{"id":33,"date":"2012-08-25T08:47:16","date_gmt":"2012-08-25T15:47:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/windowonyourpast.com\/site\/?page_id=33"},"modified":"2013-08-20T12:09:04","modified_gmt":"2013-08-20T19:09:04","slug":"education","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/windowonyourpast.com\/site\/education\/","title":{"rendered":"Educational Resources"},"content":{"rendered":"

To engage students educators must endeavor to capture World and United States history through a local lens. \u00a0This usually requires local historic resources be available for teachers to use or the teacher must find them for themselves. \u00a0It is up to the teacher to then adapt these resources to their students’ level and create “hands on, minds on” activities.<\/strong> \u00a0Many resources can be found in the links below. \u00a0An even richer learning experience occurs when the student is\u00a0actively\u00a0engaged as both researcher and teacher. \u00a0This website features the local lens applied from Massachusetts to Arizona, but the applications are often universal.<\/p>\n

One message from using individual biographies in the classroom comes through loud and clear–ONE DOES NOT NEED TO BE A VICTIM OF CIRCUMSTANCE. Teenagers have the power to take charge of their character and the decisions they make. \u00a0By these choices, they affect others’ lives and therefore MAKE HISTORY.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

TEACHING HISTORY THROUGH A LOCAL LENS<\/span><\/p>\n

Digging for Culture Unit<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/span> focused on the French Huguenot Fort, Oxford, Massachusetts\"1989<\/a><\/p>\n

1984 Oxford, MA Huguenot Sites<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1913 Oxford, MA Bicentennial Program excerpt for classroom<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Inspired by participation in the 1986 Old Sturbridge Village Archaeological Field School and a presentation by Neill DePaoli at the 1987 Northeast Regional Conference in the Social Studies, Moran decided to write this unit through the Horace Mann Grant Program. \u00a0It was a reaction to losing her regular classroom position and being re-posted to Project C.O.F.F.E.E, an alternative classroom with the Oxford Public Schools. \u00a0Although adapted for alternative classroom, Moran was able to take seven students to visit an active archaeological dig to expose them to the wonders of finding clues from the past. \u00a0While unable to actively participate at the time, these building trade students created an information sign for the Huguenot Fort site.<\/p>\n

The key to units and lessons like this one is it can be adapted to other communities if teachers are willing to connect with their local historical society, library and other local community resources.<\/p>\n

Why is Auburn, Massachusetts’ Main Street a Dead End?<\/strong> <\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/a>
\n<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

HISTORY IS A MYSTERY THAT STUDENTS CAN SOLVE WHEN GIVEN GUIDANCE AND TOOLS. This student generated query led to an exciting student led search within the community and archives for the answer by planning a strategy, dividing the tasks and then creating posters, models and a video about their findings. \u00a0A side question was why the Roman Catholic Church was founded so late compared to the Protestant churches? \u00a0\u00a0Auburn map<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

History Begins With People Like US <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Every community has female voices that can introduce key concepts in American history and empower today’s students to become participatory citizens. INDIVIDUALS MAKE HISTORY!<\/p>\n

Finding Women in Business in Your Community<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Nantucket had a Petticoat Row and Worcester had Edna Smith Tyler, the first female public stenographer and business school owner in Central Massachusetts. \u00a0HELP STUDENTS DISCOVER THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF WOMEN IN YOUR COMMUNITY!<\/p>\n

Connecting Students to the Women of the Black Worcester Community<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

A variety of different \u00a0ethnic groups can be found in every American community, but finding evidence of their stories is not always easy for classroom teachers.<\/p>\n

“More Than a Picture on the Wall” <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/a>Resource List for Portraits in Mechanics Hall,<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/span> Worcester, Massachusetts<\/p>\n

This list and “We’re Still Hanging Around”<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0<\/a>site for the Worcester Women’s History Project is a model for any town where portraits of women (and men) are found. \u00a0It is an excellent way to bring local history to life and encourage students to do primary source research.<\/p>\n

Taking Stock\u00a0: Capitalism in a Democratic Nation<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"Bankers\"<\/a>
Easy credit at the Bank until loans come due<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Imagine being paid wages for your homework! \u00a0Will you use this money to become a capitalist? \u00a0Many opportunities arise during this economic unit woven throughout the social studies curriculum as America rebuilds after the Civil War. \u00a0Students gain insight into their personal choices, vocabulary and understanding of historic events while forming a corporation, dealing with labor versus management struggles and the temptations of easy credit before the 1929 stock market crash.<\/p>\n

\"Stock<\/a>
Friendly Stock Broker offers an opportunity to take a risk.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Student comments from 1997 eighth graders:<\/p>\n

“I seized the opportunity…[and] did not have to buy on margin. \u00a0I still have $760 after paying my debts. \u00a0I learned not to be so greedy.”<\/p>\n

“I bought on margin. \u00a0I have no money and am unemployed. \u00a0I learned not to buy when price goes up. \u00a0They foreclosed on my desk so I am homeless, too.” \u00a0Luckily, this student was “hired” by one of the “rich” students who chose to invest her capital in a new company and was able to return to his desk. The class had an interesting discussion on how to solve the problem of a slow economy.<\/p>\n

Student comment several years later: \u00a0“It was the only time I was awake in history class. \u00a0Now I understand why we did it.”<\/p>\n

Industrial Revolution Choosing Work:<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/a> Job Application Skills Then and Now<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"1855<\/a>Auburn, Massachusetts Women Enter the Public Sphere in 19th Century<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

This unit was created as part of “Opening Your Classroom Window to 19th Century America” to serve as a resource for Auburn educators and a model for finding historic women in other communities to use as a local lens to teach American history.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0Memory Weaving Interdisciplinary Unit: \u00a0Hand’s-On Industrial Revolution, 1991 Auburn Middle School<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"1991<\/a><\/p>\n

Helping bring the Industrial Revolution into our students’ lives was greatly helped by visiting The Lowell Industrial National Park<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/span> and participating in Lowell Industrial Learning Experiences both in and out of the classroom from 1989-2005. \u00a0By having all of the classroom disciplines involved in connecting the experiences to their curriculum, students were able to experience a wide variety of historic events that help them become more aware of their society and work experience.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Advocates of woman’s rights, abolition, temperance and more at Women 2000.
Click for details.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

19th CENTURY \u00a0REFORM MOVEMENTS<\/span><\/p>\n

The Worcester Women\u2019s History Project <\/a><\/strong>(WWHP) is a nonprofit all-volunteer educational organization dedicated to celebrating and documenting the contribution of women to the history, social fabric and culture of Worcester and beyond.\u00a0 Worcester was the site of the first National Woman\u2019s Rights Convention in 1850 and home to Abby Kelley Foster, radical abolitionist and women\u2019s rights activist. \u00a0The following lessons were created to involve students in opening windows on the past.<\/p>\n

Newspaper in Education: \u201cNotable Women of Worcester County\u201d<\/span><\/strong>
\n<\/a>To mark National Women’s History Month, the Telegram & Gazette Newspaper in Education program in collaboration with the Worcester Women’s History Project presented a series of portraits of notable women.<\/p>\n

\u201cYours for Humanity\u2014Abby\u201d<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong>
\nTeacher resources and a timeline paralleling national events during the life of AbbyKelley Foster will help audiences better understand America during the mid 19th century and Abby\u2019s goals. Pre and post lessons are available in PDF format to help students better understand the issues raised by this play set in 1854. These include primary source documents and critical thinking activities with a Massachusetts History and Social Science Frameworks Menu for grades five through high school.<\/p>\n

“Angels & Infidels” curriculum packet<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/span>
\nPre and post curricular materials designed to support this dramatic presentation of the first National Woman\u2019s Rights Convention by Louisa Burns-Bisogno features related convention materials, an 1850 railway map, an 1851 map of Worcester\u2019s Main Street, biographical information on several hard-to-find personalities who attended this historic event in 1850: Sarah H. Earle, Rev. John B. Forman, and Abby Hills Price, and lesson ideas for the portraits at Mechanics Hall. \u00a0The following materials may also be used with the classroom script\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cWindow on the Past: Revisiting the First National Woman\u2019s Rights Convention\u201d (2000).<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

1850 Members of the first National Woman’s Rights Convention<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong>, October 23-24, 1850. \u00a0The following have individual biographical information found by and for reenactors portrayed in “Angels & Infidels”.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
\n<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n