The Dead Zone: The 1918 Flu Pandemic

Pandemics are frightful things – a widespread illness that strikes suddenly and virulently, leaving thousands or even millions in its wake. While horrific pandemics like the Black Death are today largely confined to the pages of history books, modern-day pandemics such as cholera, malaria, and AIDS continue to ravage many parts of the world. One of the most terrifying pandemics occurred nearly 100 years ago, towards the end of World War I. The 1918 flu pandemic swept the globe, killing an estimated 50-100 million people worldwide in the span of two and a half years. In the U.S., the flu struck over a quarter of the population; in a single year, the average life expectancy in the U.S. dropped by 12 years.

The 20^th century saw two flu pandemics in addition to the 1918 outbreak. The 1957 and 1968 outbreaks were relatively mild, with the global death toll reaching about 2 million and 1 million, respectively.  In 1918, governments worldwide instituted strict rules to try to prevent the spread of infection. In the U.S., stores were forbidden to hold sales, and face masks were required to be worn in public. Public gatherings such as funerals and weddings were limited to 15 minutes, and those who violated the flu mandates were required to pay heavy fines. Medical supplies and caskets were in short supply, and many communities lacked enough manpower to bury their dead in a timely fashion.  For many people, the horrors of war had been replaced by the even greater horrors of disease. Finally, at the end of 1920, the flu seemed to burn itself out, and life slowly returned to normal.

The 1918 flu pandemic offers rich primary source material for students to investigate; there are many photographs, personal letters, and news accounts online. For younger students, the advent of cold and flu season is a good time to revisit hand washing techniques and lessons on how germs are spread. Older students can explore how viruses work and mutate, and discuss how pandemics affect communities, the economy, and public health policies. This week, I’ve selected three resources on the flu for various grade levels.  I’ll also be featuring several new lessons and resources on this topic each day throughout the week on our Facebook and Twitter pages, so be sure to check those pages regularly.

Let's Learn the Flu FACTS

http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2011-10-10.2852513394

Subjects: Health, Science

Grade: 1-3

In this lesson, students will learn the difference between a cold and the flu, including the symptoms they each present. Students also learn some precautions they can take to avoid getting sick. This lesson was produced by Scholastic, a leading children’s publishing, education, and media company.

Pandemic

http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2008-12-30.0957862802

Subjects: Science, World History

Grade: 7-8

The focus of this teaching unit is to broaden students understanding of infectious diseases what they are, what causes them, how they are spread, and what can be done to prevent widespread transmission of these communicable diseases. Students will participate in a simulated outbreak and will also study the events of a historic epidemic that occurred locally. Given what they have learned, students will then be asked to predict whether such a widespread transmission of an infectious disease could happen today. This unit is a product of the Maine Public Broadcasting Network, which offers educational TV, radio, and other media to the public.

Cold and Flu

http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2011-10-10.1998814543

Subjects:  Vocabulary, Reading Comprehension, Health

Grade: ESL Intermediate

This lesson, for intermediate ELL students, focuses on vocabulary and reading comprehension related to colds and the flu. Students will engage in pre-reading activities, read a passage about colds and flu, and check their understanding in post-reading activities. Along the way, students will also learn about how to tell the difference between a cold and the flu, and how to treat the illnesses. This lesson was created by English-to-Go, part of the Developing Teacher web site for language teachers. The site offers web hosting for language classes and courses, as well as teaching tips, newsletters, lesson plans, and training courses.

~ Joann's Picks - November 1, 2011 ~

On the Go: Mobile Learning

Until recently, schools banned the use of cell phones and other mobile devices by students during class hours. While some students argued that the devices could be helpful to the learning process, teachers and administrators focused instead on those students who used the devices for non-learning related tasks, such as texting their peers and trolling the Internet.  Although the abuse of mobile devices by students is still a valid concern, some enterprising educators have embraced mobile technology and are increasingly incorporating it into the curriculum.

Mobile learning, or m-learning, is related to distance education and e-learning in that each method uses forms of technology to enhance the learning process. Mobile learning, however, focuses particularly on learning with mobile devices such as tablets, cell phones, and iPod Touches. Mobile devices have the advantage of being small, easily portable, and familiar to the vast majority of teachers and students alike. Their inclusion in the curriculum opens a wealth of possibilities, as students don’t need to be tethered to workstations or even a classroom as they explore concepts relevant to their learning anytime, from just about any location.

Last fall, Project Tomorrow released a report about technology and education at a Congressional Briefing in Washington, DC. Their research found that 64% of teachers surveyed believe that mobile devices could be beneficial for increased communication among parents, teachers, and students, as well as be used to access online textbooks at any moment. The same study also asked K-12 students to envision what going to school would be like in 2015, and many foresee classes where mobile devices are integral to the teaching and learning process.

There are numerous accounts of teachers effectively using mobile devices in their classrooms, and perhaps more schools will ease their current restrictions on use of the devices during school hours. Using devices such as iPads and smart phones can help address the need for students to acquire 21^st century skills, and also help to foster increased student-directed learning.  This week, I’ve selected three resources that bring mobile technology into the classroom in meaningful ways. Each of the featured resources below is from Apptivities, an organization that aims to support teachers in using mobile applications effectively to improve student learning. We’ll also be featuring lots of new lessons and resources on mobile learning each day throughout the week on our Facebook and Twitter pages, so be sure to check those pages regularly.

Historical Detectives

http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2011-09-28.1656118109

Subjects: World History

Grade: 1-6

Using iTouches or iPads, students will use images to draw conclusions about ancient civilizations. In addition, the students will add captions and speech bubbles to ancient civilization images in order to explore their background knowledge on the subject and/or to summarize information they have learned from the chapter.

Dictating Foreign Language Fluency

http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2011-09-28.9585057880

Subjects: Foreign Languages (also ELL)

Grade: 6-12

An essential part of improving student’s fluency in a foreign language is providing practice in speaking. However, for practice to be effective, students have to receive feedback on their pronunciation skills.  This apptivity is designed to give students an opportunity to document their fluency improvement.

To Kill a Mockingbird

http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2011-09-28.4540014188

Subjects: English

Grade: 9-12

In this To Kill a Mockingbird project idea that uses iPads, the importance of perspective is first introduced through Dorothea Lange’s iconic Migrant Mother photograph and is reinforced through images of the Jim Crow era.  As a final project, students are asked to personalize Atticus Finch’s famous quotation about the importance of “walking in another’s shoes.”  By shadowing an acquaintance for a two-hour period, using the pedometer and GPS features to track their physical movement and voice memos and notes to create an interactive diary, students will develop their own sense of empathy and reach a deeper understanding of Harper Lee’s famous novel.

~Joann's Picks - October 13, 2011~

Spy Kids

Most students, at one time or another, become enamored with spies and espionage. Spies live in the shadows, gather intelligence and use all sorts of evasive actions to avoid detection. They inhabit a world fraught with danger and mystery, and their exploits are often riveting. What’s not to like?

The use of espionage to gather intelligence has a lengthy record in history. Sun Tzu stressed the importance of using political and military techniques of “deception and subversion” in his seminal work The Art of War, written around 600 BC.  Surveillance operations have also been documented as far back as ancient Egypt, where early pharaohs used trusted agents to spy on their subjects as well as political “frenemies” in Rome and Greece. The ancient Romans honed espionage to a fine art, using it as an effective method in helping to govern their immense empire that spanned three continents. Indeed, Roman documents contemporary to the period indicate that the Roman intelligence community knew in advance of the plan to assassinate Julius Caesar in 44 BC. European governments in medieval times relied on spies particularly in times of war, while Queen Elizabeth I and her cabinet infamously employed a vast network of spies, some of whom were double or even triple agents.

The first documented case of spying in the U.S. occurred in 1776, when Nathan Hale was executed by the British for spying on them during the American Revolution. George Washington realized early on that espionage would be vital to winning independence from the British, and relied on his personal band of spies known as the Culper Ring to feed him information. More recent spies such as Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, Anna Chapman, and scores of others continue to make headlines from time to time, but most spies remain in the shadows for life. Today, nearly all countries use espionage to gather intelligence on friends and foes alike, employing both traditional spies as well as digital methods. According to recent news reports, the U.S. is the target of “hundreds of thousands” or cyber-attacks daily, many of which originate in Beijing. Security experts believe the attacks are meant to infiltrate government, manufacturing, and military systems, and concede that a fair percentage of the attacks have been successful. This type of espionage could be a great topic of discussion in social studies classes, as well as in lessons devoted to economics, health and safety, technology, current events, and others.

My picks this week focus on spy-themed lessons that work across the curriculum for a variety of ages. As always, we’ll also be featuring several new lessons and resources on this topic each day throughout the week on our Facebook and Twitter pages, so be sure to check those pages regularly.

Boston Spies’ Report on the Redcoats

http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2007-08-10.3639054937/

Subjects: US history, Writing

Grade: 3-5

In this lesson, students collect information about British actions in Boston, and send it by secret coded message to leaders in Philadelphia. This is a fun lesson that incorporates research with primary source documents, hands-on activities, and critical thinking skills. This lesson offered by Beacon Learning Center, which offers standards-based resources and professional development activities.

An American Spy with Money to Spend

http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2007-04-20.5605084370/

Subjects: Geography, Math (measurement)

Grade: 6-8

In this lesson, students pretend to be international spies on a mission. The lesson teaches across the curriculum, with the spies "visiting" different countries, and exchanging currency. This lesson is a product of Beacon Learning Center, an online educational resource and professional development center that offers a variety of in many subject areas, and are aligned to Florida's Sunshine State Standards.

The Spy’s Dilemma: A Problem in Intelligent Choice, and a Matter of Life and Death http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2011-09-12.4152596182

Subjects: US history, World history

Grade: 8-12

In this interactive online game, you are a Soviet agent in late December 1945. Relations between your country and America have been rapidly deteriorating. Your government is worried that the United States will turn its power against Soviet interests in the world.  Your government has asked you to find out what you can about American foreign and defense policies and about American intelligence capabilities. You have 45 minutes to examine sensitive files from President Truman's safe and select five you think will be most useful to your country's leader, Premier Josef Stalin. Write down your reasons for selecting the documents you choose. If you do well, you may be allowed to live. This online game is a product of the Harry S. Truman Library & Museum, a nonprofit organization that houses thousands of documents by President Truman and his administration, and offers many educational resources for teachers and researchers.

~Joann's Picks - September 22, 2011~

Keeping the Stories Alive: Studying the Holocaust

There are 350,000 survivors of the Holocaust alive today...
There are 350,000 experts who just want to be useful with the remainder of their lives. Please listen to the words and the echoes and the ghosts. And please teach this in your schools.
--Steven Spielberg (Academy Award acceptance speech)

I was very lucky to be able to visit the United States Holocaust Museum during a trip I took to Washington D.C. during high school. The visit made a huge impact on me, since it put real faces and voices with the events I had read about in books like The Diary of Anne Frank. These weren’t long-dead historical figures, and some of them are still alive today to tell their story. History standards often emphasize the importance of allowing students to draw learning from primary sources, which are readily available for the subject of the Holocaust. You might not be able to take your students to Washington D.C. and you might not be able to bring a Holocaust survivor into your school for a presentation, but there are plenty of recordings, pictures, interviews, and other interactive resources you can use in your class to create a virtual field trip or presentation. According to the Florida Center for Instructional Technology’s Holocaust teacher’s guide, “Personal accounts by survivors of the Holocaust are powerful. They connect us, person to person, with an era in history that is difficult, yet necessary, to comprehend. Survivor testimony translates the countless unimaginable victims into a single person's feelings and thoughts.”

Why should you include the study of the horrible events of the Holocaust in your classroom? Besides the fact that it is an important chapter of history, the study of these events will teach your students real-life lessons about humanity. It will also contribute to one of the main goals of education, which is to create responsible citizens. These are real events that happened to real people, some of who are alive today. Students may be able to relate to these people and their stories and empathize with their situation. According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, studying the Holocaust piques student interest because it raises questions of the issues that adolescents are facing every day in their lives. These issues include “fairness, justice, individual identity, peer pressure, conformity, indifference, and obedience.”

To learn more about how to best tackle the subject of the Holocaust, please visit the education section of the museum’s site. http://www.thegateway.org/browse/33097 They have guidelines for teaching, important subjects to cover, and a comprehensive online museum about the Holocaust. The site also has resources and lesson plans. Their Holocaust Encyclopedia includes first-hand information about many of the victims.

The Florida Center for Instructional Technology has also put together an excellent collection of resources for teaching about the Holocaust in different grade levels. These resources have been catalogued on the Gateway so you can easily find them. The following link will take you to their main page: http://www.thegateway.org/browse/26064. As you browse through the site you will find many sections of teaching material. There are sections dedicated to the people involved in the Holocaust, the arts during the time, and a collection of web-based resources for teachers.

If you search for Holocaust on The Gateway, you will find plenty more resources to complement the collections of tools, primary sources, and other resources I highlighted above. Also, be sure to look at the resources Joann featured in her column. There were some wonderful ideas that you can use. I do suggest reading the guidelines for teaching on the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum first. It won’t take a lot of time, and it will help you understand how to best reach your students when tackling this difficult subject. The survivors of the Holocaust are aging. Each generation of students studying the subject has fewer resources than the last, so it is up to educators to keep the stories and lessons learned alive.

~Peggy's Corner - 4/15/2011~

Never to Forget

For the past several years, a survivor of the Holocaust has made an annual trip to our intermediate and middle schools to speak about his experience at Auschwitz. It’s an intensely powerful and moving experience for our sixth, seventh, and eighth graders, and it’s meant to be. The presenter – now 90 years old – has told his story so often that he’s able to describe life under the Nazi regime and at Auschwitz quietly and without much emotion. The students, however, sometimes gasp, sob, or seek the comforting hand of a classmate beside them. Though the details of events at the death camp are often difficult for the students to hear, they are ultimately grateful for the experience, and many cite it as one of the most profound events they’ve ever attended.

Information about the Holocaust – the systematic slaughter of millions of Jews, gypsies, Poles, Soviets, gays, people with disabilities, and those resistant to supporting Nazi Germany’s policies – is often first received by students as something akin to the plot of a bad horror novel. Their initial reaction to first learning of the Final Solution is often disbelief. The sheer magnitude of the atrocities, and the barbarism with which they were committed, is unthinkable. Yet the unthinkable did occur, and one of the many legacies left by the Holocaust is that we are bound by our humanity to fight hatred and stop atrocities. All humans deserve the right to live their lives in dignity and peace, and the Holocaust has illustrated only too well what can happen when that fundamental right is challenged. The lessons posed by the Holocaust offer a broad range of learning opportunities across the curriculum, from world history, literature, religion, and science, to psychology, character education, social responsibility, and other areas. The possibilities are limitless.

This year, Holocaust Remembrance Day will be observed on May 1. It’s a time to remember the victims, honor the courage of those who resisted the madness, and reflect on ways to end bigotry and intolerance. The lessons learned from the Holocaust must never be forgotten, especially as current genocides, such as that in Darfur, continue to plague the world. This week, I’m highlighting three Holocaust resources from The Gateway that are age appropriate and that can be used across the curriculum. As always, we’ll be featuring many additional lessons, activities, and other Holocaust-related resources throughout the week on our Facebook and Twitter pages. Please be sure to check those pages regularly, as we feature new resources 2-3 times each day.


The Diary of Anne Frank: Teacher’s Guide
http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2011-04-04.2123000836
Subjects: English, World history
Grade: 7-12
This guide encourages students to regard Anne Frank's diary as both an historical document and a literary work. It is intended to provide middle school and high school teachers with strategies and materials that support classroom viewing and discussion of The Diary of Anne Frank, based on new information about Anne’s family, life, and death. Discussion questions, activities, reproducible worksheets, and assignment ideas are supplemented by an extensive listing of resources for further exploration. This resource was written in support of the 2010 PBS Masterpiece film adaptation of Frank's diary, addressing historical context, revised diary passages, and exploring the diary form. This resource was created by WGBH, the Boston PBS affiliate. WGBH is PBS’s single largest producer of educational TV programs and Internet content, and offers scores of lesson plans and other materials for classroom and home use.


Investigating the Holocaust: A Collaborative Inquiry Project http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2009-11-12.1060171012
Subjects: English Language Arts, World history, Research skills
Grade: 6-8
As students progress though this inquiry project, they explore a variety of resource texts, images, sounds, photos, and other artifacts as they learn about the Holocaust. Working collaboratively, they investigate the materials, prepare response to share orally with the class, and produce a topic-based newspaper to complete their research. This lesson was produced by ReadWriteThink, which offers free peer-reviewed lesson plans aligned to NCTE/IRA content standards.


A Holocaust Monument
http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2011-04-06.7930828927
Subjects: Math/Geometry, World history, Architecture
Grade: 3-12
In this activity students use geometric shapes or forms to create a Holocaust monument. The lesson is appropriate after students have studied the Holocaust enough that they are ready to express some personal response to what they have learned. The activity is provided at three levels of increasing complexity. Level one uses simple shapes and is appropriate for elementary grades, level two utilizes three dimensional forms, and level three assumes that the students have some understanding of architecture. This activity is the product of the Florida Center of Technology (FCIT) at the University of South Florida’s College of Education. FCIT works with educators to integrate technology into the curriculum, and provides training opportunities as well as lesson plans and educational activities.

~Joann's Picks - 4/15/2011~

You Make Me Sick!

Every November, I start steeling myself for the onset of virus season. Since most of the students in our school district elect to receive flu shots, the number of flu cases in our schools is very manageable and the symptoms are fairly benign. The dreaded norovirus, however, is a different story. While many people refer to it as “the stomach flu,” norovirus is actually an RNA virus that causes acute vomiting and diarrhea and is responsible for about 90% of all epidemic non-bacterial outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness in the world. It’s highly contagious, and spreads from person to person through touching contaminated surfaces or through ingesting contaminated food or water. I’ve had the amazing luck to have all three of my children stricken nearly each year, usually all at the same time, in the middle of the night, while my husband is away on business travel. I know – try to restrain your jealousy. The virus sweeps through the school system faster than cranky postings on Formspring.

I once read that the February vacation that is observed in most U.S. public schools originated as an attempt to break the cycle of illness that generally strikes schools in winter. Whether the vacation actually has any effect on containing outbreaks of illness in students, I have no idea. The thing about norovirus, though, is that it is nearly always completely preventable. The major cause of the virus (and others) is a lack of proper hygiene, specifically inadequate handwashing. We all know that any public building, such as schools, can act as ideal breeding grounds for bacteria and viruses. The chances of students contracting a virus increases as they become more mobile throughout the school. Changing classrooms, sharing desks, eating in the cafeteria, riding on the bus – all of these activities greatly contribute to students’ exposure to possible contamination. So, short of obsessively disinfecting all surfaces every hour, what can educators do to help limit the exposure to potentially harmful bacteria and viruses? Simple: remind and reinforce at every opportunity those handwashing lessons that most kids (should have) learned in kindergarten.

My picks this week all focus on bacteria and viruses (“germs”) – what they are, how they spread, and how they can be contained and eliminated. Throughout the week we’ll be featuring additional resources on our Facebook and Twitter pages, including the implications of bioterrorism, hands-on experiments with germs, the benefits of certain microorganisms, and much more. In the meantime, wash those hands!

Germ Busters!
http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2011-02-22.7685911861
Subjects: Health, Biology
Grade: PreK-5
Students create podcasts to apply their knowledge of germs, how germs are spread, and how resulting sickness can be prevented. The podcasts may then be used to teach students in the rest of the school about germs and their prevention. This lesson was produced by Digital Wish, a non-profit that seeks to modernize K-12 classrooms and prepare students for tomorrow's workforce. On the Digital Wish web site, teachers can create wish lists of technology products for their classroom. Donors then connect with their favorite schools and grant classroom wishes through online cash or product donations.

The History of Germ Theory – Grade 12
http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2011-02-25.1740904024
Subjects: Biology, Health, World history
Grade: 12
In this lesson students will learn the history of germ theory, from the 1600s to the present day. They will examine how germ theory developed and test antibacterial wipes for their "germ killing" properties. This lesson helps students learn the content of the indicators and benchmarks by weaving the history of germ theory with scientific inquiry as they "do" science and look at it through the eyes of scientists instrumental in the development of germ theory. This lesson is a product of the Ohio State Department of Education, and is aligned to Ohio state education standards.

Microbes: Too Smart for Antibiotics?
http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2011-02-25.9038042676
Subjects: Biology, Health
Grade: 6-12
In this lesson, students learn about how bacteria (germs) are spread, the benefits of microorganisms, and the threat posed by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This lesson includes two handouts - one for grades 6-12, the other suitable for grades 9-12 (advanced or AP classes). This lesson was produced by Action Bioscience, an educational site created to promote bioscience literacy by the American Institute of Biological Sciences. Resources on the site include peer-reviewed articles and lesson plans. This lesson is aligned to national science education standards.

~Joann's Picks - 3/3/2011~

You Say You Want a Revolution? Connecting the Russian Revolution with Current Events in Egypt and the Middle East

Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times. This arises from the fact that they are produced by men who ever have been, and ever shall be, animated by the same passions, and thus they necessarily have the same results.
- Machiavelli


Joann’s explanation of the Russian Revolution tied the events together for me much more clearly than I can remember from history class. This is a problem… I should know a lot more about history! Granted, I was a science major in college, but as we discussed last week, it is very important to create well-rounded students. Why should we teach our students about historical events like the Russian Revolution? I think the answer lies in quotes like the one above from Machiavelli. In order for our students to become productive, inquisitive, and informed members of society, they need to learn and understand major events in history that have shaped different cultures throughout the years. Even if a student decides to major in science or engineering, we want each of them to understand past events so they can use that knowledge to understand similar events in the future.

Joann selected some great resources this week for teaching about this historic revolution in your class. She will be featuring them all week on our Facebook and Twitter pages, so be sure to follow them so you won’t miss a thing. She has chosen activities for different subjects and grade levels, even some art lessons.

As a preview of the kinds of extra activities Joann is featuring, look at the Russian Revolution Simulation, a great resource catalogued on The Gateway. In this lesson, students get to act out the roles of the characters involved in the Russian Revolution. I really like the way it allows them to feel like a part of the history, so they might be able to empathize with individual characters to better understand that person’s feelings and motivations that led them to act a particular way. This empathy is especially important right now, as media coverage in the Middle East is allowing students to experience another revolution taking shape before their eyes.

As protests for democracy sweep across nations in the Middle East, we have the chance to experience history first-hand with our students. I have been talking with different teachers about how they have been discussing the events with their classes, and a surprising amount of them haven’t been able to fit any time into their schedules to cover it much (or at all).

These teachers already have the next few weeks of their lessons planned out; a novelty for me, who is planning to think about stopping my procrastinating tomorrow. In all seriousness, it is wonderful to have a plan, and it is very important to teach all the things we are required to teach during the year. That being said, making our plans flexible enough to expose our students to the authentic learning they can get from experiencing real life events is a worthwhile challenge for every teacher.

In a social studies or history classroom, you could create a wonderful unit exploring a revolution in the past, such as the Russian Revolution. During that study, you could allow your students time to watch media coverage of the current situation in the Middle East, or assign it as homework. In the past, this would entail watching news coverage on tv at school or at home. As media has changed over time, there are plenty more outlets to learn about current events like this. It’s hard to know where to start looking for quality information, so I turned to my PLN on Twitter for help. I decided to send out the following tweet to all our followers on Twitter and to the social studies chat people (#sschat) and the #edchat people. I did this as kind of an experiment to see what kind of support I could find on these social networking sites.

“Anyone have ways to incorporate events in Egypt and Middle East into different subject areas? All ideas are appreciated! #sschat #edchat”

Right away, I received a suggestion of one blog with a collection of many different resources for learning about the protests and revolution in Egypt. If some of these resources become more permanent, we will catalog them on The Gateway so they are easier to find. For now, please look at Larry Ferlazzo’s edublog for some ideas. Another response suggested building Egypt events into other subjects with songs of freedom and protest from United States history. A few of examples were, “People Got To Be Free” by The Rascals, “Revolution” by The Beatles, and “Get Up, Stand Up” by Bob Marley and the Wailers.

Last year, we featured Garbage Dreams, a resource from PBS about people who collect and recycle garbage in Egypt. This video and accompanying lesson explore a very poor sector of Egypt’s population, many of whom might have been involved in the recent protests. In response to the recent events in Egypt, ITVS (part of PBS) has created a collection of resources called Egypt & Democracy including this resource along with other videos and lesson plans relating to the subject. This is another good place to start if you want to include the Egyptian Revolution in your plans this month.

~Peggy's Corner - 2/18/2011~

Revolution Solution?

Over the past few weeks, the world has watched while Egypt has been in the throes of a revolution. The story of a country beset by repression, poverty, and civil unrest, and ruled over by an immensely wealthy and out-of-touch leader, is not new. In fact, it’s a scenario that has occurred repeatedly throughout the centuries, and is likely fated to play again in the future.

In the early 20th century, Russia was a vast country with the third largest population in the world. Although the major urban areas were centers of rapid industrialization, much of the country was still an agrarian society where workers toiled under primitive conditions. The Russian people, too, were diverse, with great disparity in their economic, religious, and cultural situations. Presiding over the country was the middle-aged Imperial Czar, Nicholas II of the House of Romanov. The Romanovs had ruled Russia since 1613, but by all accounts (including his own), Nicholas had not been adequately prepared for the rigors of running a country. His reign continued a cycle of national repression, high taxes, food shortages, labor strikes, and deplorable working conditions, all of which contributed to growing public discontent, and anger towards the monarchy.

The Russian Revolution is often viewed as a sudden, climactic event, culminating with the brutal assassination of Czar Nicholas II and his family. In reality, the revolution occurred in stages, with long periods of civil unrest, repression, and public protests. Ultimately acknowledged as a kind and religious man by those who knew him, Czar Nicholas was nonetheless an ineffectual leader and uninspired politician. His country in shambles, he retreated to his palaces and a life of unimagined luxury. To critics of the czar, the famous jeweled Easter eggs created for the Romanov family by Fabergé came to symbolize the monarchy in their opulence, privilege, and utter uselessness. Forced to abdicate his throne during the first part of the Revolution in February of 1917, Czar Nicholas and his family were gunned down later that year by Bolsheviks, thus definitively ending the imperial era in Russia and casting the country into civil war. Preferring style over substance, and completely out of step with the needs of their country, the Romanov story is ultimately a tragic one.

The Russian Revolution was a pivotal event not only in Russian history, but for the world at large as well. Decades later, the Bolsheviks morphed into the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, which lasted until the late twentieth century and whose political philosophies still guide some countries today. My picks this week focus on the Russian Revolution and the end of Imperial Russia, and the dichotomy between two very different worlds. Throughout the week, I’ll be featuring many additional resources on this topic on our Facebook and Twitter pages, so be sure to check those as well.

Russian Imperial Eggs
http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2011-02-01.2652725425
Subjects: Art, World History
Grade: PreK-5
This lesson introduces young students to Imperial Russia in the early 20th century. Each Easter, Nicholas II, the last czar of the Russian empire, gave his wife and mother each splendid jeweled eggs. Students will learn about the royal family’s Easter tradition (but not the family’s ultimate fate), and create their own jeweled eggs crafted in the style of Fabergé. This lesson was produced by Crayola, makers of the ubiquitous art supplies. Crayola also offers lesson plans, an online certificate maker, and other resources for educators.

The Russian Revolution
http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2011-02-01.7062497715
Subjects: Geography, World History, Government
Grade: 7
In this lesson, students explore the events leading up to the Russian Revolution using online video clips and activities. Students also research the geographical and cultural effects of Russia’s expansion, and discover why the country entered a near-regressionist state as it emerged from absolute monarchy to communist state. This lesson was produced by the Core Knowledge Foundation, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization that develops curricula, provides professional development for educators, and publishes educational books and other materials.

The Faberge Eggs: Mementos of a Doomed Dynasty
http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2011-02-01.0869347570
Subjects: English, Art, World history
Grade: 9-12
What to the things we treasure tell us about ourselves and the culture in which we live? The significance of the Fabergé eggs can be interpreted in several ways. They can be appreciated for their fine craftsmanship and for the family memories they represented to the Romanovs. On the other hand, their fragility and extravagance can symbolize that family's world of insular, imperial privilege. In this lesson, students will create an exhibition of items treasured by their families and reflect on the personal and cultural significance of these items. The exhibition process can be divided into Social Studies, Visual Arts and Language Arts lessons, either by working with the teachers of each of those subject areas or by teaching as one unit. This lesson was produced by PBS Treasures, a series of videos and lesson plans that examine the stories behind masterworks of art and nature.

~Joann's Picks - 2/18/2011~

The da Vinci Code

Scientist. Inventor. Painter. Sculptor. Architect. Cartographer. Mathematician. Maverick.

The list of attributes goes on and on. If I wasn’t referring to Leonardo da Vinci, this type of person surely seems too good to be true. Mythical, in fact. Really, who can excel in all of these subjects, and more?

Leonardo da Vinci is often referred to as the quintessential example of a Renaissance Man, or someone who excels spectacularly in a range of disparate subject areas. Far from being a dilettante, da Vinci is widely considered to have been a genius, and has left lasting significant contributions in fields such as medicine, art, mathematics, and engineering. Nearly 500 years after his death, da Vinci’s creativity, brilliance, and the sheer audacity of his ideas mark him as one of the greatest minds ever known. Contemporary scientists, inventors, and artists regularly cite him as an inspiration, and his relevance still reverberates today. In 1994, Microsoft founder Bill Gates bought one of da Vinci’s notebooks for about $30 million. This particular codex – one of 30 – contains da Vinci’s theories and observations on scientific matters such as fossils, air, the properties of water and rocks, astronomy, and celestial light. His relentless curiosity in various subjects is something that many students actively respond to.

Recently, I read of a new trend among some colleges and universities to shorten their degree programs to three years instead of the usual four. Electives and other classes not directly pertinent to students’ majors are dropped, thus enabling students to graduate a full year earlier. The reason, of course, is economic. College tuitions are staggering, and increasingly out of the financial reach for many families. I understand the motivation behind such a restructuring, yet what is lost to these students? For years, higher education has followed a classical model of education, with students taking classes in a variety of subject areas, with the goal of being well-rounded and, well, educated. Will we lose potential da Vincis – Renaissance men and women – as a result? What if da Vinci had only focused on painting, or only on medicine – would his legacy still loom as large as it does today? Or has the notion of a Renaissance education in the 21st century become antiquated?

Whatever the case, one of the beauties of learning about da Vinci (and there are many) is that he’s a perfect subject for cross-curricular studies. While he’s widely studied in art classes, his ideas in engineering, mathematics, and medicine in particular lend themselves to fertile exploration in a variety of subject areas. My picks this week focus on different aspects of Leonardo’s many legacies, which will hopefully spark some students to develop and nurture their own nascent ideas. We’ll also be featuring many more resources on da Vinci and his ideas on The Gateway’s Facebook and Twitter pages throughout the week, so please be sure to check in. Lastly, if some students have difficulty identifying with da Vinci’s dizzying array of attributes, you can always let them know that he, too, had his lesser moments: he was apparently a chronic procrastinator.

Breaking the Codex
Subjects: World history, Science, Language Arts
Grade: 4-6
In this lesson, students learn about Leonardo da Vinci and his legacy. The lesson contains activities in which students create advertisements in honor of one of da Vinci's inventions, and attempt to copy his mirror-handwriting technique. This lesson is part of the Time Warp Trio series produced by WGBH, the flagship PBS station in Boston. These lessons offer concise overviews of historical time periods, and include two activities, curriculum connections and standards, handouts, and recommended books and links. All lessons are linked to national standards.

Leonardo da Vinci Activity: Vitruvian Man
Subject: Algebra
Grade: 6-8
How can we trust a drawing? One of Leonardo da Vinci's drawings is called the Vitruvian Man. It is based on a model of ideal mathematical proportions. In this activity, students will measure each other, chart their data, and test whether their respective arm spans equal their heights. This lesson is offered by The Math Forum at Drexel University, which provides expert math help services, online resources for teaching and learning, and curricular materials.

Theft of the Mona Lisa
Subjects: Art, World history
Grade: 7-12
The theft of the Mona Lisa created a frenzy when it was stolen in 1911. In this lesson, students will investigate the question, "What is an icon?" They will compare their impressions and interpretations of the Mona Lisa to the hypothetical opinions of other people affected by this painting. This lesson is also a natural starting point for a discussion about which images have become, or will become, icons in the future, leading students to investigate the following Life-long Learning Question: What shared understandings does an iconic image communicate? This lesson is a product of PBS Treasures of the World, which highlights the stories behind various masterworks of art and nature.

~Joann's Picks - February 4, 2011~

Law & Order

One day last year, my middle schooler came home in a huff, incensed that his English class would be conducting a mock trial for characters from Lord of the Flies. He wasn’t exactly sure just what a mock trial was, mind you, but he was sure that it didn’t sound like fun, and he didn’t want to be a lawyer someday anyway. So what was the point? Despite his initial misgivings, the mock trial was a big hit with the students, and it turned out to be one of my son’s favorite activities from his English class that year. It was the first year that the teacher had tried a mock trial activity, and it was so successful that she’s decided to use it again this year.

Mock trials are simulated trials that allow students to learn about trial rules and the judicial process. The point of such an exercise in the classroom is not to “win” the case being presented, but to give students some insight into how trials work. Mock trials can be highly effective learning tools for helping students to develop their critical thinking, reasoning, and oral presentation skills. Students must examine the issues at hand from multiple perspectives in order to build their arguments – not only to defend their positions, but also to anticipate their opponents’ strategy in presenting their side of the case. The use of mock trials, with their emphasis on clear, focused oral delivery, can also be a highly effective method to use with students who are not native English speakers.

The beauty of mock trials at the K-12 level is that they can be used in virtually any subject area. Historical and literary figures are obvious choices for any mock trial, but the possibilities are endless. Think outside the box and be creative. Studying diseases in science? Put a disease on trial! Is Facebook a benefit or a hindrance to students? Conduct a trial and see what happens. We all know that art is subjective, but what about art for public spaces that potentially divides a community? Hold a mock trial to decide the fate of the artwork in question, and explore what the definition of “art” is in the process. Mock trials can also be used to help define classroom or school-wide issues, as well as to further explore current topics, such as the BP oil spill, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, and the escalating tension between North and South Korea. For younger students, characters from fairy tales, popular books, and historical figures offer a wealth of choices for a mock trial activity.

This week, I’ve selected two mock trial resources for middle school and above that focus on historical events. For younger students, I’ve selected a teacher’s guide that is a comprehensive plan for incorporating mock trials into your curriculum. Throughout the week, I’ll be featuring numerous mock trial activities and resources for all ages on our Facebook and Twitter pages, including one similar to the Lord of the Flies activity mentioned at the beginning of my column. The use of mock trials in the classroom can be a creative way to pack a lot of content into an activity that’s both fun and effective for students and teacher alike. Enjoy!


Mini-Court – Mock Trial Activities for Grades K-2: Teacher’s Guide
Subject: Civics
Grade: K-2
This free booklet features one five-day lesson plan for grades K-1 and another for grade 2. The purpose is to help teach young children about the legal system. Mock trial activities are included. This guide was produced by the New Jersey State Bar Foundation, which provides training and education materials to help teach the public about the law.

A Question of Justice: The Boston Massacre
Subjects: US History, Civics
Grade: 6-8
In this lesson, students will learn about the Boston Massacre and its subsequent trial, consider the positive and negative arguments from both sides, and produce a simulation of the trial. This simulation can take the form of a play, mock trial, debate, a series of newspaper accounts, or even a recreation of the actual event. In producing the simulation, students will critically study and analyze primary source documents and pictures, as well as organize and synthesize second-hand accounts and commentary about the Massacre and the trial. This resource is a product of the National First Ladies Library, a national archive that educates the world about the American First Ladies and other notable women in history.

Judgement on Nuremberg: A Student Mock Trial of Julius Streicher
Subjects: Civics; World History
Grade: 7-12
The purpose of this lesson is to introduce students to the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg and its precedent-setting role in extending the reach of international law. This lesson provides opportunities for students to learn and apply some of the legal principles of Nuremberg: to understand the role of hate propaganda in inciting groups to action both during the Holocaust and today; and to understand and discuss the legal and political impact of Nuremberg today, including the investigation and trial of suspected Bosnian war criminals at the International Tribunal at The Hague, and the prosecution of suspected Nazi war criminals. This lesson was produced by the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, a teaching museum and a leader in Holocaust education in British Columbia, Canada.

~Joann's Picks - 12/9/2010~

Walk Like An Egyptian

Whenever I talk to students about ancient cultures, they seem to divide into two camps. There are the kids who find it cool to learn about how ancient peoples lived, and then there are the kids who don’t quite see the point (“hello, they’re, like, dead!”). Generally, though, most students come around to like learning about ancient civilizations, and to see that despite the centuries that separate us, we still share many of the same concerns and problems as ancient cultures.

Ancient Egypt was a sophisticated culture that was, in many ways, light years ahead of its time. Thousands of years before antibiotics were developed, for example, ancient Egyptians treated infections with moldy bread. They also invented calendars, black ink, ox-drawn plows, paper, irrigation systems, locks, and (much to Lady Gaga’s delight) eyeliner. Several millennia later, the ancient Egyptians are still trend-setters.

This week, I’ve selected three resources from Egypt’s Golden Empire, a collection of great materials based on the documentary series by PBS. The lessons include free online video clips from the series, as well as interactive features designed to maximize the students’ virtual immersion in ancient Egyptian life and culture. One reason that I like these lessons so much is their breadth: the inclusion of varied hands-on projects, video clips and interactive maps, writing exercises, and discussions all allow for kids of different learning styles to soak in the content, as well as flex their creative muscle. The lessons also include resource lists for additional information. PBS is the nonprofit public broadcasting service that provides high-quality television programming to the U.S. and beyond. Their companion Web site offers free video vignettes, teacher resources, online games, and more. The lessons below are all aligned to McREL standards.

A Day in the Life of an Egyptian
http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2010-03-21.1794667111
Subjects: Ancient history, World history
Grade: 6-12
Just like life in the modern era, the daily lives of ancient Egyptians varied according to their social class. In this lesson, students learn about social orders in ancient Egypt, and the day-to-day responsibilities of the various classes.

The Queens of Ancient Egypt
http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2010-03-21.6870685874
Subjects: Ancient history, World history, Women’s history
Grade: 6-12
Women in ancient Egypt enjoyed many of the same legal and economic benefits as men. This lesson focuses on some of the great Egyptian queens, such as Nefertiti, Tiy, and Nefertari – all of whom were held in high esteem by their husbands, the pharaohs. Students examine the reasons that these women were powerful, and how they influenced the lives of their subjects.

Architectural Marvels
http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2010-03-21.9053693648
Subjects: Ancient history, World history
Grade: 6-12
The ancient Egyptians were master builders and craftsmen. Thousands of years later, we still marvel at the pyramids they created. In this lesson, students study great architectural structures erected by the Egyptians, including temples, obelisks, and pyramids. Students learn how these objects were constructed, the purposes these structures served in Egyptian culture, and what modern day people can glean from examining them.

~Joann's Picks - 5/1/2010~