13 Notes Students Have Passed to Me

Teachers need to take time every so often to assess themselves and their lessons for effectiveness. Of course, one of the most often used methods is students’ grades. If a high number of students receive passing grades you’re doing ok and need to follow up with the stragglers. If you have a large number of failing grades it simply can’t be blamed totally on the students. There has to be something you could be doing better as well.

Something else I like to do every nine weeks is to have students write me a letter. In the letter they should tell me what they like about class, what they don’t like, and suggestions regarding how I can make class a friendlier, enjoyable learning environment. Many student suggestions over the years have become tried and true strategies that have been passed on to other teachers. For example, when we were having a difficult time with the doling out of classroom jobs it was a student who suggested my “Most Valuable Student” or MVP program I still use. Everyday one student is the MVP and they do all of the jobs I need done. I post a class roll and we simply go down the list. The kids keep up with it and it’s very orderly.

Recently when I was cleaning out a container I found a set of letters from last year written about this time. Here are 13 things students told me they like, don’t like, or suggestions that were given to me. I’ve cleaned up the grammar a bit and the text within parentheses are my own editorial remarks.

1. I really like coming to your class everyday. I can’t wait to get here. Can you change the posters though? Enough already with Native Americans and Explorers---I’m ready for something different. (I usually change posters during Thanksgiving break).

2. You need to have “little talk” (that’s what I call it when I take a student aside in the hallway) with ______. He really smells. Or you could just put me next to ______ (this person’s best friend….I don’t think so)

3. The no homework thing is great except to study our notes or look for things on our own that go with what we are studying. I’m going to keep getting my classwork done, so I won’t have to do it at home. (The standing homework in my class is to review notes every day. I also encourage students to use books and the Internet to find out more about what we are currently studying. I explain to them that their research could very well become a topic for a post here at History Is Elementary).

4. I know we don’t do it everyday, but I really hate it when we get into groups. Do I have to do this? (I had a private “little talk” with this student and let them give me a list of students they thought they could work with. When I set up groups in the future I referred to the list. The student felt they had some control, and I still pushed the student to try group activities)

5. The explorers test was so hard. I can’t remember all of those guys and all of those things they did. Can I do something to help my grade? Make the test easier for your students next year. (I have discussed my explorers unit before here at HIE and I agree that the state of Georgia is asking too much of nine year old children. I try to include projects and other assignments so that a unit grade is not just the test).

6. I love it when you just sit on your stool and tell us stories. How do you remember all that stuff? You don’t even look at anything. Can you just tell us stories all the time? (I do love to tell the stories).

7. I’d like to do more projects. You said we were going to learn about the colonies next. Can we do Internet research and create slideshows? (Sounds like a good idea to me….)

8. The notes. Why do we have to take notes? Can we have less notes? What good are notes? I keep loosing them. (This young man and I had a few “little talks” and we devised a method for him to have his notes and keep up with them as well. Notebooks are very important in my room. If they don’t’ have their notebook they can’t study their notes.)

9. I hate it when we are busy with class and the intercom keeps coming on or the telephone rings, or someone comes to the door to talk with you. You don’t need to be so nice. Tell them we are busy and to go away. That’s what my mom tells salespeople that come to our door. (Sweetie, I agree. It’s kind of hard to tell the principal to go away).

10. Less work. More recess. (Short and to the point….got to admire him though).

11. I got to read your website last night. Since it’s not for students my mom reads it first and then lets me read it if it’s G or PG. I love it. I wish we could see your website in class. When are you going to write some more about us? Oh….and another thing I lost my coat last week. It’s purple and has a hood, and it’s from Old Navy. My mom says I have to find it. Any ideas? (There are always a few who forget the purpose of the assignment)

12. When are we going to get to the American Revolution? I can’t wait. Native Americans are BORING. You tried, you really tried to make interesting. It’s not you, it’s me. I want to learn about a war, any war. (Have I got wars for you…..just wait my wee man!)

13. I really wasn’t trying to hit you with that paper hornet yesterday. Honest. I’m sorry you were mad. Can we talk about it again now that we have had time to “cool down”? (This young man whizzed the biggest paper hornet towards me I have ever seen and it hit me….well, it hit me in the chest, shall we say…..and I was a bit upset I had been injured, but I was more upset that my class discussion was derailed.)

So there you have it. Feel free to assess my efforts with this website if you want to in the comments.

Find more 13s to read and enjoy.

Wordless 48: You Tell Me the Story

One of the ways you motivate students in the classroom is to surprise them every now and then. The focus is “expect the unexpected”.

This week’s image should be familiar to most …..at least the identification of who is in the portrait. However, instead of me telling you the story later why don’t you leave ME a tidbit of knowledge in the comments.

Not too much now…..others will want to share as well and no cut and paste. :)

So, educate me. What can you tell me about this man?

Last week's explanation has not been posted yet, but it will soon.

You find other wordless images here.

Shhhhh.....This Blog Is In Prayer

I’m in prayer today, and I hope if you have a notion you are too. However, it didn’t take my Governor to prompt me to prayer. I’ve been praying since early in the summer for a change in our weather pattern and so have many others.

I guess there are those who would be shocked to discover I have prayed in my classroom (gasp!), prayed in the hallways, and even placed my hands over that all important state test before it’s sent in for scoring. I have been known to stand beside a student while he or she is working and place my hand on their shoulder while I say a prayer. Prayer should be a constant activity…..a daily conversation with God.

My daily conversation with God, however, is a silent one. Most students never know I say prayers in the classroom and I certainly wouldn’t gather students and direct them to pray. However, I have given them the opportunity at their suggestion….one such occasion was 9/11 when a student wanted to say a prayer for the people in the towers. The student organized it, made sure everyone knew they didn’t have to join in, he led it, and I silently prayed with them. Sometimes public prayer is necessary.

Gov. Sonny Perdue’s call for prayer has once again placed our state in the forefront for those who like to write off Southerners as simple country bumpkins. You know….those “There they go again…..” types.

Religion is a part of the South and deeply embedded into our culture no matter how many critics want to ridicule it or even deny it. If your family has been in the South for over five generations and have more or less followed the Baptist, Methodist, or just the Christian faith in general there’s a good chance you have a long line of pastors in your family like I do.

It’s hard to shake that kind of dust from your shoes.

I guess some high-falutin’ educated folks manage to educate themselves right out religion even if they have deep Southern roots. I too have been faced to separate fact and faith. It’s a choice they make and I support their choice, however, I hold three pieces of paper that tell me I’m highly educated as well…. yet for me and my house I choose prayer and all that goes along with it.

News stories regarding the Governor’s request can be found here, here, and here.

This post also appears at Georgia on My Mind and Got Bible?

Thank You Veterans!

This isn't the day to debate if a war was/is just or not.

Recognize the veterans in your life for their sacrifice whether they are from WWII, Korea, Vietnam, or the current conflict!

Some Notable Links for Weekend Reading

Well, as you can see things here in the great state of Georgia are dire….very dire. Our governor has finally resorted to prayer even though many of us have already been on our knees, and Florida has backed away from the water truce.

The image you see here is courtesy of the Atlanta Water Shortage blog via The Atlanta Journal. Amazing, isn’t it? All that we should see of the tree stump is the very top or not at all. Our area lakes are quickly becoming desert landscapes.

I find it ironic that here in the middle of an extreme drought my husband and I spending the day getting ready to cook at a fish fry tonight for our Sunday School group at church. Of course I don’t have to do too much….hubby handles the cookers, and I’m mixing up the hushpuppies with plenty of green onion and buttermilk.

In an about face from American History I was intrigued by a book mention from Uncovered History….The Fall of the House of Hapsburg. I’m putting it on my list to see if the local library has it. World of Royalty also linked to something I might be able to use with students…Sherwood Forest is in danger. You could use the article to open a discussion on historical places and people versus Disney and other media portrayals. Some places our young students see in the media really do exisit, but the history is skewed.

First things this morning I was hit with this interesting tidbit of discovery. I hope to have more time tomorrow evening to delve into this...for now the hushpuppies are a priority rather than DaVinci and music embeds.

Another link you could use for diversion is from Caffeinated Politics involves watching Atlantis land from inside the craft. NYCEducator hates it when I used this word but……NEAT-O!

The Wrens Nest Online (of Joel Chandler Harris/Brer Rabbit fame) have been working with middle schoolers regarding this whole blogging thing.

Carnivals abound for reading pleasure….The 58th History Carnival is here, the Georgia Carnival is here, and the Education Carnival is here in an agenda type format (neat idea or should I say NEAT-O?).

Walking in the Berkshires has proposed a new carnival I’m really excited about. It’s called the Carnival of Curiosities. It’s a great idea and I can’t wait to participate. Head on over and check it out.

Finally, in case you missed it I posted Grace for Faith: The Perfect Trade over at Got Bible, and I explain how I would rather remember fallen members of the Allman Brothers Band over at Georgia on My Mind.

Happy Weekend!

A Presidential Doughface

As a writing exercise I often place pictures of important or famous people up on the screen in my room and ask students to provide a caption or write something about the picture. After a few minutes students share their ideas and then I share one of mine which leads into a quick lesson in history. Sometimes this type of activity can be used to review a topic, introduce something new, or simply move a unit along with additional content.

The last time I presented students with this image they came up with some interesting responses:

*My belly hurts. I should have left that last taco in the bag and thrown it away.

*When are they going to invent a real tie that doesn’t look like a bow?

*This man is important. He looks really smart. Maybe he’s a writer or a great thinker. I wish the picture was in color.

*The picture looks like it is from a long time ago. I didn’t know they had hair gel back then. Interesting!

These are the better ones, of course. I left out the silly, off the mark, or inappropriate ones that can be the result of this type of exercise, but you can see that some students can really get into the moment when analyzing photographs.

Next we discussed names and labels…words we use to identify individuals or groups of people. We talked about how those names aren’t always meant to be nice. We also talked about how some names stick simply because it’s easier to remember a group of people by a certain name in order to remember what they stood for….groups like tree huggers, Bible thumpers, and even educrats.

These types of monikers are not simply for the 20th and 21st century. Certain groups throughout history have claimed remembrance through their name such as the Know- Nothings, muckrakers, and don’t forget the hawks and doves.

Do you know who the gentleman is in my image?

It is President Franklin Pierce, our fourteenth president and the tidbit of knowledge I share with students is Franklin Pierce was a doughface.

What’s a doughface?

Well, click on through to the American Presidents Blog and you can scroll down to find my explanation.

13 Premature Obituaries

What would you do if you read your own obituary? What would you do if you heard an announcement regarding your demise on the radio or television?

Here are 13 folks who have the distinction of finding out they were dead….

1. When Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, learned he would be called “the merchant of death” in his obituary it is said he created the Nobel Prize in order to redeem himself.

2. Pope Benedict XV was expected to die in January, 1922 when it was reported he had pneumonia. A New York paper ran the headline “Pope Benedict XV is dead”, however they ran it a little too early and then had to retract the headline by printing another paper with the claim “Pope has remarkable recovery”. By the end of the month Pope Benedict finally met his maker.

3. White House Press Secretary, James Brady, was reported dead by all three major networks in the chaos that ensued following the assassination attempt of President Ronald Reagan. While his injuries were severe Mr. Brady was very much alive.

4. During an event dubbed “The CNN.com Incident” Fidel Castro’s obituary along with others was prematurely placed online where the public could access it. The obituaries were sketched out templates that could be accessed in a hurry by CNN staff upon receiving word a famous person had passed away. Apparently Reagan’s obituary was used as Castro’s template because the text described Castro as a lifeguard, athelete, and movie star!

5. The writer, Robert Graves, was close to death following the Battle of the Somme in 1916. He recovered enough to enjoy reading his obituary in the New York Times.

6. Ernest Hemmingway was declared dead after being involved in an African plane crash along with his wife in 1954. They both were very much alive.

7. In 1897, Mark Twain was visited by a journalist who wanted to find out how Twain was. The journalist had heard Twain was close to death. The news reports had mixed Twain up with his cousin. An obituary was not published, but in an article published June 2, 1897 Twain stated, “The report of my death is an exaggeration.” In May, 1907 Twain was reported missing when a yacht he was on was held up by fog. Twain wrote an account of the incident in the New York Times the following day.

8. Rudyard Kipling read his obituary in a magazine. The story goes he wrote the magazine and stated, “I’ve just read I’m dead. Please delete me from your subscription list.”

9. James Earl Jones was declared dead in 1998 during a Pittsburgh Pirates game. The announcer confused Mr. Jones with James Earl Ray (the man convicted of assassinating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.). The announcer quickly corrected his error.

10. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. was shocked to learn his obituary had been published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on November 29, 2005. On December 2nd the paper retracted the obituary by printing, “We are embarrassed, but happy for Mr. Schlesinger.”

11. During 1971 Katie Webb was a journalist in Cambodia when she was captured by North Vietnamese troops. Her cremated remains were returned to Reuters and her obituary was published. Later Ms. Webb was found very much alive.

12. James McNeill Whistler read his own obituary in a Dutch newspaper. In reply he wrote the paper that reading his own obituary gave him the “tender glow of health.”

13. Serbian, Vuk Peric, placed his own obituary in a local paper in 1997. He simply wanted to see who would show up to his funeral. He watched the proceedings for awhile and then proceeded to tell everyone.

Read other 13s here

Wordless 47

This is a very important spot in history. Can you tell me where it is and why it is important? Here’s a hint……it’s not in the United States and does not involve any historical event during the 1800s or 1900s.

Last week’s explanation can be found here.

More wordless images can be found here.

Marcus Garvey and the UNIA

I’ve not met a student yet who can’t identify Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by sight. They can usually give me some sort of idea why he is remembered as well. True, some students are under the mistaken notice that Dr. King freed the slaves, but after we take a quick sidetrack into a description of the highlights from Reconstruction, the 13th through 15th amendments, Jim Crow, and the rise of the Civil Rights movement along a hastily drawn timeline young minds are straightened out.

This week’s wordless image depicted a forerunner to Dr. King by several years…Marcus Garvey. Gold stars are due Matt from Tomorrow's History and The Tour Marm who correctly identified Mr. Garvey.

Click over and look at the image. Mr. Garvey is on the right. The man in the middle is Prince Kojo Tavalou-Houenou of Dahomey and the man on the left is George O. Marke, the deputy supreme potentate of the UNIA, also known as the the Universal Negro Improvement Association. They sure do look dapper, don’t they?

Sandy Carlson made a great observation in my wordless comments regarding how the men are standing apart. Notice they are not touching in any way. I’m not sure if this holds any significance for the time period, but if the picture was taken today we might see these young men standing in a much more casual pose with their arms around each other.

Tour Marm commented on the wordless image that she remembered learning about Marcus Garvey in the fourth grade, however, I don’t believe I have ever studied Mr. Garvey in elementary, middle, or high school. I don’t think he was ever brought up in my college studies either.

When I checked various sources in my personal library the only reference I found for him was in War, Peace, and All That Jazz….one of the volumes from the Joy Hakim series. Basically the mention he got was a sidebar caption along with a picture. But what an interesting character….look at the picture I’ve posted here. This is the same one used in Joy Hakim’s book.

How intriguing? What student wouldn’t want to know more about the guy in the Captain Crunch hat?

Marcus Garvey was born in Jamaica. Today many associate Garvey with Garveyism or Pan-Africanism. Garvey advocated for people with African ancestry to reclaim Africa and for Europeans to leave Africa. He also felt the way to improve the situation for blacks were to unite them into one voice.

He founded the UNIA in August, 1914 with the original purpose to educate blacks and provide them with economic opportunities. The organization began in Jamaica, but didn’t see any real growth until Garvey relocated to New York City. UNIA events included debates, fashion shows, classical music, plays, and vaudeville. These were events that had been unavailable to blacks in all areas of the United States. The UNIA events were meant to provide a sense of belonging and lift up black society. In this regard the UNIA was very successful.

The Black Star Line of Delaware was begun by members of the UNIA with Garvey serving as its president. The company served as a shipping line for goods and it was hoped ships would eventually transport Americans of African descent back to the African continent. There were problems from the start, however, as the ships that were puchased had been passed from owner to owner many times. They were in very poor condition.

Another business venture, The Negro Factories Corporation, called for the creation of an infastructure to manufacture many different types of products. Other Garvey businesses included a chain of restaurants, grocery stores, laundries, a hotel, and a printing press.
During the 1920s the UNIA had twenty million members worldwide, and many were American citizens. Even so, however, many blacks disagreed with Garvey’s strategies and made their disapproval known. One such black leader was W.E.B. DuBois. In reaction Garvey called DuBois predjudiced mainly because Garvey had darker skin that DuBois. It goes without saying that the UNIA did not mesh well with the NAACP. Later Garvey would accuse DuBois of having a direct hand in his deportation. Many black leaders were involved in the "Garvey must go" campaign.

A young J. Edgar Hoover was comissioned with the job of gathering information concerning an element of what was then perceived to a growing radicalism. Hoover referred to Garvey as “a notorious Negro agitator”. To some in American the UNIA was a group that was growing in strength and threatened what many Americans considered to be their way of life. During the 1920s the UNIA had twenty million members worldwide, and many were American citizens. Hoover work for the Bureau of Investigation or B.O.I., which was the forerunner of the F.B.I. In order to fully investigate Garvey and the UNIA the very first African American agents were hired in order to infiltrate the organization.

Their investigation led to Garvey being convicted of mail fraud in connection to the sale of Black Star Line stock. Marcus Garvey was sentenced to five years and he began serving his sentence on February 8, 1925 at the United States Penitentiary in Atlanta, Georgia. Garvey’s sentence was eventually commuted by President Calvin Coolidge, however, since he was a felon and not a U.S. citizen he was deported.

Garvey spent time in Jamaica before moving the headquarters of the UNIA to London, England. It was there, on June 10, 1940, Marcus Garvey died after reading his obituary even though he was very much alive. It’s said upon reading it he suffered a heart attack. Because of travel restrictions during World War II he had to be buried in London. In 1964 his remains were reburied in Jamaica at National Heroes Park.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. laid a wreath at his grave in June, 1965, and remarked, “[Garvey] was the first man of color to lead and develop a mass movement, the first man on a mass scale and level to give millions of Negroes a sense of dignity and destiny.”

Over the years Marcus Garvey has inspired many members of the Nation of Islam as well as members of the Rastafari movement who refer to Garvey as a prophet and in some circles he’s thought to be the reincarnation of John the Baptist.

You can see the Marcus Garvey photo album here.

My, Where Does the TIme Go?

Today is my sister's birthday. I've written about her before, but I wanted to acknowledge her special day today.

Time has a way of marching on whether we want it to or not.

We cannot go back in time except through our memories. We cannot stop time even though Saturday morning cartoons and movies sometimes told us we could. One thing that we can do with time is capture it in images. These pictures are small snippets of time in my sister's life depicting her relationship with our father. The photographs show changes of time...not only in how Dear Sister has grown and matured over the years, but how Dear Daddy has grown from a young married father to a grandfather who has this uncanny knack of "always being correct in ALL matters." :)

I thought these two pictures were interesting. In the first image Dear Sister is still new at getting around on her own. She's enjoying some "prime Daddy time" sitting up high. In the second image Dear Sister is standing tall on her own, but notice....she's got an arm around her. That Daddy support is still there at the ready. Arms around the shoulder, quick hugs....those are the support actions that speak volumes over time as they are repeated over and over.

As time marches on these pictures become more and more precious to us all.

Happy Birthday, Karen. I love you very much! I hope you have a wonderful day.

Weekend Reading Assignment...The Fall Back/Hey, I Need a Butterfinger Edition

I’m still in the throes of candy withdrawal after the Halloween celebration my family and I particiapted in Wednesday night. I believe this is the first time in many, many years we didn’t have a cache of candy in the house to munch on for days and days. I guess that’s one of the pitfalls with having grown and near grown children….plus the extra ingredient of giving out candy at church and not at home. There was no candy leftover to take home. For the last two or three nights, however, my husband and I have wanted Halloween candy to munch on. but there’s nary a Snicker or Butterfinger to be had in the house.

I’m a little late posting my weekend assignment….our sojourn of free time is almost over, but here it is anyway.

The education carnival has lots of interesting post to peruse through. It can be found over at What It's Like on the Inside and the homeschooling carnival is being hosted by Sprittibee.

We managed to get our clocks set accordingly acround here, but I really wonder if we haven’t outgrown the whole process of springing forward and falling back. The Education Wonks has a great post about some of the effects of setting our clocks back
here.

Earlier this week I wrote about President Hoover and our tendency in early grades to gloss over his contributions to society prior to becoming president. Over at American Presidents I posted A Hop, Skip, and Jump...Right Over Hoover that includes a teaching strategy called “mystery” in some circles and in others I have heard it referred to as “inquiry”.

I recently took over the posting at the blog called Got Bible?..........In my first posting I discussed the connection between buzzards and church committees. I was inspired by an invasion of buzzards that flew directly over my church last week.

And finally, I drew a connection between great teaching and Coach Richt’s directions at the Georgia-Florida game last Saturday. It was a great strategy in more ways than one.

You Know You're In Georgia When...

These truisms were lifted from a great book by William Schemmel called You Know You're In Georgia When...

You know you are in Georgia when…

1.You visit tumbling waters.

2. Introductions begin with “What would you like to drink?” The proper answer is sweet iced tea. It’s the wine of the South.

3. You find yourself located in the carpet capital of the world.

4. Grits is groceries. We eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

5. Hushpuppies are for eating not for wearing.

6. You find yourself at America’s oldest state park in the nation…. Indian Springs State Park

7. You attend Octoberfest in an alpine village.

8. You see Stonehenge.

9. You savor Swamp Gravy.

10. UGA is a DAMN GOOD DOG (and don’t forget that Ramblin' Wreck)

11. There’s a Waffle House on every corner.

12. You need a phrase book to understand the natives. Examples: “That dog don’t hunt”; “All vine and no taters”; “That’s so good you’ll slap your granny”; “Shootin’ the Hootch”; and my personal favorite “I’m fixin’ to”. Not sure what these mean? Check out the Urban Dictionary or ask me in comments.

13. You hear funeral announcements or the county hospital report on the radio. You have to go pretty far outside of Atlanta to hear this now, but it still exists. How else would you know who to go “a visitin’” after church on Sunday?

Catch more Thursday Thirteens for your reading pleasure.

Wordless 46

This is a pretty dapper trio, don’t you think? Who is the man on the right?

Last week’s explanation can be found here

Enjoy other wordless images here

Weekend Reading Assignment

It looks like it’s going to be a great fall day around here. My house had three days of rain…not the drenching kind we really need but more of the “fits and starts” kind of rain. I’m thankful for any, however.

Dear Son is home from school (laundry for me), Dear Daughter is busy with her social life (driving for me), Dear Hubby is at church participating in a work day (I get to control the TV remote), and me……

I have a deadline to meet with a paper that MUST be written and what am I doing? I’m preparing a blog entry instead. If you’ve spent any time around here I think it’s fairly clear that I like to write, however, I have to be interested in my topic. The topic of my paper is merely a summary of an eight week course….it should be fairly simply for me to do, but I’m sooooo disinterested. The assignment is a pointless rehash of things I’ve already said. I’ve thought of several ways I could structure the assignment, but unfortunately I’m not the teacher this time and as a student apparently I have no control….

Too often we see kids in the classrooom who are disinterested. They do everything they possibly can to avoid starting an assignment. Often this is due to a lack of knowledge or skills, but more often than not it is simply because the assignment doesn’t challenge or motivate the student. I think the solution is flexibility. Sometimes when I have a child who is avoiding an assignment I sit with him or her and we take a look at the particular standard and narrow down what it is the student should know or be able to do. From there I ask the student to come up at least two ways they could prove to me “they know” or “can do”. Once that is done I take a look at the choices…sometimes we have to tweak it a bit or two….and then I ask the student to choose one of their solutions and get on with it.

A little power and some choice will go a long way sometimes.

Just a thought…..

My first link for this weekend’s reading assignment is a happy one. Sometime ago I posted a lengthy recap of the Genarlow Wilson saga. Yesterday I watched on televison as he was finally released from prison and walked into the arms of his mother and sister. Yes, this young man made a poor choice, but poor legislation by the Georgia General Assembly (even though their intention was good) is at the heart of this matter. Georgia blogger, GriftDrift has the best recap of all issues concerning Wilson’s odyssey.

Speaking of my homeland the Georgia Carnival which I normally host here was hosted this week by Rusty at Radical Georgia Moderate. He did a great job and don’t hestiate to wind your way through a Georgia Carnival thinking it’s all about Georgia and won’t be interesting. There are many postings about other subjects; however, Rusty’s recap of our water woes is a most excellent round up of what might end up being a war with Alabama and Florida.

Did you know that two cabinet members were killed in an explosion in the early 1840s? I wrote about it earlier this week over at American Presidents.

I was also infected with the 10-20-30 virus, but I’m better now.

If this doesn’t give you enough to read the Education Carnival is a must see, and an article regarding America's oldest natural history museum begs for more research regarding the various collections it still holds.

As for me…..I still have that dang paper to write. :(

The Door of No Return

This week’s wordless image portrayed stone walls, a narrow passage way, and a doorway that opened onto a body of water. I’ve placed a similar picture here, but it is at a different location. Most of the comments centered upon an optimistic point of view---- Qtpies7 thought the doorway meant an escape, kat said she thought it was a doorway to freedom, and Alasandra thought it looked similar to a fort in Massachusetts. The image inspired others to think about relaxation, a volcano, and someone questioned were they going out or in.

Until the location of the image was correctly identified by Keith as the Island of Goree off the coast of Senegal the picture posed a postive impression. No one considered the image could represent something sad and tragic.

I’m going to explain the image by telling you a little story…..

The year is 1540. You are an African tribesman going about your daily business early one morning. Let’s say you are sitting outside your hut working on a basket that you will use to store food. Suddenly you are surrounded by fierce looking warriors from a neighboring kingdom your chief has been at war with. Now you are their prisoner, and as the custom dictates you are now the property or slave of the neighboring king. You travel at the point of several spears to a location far, far away from your hut, your village, and your family. No one saw you being taken, and you were unable to say goodbye.

After a couple of days of walking your captors meet up with a group of very light-skinned men. You have never seen people such as these. They smell funny and have hair all over their faces, chests, and arms. Strange sounds come from their throats that make no sense. Your original captors leave you with the light skinned men who immediately place shackels and chains around your neck, wrists, and ankles. They use long sticks to prod you along the path and occaisionally slam the sticks against your body when you don’t move fast enough.

Eventually you meet up with other light skinned men who also have prisoners. You scan the men, women, and children who are also in chains for a recognizable face, but they are just as strange as the light-skinned men, but as your eyes you realize they are just as confused and scared as you are.

At the end of the journey you know you are coming upon the coast because you can smell the sea. Suddenly you notice a very large building looming ahead. It is the largest structure you have ever seen. It’s not made of plant material like your hut…..it’s constructed of rock and rises from the ground two or three stories. The noise level is very high as prisoners like you are screaming and crying. There are wagons and carts going this way and that and many, many more light-skinned people are moving about. You are forced to enter the large stone building and eventually you are thrown into a very small room with several other prisoners. There is no window and a wall that you can see through at certain points prevents you from walking out.



Time passes very slowly. You loose track of how many days and nights you remain in the room. There is no place to relieve yourself and the food that is thrown to you and your cell-mates is often unedible. You begin to fight over it with the other prisoners even though you know you can’t it.

At one point the barrier keeping you in the cell is opened and the light-skinned men come in. They use their sticks to push and prod everyone out into the passageway. You are lined up and forced to walk. The passage is so narrow you could touch the walls on either side. Up ahead you begin to see light…the first light since entering this evil place. You continue to hobble towards it with the others. As you get closer to the light you begin to blink and your eyes water. Suddenly you find yourself through the opening and into the warmth and brightness of full Sun. You breathe in and find that there is no more smell of humanity and death.

Unfortunately, what you don’t realize is you have just walked through the door of no return and are about to be placed in the hold of a Portuguese slave ship…….

My original wordless image is from the House of Slaves on the island of Goree. The story goes that slaves would leave the many, many Portuguese trading centers along the West African coast via the doors that led directly to the slave ships. There is some question regarding the authenticity of the doorways which are usually designated today for tourists to see. In some instances scholars are not certain slaves actually walked through the designated doorways, but they had to leave the trading centers somehow and the doorways are powerful images that draw many African Americans each year as tourists.

Some historians have stated as many as 12 million Africans were transported from their homes into slavery. Of that number it is estimated only 26,000 (still a large number) actually passed through Goree’s House of Slaves which was built in 1776. There is a great Time Magazine article about the island found here.

While slavery in Africa had exisited for hundreds of years prior to European exploration we have the Portuguese to thank for the exportation of African slaves from the west coast of the continent beginning as early as 1444.

Elmina Castle is another Portuguese trade center built on the Gulf of Guinea. It is the oldest European buildng in existence below the Sahara. The location of Elmina was due to a gold mine in the area which of course, was exploited by the Europeans.

Eventually the Dutch seized all Portguese possessions in Africa in 1637, however, the slave trade from Elmina continued until 1873 when the castle became the posssession of the British Empire.


I’m still thinking about the original impression my readers had of my image. Why so positive? I’ve used this same exercise in the classroom with students and had similar results. Going through a doorway often means a transition into something better, and I’m fairly postive none of Wednesdays participants have ever entered into a slave situation, so they have no context of what it means. Of course, I have had the jokester occasionally who quipped entering the door of my classroom is often entering into servitude.

History can often be a difficult subject to teach in that students have no frame of reference for certain time periods in history. This is where building empathy comes into play. I often try to place students in the role of the historical figure I’m trying to explain whether it is a slave or slave owner.

These concepts are so foreign to students that they can’t relate to either without stories, role play, and much introspection.

Balloon Bombs

Look at my title.

Balloon.

Bomb.

Separated each word means something very different and the concepts they represent are on opposite ends of the desirable and undesirable spectrum depending on the situation.

Of course, when you place the words together the concept they represent (water balloons) can also reside on opposite ends of the desirable and undesirable spectrum. Having a balloon bomb fall on you when you least expect it is not a desirable situation. Watching a water ballon drench someone you are upset with can be a great thing. Playing with water balloons on a hot summer day is a very desirable situation for many, however, believe me when I state being appointed as the adult who gets the honor of filling 200 water balloons for a field day event is not a desirable situation

Today’s 13 list doesn’t deal with just bombs, or just balloons, or even balloon bombs filled with water. The balloon bombs that are my subject today were meant to be weapons of war.

1. Balloon bombs were also known as fire bombs and were weapons used by the Japanese during World War II.

2. The balloons were filled with hydrogen and launched from the east coast of the Japanese island of Honshu. Some records indicate over 9,000 balloons were launched.

3. It was hoped that air currents would carry the balloon bombs across the Pacific to North America.

4. The Japanese were not the only country to use balloon bombs. The British used them against Germany for a time.

5. The bombs were found all over the western United States including Arizona, Idaho, and Iowa. Some even found their way to Mexico.

6. A balloon bomb was located as late as 1955 and it was still combustible. In 1992, a balloon was located, but it was no longer able to explode.

7. America had no prior warning that balloon bombs had been launched against them. Citizens did begin to notice the balloons and explosions were heard from California to Alaska.

8. Eventually more and more evidence mounted that proved something was going on. People witnessed something strange sailing to the ground in Wyoming. When it exploded shrapnel was left behind.

9. Scraps of “Washi” paper (made from mulberry bushes) were found in Los Angeles and in other places. The paper was used to construct the balloons.

10. The U.S. Navy found a balloon floating in the ocean. Later, an Army fighter plane managed to push a balloon towards the ground where it landed intact. Finally, officials could examine what had been launched against us more closely.

11. The American public finally learned about the balloons. The Newsweek issue dated January 1, 1945 contained an article regarding the balloons which the Office of Censorship asked to be removed from public view. The government’s strategy was if there was no information in the press the Japanese would have no information regarding how successful their balloon launch had been.

12. Authorities were really concerned, however, and feared that more balloons might eventually reach American soil. There was some thought that the Japanese had been working on a biological weapon and officials were afraid the balloon bombs might be a first step towards a biological launch.

13. The event which resulted in the balloon bombs being launched against the United States was the Jimmy Doolittle raid against Tokyo. Doolittle’s raid, of course, was in reaction to Pearl Harbor.

Sadly, a balloon bomb did kill four people. You can find the story here.

A great informational article can be found here.

You can participate in Thursday Thirteen and read other 13 lists here.

Education Carnival: 142

Welcome to the midway of the 142nd Carnival of Education!

I’m honored to host the carnival again and if you’ve stopped by before I hope you enjoy the new look here at my history spot. My new design is one of the best “teacher gifts” I have ever received. The gift even included a new design for my Georgia site. Sure beats a coffee mug…..Many thanks to the designer! A link to her can be found at the bottom of the left column.

Here's the very latest roundup of entries from around the EduSphere. Unless clearly labeled otherwise, all entries this week were submitted by the writers themselves.Folks interested in hosting an edition of the C.O.E. should let Edwonks know via this email address: owlshome [at] earthlink [dot] net.

Thanks to everyone who helped spread the word about last week's midway, which was hosted over at The Education Wonks. Visit the C.O.E.'s early archives here, and the later archives there. Next Week's Carnival….the Halloween edition… will be hosted by What It’s Like On the Inside. Contributors are invited to send their submissions to: the_science_goddess [at] yahoo [dot] com, or use this handy submission form. Entries should be received no later than 6:00 PM (Eastern) 3:00 PM (Pacific) Tuesday, October 30, 2007. Please include the title of your post, and its URL, if possible. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the midway should open next Wednesday morning.

Let the free exchange of thoughts and ideas begin!

Performance Pay and Teacher Quality

Joe Torre’s recent nix on a contract based on pay per performance has heightened the discussion regarding the same for educators….Eduwonkette explains performance pay assumptions in the first of four postings.

NYC Educator opines regarding why he will never receive merit pay.

Edwize offers a post concerning the recent agreement between the UFT and New York City on mechanisms to help teachers retiring at 55 and a pilot program establishing voluntary school-wide bonuses.

I Thought a Think is attempting to answer the nagging question of teacher quality.

Epic Adventures Are Uncomfortable wants to know what you think about assessments and accountability.

Perhaps we just need to dress a bit better…. Check out this tongue in cheek defense of grunge….Business Associations Blog questions a dress code for law faculty.

Woodlass wonders if the word prevaricator is politically correct?

Over at Teacher in a Strange Land Nancy’s topic is Teach For America. Has Teach For America done anything to reconceptualize the work of teaching as both socially valuable and complex professional practice?

Making the Grade and Student Assessment

Universe of Success says beware the power of the suggestion. Can students succeed simply through a suggestion?

Should grades report academic achievement or lack thereof only, or should they punish students who aren’t responsible? Join in on the Responsibility Paradox over at Repairkit.

Speaking of grades The Colossus of Rhodey is pleased a judge has tossed out the "he gave me a C" lawsuit.

Tested--Linda Perlstein's new book examining the impact that NCLB has had on teaching and learning in America's schools--has left The Tempered Radical wondering whether or not our country's singular focus on "results" is actually failing our students.

Discipline and Class Management

Jo writing at HorseSense and Nonsense states, “So much for desegregation….” Read on through the post Teacher Watch: Student Race and Discipline.

Mrs. Bluebird reminds us what happens when parents perform a disappearing act.

Greg from Rhymes With Right racks up another knotch in the zero tolerance absurdities.

Hmmmmm….Do college kids really exhibit a lack of motivation and also come to class unprepared? Siobhan Curious takes the bull by the horns.

Remember what you thought teaching would be like before you ever entered the classroom? Scenes From the Battleground reminds us about the question every newbie asks… Is this normal?

Ms. Cornelius relates a sad case of text messaging in her class (and it’s not the students!).

So You Want to Teach provides simple solutions to classroom management issues with Five Ways to Win When Children Test Your Limits.

Teaching Resources and Programs for Students

Online Educational Database has linked to 250 Plus Killer Digital Libraries and Archives….the site states, “This list contains over 250 libraries and archives that focus mainly on localized, regional, and U.S. history, but it also includes larger collections, eText and eBook repositories, and a short list of directories to help you continue your research efforts." This list is a real keeper.

Dash for Splash…Consent of the Governed explains a great program for high school age students at MIT with a reasonable enrollment fee of $30. Sounds like a deal to me. Kids fly in from all parts of the country…Check it out!

Larry Ferlazzo submits an amazing web tool that can create a web tour.

The Student Help Forum provides essential software for students. I took a look at these and noticed two or three that could help me.

Teaching…Content and Strategies

“For some subjects, the best way to teach them is to actually do them. Health is one of those subjects. As useful as it is to learn about healthy practices, it’s much more useful to actually participate in healthy practices.” Homeschooling Journey gives us 10 real life ways to teach health.

Edo Period art, Japanese words on the subject of eating, and early modern Japan….You can't teach a four-year-old that.

Matt-a-matical Thinking has discovered the solution to our math woes! It’s Small Math. Matt says he’s just being snarky, but he may really have uncovered some truths.

Those truths continue to hold water as Mister Teacher of Learn Me Good fame asks, “Does this make "cents" to you?”

Due to my experience with fractions I can understand Denise’s statement, “Fractions are a filter, separating the math haves from the luckless have nots.” Take her quiz and then leave her a comment at Let’s Play Math.

From Dy/Dan…”It's called Information Design and I'm pretty sure it is the mathematical skill most lacking in our high school graduates”….and what about that The Red Dot?

How do you teach students to show instead of tell as they write. Californiateacherguy shows how writing instruction can be an instructional struggle…. inspiration vs. prespiration

Michael Umphrey states, “Why do cowboys sing? We’re here. We have voices. It’s our world, too. For a long time the impact of communications technologies on culture tended to be alienating. Now, anyone can have access to a sophisticated recording studio. Anyone can publish his or her writing for free. Anyone can have movie editing software with many of the capabilities of the big studios. Teachers who are playing heads up ball see this as a huge opportunity.” Click through and read the remainder of his essay that asks and answer the question…Why use technology in the English classroom?

In honor of History Is Elementary hosting the carnival Book Mark decided to offer us a recent event in her classroom where history knowledge collided with Language Arts. In Vermeulenblog’s words “sad, but fun”.

Sharpbrains gives us a selection of brain teasers on attention, memory, and logic.

Can you have your cake and eat it too? Jose Vilson has explained the workshop model by giving us a scenario.

School Culture and Community

Successful Teaching reminds us all who the two most important people are on any school campus.

Darren from Right on the Left Coast says, “Why would you make a law that's very bad for most people, just to protect a small number of students for whom lack of this law might be a problem?” He’s discussing "the pill" at middle school.

There has been much discussion regarding healthy food choices for our students at school. Joanne Jacobs provides "Healthy Food" Can't Compete and show some school consumers are glad they have a choice….for now.

Dave Saba provides his take regarding the AP article on sexual misconduct plaguing schools.

Have you heard about California’s SB777? Homeschool 2.0 explains a little from all sides regarding the Student Civil Rights Act.

Isn’t it a powerful slam dunk if the mayor in your city or town is sending his/her children to private schools? Going to the Mat writes about Michelle Rhees next big challenge.

Just in!….Your education level can determine the severity of Alzheimers. The Education Wonks explains with Alzheimers and Education: The Bad and the Worse

Striking Teachers

Did you know Israeli teachers are striking? Shiloh Musings explain what Israeli teachers want.

Me-ander also discusses the Israeli strike with Being Nice

Columbus Education Association is taking a look back at a strike in their local’s history with Voices From 1975: The Strike, Part 2

Perhaps striking teachers could pick up some techniques for negotiating from How to Negotiate the Best Salary and Benefit Packages.

That College Life

What are your options if you can’t save enough to meet that college tuition bill? Moolanomy has 7 ways to get a college degree for less.

History Geek over at And Gladly Wolde (S)He Lerne discusses why prerequisites are important.

Is college really necessary? Ken Nubo states, “College kids are worthless.”

Ivy League dreams? Make them a reality. Although you may not be able to physically commute to an Ivy League campus, that shouldn’t keep you from "attending" classes at an Ivy League university.

Matthew K. Tabor, in a multi-part posting, analyzes ten stupid ways to ruin your college application.

With at least five different colleges announcing enrollments of fifty thousand plus Campus Grotto asks, “Will colleges limit enrollment in the future?”

Great College Advice provides the upside regarding state standardized tests.

The next time you see a young lady or even a young man dreamily wishing she was a fashion magazine intern point her towards this post from Career Advice because in reality it’s a tough job.

And finally: This, like nearly all of our journeys around the EduSphere, has been both enjoyable and informative. We continue to thank all the contributors whose submissions make the midway's continuing success possible, the folks who give of their time to help spread the word, and the readers who continue to make it A Free Exchange of Thoughts and Ideas.

If you are visiting via a carnival link you can locate the main page and other postings from History Is Elementary here.

Wordless 45

What is significant about this doorway?

See more wordless images here

Last week’s explanation can be found here

Digging For the Truth: Who Built Great Zimbabwe?

As early as the 1500s Portuguese writers passed along tales of a great stone complex located far inland on the African continent. One writer in particular, Joao de Barros, a Portuguese historian, referred to the stone complex as Axum, the fabled city of the Queen of Sheba. Other writers theorized the complex was Ophir, which is said to be the place where the Queen of Sheba acquired the gold for Solomon’s Temple. Unfortunately in the 19th century archeologists were more concerned with ignoring evidence and rewriting history to fit their own racial views.

Adam Renders, an American-born German hunter and explorer found the stone remains in 1867. He found structures built with granite slabs that fit so tightly together that there was no need for mortar.

In 1871, Carl Mauch, a German geologist, hypothesized that a section of the complex other archeologist refer to as the Great Enclosure was built especially for the queen.

Many of these 19th century archeologists found it difficult to admit Africans themselves had the know how to build such an intricate set of structures. Adam Renders stated Great Zimbabwe “could never have been built by blacks”. Cecil Rhodes, the architect of British imperialism, visited the site in the 1890s where he advised Bantu chiefs that he had come to see “the ancient temple that once upon a time belonged to white men.”

Theodore Bent, who was hired by Rhodes to work the Great Zimbabwe site thought the complex had been built by “a northern race coming from Arabia…” He was referring to the Phoenicians or Egyptians.

White explorers and archeologists continued to believe and promote the dribble even when there was clear evidence that local people had inhabited the complex for some time. There were no artifacts found that would have given evidence to whites building or living at the complex. Artifacts that were found included pottery relics, bronze and copper spearheads, adzes, axes, and tools for working with gold, and they all pointed to the Bantu people.

Finally, in 1906, David Randall MacIver began to see the light. He stated the complex was “unquestionable African in every detail” describing mud dwellings belonging to a period “which is fixed by foreign imports as, in general, medieval.” His findings did not sit well with British Imperialist who basically banned further archeological study of the site for approximately twenty-five years.

Gertrude Caton-Thompson, another British archeologist, identified Chinese and Persian artifacts on site as imports dating from the 1300s to the 1500s. She also found large numbers of articles produced locally by excavating down to the bedrock. She found evidence of Africans living at the site through each layer of earth and published her findings in her book The Zimbabwe Culture: Ruins & Reactions (1931). She based her work on the found artifacts, the dwellings themselves, and the oral traditions of the people living in the area at the time.

Once myths take hold, however, they are hard to eradicate. In the 1960s, Ian Smith controlled a minority white government that broke away and became Southern Rhodesia. The falsification of Great Zimbabwe continued. Guidebooks were printed that showed tribal leaders bowing low to Europeans. Visitors were led to believe Great Zimbabwe was built by Europeans. Rumors continued that Great Zimbabwe was built and maintained by foreigners continued until Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980.

Radiocarbon dating in the 1960s shows The Great Zimbabwe is not ancient, but there is no evidence that is was built or inhabited by white men. An accepted view today is the complex was built by the Shona who are the ancestors of the Bantu people.

References consulted for this post include Great Zimbabwe by Peter Gazlake (1973) and The Atlas of Holy Places and Sacred Sites by C. Wilson (1996)

What's In a Name?

One of the great things about serving on a textbook adoption committee is you get to review and usually keep several editions of various textbooks that can become valuable resources.

It’s always interesting to see how the different publishing companies treat certain events. Today my interest is drawn to Giovanni Cabato, or John Cabot.

Houghton Mifflin’s Social Studies provides a three page discussion of Christopher Columbus and the Columbian Exchange. The text then launches into the expeditions of Pedro Alvarez Cabral (1500), Amerigo Vespucci (1499), Vasco Nunez de Balboa (1501), and Ferdinand Magellan (1519) and mentions the map created by Martin Waldseemuller in 1507 (the map pictured with this post) that is credited with using the word America for this first time. Explorer Amerigo Vespucci is the usual choice to explain where the word America came from, right?

Scott Foresman’s Building a Nation also provides three pages to Christopher Columbus and includes the Columbian Exchange. Some of the same explorers are mentioned above as well. Harcourt’s Horizons, however, is the only textbook reviewed by my committee that mentions the explorer Cabato. The text in Harcourt’s book states, “In 1497, the king of England paid an Italian sailor named Giovanni Cabato to lead an expedition….”
How sad…..students in school systems across the nation who are using Houghton Mifflin (my school system) or Scott Foresman’s book and elementary teachers who have more background in math, language arts, or science are loosing out on a great accomplishment and very interesting story.

One of the activities I often provided in my classroom is to allow students to peruse various texts and look for the inclusion of the name Giovanni Cabato. It’s a great way to prove to students that textbooks are a great tool for learning, but they aren’t the only tool.

Sometimes…..we (meaning students and teachers) have to get out of the book for the rest of the story. Cabato’s story gives us that opportunity and provided me with the details behind my wordless image this week.

Cabato’s expedition set a course that was much further north than Columbus, and most sources agree that he reached what we refer to today as Newfoundland. Like Columbus, Cabato was certain he had reached Cathay (referring to East Asia/China) and returned to England telling tales of the fish that could be simply scooped up by the bucketfuls.

Now….getting back to the wordless image. It is a coat of arms belonging to one Richard Ameryk (also spelled Amerike) of Long Ashton and Bristol, England. He was a merchant, served three times as the King’s Customs Officer, and served as the sheriff of Bristol in 1497. There is documentation that Ameryk was involved in paying Cabato his pension as the seaman following his receipt of a letter of authority from King Henry VII directing Cabato to set sail and claim lands for the crown. Ameryk may have been involved with the building of Cabato’s ship, the Matthew as well.

It is a common argument today (and a rather fun one) that America was not named for Amerigo Vespucci, but was actually named for Richard Ameryk in recognition for the help he gave to Cabato. A book by Sam Llewellyn titled Small Parts in History mentions a calendar found in the city of Bristol for the year 1497 and it mentions America by name. This would be two years before Vespucci ever set sail for the New World and ten years before Waldseemuller’s map.

Many state the story lacks real hard evidence, however, Rodney Broome’s books titled Terra Incognita (2001) and The Briton America Is Named For (2002) are interesting reads for further details.

I love this story simply because it doesn’t matter which theory you agree with because every point of proof seems to have a point that counters the information. This provides a terrific opportunity for students. They love puzzles and they love detective work. In the past I’ve given students the basics of the story, provided a few bookmarked weblinks and asked them to find out as much as they can in teams. Once they have collected the information they analyze and discuss the facts to come up with a position regarding who America was named for. The position and the facts they use to support it become the basis for a position paper.

Testing a Foundation of Knowledge

There is a large amount of information to transfer to young brains during our look at exploration. Students must be given a point of focus regarding the state of Europe, Africa, and Asia in the 1400s to understand the motivation behind exploration, and they must keep track of four different countries---Portugal, Spain, France, and England---regarding various expeditions. Who sailed? Why did they sail? What were their accomplishments? How did the new knowledge that was gathered change various relationships between countries? How did the arrival of Europeans change the lives of Native Americans?

Suddenly my elementary students find themselves exposed to a bit of world history and are attempting to pronounce words such as Renaissance, place names like Constantinople and Songhai and over twenty-five various names like Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca.

We have fun with the content by mapping various journeys and playing matching games with names of explorers and their accomplishments. We explore online, watch videos to gain visual images, I provide students with opportunities to uncover content independently, and I get to tell a few great stories as well. However, the bottom line that lurks behind the scene is six months from now my young students will be judged on how well they know the content and I will be judged on how well I teach based on the state test. Students must recall the hit parade of explorers, their accomplishments, and the details regarding country interaction from the 1400s through the 1600s by answering approximately 60 multiple-choice questions spanning exploration content as well as details learned about ancient Native Americans and historical events during the 1700s to the mid-1800s.

Should a nine year old student be required to recall this sort of information several months later? Is this really developmentally appropriate for the majority of students?

In my own experience I feel a large section of my students are are too immature and lack any sort of foundational knowledge to connect with the standards I teach as preparation for the type of test the state gives. At fourth grade educators and parents are still dealing with many students who have difficulty reading the textbook because the text tends to be a year or two above the actual grade level, and students lack knowledge regarding textbook construction. Many of my students are still struggling with mastering math facts and spelling patterns. Is it really realistic thinking that a great number of my students can also recall historical minutiae when taking a multiple choice test as I have described six months after the fact?

The content I teach as well as the content that is taught in the fifth grade is intended to be foundational knowledge. Any builder who really cares about the integrity of their creation would never test the building’s foundation without making sure a firm foundation existed. I love the way the state of Georgia introduces American History to students in fourth and fifth grade, and don’t want to change that. What I would like to see is a state test where students use the historical content to show they have mastered key Social Studies skills.

Examples of released questions can be seen here and here.

Rather than judging little Bobby or Sue by giving them a description of a an explorer and his accomplishments and asking him/her to choose the correct name from a field of four choices I feel it would be much more reasonable and appropriate at the fourth grade level to focus on skills rather than content memorization. For example, I would love to see several test questions centered around a matrix chart that contains information concerning explorers. Information would include from what country they sailed for, what country they hailed from, their goal, problems they encountered, and accomplishments. Questions would ask the student to locate information on the chart and make analytical decisions based on comparing and contrasting bits of information.

I would also like to see maps on the state test where students are asked questions concerning various voyages including route and general direction. Timelines would be appropriate, as well, especially parallel time lines regarding the exploration efforts of Spain, France, and England. Even various questions involving key vocabulary would be appropriate such as “An expedition is-----“.

While these types of questions do appear now and then on the test they are woefully presented in small numbers, and it is clear I'm not alone in thinking Georgi'a state test needs more work. Questions that require students to remember relatively small details in the scheme of things still abound though in great numbers and they result in a poor judgement regarding what my students really know and understand concerning knowledge that serves as a foundation for Social Studies.

A related post---The Realities of Testing

Wordless 44

What is this and how does it fit into the history of the United States?....or does it?

Last week's explanation can be found here.

Find other Wordless images here.

Thanks for participating. You can find the explantion for this image here.

Week Ending Odds and Ends and a Reading Assignment

This week’s wordless image was correctly identified by GriftDrift as Lyndhurst Mansion. The home was designed in 1838 by Alexander Jackson Davis and was owned by former New York City mayor William Paulding, George Merritt, and railroad tycoon Jay Gould. In the early sixties the home was turned over to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

I mentioned in my wordless post the home had a dark past. The past stems from the fact it was used as a location shoot for the theatrical films House of Dark Shadows (1970) and Night of Dark Shadows (1971). You notice it in the credits seen below:




In case you want a reminder regarding the old Dark Shadows show that was seen each weekday afternoon during the early 60s here is the opening and closing trailer.



and now to your reading assignment….

The 20th Georgia Carnival, the Carnival of Education, and the Homeschooling Carnival are up for your reading pleasure. Enjoy!