Our Constitution...Something to Treasure

     For this assignment I chose to do the same type of treasure box that we were given at the summer institute. I focused my kit on the Constitution which will be used as somewhat of a springboard for the Unit on the Constitution that I am planning on doing with my students. I really took to the idea of the treasure box because I personally enjoyed the task of compiling the materials. I would assume that if it was interesting to search for these items that it would interest the students, as well. Some of the treasures I have included are as follows: Becky and Giulio Maestro's book "A More Perfect Union" a great book that explains the events of 1787 in a way that young children would understand,  many photos from the Library of Congress, such as a scene from the actual signing of the Constitution, a copy of the Bill of Rights, a chart of the votes each state cast in regard to the Constitution, a map of the 13Original Colonies, a sketch and picture of Independence Hall, a list of Objections written towards the Constitution, and a picture of James Madison the acclaimed "Father of the Constitution" and author of the Bill of Rights.
     I think that both left and right brained learners would benefit from the treasure box activity. In my  opinion left-brained learners might find appeal in analyzing each item and determining the impact it had to our constitution. I also found song lyrics and a Constitutional March that focuses on the impact that this document had on our country. I think that having tangible things to hold and manipulate would interest both types of learners, however a left-brained student would much rather hold a replica of the Bill of Rights in their hands than read about in a text book. What I prefer and what I learned through this process of the making the treasure box was how the items connected the events and told their own story. As a right-brained learner, myself, I enjoyed making the items fit together like a puzzle....each item has its own significance yet builds upon the others. For example, the map of the colonies, explains who was involved and why, the picture of James Madison, who has been dubbed as the Father of the Constitution, according to Signing Their Rights Away, gives credit to him as one of the original outhors of the Constitution.
  I was fascinated with the two books, Signing Their Rights Away and Signing Their Lives Away because they reminded me of the first example of People magazine,   Let's be honest, these men were the celebrities of their time. Like the famous people and politicians of today they were not exempt from the public eye or from having a few skeletons in their closets. I focused on the men I was most interested in James Madison being one, known as the smallest president in stature , he did have some big ideas, not to mention  his wife Dolley, completely his opposite, was a brave and outgoing woman. Like a true tabloid these books had a little bit of everything, signers with suicidal tendencies, signers who were crooks,some who had problems with alcohol you name it. Then., too, the positive signers balanced out the seedy ones, with acts of generosity and compromise.
  I don't think I appreciated the profoundness of the Constitution before taking this class and working on my projects. I was proud of myself while watching the vice president  candidate debates a few nights ago...because the words of the Constitution served as a backdrop behind the candidates. It made me smile thinking how important those words remain today and that I had noticed them!

Benjamin Franklin: Son of a Candle Man

For those who have read the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, would you agree that it could be considered one of the first "rags to riches" story of our country? After all, Ben had a very humble beginning and proved that success is born of hard work. Actually, wouldn't this be a great required reading for the entitled generation of children we are raising in our country today. Work ethic isn't something the youth of today even realize exists. It may prove to be a real eye opener for some.
Ben Franklin was quite the "Renaissance Man", if you will.  The youngest in his family, he snubbed the family trade of candle and soap making and took interest in his brother's printing business. He loved writing and basically was self taught at this particular skill. It proved to be very beneficial to him as his works such as Poor Richard's Almanac, The Pennsylvania Gazette, and even his own autobiography proclaim. Actually, this book may be a first of its kind, since it tells about his life and his beliefs, as well. Ben Franklin, a Deist who was somewhat "obsessed" with self-improvement and the betterment of others was not immune to his own shortcomings. He originally wrote this biography for his son, William, with the intention of showing his life as an example. Franklin admitted that although he was happy with how is life turned out there were still things he would have changed if given the opportunity. I expected he would not have lived to see his story come to fruition and I was correct, as he died 2 years before the completion. It is important to note that what one may think to be the basis of his book was not even included in the story. There is no account of his life during the American Revolution in the book. What were his reasons for such an omission? Did this not give pride? Was he ashamed?  Or did he simply want to stand out in another arena?
Although, Ben could be deemed a virtuous man he was not without "skeletons in the closet". At the time of  his son's death he seemed to be more concerned with how he appeared in the public's eye rather than the events of his own private life. That doesn't quite jive with a man who developed a list of 13 Virtues that he intended to develop each week. In conclusion, I would like to say that Benjamin Franklin remains somewhat of an enigma, an enigma  who was a good writer, great thinker, inventor, statesman.....and more. If he were alive today, I wonder what Ben Franklin would say about Ben Franklin?????

Bias on Bios

After reading The Shoemaker and the Tea Party and the Autobiography of Ben Franklin alot of questions came to mind as to just how much work goes into the compilations of such histories. Although, I feel I have learned a great deal about the lives of these men I could not help but wonder during my reading if what was before me was indeed fact or perhaps sensationalized in some way. Better yet, can such a question really be answered. I titled this blog the Bias on Bios because without sounding negative, who can argue that all biographies indeed are tainted in some ways. In regard to The Shoemaker, the account feeds off of the work of 2 historians, Thatcher and Hawkes, who both openly admitted that George Robert Twelves Hewes had an excellent memory, quite an advantage for the interviewer looking to recount events that may have happened 50+ years ago. Let's be honest, historians tend to pad a story to make it better, including those parts that may be more appealing to the reader. Also, like most of us emotions and values tend to get in the way, and may even change someone's outlook on a certain event or subject. Especially if we feel strongly about the topic. Again, another bias to notice. Though, I am not a historian, don't you think it would be difficult to remove the undertones of personal interpretations of the those doing the research or the interviews? I would think it would be hard to avoid. It's simply a part of human nature. This again goes back to an emotional or moral standpoint.
Often, like in The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, information can get muddled or out of historical sequence, again leading to the accuracy and validity of the retelling. So again, I question and hesistate to wonder when events seem hard to piece together, how easy would it be for author or historian to embellish a story here or there. I know it seems like I am being a "Negative Nelly"  but I don't intend to be. I am just trying to keep an open mind. I do find biographies and autobiographies to be interesting as they are the best account we have at a glimpse of what life might have been like; how people lived their lives, what were their beliefs, their political thoughts, what kind of inventions/discoveries they made,and what values were important to them. So remember when reading bios proceed with caution but reap the benefits, too!

Wood? Would not!!!!!

 In comparing the two texts and the style of writing in each, I would have to give the Wood book the thumbs down. It is not that I didn't learn anything or take any pertinent information from the book, it's just that it's so ordinary to me. The Hakim book is "nouveau" history text, the Wood book is "old school". The Hakim book is inviting to page through and even more enjoyable to read, while the other text is not very aesthetic or interesting at first glance. My event that I chose to compare was the Philadelphia Convention.  Seeing that we all are about to convene on our own sort of convention in Philadelphia it made me think about the actual meeting in 1787. The Hakim text does a wonderful job of describing with great deal the amount of time and preparation that had gone into the Constitutional Convention. I liked how it explained the behind the scenes outlook on the impact that James Madison had on the success of the convention. It shows just how important he was to having  the convention become a reality. According to the book, the success of this meeting of the minds happened because of the diligence, preparedness and organization of James Madison.  The Wood book offers a lot of information of what occured at the convention, however it does not present  Madison as the star of the show, so to speak. Both books give him credit for his reliable notetaking abilities, as the reason we know so much about what happened at the convention today. Again, if I had a choice between reading the Hakim book or the Wood book, the Hakim book would win hands down.

Joy (Hakim) brings "joy" to history students everywhere...

 Let's just say it was a treat to read the content of Joy Hakim's A History of US while learning lots of things along the way. I was intrigued by the book to say the least. To think this is a text that can be utilized to teach the history of our country, gave me hope that the boredom of teens and preteens alike could be spared. In my opinion the book is more of a narrative and reads like fiction more than non-fiction. I loved all the information added to each page, the anecdotes, vivid descriptions, character analyses, poems, quotes, maps, pictures, and my list could go on. I found myself reading about people I only heard of by name but could never quite make a connection with. This book describes these integral characters with such intensity ,that without sounding cliche, they really come to life. They seem more real: more believable! More human? This book would definitely appeal to both left and right brain learners because it has a little something for everyone. It gives the impression that it is a textbook, yet it still remains entertaining somehow. The book is straight-forward enough for the left-brained learners, but creative enough to pique the interest of the right-brained learners, as well.  I really appreciated the definitions sprinkled throughout the reading because non-historical terms were even used. It helps to understand the lingo of the time period and just how far we have come as a nation. One of my favorite parts was the explanation and reason for the song, "Yankee Doodle", not your typical kiddie sing-along-song after all. Who could have guessed it was a way for the British to mock the Americans during the war?
    I also realized that I have visited so many of these sights mentioned throughout the book from  Independence Hall, to Monticello, to the hallowed halls of the Old North Church in Boston. I am thinking I would have had a greater appreciation of visiting these places, if I had been more knowledgeable of their importance to our country's independence.

HIstory repeats itself...

 I am ashamed to admit, but I want to be honest in saying that I don't like history. Never did......but maybe now I will. After reading the article Teaching for Historical Literacy, I couldn't help but use my own experiences and encounters in regard to my personal historical education. It's no wonder now as to why I did not enjoy or even try to understand what was being taught..... for my experiences included the conventional style of a history lesson, textbook reading, rote memorization of facts, and answering chapter questions upon completion of reading assignments. Let's face it, there wasn't anything glamorous about all that. However, this article has piqued my interest! As a reading specialist, I would love to see more content literacy happening in subjects such as science and social studies. It really could change the dynamic of the whole subject, and allow students that would otherwise be bored to flourish in a new way. Talk about making history come alive and have more meaning to the student while allowing for them, to get a real feel and understanding for what exactly happened on a wagon train, what it meant to be a pioneer and etc. The use of historical fiction is a wonderful idea and can be used in so many ways, such as comparing and contrasting, character/author point of view, and generalizations.
 Students are innately curious and providing them with these opportunities to gain information  in such a manner is truly refreshing.  That would never have been possible with the archaic methods of the past. I actually found myself thinking that maybe I could live vicariously through my sons and perhaps use their time to study history be my chance to finally "learn history" through their experiences. As a language arts teacher, I now see how I can utilize my lessons to give students the medium to think outside the box, have them draw conclusions, and discuss misconceptions through literacy and writing.
 As I have said, I never took to history, I felt a disconnect, a lack of interest. I can see the effects of that disinterest  because as an adult I really don't feel the need to have any strong political affiliations or follow issues of government we are all facing.  Now I see what history can and should be, and I am thinking maybe I have a second chance.....hoping this time history won't repeat itself!!!!

Left Brained? Who me?

 I chose to read the article Left Brain vs. Right Brain Teaching Techniques and will admit I was quite intrigued by what I read. First of all, I found out a few things about myself  and why I do the things I do. I had myself pegged as a right brain learner and after a self analyzing survey discovered that I was 52% left brained and 48% right brained. Interesting fact, indeed, to me and my husband, who predicted that I would be so far right brained......not so true, after all. Then, I got to thinking about the characteristics of my own children and what makes them tick, and how this brain research speaks volumes about each of our personalities and affects every facet of our lives.  Next, I pondered how in day to day teaching we are faced with the difficult task of enriching  the knowledge of the diverse group of learners we come in contact with each day. Just how deep this goes and just how difficult it is to get everyone on the "same page" continues to be a struggle for many teachers. Maybe, that is what is so challenging about teaching, how can we expect everyone to learn the same way, when none of us think exactly the same way. Perhaps, as teachers we need to be more cognizant of how we teach along with what we teach. These days the draw is towards how much content is covered or what test material needs to be regurgitated at this time, let's be honest, do we stop to plan and focus on how the students are receiving this information? I really enjoyed the article because it gave useful ideas and techniques to encorporate into daily lessons that will touch upon the needs of both right and left brain learners.
Lessons need to be a potpourri of presentations, discussions, manipulatives, music, maps & charts, a time for self-expression, along with note-taking and pencil/paper activities. This enriches the education experience and the learning process of each hemisphere of the brain.