Supreme Court Nomination
Posted on 26 May 2009 | No responses
Hopefully today you were able to find a minute to discuss the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. As a political science major, I never miss an opportunity to talk about government (even if we were studying Greek art and architecture today!). If confirmed, Sotomayor would be the first Hispanic and third woman to serve our country in this role. The nomination is a perfect time to discuss or review the confirmation process and the major issues that will be debated over the coming weeks. I have compiled a few resources for classroom activities that could range from a brief overview to a multi-class examination of this topic.
For a collection of consistently updated news articles check out:
- The New York Times Supreme Court Topics Page
- CNN In-Depth Coverage Page
- The News Hour with Jim Lehrer (also be sure to check out their suggestions for using these articles in class on the right hand column)
For some lesson plans check out resources from the New York Times and PBS.
- A Supreme Struggle: Examining the Ramifications of a Supreme Court Justice Nomination Battle on the Republican Party (New York Times)
- The Supremes: Examining the Current Supreme Court (New York Times)
- Senate Judiciary Committee Confirmation Simulation (PBS)
The Supreme Court also maintains their own website.
Finally, I love a good crossword puzzle. Check out the New York Times crossword titled The American Judicial System.
As if there wasn’t enough to talk about in the final weeks of school!
Walk Like an Egyptian
Posted on 25 May 2009 | No responses
While many of our students were not around when the Bangles were still popular (it’s even before my time …) students studying Egyptian history will still get a kick out of this comic.
http://www.gocomics.com/nonsequitur/2009/05/22/
Also from Non Sequitur, this could be included around the time that you discuss Egyptian art or if it’s just time for a laugh.
Ancient China and Dunkin’ Donuts?
Posted on 22 May 2009 | No responses
If you happen to be inside this Memorial Day weekend, keep your eye out for a Dunkin’ Donuts iced coffee commercial with an ancient China reference. In this advertisement, a father and son are at the beach and looking for an empty space to make a sandcastle. As they are walking along, trying to find a place to work, they pass a person who is constructing a replica of a few of Shi Huangdi’s Terra Cotta Soldiers in a sand pit. I just finished my ancient China unit and I had students look for it when they were watching television. Many were excited that they got the reference! It’s just another example of history in pop culture.
Cave Art Comics
Posted on 20 May 2009 | No responses
I love it when there are history references in pop culture. It’s another opportunity to show my students that the content that we are talking about in our class is relevant in their lives. Adolescents like to be “in on the joke” and often understanding history allows students to understand references in our media.
Check out an example that I found a few weeks ago from the comic Non Sequitur:
http://www.gocomics.com/nonsequitur/2009/04/22/
I can’t wait to use this image the next time I teach the Paleolithic and Neolithic Ages. After we have studied the characteristics of cave art and the theories of its purposes, this is a nice discussion piece on the viewpoint of the artist and how he interprets our prehistoric past and uses it as a commentary on our present.
While I want them to “get the joke,” I also want them to be critical consumers of the media. There are some historical inaccuracies in the image. For a discussion on cave art, I would focus on the portrayal of people in the images, which was very uncommon. This piece could also serve as a formative assessment to see if students remember and can apply the characteristics of cave art to a novel situation.
You can’t use this cartoon without a discussion on the modern problems it addresses. It is also a good segue for a teachable moment about the problems in the newspaper industry and the economic issues facing our country today.
Welcome!
Posted on 19 May 2009 | No responses
As I come to the end of my first year teaching, I have discovered one key characteristic that separates the veteran teachers from those just out of college. Veteran teachers have files full of great readings, stacks of previewed movies and a collection of slideshows filled with carefully selected images. The new teacher has a textbook, readings he or she collected in an education program and whatever materials colleagues are willing to share. This past year, I have dedicated a significant amount of my times just researching potential materials to be used in the classroom.
Throughout this process I have found that a textbook is a starting point, but that it only provides a single narrative of the past. I want to show my students that history is a vibrant and relevant field to study. To achieve this goal I need to have movie clips, newspaper articles, good websites and images (to name a few) to spark a discussion or spur student interest. However, knowing I need these resources and having the materials in hand are two different situations!
I often thought how wonderful it would be if there was a place that compiled these resources. Then, when I was looking for a great news article on ancient Egypt, I could search this database. I hope that this blog will become a starting point for this type of reference and a place for educators to both locate materials and discuss instructional strategies.
To achieve this goal, I will write primarily about different resources that can be used in the social studies classroom. I will post both about pieces that I have used and those that I have found and I think could be potentially integrated into a lesson plan. I also want to encourage comments or ideas if you have materials to share. I will compile these and share your ideas in the blog.
Thanks for reading and I hope this is a useful resource for all involved!