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Teaching American History
| GENOCIDE AND HUMAN RIGHTS SHARING SESSION |
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| Fugitive Slaves Arriving at a Farm |
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Wed., October 15th at NIU Rockford
Focus Group on Genocide
Join other RPS #205 teachers for an informative afternoon session on the subject of Genocide and Human Rights. Deb Appelquist, Theresa Bartsch, Rich Crandall, Karen Harger, Jennifer Knezel, and Sally Wallace participated last summer in the Genocide and Human Rights Institute held at NIU and in Washington, DC. In addition to hearing about their experiences, the teachers will discuss strategies and techniques for bringing the issues of bullying, genocide, and human rights into the classroom by sharing lesson plans and other activities created during the Institute. Teaching about genocide and human rights is now required curriculum in our schools and this session will provide teachers with some outstanding hands-on materials. Click on the link above for the registration form for the Genocide and Human Rights Sharing Session. |
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TAH TEACHERS TRAVEL TO VIRGINIA |
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| Governors' Palace in Williamsburg |
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NCHE Conference Enables Teachers to Tour Historic Sites
Colonial Williamsburg
It is rare for history teachers to have the chance to attend conferences outside the state, and it is rarer still for them to be able to attend and not have the expense come from their own pockets!! Thanks to the Teaching American History Grant, six RPS teachers were able to travel to Virginia for the National Council for History Education held in Williamsburg from April 12-14th. Amanda Becker from Auburn, Walt Hoshaw from Guilford, Jean Larsen from Flinn, Theresa Bartsch from Johnson, Teresa Turner from Barbour, and Erika Montoya-Pasillas from Barbour joined TAH Project Director Betsy Homewood and Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator Kathy Cassioppi for this special experience. Leaving early on April 10th enabled the group to have an extra day to tour the University of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson's "academical village," Monticello--Thomas Jefferson's home, and Ash Lawn, the home of James Monroe. Once in Williamsburg, the teachers were able to spend time attending various concurrent sessions on the teaching of history, hearing outstanding speakers, and during their off hours, touring historic Colonial Williamsburg. With the 400th anniversary of Jamestown settlement being celebrated this spring, the teachers also were able to spend time touring the archaeological excavations and the incredible "Archaearium," as well as the recreated village at Jamestown Settlement with the Powhatan village, the thatched homes of the English settlers, and their ships. The Settlement also now boasts an excellent interactive museum which compares the three cultures that inhabited early Jamestown in the 1600's. As part of their NCHE experience, each of the teachers attended a specialized field trip in the area. Field trips included: a trip to the Virginia Historical Society in Richmond and a study of primary sources, then a tour of nearby Shirley Plantation; a tour of Yorktown and the Yorktown Battlefield; a tour of the newly opened USS Monitor Center and Museum in Norfolk; an Archaeological Adventure in Historic Jamestowne which included a tour with an archaeologist and a trip through the recently opened Archaearium where participants could view and interact with over 1000 artifacts used by Jamestown colonists; another tour conducted at Jamestown Settlement, "A Convergence of Cultures," focused on the relationships between the peoples of early 17th Virginia: the Powhatan Indians, European colonists, and Africans. Evening tours of Colonial Williamsburg included a Ghost Walk entitled "Lengends, Myths and Mysteries," and a chilling trial for witchcraft held in the colonial Capitol entitled "Cry Witch!"
Teachers who participated in the trip to Virginia will be sharing their experiences with others on the final day of the TAH Grant Summer Institute, Friday, June 15th. Each will also be creating lesson plans and activities based on their experience in Virginia that will be available on this web site later this summer. |
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TAH TEACHERS TO VISIT BLACK HOLOCAUST MUSEUM |
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| Black Holocaust Museum in Milwaukee |
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TRIP TO MILWAUKEE IN JANUARY
Black Holocaust Museum
On Sat., January 20th, a contingent of Rockford TAH teachers will be traveling to Milwaukee to visit the Black Holocaust Museum. Though still in the planning stages, we are also hoping to have a special visitor travel with us. The great-granddaughter of a South Carolina lynching victim, Doria Johnson, along with several other relatives, has helped create the Andrew Crawford Remembered Memorial. Now a college student, Doria may be able to travel with us and share some of the stories of her great-grandfather and the devastating situation that took his life back in 1916. Anyone interested in taking the trip to Milwaukee with the group should contact Betsy as soon as possible. If we have enough interest, we will charter a coach bus. |
| SIX SELECTED FOR WILLIAMSBURG CONFERENCE |
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| Governor's Palace at Williamsburg |
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TAH TEACHERS TO VIRGINIA IN APRIL
Colonial Williamsburg
Six RPS TAH Grant teachers have been selected to attend the First Inaugural Teaching American History Grant Project Director's Conference in Williamsburg, Virginia, from April 12-14th. Presented by the National Council for History Education, the Conference theme for 2007 is "Expanding Horizons: Individuals and Their Encounters with the New," which is exactly what the following people will be able to do! Theresa Bartsch, 5th grade at Johnson, Erika Montoya-Pasillas, 5th grade at Barbour, Jean Larsen, Flinn Middle School, Teresa Turner, Barbour, Amanda Becker, Auburn, and Walt Hoshaw of Guilford submitted the winning rationales that have earned them the trip to historic Williamsburg to participate in the conference. In addition to attending a variety of sessions on the teaching of US history, each of the group members will be taking selected field trips designed by the National Council for History Education. The field trips will include a study of Jamestown, its culture and its archaeological importance; a tour of Yorktown, the town and battlefield; an exciting tour of the newly constructed USS Monitor Center and the Mariner's Museum galleries with extensive artifacts; a trip to several 18th century plantations and an interpretive workshop using historic documents.
Each of the six teachers will create units of study based on their experience in Williamsburg. These lessons and activities will be presented at a sharing session for all interested TAH teaachers during the Summer Institute which will be held the second week in June. |
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| The KKK in Rockford? Find out about the big rally in 1924 |
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TAH TEACHERS PUT DOCUMENTS/LESSONS ON CD
Digging through the archives at the Rockford Public Library last summer, several TAH teachers came across some incredible documents, among them, a Souvenir Program for a Ku Klux Klan Rally in July, 1924. One thing led to another and before long, Teresa Turner, Theresa Bartsch, and Amanda Becker had put together some engaging lessons on local history for students in the Rockford area. In addition to activities using photos, newspaper articles, and other documents on the KKK in Rockford, the group of teachers have also put together lessons on Camp Grant and World War I. All of the lessons and activities, along with the documents and photos, have been put on a CD which is now available to any teacher participating in the TAH grant. Watch for more information in the December/January TAH Newsletter which will be delivered to your buildings before the Christmas break,or you may receive a copy of the "Rockford History CD" by contacting Betsy at Roosevelt. |
| SUMMER INSTITUTE HIGHLIGHTS |
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| Author Ben McLaughlin served as tourguide |
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TAH Teachers Tune Up on Civil War, Black Hawk
Only a week out of the school and thirty-five Rockford teachers, participating in the Teaching American History Grant, were right back in the classroom! This classroom, however, moved from one locale to another as the teachers received outstanding professional development in the area of American History.
On Monday, June 12th, the TAH Summer Institute officially opened with a spirited Introduction to the Civil War provided by Dan Bartlett of Midway Village. Using local history as the theme, Dan had the teachers playing Jeopardy to learn about the Civil War's impact on Rockford. Following that, Dr. Catherine Forslund of Rockford College led the last of three book discussions on "Confederates in the Attic" in preparation for the videoconference that would be held in the afternoon.
Following lunch in the Roper Lounge, we traveled to the University of Illinois Medical Center for our videoconference with Tony Horwitz, Pulitzer-Prize winner and author of "Confederates in the Attic." After a few technical difficulties (not at our end but at Harvard's!), we were able to carry on a wonderful question and answer session with Tony and gain some insight into ways in which we can incorporate aspects of his book into our lessons.
From the Civil War, we moved to the Black Hawk War on Tuesday at Burpee Museum. Our morning was spent learning about the Sauk culture with the help of Jill Hertzing and Sheila Rawlings. In the afternoon, we were able to hear author Ben McLaughlin share information about his book "In Black Hawk's Footsteps," in preparation for our trip on Wednesday.
Wednesday morning we boarded our Coach USA bus and headed to Rock Island with author Ben McLaughlin as our tour guide. Stopping first at the Black Hawk State Historic Site, we toured the museum and were able to spend a few minutes on the bluff overlooking the area where Black Hawk and his tribe once lived. Back in the bus, we traveled on to Prophetstown, another spot significant in the Black Hawk War of 1832. Next stop was rather out of the way but quite interesting as we pulled our bus off to the side of a country road in Polo across from the small memorial of William Durley who had been killed at ambush by Indians, believed to have been members of Black Hawk's party. From there, we journeyed to Stillman Valley, the site of Stillman's Run, where twelve settlers were killed and a monument stands today in memory of their plight, along with the twelve graves.
Thursday brought us back to the Civil War as we gathered at the Midway Village & Museum Center with Dan Bartlett and Mark Herman. The teachers spent the morning touring the "Lincoln and Liberty" exhibit with Dan, and learning about the Civil War and Baseball with Mark. In the afternoon, teachers were presented with information on etiquette and parlor games, as well as ways to get students interested in geneology and finding out about their ancestry.
The final day of the Institute began with Dr. JD Bowers' presentation in the Eisenhower Middle School Computer Lab. JD shared ways to access digitized history on the internet and tie it into a study of the Civil War. From there, teachers were able to do some research on their own. They either met with Dr. John Molyneaux, local historian and former RC professor, at the Rockford Public Library, or with caretaker and historian Terry Dyer at Memorial Hall to do some independent study on items of interest. |
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TAH TEACHERS TRAVEL SOUTH |
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| Teachers Visit ALPLM and other Historic Sites in Springfield |
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Grant Sends Teachers to Cahokia and Springfield in August
Springfield--the Land of Lincoln
On August 16th and 17th, a group of Rockford teachers participating in the Teaching American History Grant traveled by bus to southern Illinois. The trip was an outstanding opportunity for teachers to experience first-hand Cahokia Mounds in Collinsville and the historic sites in our state capital in Springfield. The group first toured Cahokia Mounds and learned more about this early Illinois civilization from the impressive exhibits in the Visitor Center. They then headed back north to Springfield where they checked into the Springfield Hilton. Following a quick dinner, the group met with Erin Bishop, Director of Education,for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. The group proceeded from the Library to the Museum for a private evening tour of the interactive displays and exhibits.
On the morning of August 17th, the teachers took part in a workshop on "Teaching with Primary Sources," working with Lincoln documents. The afternoon was spent touring the Old Statehouse, the Herndon Law Offices, another two hours in the Museum, and the Lincoln Home before returning to Rockford that evening. |
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