worksheets were larger font size and fewer questions (i.e., NO visuals, NO vocabulary support, NO concept maps). It's as if to say talking louder (e.g., larger font size) is all that's required for language acquisition. Fortunately, there are organizations such as <a href="http://www.cast.org/">CAST</a> that know better, and getting this word out continues to be an important endeavor.Dr. Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17174770267192421178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814911731481550663.post-6262118232652797492010-05-05T08:40:00.001-07:002015-10-21T18:56:22.663-07:00Examining Photographs: "Migrant Mother"<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJfDP5SASOD8nmFb2E_f9AB-rZHONIXvlNB2VhyphenhyphenSNcELpobWzBCX0JuU_8JWZMmHScCcyuAe7ZEGqyQPDgZrgZqD73xBFRSqBmjR623EBc_9boBdUAWO8hHtLQEZAAPMcExy-kl84-OPU/s1600/langecover_custom.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467817174814957794" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJfDP5SASOD8nmFb2E_f9AB-rZHONIXvlNB2VhyphenhyphenSNcELpobWzBCX0JuU_8JWZMmHScCcyuAe7ZEGqyQPDgZrgZqD73xBFRSqBmjR623EBc_9boBdUAWO8hHtLQEZAAPMcExy-kl84-OPU/s400/langecover_custom.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 263px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;">Cover Image via <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126289455">NPR.org</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Analyzing Photographs</span><br />
In previous posts, I have identified resources that help students <a href="http://socialscienceeducation.blogspot.com/2010/04/primary-sources-primary-sources-primary.html">analyze images</a> through the lens of <a href="http://socialscienceeducation.blogspot.com/search/label/media%20literacy">media literacy</a>. A recent <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126289455">NPR Morning Edition interview</a> with the author of the new book <span style="font-style: italic;">Dorothea Lange: A Life Beyond Limits</span> reminded me of the powerful role photography has played in the American Psyche. This point is best explained by the author, Linda Gordon, who states:<br />
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"Most of Lange's photography was optimistic, even utopian, not despite but precisely through its frequent depictions of sadness and deprivation. By showing her subjects as worthier than their conditions, she called attention to the incompleteness of American democracy. And by showing her subjects as worthier than their conditions, she simultaneously asserted that greater democracy was possible" (excerpt from <span style="font-style: italic;">Dorothea Lange: A Life Beyond Limits</span> available online at <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126289455">NPR</a>).<br />
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Photographs related to the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl provide powerful images from an important period in U.S. history. Two of my elementary social studies methods students are currently developing a unit related to these images, and I thought I would share some resources and strategies I suggested that they consider for one of their lessons.<br />
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<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Using the Reader-Generated Questions Technique</span><br />
One of Lange's most recognized photographs from the Dust Bowl is titled "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lange-MigrantMother02.jpg">Migrant Mother</a>." This image provides a perfect opportunity for a technique often called "<a href="http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED120703&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED120703">Reader-Generated Questions</a>."<br />
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1. <span style="font-style: italic;">Pose Questions</span> First, students can view the image and create simple questions (e.g., who, when, where, why).<br />
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2. <span style="font-style: italic;">Make Predictions</span><br />
Next, students can make predictions that answer their questions.<br />
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3. <span style="font-style: italic;">Find Answers</span><br />
Finally, students analyze a source the provides information related to the image. In this case, students could analyze excerpts from an <a href="http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/migrantmother.htm">interview with the photographer</a> (Dorothea Lange) or the <a href="http://www.ganzelgroup.com/movies/thompson.html">mother in the photograph</a> (Florence Thompson).<br />
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The purpose of this activity is to have students create the questions they answer. Better yet, students may not find the answers to all of their questions in one source and will have to consider the types of sources they could consult to find out more information.Dr. Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17174770267192421178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814911731481550663.post-52921873846280349322010-04-29T09:22:00.000-07:002010-05-05T08:40:09.075-07:00GeoMath<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Q9sQu5QUxF72mbxxFyhVCu3fPjsARlSW6hyFil55nSWFGIl1zhuMgNmcwgula13EaKjC2kIHZ3QJyE1_E5PcQ81d0KAZAS-gWiJflkgbz0rZs0vUH7RVuI1jmUeemIBM5OgGQtGbpw4/s1600/GeoMath.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 306px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Q9sQu5QUxF72mbxxFyhVCu3fPjsARlSW6hyFil55nSWFGIl1zhuMgNmcwgula13EaKjC2kIHZ3QJyE1_E5PcQ81d0KAZAS-gWiJflkgbz0rZs0vUH7RVuI1jmUeemIBM5OgGQtGbpw4/s400/GeoMath.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467810817293021026" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Example of lesson (<a href="http://alliance.la.asu.edu/geomath/GeoMath3/access_test/lesson_homepages/glenn_geographic.html">Health of Nations</a>) from <a href="http://alliance.la.asu.edu/geomath/GeoMath3/access_test/Alphabetical.html">GeoMath Lessons</a></span><br /><br /></div>Another amazing resource for lessons concerning geography is <a href="http://alliance.la.asu.edu/geomath/general.html">GeoMath</a>. This initiative combines the social sciences--specifically, geography--with mathematics. You can search their <a href="http://alliance.la.asu.edu/geomath/GeoMath3/AccessPage.html">lessons</a> by <a href="http://alliance.la.asu.edu/geomath/GeoMath3/access_test/Alphabetical.html">alphabetical listing</a>, <a href="http://alliance.la.asu.edu/geomath/GeoMath3/access_test/control_test.html">grade level</a>, and even <a href="http://alliance.la.asu.edu/geomath/GeoMath3/access_test/NatlStds.html">national standards</a> (<a href="http://alliance.la.asu.edu/geomath/GeoMath3/access_test/NatGeoStandards.html">Geography</a> or <a href="http://alliance.la.asu.edu/geomath/GeoMath3/access_test/nat_math_standards.html">Mathematics</a>).Dr. Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17174770267192421178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814911731481550663.post-35086057778726056882010-04-22T11:55:00.000-07:002010-04-22T13:59:05.366-07:00Primary Sources, Primary Sources, Primary Sources...It's that time of the semester when my students are hurriedly (and thoughtfully, I hope) developing lessons and units with primary sources. Of course, any web search will yield millions of hits, but finding and organizing these sources into a thoughtful, coherent way is critical. Fortunately, there are several resources out there to help.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Analyzing Sources</span><br />The Library of Congress has a number of guides to help students analyze sources. The document below details a three-step process: 1) <span style="font-weight: bold;">Observe</span>, 2) <span style="font-weight: bold;">Reflect</span>, and 3) <span style="font-weight: bold;">Question</span>. This is similar to other curricula that emphasize <span style="font-weight: bold;">Literal</span> (What do you see?), <span style="font-weight: bold;">Interpretive</span> (What does it mean?), and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Contextual</span> (How does it reflect a time or place?) questions.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQrujrJjs5UW9q8nWwindHcTQgka07nw5hhyphenhyphenqVT2yj7ox79D7L3hEeffSGGEfRRYIBGlXy5m6QoxrUC707U4S8Wlk7G1Xa-2WP7dtvDLewe2rzvU9zgzN4s-g1yW8vXK3NN1FuUPSa4rw/s1600/Resources2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQrujrJjs5UW9q8nWwindHcTQgka07nw5hhyphenhyphenqVT2yj7ox79D7L3hEeffSGGEfRRYIBGlXy5m6QoxrUC707U4S8Wlk7G1Xa-2WP7dtvDLewe2rzvU9zgzN4s-g1yW8vXK3NN1FuUPSa4rw/s400/Resources2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463068040366449266" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">via Library of <a href="http://memory.loc.gov/learn/">Congress Teaching Guides</a></span><br /><br /></div>These steps align quite nicely with the <a href="http://socialscienceeducation.blogspot.com/2009/09/teaching-with-political-cartoons.html">Media Literacy Questions</a> and <a href="http://socialscienceeducation.blogspot.com/2009/04/historical-thinking-matter.html">Historical Th</a><a href="http://socialscienceeducation.blogspot.com/2009/04/historical-thinking-matter.html">inking Heuristics</a> I have mentioned in previous posts. (Click on the hyperlinks to see these posts.) That is, students can ask, "What creative techniques are used to influence my opinion?" (Media Literacy) or, "Who created this source?" (Sourcing Heuristic).<br /><br />Of course, students should consider different types of questions for different types of sources. For specific types of sources, the Library of Congress also offers invaluable <a href="http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/">Document Analysis Sheets</a> to help students analyze written documents, photographs, cartoons, posters, maps, artifacts, motion pictures, and sound recordings. Of course, these activity sheets could be adapted to meet the needs of any particular lesson. George Mason University also provides <a href="http://chnm.gmu.edu/worldhistorysources/whmunpacking.html">guides for analyzing sources</a> such as images, objects, maps, music, newspapers, official documents, personal documents, and travel narratives. This site also provides examples of <a href="http://chnm.gmu.edu/worldhistorysources/whmdocuments.html">how scholars analyze</a> these various sources.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcegFHc-ViuOL9vqMyV4g3wJybqckL4l2qbVXEru5YRGnuvH9xevSc0PKZEUHYvCd9odhkIbbs4ZcKnGbKtFiipcoINlr8-tkup4a9mvrHdMFy-r-K99Q5MIJSAvV4p1j99B4QjK1cJco/s1600/Resources3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 318px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcegFHc-ViuOL9vqMyV4g3wJybqckL4l2qbVXEru5YRGnuvH9xevSc0PKZEUHYvCd9odhkIbbs4ZcKnGbKtFiipcoINlr8-tkup4a9mvrHdMFy-r-K99Q5MIJSAvV4p1j99B4QjK1cJco/s400/Resources3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463068055968707218" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">via <a href="http://marchand.ucdavis.edu/lessons.shtml">The History Project</a></span><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Lesson Ideas</span><br />Speaking of lessons, if you need a jump start for ideas, the Library of Congress also offers l<a href="http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/">esson ideas using documents</a>. These are organized by topic for American history. Another collection of documents readily available for American history topics is Roland Marchand's "<a href="http://marchand.ucdavis.edu/lessons.shtml">A History Teacher's Bag of Tricks</a>." Lessons range from topics related to Colonial America to Watergate. What's particularly helpful about this site is that the lessons include ideas for essential/critical/central questions and excerpts of sources related to specific inquiries. <span style="font-style: italic;">Granted, no historian would limit her search to the set of artifacts neatly packaged for her review; however, for the student, these "bracketed" lessons can serve as an appropriate introduction to analyzing and corroborating sources.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gathering Sources</span><br />One site of particular note offers links to myriad sources. The <a href="http://chnm.gmu.edu/worldhistorysources/whmfinding.php">Finding World History</a> link from the George Mason University site mentioned above has history resources organized by regions and time periods. The emphasis here is World History, so searches for conventional U.S. History resources need apply elsewhere. An example of an exception is under the category "<a href="http://chnm.gmu.edu/worldhistorysources/whmfinding.php?function=find&area=topglocont">Cultural </a><a href="http://chnm.gmu.edu/worldhistorysources/whmfinding.php?function=find&area=topglocont">Contact</a>," which includes links to 63 websites, including a link to one devoted to the <a href="http://www.vgskole.net/prosjekt/slavrute/primary.htm">slave narratives</a>. In other areas, you can find over 100 sites devoted to this history of <a href="http://chnm.gmu.edu/worldhistorysources/whmfinding.php?function=find&area=top1914">Industrialization</a>. Each site is annotated with a review of what's offered in terms of primary sources and background. In a word, this resource is a gem.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlkQO1HwOaNeoY-Vsc0JiXR4cF_Iccf2DKh_GA_NaCWxZFRFU5iLRnI9w5xCTf-6SGvCKeKfogwnMTxYlpGXDxL3yCUUeIM9p6idZTExzZErtim7HNldfHvJe-N8aLRccjvR6EyA6ljhs/s1600/Resources1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 318px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlkQO1HwOaNeoY-Vsc0JiXR4cF_Iccf2DKh_GA_NaCWxZFRFU5iLRnI9w5xCTf-6SGvCKeKfogwnMTxYlpGXDxL3yCUUeIM9p6idZTExzZErtim7HNldfHvJe-N8aLRccjvR6EyA6ljhs/s400/Resources1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463068038249321826" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">via George Mason University's <a href="http://chnm.gmu.edu/worldhistorysources/whmfinding.php">Finding World History</a></span><br /></div><br /><cite></cite>Dr. Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17174770267192421178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814911731481550663.post-16208757722674271042010-02-09T11:25:00.001-08:002010-02-11T08:10:40.537-08:00More Geography ResourcesHere are a few additional geography resources of note.<br /><br />In a <a href="http://socialscienceeducation.blogspot.com/2009/10/lessons-lessons-lessons.html">previous post</a>, I mentioned the <a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/">National Geographic Xpeditions</a> site, which is a great spot to find <a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com/resources/ngo/education/xpeditions/lessons/">lessons</a> and <a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com/resources/ngo/education/xpeditions/atlas/">print-friendly maps</a>. Another place to get maps, including "Maps with Historical Themes" (e.g., Silk Road, Moundbuilder sites in the U.S.) is under the "Maps" tab (on the left-hand side of the <a href="http://alliance.la.asu.edu/azga/">homepage</a>) from the <a href="http://alliance.la.asu.edu/azga/">Arizona Geographic Alliance</a> site.<br /><br />Another quick link to resources is <a href="http://www.educationworld.com/">Education World's</a> "Great Sites" for <a href="http://www.educationworld.com/a_sites/sites065.shtml">map-related activities</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.teach-nology.com/">Teachnology</a> also archives great lesson ideas, including the <a href="http://atozteacherstuff.com/pages/295.shtml">Edible State Map Lesson Plan</a> (including the recipe).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6BmMjNhpuoKsMI64SM5JsU1WaWOCmlrDs5wsuN4GySH-Ie_9M7le7VttesTOGSHgvDQ2Ex2l4BTakV3b5XnO0vY_4S6UnkXi33cfGtz142EzlAvf2bTiIvb2CK_D7tMuiisBmQuGCbvk/s1600-h/GoogleMaps3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 393px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6BmMjNhpuoKsMI64SM5JsU1WaWOCmlrDs5wsuN4GySH-Ie_9M7le7VttesTOGSHgvDQ2Ex2l4BTakV3b5XnO0vY_4S6UnkXi33cfGtz142EzlAvf2bTiIvb2CK_D7tMuiisBmQuGCbvk/s400/GoogleMaps3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436348769604369490" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">via <a href="http://maps.google.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Google Maps</span></a><br /><br /></span></div>Finally, don't forget about the myriad features via <span style="font-style: italic;">Google Maps</span> (I talk about <span style="font-style: italic;">Google Earth</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">gCensus</span> in a <a href="http://socialscienceeducation.blogspot.com/2009/11/free-gis-with-google-earth.html">previous post</a>). For example, when teaching younger students the differences between horizontal and bird's eye views, that little "yellow figure" can be dragged to any location for a street-level view of most communities.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_ORR6LCWVnWtLNaw1e2oJCY2iMrio1wRTMYtgAcsZFZ3dw4az-ZWW6in9cXCiZSDe9RF3DcJWWsjQ5hSAJBohe1NeOjpX-ARxObODfPLV4QadnL1Ly1yeMAknWky5f_jV2MpzNq1OQs/s1600-h/GoogleMap2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 388px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_ORR6LCWVnWtLNaw1e2oJCY2iMrio1wRTMYtgAcsZFZ3dw4az-ZWW6in9cXCiZSDe9RF3DcJWWsjQ5hSAJBohe1NeOjpX-ARxObODfPLV4QadnL1Ly1yeMAknWky5f_jV2MpzNq1OQs/s400/GoogleMap2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436348778904236466" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Street-level image (once figure is dragged to map) via <a href="http://maps.google.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Google Maps</span></a></span><br /></div>Dr. Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17174770267192421178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814911731481550663.post-39813292842407368192010-02-04T08:55:00.000-08:002010-02-04T09:08:13.362-08:00Stuart's (Interactive) Portrait of G. Washington<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhOg5oI6GRS7foEwG4rNEucRsHCHK1vePhlGzojEVYtckON2_XfpH7P4_iBy56VQQ9HcZ2wTu3nUe43LFfHMyAbnvSwQdD6q-5LMA0TUUv6fDGfjjlL9JQ1WJOPsbxeSKf1NCWdAltPs/s1600-h/Washington1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 349px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhOg5oI6GRS7foEwG4rNEucRsHCHK1vePhlGzojEVYtckON2_XfpH7P4_iBy56VQQ9HcZ2wTu3nUe43LFfHMyAbnvSwQdD6q-5LMA0TUUv6fDGfjjlL9JQ1WJOPsbxeSKf1NCWdAltPs/s400/Washington1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434435457447347218" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">via <a href="http://www.georgewashington.si.edu/portrait/index.html">George Washington: A National Treasure</a></span><br /><br /></div>The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery has provided an excellent <a href="http://www.georgewashington.si.edu/portrait/index.html">online tool</a> for analyzing Stuart's (1796) famous portrait of the U.S.'s first president. When the <a href="http://www.georgewashington.si.edu/portrait/index.html">portrait</a> is launched, the user can explore the painting through features highlighted as symbolic, biographic, and artistic representations. For example, a symbolic feature of the painting is the clothing Stuart selected for his subject. For this topic of clothing, the online tool provides a revealing look at another portrait from the same time period, that of <a href="http://www.georgewashington.si.edu/portrait/03s_3.html">French King Louis XVI</a>. With a little guidance, the juxtaposition of these two portraits can help students compare and contrast the ideals of two (somewhat) abstract concepts: democracy and monarchy.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_hp_aW8GDqckHVhYBMfe7_8IzB4XpprpdEBY0bBELngy70Gi-rsoaGqmT9cxdlA-SE6E8jhN0ScxHn8hEp9dudbM7l_mv3K6k5WFYd0OGzAoWx1wFFOG_DDOqM1-Ibz5PoCofGvS67rg/s1600-h/Washington2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 364px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_hp_aW8GDqckHVhYBMfe7_8IzB4XpprpdEBY0bBELngy70Gi-rsoaGqmT9cxdlA-SE6E8jhN0ScxHn8hEp9dudbM7l_mv3K6k5WFYd0OGzAoWx1wFFOG_DDOqM1-Ibz5PoCofGvS67rg/s400/Washington2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434435463875333842" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">via <a href="http://www.georgewashington.si.edu/portrait/index.html">George Washington: A National Treasure</a></span><br /></div>Dr. Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17174770267192421178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814911731481550663.post-11451719282800079732010-01-26T09:06:00.000-08:002010-01-26T09:17:55.505-08:00Environmental Intelligence Unit (Web Activity)<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD9k8kntO9wgJuEpQkOpWLYVB6QbVw7dDagcPqOKGfk5ygtCnXxFzNiPRZu0SqrR02KP2YmQVh1epnL7xZ644uPFgKA0eF-3f6Zkv7h0KIFVnTwLCUnxZAx7wTN_kN3sjUNWaM1ASJI3Y/s1600-h/EIU-BBC-Recycle1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 232px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD9k8kntO9wgJuEpQkOpWLYVB6QbVw7dDagcPqOKGfk5ygtCnXxFzNiPRZu0SqrR02KP2YmQVh1epnL7xZ644uPFgKA0eF-3f6Zkv7h0KIFVnTwLCUnxZAx7wTN_kN3sjUNWaM1ASJI3Y/s400/EIU-BBC-Recycle1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431097800227744786" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">via <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/sysm/eco/flash/flash.shtml">EIU</a></span><br /></div><br />Here is an example of British tax dollars hard at work for online resources. The <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/sysm/eco/flash/flash.shtml">Environmental Intelligence Unit</a> website gives students the opportunity to practice their skills with recycling, reusing, reducing, and a mystery "R." It's a fun and educational activity the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/">BBC</a> developed for UK elementary students; however, the topic is equally relevant for students stateside.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZu3sRo5hrg3bUbaiHaZeYKdkf7soPoYdOd-bOL-1ZOkfQkFRGHlWJUXbY-vrPjHjvHlrJnzXr5o7P0Le-4O7zh3Wm0GwJ0HD3RTyiDhYFJnkMEDQFX_3j8cPsR7EIyDdVyxYq8xEa5Vk/s1600-h/EIU-BBC-Recycle2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 231px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZu3sRo5hrg3bUbaiHaZeYKdkf7soPoYdOd-bOL-1ZOkfQkFRGHlWJUXbY-vrPjHjvHlrJnzXr5o7P0Le-4O7zh3Wm0GwJ0HD3RTyiDhYFJnkMEDQFX_3j8cPsR7EIyDdVyxYq8xEa5Vk/s400/EIU-BBC-Recycle2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431097803487760834" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">via <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/sysm/eco/flash/flash.shtml">EIU</a></span></div>Dr. Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17174770267192421178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814911731481550663.post-25796570194010506822010-01-21T08:50:00.000-08:002010-01-21T09:06:08.193-08:00Lincoln Legacy Learning Kits<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHv3EbD378GHDREBVhE7n4vzvUoeumACzGoQRNqf8kn8H_TBy1EdwqZnyC-VYUISK0oibD3JHEIQE_a9qfhyphenhyphensWD8WYB24O9gByql2QEQ4I69CkZYxTXsMGDt3agWMG4sL0eZ3ex5azaAw/s1600-h/Lincoln-Legacy-Kits.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 360px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHv3EbD378GHDREBVhE7n4vzvUoeumACzGoQRNqf8kn8H_TBy1EdwqZnyC-VYUISK0oibD3JHEIQE_a9qfhyphenhyphensWD8WYB24O9gByql2QEQ4I69CkZYxTXsMGDt3agWMG4sL0eZ3ex5azaAw/s400/Lincoln-Legacy-Kits.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429237516784280050" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">via <a href="http://www.alplm.org/education/lincoln_legacy.html">Educational Resources</a> at <a href="http://www.alplm.org/home.html">Lincoln Presidential Library</a></span><br /><br /></div>Here's an example of an amazing resource that's free for Illinois teachers, the <a href="http://www.alplm.org/education/lincoln_legacy.html">Lincoln Legacy Learning Kits</a> courtesy of the <a href="http://www.alplm.org/home.html">Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library</a>. Any resident in Illinois with access to a local public library can simply check out a suitcase filled with resources such as artifacts, books, primary sources, and DVDs related to one of four topics (inter-library loan #s provided):<br /><ol><li>Abraham Lincoln Biography Reading Kit(<span class="text">OCLC#244638162</span>), </li><li>Mary Todd Lincoln(<span class="text">OCLC#244638165</span>), </li><li>Civil War Soldiers Kit(<span class="text">OCLC#244637504</span>), or </li><li>Slavery in Illinois(<span class="text">OCLC#244638607</span>).</li></ol>Once ordered, these suitcases are delivered to your public library (where you also return it within 14 days).Dr. Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17174770267192421178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814911731481550663.post-91495789896647611172010-01-09T09:34:00.001-08:002010-01-09T09:54:03.203-08:00Netflix Queues via GIS<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggTk9TTWouqc9_WHGPQhiZXEV9bxj787tFTbrezIeEn437bMW3xT9zNAZgk-cQW5eegCSQLMbIiuKiLWihq6aj79MFuz0cA_q_WwEBdtpDjAEBcv7K-2I7nGCp10jQMGVZXkr0zjdxcEg/s1600-h/Gis-Netflix-Twilight.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 340px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggTk9TTWouqc9_WHGPQhiZXEV9bxj787tFTbrezIeEn437bMW3xT9zNAZgk-cQW5eegCSQLMbIiuKiLWihq6aj79MFuz0cA_q_WwEBdtpDjAEBcv7K-2I7nGCp10jQMGVZXkr0zjdxcEg/s400/Gis-Netflix-Twilight.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424798705588214898" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Who's renting <span style="font-style: italic;">Twilight</span>? via <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/01/10/nyregion/20100110-netflix-map.html?hp">NY Times</a></span><br /></div><br />Here's yet another fascinating use of GIS technology. (I blogged about free GIS applications in a <a href="http://socialscienceeducation.blogspot.com/2009/11/free-gis-with-google-earth.html">previous post</a>.) This technology is even more powerful when a teacher can reference popular culture for "educational purposes." For example, check out this <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/01/10/nyregion/20100110-netflix-map.html?hp">NY Times article</a> that provides interactive maps detailing Netflix users' DVD queues via GIS technology. Interactive city maps include New York, Boston, Chicago, Washington, Bay Area (e.g., San Francisco), L.A., Seattle, Minneapolis, Denver, Atlanta, Dallas, and Miami. A great use of these maps is having students compare rental patterns (e.g., <span style="font-style: italic;">Twilight</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Milk, Taken, Doubt</span>) to Census demographics presented through <span style="font-style: italic;">gCensus</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Google Earth</span>. That is, what variables seem to attribute to the high number of <span style="font-style: italic;">Twilight</span> rentals in certain neighborhoods? Number of teenage children or number of single adults? Ok, kidding aside (I should actually see the movie before I criticize it), this article is a great example of how map analysis (with a pop culture spin) and GIS can be made even more accessible in the classroom.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxmzNzrZfOT5qbZ-lhQSBNJVLRZsg1ChRVxIBOheTHtZftpxcOvjpuyjG_1lDao9bBeImeUtO0_zGbBbifr7XkZsJ0OqRqrhJgX13wr4oqbzRZR3iyiqtF72D0LgMTLUMI7HftQqMeJ8/s1600-h/GIS-Netflix-Milk.jpg"><br /></a>Dr. Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17174770267192421178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814911731481550663.post-26389061886001142272010-01-06T09:02:00.000-08:002010-01-06T09:14:09.566-08:00A "Smart(er) Board" for less than $50 (Projector not included)<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbleNQbB_CLPy905jaevqqpEhVKDcudM_awEhm-Ri6710f8zSb5QxvvxaEls7RxQdHu5VaqpMF032E7i3agcjl6h0xrVK2w3W8yrCLiN-MN1q0n3610I73IwMf3eUMBkA2_2th3e4XxCU/s1600-h/Ted-Wii-Remote.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbleNQbB_CLPy905jaevqqpEhVKDcudM_awEhm-Ri6710f8zSb5QxvvxaEls7RxQdHu5VaqpMF032E7i3agcjl6h0xrVK2w3W8yrCLiN-MN1q0n3610I73IwMf3eUMBkA2_2th3e4XxCU/s320/Ted-Wii-Remote.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423675781990354338" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">via <a href="http://www.ted.com/">Ted.com</a></span><br /></div><br />Last fall, I was introduced to this amazing use for a <a href="http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=Nintendo+Wii+Remote&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=12205703060025691652&ei=6cJES4TkL4L8NZOEvIYJ&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=image&resnum=3&ved=0CDUQ8gIwAg#">Nintendo Wii</a> remote. Basically, for a tiny, tiny fraction of the cost of a <a href="http://www.prometheanworld.com/">Promethean Board</a> or <a href="http://www.smart-boards.com/?gclid=CIW1mP6fkJ8CFQTxDAodf3Z1vg">Smart Board</a>, you can build your own. You just need software (<a href="http://www.johnnylee.net/projects/wii/">free download</a>), an LCD project, a Computer, a <a href="http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=Nintendo+Wii+Remote&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=12205703060025691652&ei=6cJES4TkL4L8NZOEvIYJ&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=image&resnum=3&ved=0CDUQ8gIwAg#">Wii remote</a>, and an LED Pen (<a href="http://www.terracode.com/IR_Pen/DIY_IR_Pen.html">build your own with this link</a>). Here's a video on <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/johnny_lee_demos_wii_remote_hacks.html">TED.com</a> that demonstrates this and other Wii remote hacks.Dr. Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17174770267192421178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814911731481550663.post-60629331216428738522009-11-19T11:29:00.000-08:002009-11-19T12:16:41.942-08:00New York State Archives - Throughout the Ages<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTyMxQjxRkqTV4TLZ959vY6mO_z4KKbwLTCCB6AfbiTlP5WBBuimdnvLDLbbAUkF0rFrc9F5j0tCzQeMajhtU_zOx9pCylhsTZWvmvpmNsoBRgT_dP9fKuY8lHna2LNBtvhPFWStl_0mw/s1600/NYSED-Homepage.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTyMxQjxRkqTV4TLZ959vY6mO_z4KKbwLTCCB6AfbiTlP5WBBuimdnvLDLbbAUkF0rFrc9F5j0tCzQeMajhtU_zOx9pCylhsTZWvmvpmNsoBRgT_dP9fKuY8lHna2LNBtvhPFWStl_0mw/s320/NYSED-Homepage.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405906406243560722" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.archives.nysed.gov/aindex.shtml">New York State Archive</a><br /><br /></span></div>Last weekend, I attended and presented at the <a href="http://www.socialstudies.org/">National Council for the Social Studies</a> Annual Meeting in Atlanta, GA. I was more than impressed with the variety of sessions I attended and the generous vendors at the exhibition hall. (Those conference freebies are always great.) One of the true highlights of the conference was a session that introduced teachers to the resources available at the <a href="http://www.archives.nysed.gov/aindex.shtml">New York State Archive</a>. The <a href="http://www.archives.nysed.gov/education/index.shtml">educational materials</a> available at this site are amazing, and--as the presenter shared during the session--the result of the archives being part of the state's department of education (a rarity in the US). The point is that the site's resources are some of the more accessible ones I have seen for teachers.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78yddIY7SkPucDppydqQy5V7AHZOJ6He5cTW90jhnGTZfG6PplOspLslAgQF9iJvkNdrIDSSLEikpCGQN2945S2uhPsSLlKDxgAbYhPT9A_8ZvJ5uUapP_Ch1IvGC1bjamHoQ5C8DInw/s1600/NYSED-Throughout.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 292px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78yddIY7SkPucDppydqQy5V7AHZOJ6He5cTW90jhnGTZfG6PplOspLslAgQF9iJvkNdrIDSSLEikpCGQN2945S2uhPsSLlKDxgAbYhPT9A_8ZvJ5uUapP_Ch1IvGC1bjamHoQ5C8DInw/s320/NYSED-Throughout.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405906413575023298" border="0" /></a><span style="text-decoration: underline;"> </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.archives.nysed.gov/projects/throughout/index.shtml">Throughout the Ages</a></span><br /><br /></div>A great resource on the <a href="http://www.archives.nysed.gov/aindex.shtml">New York State Archive</a> site is <a href="http://www.archives.nysed.gov/projects/throughout/index.shtml">Throughout the Ages</a>. Here, the user can select sources (arranged by topic for US and New York history) from the <a href="http://www.archives.nysed.gov/projects/throughout/docindex.shtml">document index</a> and create a printable worksheet with contextual information, questions, and state standards, to name a few.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd73m7ay5yl8vIsF9Fw7y6Blctjxwd84bjPqtYt15Gnix8OwkFutrqa-kDcVR6X0qPJ64N9_FguD9BTfpA6rN_amk6Fl5N6tvGwBM3sZakOOJEImhJSN5Yjbl0QZu4we2VXrWpHbwvx4k/s1600/NYSED-Worksheet1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 292px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd73m7ay5yl8vIsF9Fw7y6Blctjxwd84bjPqtYt15Gnix8OwkFutrqa-kDcVR6X0qPJ64N9_FguD9BTfpA6rN_amk6Fl5N6tvGwBM3sZakOOJEImhJSN5Yjbl0QZu4we2VXrWpHbwvx4k/s320/NYSED-Worksheet1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405906414661310594" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">via <a href="http://www.archives.nysed.gov/projects/throughout/index.shtml">Throughout the Ages</a></span></div><br />Many of the sources already have questions (indicated with an asterisks next to the title) and links to state standards provided; however, the user can adapt these in any way by simply clicking on the section (e.g., "Questions" or "Standards").<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaHJRqScPqEqD8XqJ9QLVyYzKV_G-mYDdOzNh0rzimgTg9Gdm9uE-5cw4nWHP5nMWIFby6cH89yK47GyqqsDGrR6pfEAv-7tlIYLAZJHVA_TIJL_kILXqoj86GtToewTVmSzIUx9M4HfQ/s1600/NYSED-Worksheet2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 215px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaHJRqScPqEqD8XqJ9QLVyYzKV_G-mYDdOzNh0rzimgTg9Gdm9uE-5cw4nWHP5nMWIFby6cH89yK47GyqqsDGrR6pfEAv-7tlIYLAZJHVA_TIJL_kILXqoj86GtToewTVmSzIUx9M4HfQ/s320/NYSED-Worksheet2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405906419074369602" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">via <a href="http://www.archives.nysed.gov/projects/throughout/index.shtml">Throughout the Ages</a></span></div>Dr. Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17174770267192421178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814911731481550663.post-1302370377692470062009-11-10T09:57:00.000-08:002009-11-10T15:00:29.342-08:00Free GIS with Google EarthRecently, I've been learning how to use GIS software, namely <a href="http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/">ArcGIS</a>, to figure out more ways to include these tools in my methods courses. I agree with the literature that--in terms of pubic school curricula--this powerful tool takes Geography beyond the typical states and capitals ditty most of us experienced in grade school. <a href="http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/">ArcGIS</a> is amazing (including its K-12 equivalent, <a href="http://www.myworldgis.org/">My World GIS</a>), and many people are doing great projects in schools with these projects. The <a href="http://www.ei.lehigh.edu/nes/sewers/index.html">GIS Storms Sewers Unit</a> is a good example (see image below).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxZe1JNwSUy8k7INn27E_QZSyTSWdl3oUfG2dze-7bDNtnlfEkQJ0Kt7c38cU8cAvM6vJ_IHf-FE8UF-Bl6g1GkPmq4CG8epdV7ibfrf8VFka1Vx9TgO-WItOKYuwrBpTx7qUyTDTgd4/s1600-h/GIS-Sewers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxZe1JNwSUy8k7INn27E_QZSyTSWdl3oUfG2dze-7bDNtnlfEkQJ0Kt7c38cU8cAvM6vJ_IHf-FE8UF-Bl6g1GkPmq4CG8epdV7ibfrf8VFka1Vx9TgO-WItOKYuwrBpTx7qUyTDTgd4/s320/GIS-Sewers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402611785503392386" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">via <a href="http://www.ei.lehigh.edu/nes/sewers/index.html">Storms Sewers Unit</a></span></div><br />Yet, I wanted a free online tool that was more accessible to teachers and students. I was thrilled to come across <a href="http://gecensus.stanford.edu/gcensus/index.html">gCensus</a> today. It is powered by <a href="http://earth.google.com/">Google Earth</a> (which I finally downloaded today, too) and it is exactly what I wanted.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvrX-kXH_pUIZU5jOAwpgusCpJCsQPkkujBd_bMIqGJDqnpT1ldZTHMBD_qAc60EHbcLz9f1y_KWrTWT-p3-GA1ntVZpO0dL_L_2WzGUeuvLqngwX_ybDCGuA4SnysbGuQAUnP2ggw82w/s1600-h/gCensus.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvrX-kXH_pUIZU5jOAwpgusCpJCsQPkkujBd_bMIqGJDqnpT1ldZTHMBD_qAc60EHbcLz9f1y_KWrTWT-p3-GA1ntVZpO0dL_L_2WzGUeuvLqngwX_ybDCGuA4SnysbGuQAUnP2ggw82w/s320/gCensus.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402611776668151618" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">via <a href="http://gecensus.stanford.edu/gcensus/index.html">gCensus</a></span></div><br />Simply put, <a href="http://gecensus.stanford.edu/gcensus/index.html">gCensus</a> allows you to use 2000 Census data to construct maps. Google Maps allows you to include/overlay various features such as locations of schools, highways, businesses, and the like. To get started, just click (as indicated) on the <span style="font-weight: bold;">"please click here"</span> link on the <a href="http://gecensus.stanford.edu/gcensus/index.html">gCensus</a> homepage. Then select a state, county, and the data you want mapped. Below is a simple map that depicts the concentration of African Americans in Cook County, IL.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNgmOa49S5_cAeZgSsSxkNhCscuvRCChDmsqfIezK7lkQn54uRA6aLDX-ZgSEr8-Cdsi9BuZlGgGty5FKogSIM55809kfwy08eNguoWWSr5mxr1RK1S32_ytmLNidaqxFvKWITi4zL0Q/s1600-h/gCensus-Google-AfAm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNgmOa49S5_cAeZgSsSxkNhCscuvRCChDmsqfIezK7lkQn54uRA6aLDX-ZgSEr8-Cdsi9BuZlGgGty5FKogSIM55809kfwy08eNguoWWSr5mxr1RK1S32_ytmLNidaqxFvKWITi4zL0Q/s320/gCensus-Google-AfAm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402611779762100306" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Map created in <a href="http://earth.google.com/">Google Earth</a> with <a href="http://gecensus.stanford.edu/gcensus/index.html">gCensus</a></span></div>Dr. Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17174770267192421178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814911731481550663.post-12949303724962828942009-10-22T08:19:00.000-07:002009-10-22T09:33:39.897-07:00The First ThanksgivingOctober is nearing its end, and soon jack-0'-lanterns will give way to images of cornucopias, pilgrims, and Wampanoags (or the more common misrepresentation of Indians with feathers and tipis). In the 1990s, publications such as <a href="http://sundown.afro.illinois.edu/">James Loewen's</a> book, <a href="http://sundown.afro.illinois.edu/liesmyteachertoldme.php"><span style="font-style: italic;">Lies My Teacher Told Me</span></a>--and its revealing chapter, "The Truth About the First Thanksgiving"--raised the consciousness of many teachers who wanted to teach an alternative perspective to the usual narrative about the pilgrim's journey to a "Brave New World." But what kind of content is appropriate in an elementary or middle school classroom? Loewen speaks of grave robbing, cannibalism, disease, and the hijacking theory.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifRy8wmPL6LPYcXS62jAIpgACNe_MEncL9VzGj0XeqwfWmVWpCMYVmLLyX8xeVwbqok3aXWIcJ8uOpaVe-DnIxz_DRam4A5DhgAo9My-RoJk64ewwSmL0uquj4Tv93q5BaMztaD_3Ee38/s1600-h/Plimoth3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 198px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifRy8wmPL6LPYcXS62jAIpgACNe_MEncL9VzGj0XeqwfWmVWpCMYVmLLyX8xeVwbqok3aXWIcJ8uOpaVe-DnIxz_DRam4A5DhgAo9My-RoJk64ewwSmL0uquj4Tv93q5BaMztaD_3Ee38/s320/Plimoth3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395457912314190658" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Colonist perspective from </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWfp9fSViWkvHS8efYzUHukkMdr_2fSnOpoWr-kR3tf2uxHxSoDSoS4Z2sZnMd3NT4bt8k9WYJ39RYC-MD0WXaYqCBYRYM0OyQ7_kFy7suL_VHOYRFwxy40yqJ7eRGbDrtzRQrz1Kc41I/s1600-h/Plimoth2.jpg"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.plimoth.org/education/olc/intro.html">plimoth.org</a><br /></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWfp9fSViWkvHS8efYzUHukkMdr_2fSnOpoWr-kR3tf2uxHxSoDSoS4Z2sZnMd3NT4bt8k9WYJ39RYC-MD0WXaYqCBYRYM0OyQ7_kFy7suL_VHOYRFwxy40yqJ7eRGbDrtzRQrz1Kc41I/s1600-h/Plimoth2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 192px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWfp9fSViWkvHS8efYzUHukkMdr_2fSnOpoWr-kR3tf2uxHxSoDSoS4Z2sZnMd3NT4bt8k9WYJ39RYC-MD0WXaYqCBYRYM0OyQ7_kFy7suL_VHOYRFwxy40yqJ7eRGbDrtzRQrz1Kc41I/s320/Plimoth2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395457913728132850" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Wampanoag perspective from <a href="http://www.plimoth.org/education/olc/intro.html">plimoth.org</a></span><br /><br /></div>Is this they way we want students, adorned in black hats or feathers made of construction paper, to portray the beloved pilgrims and Wampanoags in a third-grade Thanksgiving play? This question is the kind of initial resistance many elementary teachers in my methods courses have when responding to Loewen's criticisms and similar curricula (e.g., <a href="http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/24_01/24_01_thanksgiving.shtml">Rethinking Schools</a>). Fortunately, historical sites such as <a href="http://www.plimoth.org/">Plimoth Plantation</a> are pushing the alternative perspectives approach and (even better) are giving students the opportunity to examine the evidence. Since few students outside of the New England area get the opportunity to visit the historic site, <a href="http://www.plimoth.org/">Plimoth Plantation </a>has created an excellent <a href="http://www.plimoth.org/education/olc/intro.html">online learning module</a> that lets students sift through facts and myths to re-envision the history of the First Thanksgiving. Activities such as the "Path to 1621" let the user examine how the Wampanoag and the settlers viewed similar events quite differently. More importantly, in the section, "The Evidence," students get to examine the only source that mentions (and vaguely, at best) the First Thanksgiving.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf4orjMtntmQQHChRMzOEMJhuFLWal4zr2RLKdZi4V-vBfLpwwwkMTNflGGYXQRS5oAnFtKK08AIboZxxLDyXgnpF_OTPzTbDo68bc5M1q6xEgfcfG2JVAPbq2tJqgfX8r-VfxjUc9oME/s1600-h/Plimoth4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 265px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf4orjMtntmQQHChRMzOEMJhuFLWal4zr2RLKdZi4V-vBfLpwwwkMTNflGGYXQRS5oAnFtKK08AIboZxxLDyXgnpF_OTPzTbDo68bc5M1q6xEgfcfG2JVAPbq2tJqgfX8r-VfxjUc9oME/s320/Plimoth4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395457916290376546" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Online learning module from <a href="http://www.plimoth.org/education/olc/intro.html">plimoth.org</a></span><br /><br /></div>An important question students should ask is, <span style="font-weight: bold;">"Why do we recognize the 1620 settlement of Plimoth as the site for the First Thanksgiving?"</span> It is because it was the first non-Native settlement in the present-day United States? (In 1526, enslaved Africans abandoned by their Spanish captors attempted a settlement in what is now South Carolina.) Is it because it is the first settlement established for religious freedom? (Spanish Jews settled what is now New Mexico in the late 1500s). Is it because it was the first English Colony? (English entrepreneurs settled Jamestown in 1607.) <span style="font-weight: bold;">Or does it have more to do with what happened in 1863?</span> (See Loewen, 2007, <span style="font-style: italic;">Lies My Teacher Told Me</span>, pp. 71 & 90.)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2TJO9cWAAIxZqwb3xKoEgEZYyg5swFlTusZGYs0WlmfAn9k9gaOywdSzcpuMRIrlfSrPMGw111G-AdU8YOgu25joI2O5B29xDpVWHC01mqb4zEfFuiU_y-u54cRCx1Rr3adKueTdp1s/s1600-h/Plimoth1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 155px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2TJO9cWAAIxZqwb3xKoEgEZYyg5swFlTusZGYs0WlmfAn9k9gaOywdSzcpuMRIrlfSrPMGw111G-AdU8YOgu25joI2O5B29xDpVWHC01mqb4zEfFuiU_y-u54cRCx1Rr3adKueTdp1s/s320/Plimoth1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395457909492049234" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">An important message from <a href="http://www.plimoth.org/education/olc/intro.html">plimoth.org</a>: "Past" and "History" are <span style="font-weight: bold;">NOT</span> synonyms</span><br /></div>Dr. Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17174770267192421178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814911731481550663.post-85203726560784213842009-10-15T13:39:00.000-07:002009-10-15T13:53:06.444-07:00Lessons, lessons, lessons<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpum9OorWkTDe5K0HnzUllwCoOe_HlVuzOjvSoFOyNgV7b0ZHm09tlVTS_YziehsBHMctnN28DL621wAi-z60dsplFLCIvmUYx7ZeGO77TBSWoT0Y5AV5Ckiw4Kx3gGgW-1VWgZv41oVw/s1600-h/Google-Search.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpum9OorWkTDe5K0HnzUllwCoOe_HlVuzOjvSoFOyNgV7b0ZHm09tlVTS_YziehsBHMctnN28DL621wAi-z60dsplFLCIvmUYx7ZeGO77TBSWoT0Y5AV5Ckiw4Kx3gGgW-1VWgZv41oVw/s320/Google-Search.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392932127054685794" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">What could become a wasted <a href="http://www.google.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Google</span></a> search<br /></span><br /></div>A <a href="http://www.google.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Google</span></a> search for "Social Studies" and "Lesson Plans" will result in roughly 1 million hits or sites. There's a lot to sift through, and a lot of it can be...well, less than desirable. Fortunately, a lot of the professional organizations devoted to social studies education (and a few for-profits and not-for-profits) can help reduce the time it would take to sift through a lot of rubbish. Here are a few highlights:<br /><br />Geography - <a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/">National Geographic Xpeditions</a><br />Psychology - <a href="http://www.socialpsychology.org/teaching.htm">Social Psychology Teaching Resources</a><br />Economics - <a href="http://www.councilforeconed.org/resources/lessons.php">National Council for Economics Education Lesson Plans</a><br />Political Science - <a href="http://www.civiced.org/index.php?page=google_search&cx=009125531337574457943%3Agtuzz8nbp1a&q=sample+lesson&sa=go&cof=FORID%3A11#931">Center for Civic Education Sample Lessons</a><br />Political Science - <a href="http://www.civiced.org/index.php?page=constitution_day">Center for Civic Education Constitution Lessons</a>Dr. Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17174770267192421178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814911731481550663.post-61788036769500515312009-09-17T12:29:00.000-07:002009-09-17T13:15:35.276-07:00Teaching with Political CartoonsPolitical cartoons show up a lot in social studies curricula, including textbooks, worksheets, and now standardized state and national exams. In these cases, students are asked to analyze the cartoon's content or the cartoonist's point of view. In classroom instruction, teachers might try to "diversify" their instruction and have students create their own cartoon related to a historical or current event. The following sources provide some guidance for one way to include political cartoons as an authentic and legitimate part of any social studies teacher's instruction.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_VikpeKatgg0dhw9h-ja0uCKAnBDBWSR36mwISYqCNazDklj6Pm5n4HUvr5kG5xwR_wfkxTmKbQq5LZHCIY4eisqSN0U_xq68tnoaJBCvfOSBrJAEDGZJqNzvOAx4xihotRpEwYjKzXw/s1600-h/LOC-LaughingMatter.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 281px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_VikpeKatgg0dhw9h-ja0uCKAnBDBWSR36mwISYqCNazDklj6Pm5n4HUvr5kG5xwR_wfkxTmKbQq5LZHCIY4eisqSN0U_xq68tnoaJBCvfOSBrJAEDGZJqNzvOAx4xihotRpEwYjKzXw/s320/LOC-LaughingMatter.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382530674919574978" border="0" /></a><a href="http://memory.loc.gov/learn//features/political_cartoon/index.html"><span style="font-size:85%;">No Laughing Matter from the Library of Congress</span></a><br /><br /></div>As a way to teach critical thinking, the <a href="http://www.medialit.org/">Center for Media Literacy</a> has built a curriculum around <a href="http://www.medialit.org/reading_room/article661.html">five key questions</a>. All of these queries apply to analyzing any source--an advertisement, a newspaper article, or a political cartoon--but an important question is #2, "What creative techniques are used to catch my attention?" To further conceptualize this analysis, the Library of Congress has created a web-based activity, "<a href="http://memory.loc.gov/learn//features/political_cartoon/index.html">No Laughing Matter</a>," to help students evaluate cartoons with <a href="http://memory.loc.gov/learn//features/political_cartoon/cag.html">five basic concepts</a>: Labeling, Irony, Analogy, Exaggeration, and Irony. I point out these concepts because they provide a helpful framework students can apply to any cartoon (or written source, for that matter). For example, "How does this cartoonist use irony to illustrate her point of view?"<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCXYASkFyy4Dgtn4rCKDcBOC3-JMYtRvsOfqOVqk8VBGoOdcg5q3p5Nb7L0sZxhyphenhyphen0jkfxtGdXoChTUuKWlmk9FFcscXF5qi5um974G-CcvX-mvbnW76P6GW5uSro2T99sYn8Wtuhy4rUI/s1600-h/Toondoo-Immigration.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCXYASkFyy4Dgtn4rCKDcBOC3-JMYtRvsOfqOVqk8VBGoOdcg5q3p5Nb7L0sZxhyphenhyphen0jkfxtGdXoChTUuKWlmk9FFcscXF5qi5um974G-CcvX-mvbnW76P6GW5uSro2T99sYn8Wtuhy4rUI/s320/Toondoo-Immigration.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382530686727865538" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Created at <a href="http://www.toondoo.com/">Toondoo</a> (click image to enlarge it)</span><br /><br /></div>Finally, students need not be a professional artist to create stunning political cartoons. A free online tool, <a href="http://www.toondoo.com/createToon.jsp">Toondoo Maker</a>, on the <a href="http://www.toondoo.com/">Toondoo</a> site allows them to select from hundreds of images to construct their own visual commentary on a historical or current event. Teachers can then require their students to describe how they used irony or analogy to make a visual argument. I've uploaded an example I recently created on the topic of immigration.Dr. Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17174770267192421178noreply@blogger.com0