Lies Reflection

1) How can I best discuss truth and perspective with my students?
It is important to understand these things in order to become a functioning adult. You have to understand that people will have other perspective than you. I will teach my students about truth and perspective and be straight forward with them. I will try to relay the times when I have a bias and help them understand others' viewpoints.

2)How can I make history interesting and memorable?
You can make history incredibly active and get students involved in the fact that they are studying their own history. Bring in projects. Just like experiments make science more exciting, activities and projects will spice up history.

3)How will I, as a history teacher, employ the five questions presented by Loewen in the afterword?
I think it is important not only for me to use these questions to make sure the resources I'm using are accurate and unbiased, but also for me to teach my students to ask these questions. In the 5th grade standards, it says that students must develop the ability to identify various methods used by historians to learn about the past. These questions play a huge role in the development of that skill. In 5th grade you are also required to learn how to analyze, organize, and interpret information. Asking yourself these questions directly correlates to being able to do this.

How and why will I avoid "lying" to my students?
I will avoid lying by doing my research, understanding all sides to an issue, and presenting pure fact. This will not be easy. There are many things in history that I take sides on. Some of these issues appear to have a definite good and bad side (the holocaust). I must make a daily effort to show the students truth through fact. However I believe in teaching acceptance and peace. Events like the holocaust should never happen again. There will be moments where I will take sides and teach to that. I need to make sure that the place I'm coming from is one the benefits the students.

Children's Literature Analysis - Reading to Children

Title: The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses
Author: Paul Goble
Illustrator: Paul Goble
Copyright Date: 1993
Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks
Summary: This is the story of a Native American girl who loves horses. During a storm, she is carried off by the frightened horses and starts a new life living with a band of wild horses. She returns home but finds that being with the horses is what truly makes her happy. She returns to the wild horses and lives the rest of her life with them.
Keywords:
-Myth, folktale
-Native American Fiction
-Horses
Children’s Reactions:
I read this story to my second grade class during our read-aloud time. In our classroom, we use our read-aloud time to read books about Social Studies and History. We often read about other cultures and places. My students had some difficulty understanding this book. At the end of story, the book hints that the girl turns into a horse. This is the area my students had the most trouble with. We discussed what a folktale is (they have only had a little experience with these) and I had them sequence the story for me. In the future, I would build additional background with the students before reading the story. Despite the students having a difficult time pulling what they learned out of the book, they expressed how much they enjoyed it. They loved the uniqueness of the illustrations. They all seemed to relate to the girl and the idea of liking horses.
Teaching Suggestions:
This book is at a reading level that is most appropriate for a 3rd grade class. However, it ties in best with the Boise School District standards for 2nd and /or 4th grade. Background information is needed before reading this story to a 2nd grade class. Having them practice sequencing and retell the story will help them further understand it.
Citation: Goble, Paul,The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses, 1993, Aladdin Paperbacks

Community Engagement and Field Trips

Basque Museum:
The Basque Museum and the Basque block have a lot to offer a field trip. Students can tour the museum and visit the boarding house. Before going on a field trip to the Basque block you can rent a educational trunk from the museum. This trunk includes 5 lessons about different aspects of the Basque culture. This allows you to build the student's knowledge and prepare them for a field trip. The field trip can be tied into many social studies and history standards. It would be a fantastic trip to expand 4th grader's knowledge about Idaho History. But you could also tie it in with immigration studies. Afterwards you could have students write from the perspective a basque person moving to America and Idaho.
http://www.basquemuseum.com/default.asp
Anne Frank Memorial:
The Anne Frank Memorial is a fantastic place for children to visit. The Idaho Human Rights education center has several lesson plans you can choose from to build your student's prior knowledge before visiting the site. Not only can you tie a visit to the Anne Frank Memorial into history but you can use to teach diversity and the importance of acceptance of other's differences.
http://idaho-humanrights.org/

Iroquois Indian Tribe History - CRAAP Evaluation

Currency: The timeliness of the information
Is the information (while perhaps historic) current or out-of-date? Has it been revised or updated?
Somewhat Current: 2
A large website like this has people to work on keeping its pages current. The copyright at the bottom of the page goes from 1999-2011. I hope that the information has been checked since 1999. The one thing that bothers me is that the bottom of the passage says Handbook of American Indians, 1906. I worry that this is where they pulled the information from, if that is correct, I'm not sure I would consider the information current.
Relevance: The importance of the information for your needs.
Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question? Is the information at an appropriate level?
Somewhat Relevant: 2
The information is not age appropriate for elementary school students. And while it relates to some questions about the Iroquois it seems to leave out some key information and is too concise. Once again I question the italicized phrase at the bottom of the page that references 1906. This information does not mention anything current about the Iroquois. I understand that this information only discusses bloodlines and it is very detailed. You would have to find other sites to learn about the Iroquois tribes past their bloodlines.
Authority: The source of the information
What are the author’s qualifications to write on the topic?
Authoritative: 3
Access Genealogy has the resources and man power to do the research to provide accurate data so I don't doubt that they are an authority on the matter. However it appears that all the information is from the 1906 handbook which may no longer be consider an authority on the subject.
Accuracy: The reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the informational content.
Where does the information come from? Is the information supported by evidence? Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
Somewhat Accurate: 2
I'm sure the information is accurate. Accurate for 1906 though. The bloodlines for the Iroquois continued after 1906 and the information should as well.
Purpose: The reason the information was published
Is the information fact, opinion or propaganda? Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?
Somewhat Appropriate Purpose: 2
While the website seems to follow its purpose, the information was written in 1906. It was written in the sensibilities of the time period.

Native American Housing - CRAAP Evaluation

Currency: The timeliness of the information
Is the information (while perhaps historic) current or out-of-date? Has it been revised or updated?
Not Current: 1
While much of the information seems current based on what I know of Native American housing, the website does not list update or revision dates. Many of the links would not open or could no longer be found. We also have no idea when this information was first published as I cannot locate an origination date for the website. So for that reason, despite it being historically based, I did not find that the website could be deemed current.
Relevance: The importance of the information for your needs.
Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question? Is the information at an appropriate level?
Somewhat Relevant: 2
The information seems to be historically accurate. However, I would not feel comfortable using this as a reference on a research paper. The website is a good jumping off point. It gives you a place to start and from there you can further research your topic. The information is written in a way that older elementary age students would understand the text they are reading.
Authority: The source of the information
What are the author’s qualifications to write on the topic?
Not Authoritative: 1
The website is maintained by Dee Finney and lists an email for this person. Other than that it lists no credentials or qualifications. Some of the sites it lists are accredited organizations that specialize in Native American studies but some of the other sites are lacking in any sort of proof of qualifications to write on the subject.
Accuracy: The reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the informational content.
Where does the information come from? Is the information supported by evidence? Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
Somewhat Accurate: 2
The website seems to follow what the fifth grade social studies book for the Boise School District has to say on the subject. But once again I'm unable to locate any references or reviews for the website. The website does not reveal where it found the information or whether it is supported by any evidence or research.
Purpose: The reason the information was published
Is the information fact, opinion or propaganda? Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?
Appropriate Purpose: 3
The website does not appear to show any bias. It seems to be relaying just the information. The author posts that it is for educational purposes.

Useful Social Studies Websites

http://www.theteachersguide.com/virtualtours.html
The Teacher's Guide is a website that provides a list of virtual tours offered by various different museums and community trips. It offers tours of The Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem, The Sistine Chapel, The Great Wall of China, Gettysburg, and The American Museum of Natural History to name a few. Many times these places can seem so distant and detached from our small town. Having the children do an assignment and work through a virtual tour on a computer can make a unit or lesson more tangible. It provides us with a free experience that can take a lesson to the next level.

http://www.learn360.com/index.aspx
Learn 360 is an educational video database. While there are many websites that stream videos out there, Learn 360 is only focused on educational videos. Just type in a subject in the search bar and it provides you with videos about the subject and the age level that it would be appropriate for. Many of the videos are short so they're fantastic for introducing a lesson, closing a lesson, or expanding on a lesson.

History Through a Child's Eyes

History Through a Child's Eye on Prezi

Literature analysis of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Themes: The Depression, Racism, Race Relations, 1930s American South, African Americans, and Segregation

Summary: Cassie Logan must come face to face with racism and prejudice in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. The only daughter of an African-American family in 1930s Mississippi, she and her 3 brothers must come to grips with the reality of segregation and the inequalities that exist in her community.

Teaching Suggestions: This book can be used with grades 5 to 8. If used in 5^th grade, the book might best be read aloud, as it contains ideas and vocabulary that may be new to students. This book does contain the word nigger on several pages. And while the black characters do address it as a racial slur, it is important to talk with your class about the hate that comes with a word like that. It also talks about the methods with which people would torture or kill an African American person such as lynching, hanging, burning a person alive, and tar and feathering. These are horrible acts of violence and it is best to evaluate your class’ maturity level before assigning this book.

This book shows racism and discrimination through the eyes of children. It brings it to a level that children may more easily relate to. It can easily tie into many social studies subjects. On a national level you could have it accompany lessons about the Great Depression, race relations in the American South, and African American history. Since this book it set in the year 1933, you can tie it in with the beginning of the Nazi’s rise to power in Germany. It is important for children to understand that racism isn’t something that happens in foreign countries but on home soil too. Scholastic BookFiles offers a fantastic series of materials to use with the book, such as guides discussing themes, opinions, author biography, and activity pages (http://www.scholastic.com/kids/homework/pdfs/Roll_of_Thunder.pdf). Please keep in mind that BookFiles is not a critical critique of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and should not be the only resource you use when teaching this book.

Related Idaho Standards:

Grade 5:

· Goal 1.1: Build an understanding of the cultural and social development of the United States. Standard 5.SS.1.1.3 – Identify and explain influential political and cultural groups and their impact on American history.

Grade 6-12:

· Goal 1.1: Build an understanding of the cultural and social development of the United States. Standard 6-12.USH1.1.1.4 - Discuss the causes and effects of various compromises and conflicts in American history such as the American Revolution, Civil War and Reconstruction.

· Goal 4.1: Build an understanding of the foundational principles of the American political system. Standard 6-12.USH1.4.1.3 - Evaluate issues in which fundamental values and principles are in conflict, such as between liberty and equality, individual interests and the common good, and majority rule and minority protections.

· Goal 4.4: Build an understanding of the evolution of democracy. Standard 6-12.USH1.4.4.1 - Describe the role of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, and national origin on the development of individual/political rights.

In Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Mildred D. Taylor shows the hatred that can grow in people but also shows the humanity and the ability to join together both as a family and as a community. Often times it can be difficult for children to understand racism and hatred if they haven’t experienced it. Taylor paints a clear picture of a child’s view of racism and discrimination. It walks through the steps a child might experience when confronting prejudice, the confusion, the brutal awakening, and the idea that it should never be acceptable. Taylor artfully dodges around the idea of demonizing white men, as she shows the good and the ugly side of humanity. Though based on a fictional and somewhat romanticized family, the book maintains historical accuracy. Taylor is almost graceful in her writing, as it does not contain the undertones of “rancor [hatefulness] or bitterness of indignities” (The New York Times Book Review). While the book’s ending is lacking a Disney-esque climatic denouement in which racism is ended and whites and blacks go skipping down the road, it does roll to a comfortable pause leaving the reader wanting more. As Kirkus reviews puts it “the story ends unmelodramatically not far from where it began”. You are left with juxtaposing images of humanity’s ability to come together and its ability to tear apart. You understand that this is merely the enlightenment of Cassie Logan and the beginning of her journey.

Sources:

Taylor, Mildred D., Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, 1976, Dial Books

While I found many sources who quoted the New York Times Book Review, I was unable to find the actual review myself. Scholastic Book Files contains a variety of sited quotes from the New York Times. (http://www.scholastic.com/kids/homework/pdfs/Roll_of_Thunder.pdf )

Kirkus Book Reviews. (n.d.). Kirkus Book Reviews. Retrieved September 13, 2011, from http://web.ebscohost.com.libproxy.boisestate.edu/novelistk8/detail?vid=7&hid=10&sid=3324b996-46a0-4fcb-b9d3-e4c9793032a7%40sessionmgr11&bdata=JnNpdGU9bm92ZWxpc3RrOC1saXZl#db=nnh&UI=080953