Unsung Women Who Made History

Civilrightsteaching.org has put together a teaching resource for Women's History Month. In this lesson you can find information on women often left out of textbooks and conversations on prominent Civil Rights champions. Check out the resource here,
http://civilrightsteaching.org/about/handouts-sample-lessons/womens-work-an-untold-story-of-the-civil-rights-movement/

My social studies methods students and I recently went through the lesson, by holding a "meet and greet" featuring select women. I was Jo Ann Robinson, the facilitator of the "meet and greet". After the meet and greet, the students broke into small groups and recorded VoiceThread* conversations between select women who worked for social justice. Their conversations are linked below.

https://voicethread.com/share/5658978/

https://voicethread.com/share/5659057/

https://voicethread.com/?#q.b5659201.i28870822

https://voicethread.com/?#q.b5658984.i28869782

https://voicethread.com/?#q.b5659172.i28870645

*A VoiceThread account may be required to listen.

Studies in Multicultural Education

Students in my Studies in Multicultural Education course have been reading White Teachers/Diverse Classrooms by Landsman and Lewis. This text provides in depth discussion on how the social construction of race influences classroom practice. Recognizing that race is not the only social category which presents in classrooms, the students were charged with reflecting, researching, and then writing about another aspect or combination of aspects of social identity they experience in their classrooms or have in interest in learning more about. The following comments to this post include some of the highlights they have discovered.

The Institutionalization of Racism

For the past two semesters my students have explored the construction of race in the United States. They read the second chapter from A Young People's History of the United States adapted by Rebecca Stefoff and used that information to answer questions from a lesson I adapt from Deborah Menkart "The Institutionalization of Racism". The version of the lesson I used can be found in Beyond Heroes and Holidays. Here are some pictorial responses (via Google Docs) to questions asked based on the readings.

1. During what century was racism institutionalized in the United States?

https://docs.google.com/a/uni.edu/file/d/0B-1itcVTg1EuRWhFSGw2bXhYbHkyTjVabFg1ZUZpRWxLaUM0/edit

2. What evidence is there that Whites are not born racist?

https://docs.google.com/a/uni.edu/file/d/0B-1itcVTg1EuZ25zOThvSWc5TndQSlpFTEI1cVlLbEVvU3Iw/edit

3. What incentives were given to teach Whites to separate from Blacks?

 https://docs.google.com/a/uni.edu/file/d/0B-1itcVTg1EubF9md3o0Yk01Yk9xUW1sMmdGUGFYNlRuOWpj/edit

4. Why was racism promoted? Who benefited and who lost?

https://docs.google.com/a/uni.edu/file/d/0B-1itcVTg1EuX2lXVWJ4M3U0SXR2WEJ3QWY3Wkxrc0xBTHVN/edit

They also discussed and visually displayed the methods used today to divide people by race and the fear of colonial and today's elites in certain groups (indentured servants, slaves, Natives, etc...) uniting.

https://docs.google.com/a/uni.edu/file/d/0B-1itcVTg1EuWGd1VEpMQjVCbG9xZ1pWVHRXYndsOFZwTHFn/edit

Forget the Cards and Candy, Teach Empathy for Valentine's Day

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/valentines-day-learning-resources-empathy-matt-davis

Senate vs. House of Representatives

Do you know the first African American elected to the United States' Senate? What about the House of Representatives? Check out a select VoiceThread* created by students from my fall social studies methods course to learn about Senator Hiram Revels, Representative Joseph Rainey, and the role of Congress.


http://voicethread.com/share/4954102/

Source:http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6708/

Source: http://www.picturehistory.com/product/id/11111

*A VoiceThread (www.voicetread.com) account may be needed to access the thread.

Happy Birthday Rosa Parks!

Here is a link for resources on a woman who sat, stood, and fought for social justice.
http://zinnedproject.org/tag/rosa-parks/

Reframing Our Views of Native Americans and How we Teach the Thanksgiving Narrative

During the fall semester, my undergraduate social studies students worked together to put together some information for expanding their knowledge of Native Americans and to reframe how they view the Thanksgiving narrative. After critique from some of their colleagues in other courses, they put together this presentation of information to share with you at the following link.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1gzNtqHIDdLm-FZjOwcj9SAmRiSFMDEzPe2mTIGmXx_Q/edit?usp=sharing