Social Studies Toolbox

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."   Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. April 1963  Letter from Birmingham Jail. Watch "Eyes on the Prize." No Easy Walk (1961-1963)The civil rights movement discovers the power of mass demonstrations as the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. emerges as its most visible leader. Some demonstrations succeed ; others fail . But the triumphant March on Washington, D.C. , under King's leadership, shows a mounting national support for civil rights. President John F. Kennedy proposes the Civil Rights Act. Assign: "Letter from Birmingham Jail" http://www.thekingcenter.org/archive/document/letter-birmingham-city-jail-0 In class: Working in groups of three or four, discuss the questions from "Letter from Birmingham Jail" your group was assigned. (10 minutes) Share answers with the large group. Questions: Why did King write this letter? What reasons did King give for coming to Birmingham? Why...

In class activity: "Tootsie the Goldfish Activity" The case: Landlord v. Tenant (Read about the facts of the case, the statute involved and other relevant information in the link below.) In Wisconsin, there are three kinds of judges : 1. Trial Judges 2. Court of Appeals Judges 3. Wisconsin Supreme Court Justices Discuss: In this case, what is the issue to be decided upon? What must the judges/justices decide? What "tools" do judges and justices use to help them reach their decisions? After finishing the activity, what did you learn about the work of judges and justices? For more detail and other law-related lessons: http://www.legalexplorer.com/resources/education/ConnectingToTheCourts_pt1.pdf Methods of Constitutional Interpretation: http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_intr.html http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/interp.html (In 2002 I had the privilege of attending one of the most valuable professional -development opp...

Part I 1. What does this cartoon mean? 2. If each fish represented a group of people, how would you label each of the three fish? 3. If each fish represented a country, how would you label each of the three fish? 4. Create a title for the cartoon. See pages 73-74 in Rethinking Globalization: Teaching for Justice in an Unjust World for more teaching suggestions using this cartoon. Part II In class, we will do the "Ten Chairs of Inequality" activity. For extra credit, comment on your feelings about the activity and the class discussion following the activity. In your comment you may want to address reasons why you think many people seem to lack a sense of "class consciousness." Do you think "class" is a "taboo" subject in the media? Among politicians? Why or why not? ("Ten Chairs of Inequality" from Rethinking Globalization: Teaching for Justice in an Unjust World, page 115.) Psychology connection: What i...

(Watch the movie and answer the following questions): 1. Analyze the impact the Post's coverage of Watergate had on investigative journalism. 2. Criticize or defend, techniques used by Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. 3. Discuss the proper use of anonymous and unnamed sources. Discuss the controversy surrounding the use of anonymous sources. 4. Using history and the resignation of President Nixon, discuss the power of the media and its treatment of public officials during and since the Nixon administration.

YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLTbsI778pQ Photo Slide show : Soldiers Grove on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soldiers_Grove%2C_Wisconsin

This has been a topic I've explored in both my Psychology classes and Social Psychology classes - the media's damaging effect on the psychological and physical well-being of young girls. I first became interested in the topic as an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin- La Crosse . I was fortunate to see Jean Kilbourne , Naomi Woolf and Mary Pipher as a young college student. These women were very influential in transforming the way I viewed the media. Ever since, I've been very interested in media literacy. As a beginning educator in Viroqua , I had my students read an article from Ms. Magazine on the issue of media literacy and body image. If I recall correctly, the title was "How to Get a Guy, Drop Twenty Pounds and Lose Your Self-Esteem." It was very profound and also very funny. I also had my kids read a chapter from Kilbourne's Deadly Persuasion: Why Women and Girls Must Fight the Addictive Power of Advertising . The chapter was ...

NPR Coverage (Listen to an interview with Tom Brokaw ) http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17006227 History Channel - 1968 http://www.history.com/states.do?parentId=1968 History Channel Study Guide: http://a614.g.akamai.net/f/614/2201/30m/aetn.download.akamai.com/2201/thc/1968/1968guide.pdf More Resources on 1968: http://www.lib.virginia.edu/small/exhibits/sixties/index.html Tet Offensive: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tet_Offensive& oldid =221445542 My Lai : http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/trenches/my_lai.html King's Assassination: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Martin_Luther_King%2C_Jr._assassination& oldid =220637214 1968 Presidential Election: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=United_States_presidential_election%2C_1968& oldid =220901118

A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn Wikipedia (A People's History of the United States) http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A_People%27s_History_of_the_United_States& oldid =219135460 Excerpts from the book: http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Zinn/PeoplesHistory_Zinn.html Read from the book online (Reading from the hardcover is a much more enjoyable experience): http://www.historyisaweapon.com/zinnapeopleshistory.html Videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZjJnkIam7M http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arn3lF5XSUg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ehc3V1g5pm0 I have the CD version as well. Perhaps you'd prefer listening to chapters of interest. Let me know and I'll get it ready for you.

Past posts pertaining to the movie "Blood Diamond": (For credit, you may click on the link below and answer the questions in the post.) http://hansengeorge.blogspot.com/2008/04/global-citizenship.html (For credit, answer the "Comprehension Questions" or the "Discussion Activity Questions .") http://hansengeorge.blogspot.com/2007/09/sierra-leone.html " Adbusting " Project - Create an " Adbusters " style poster focusing on the issue of conflict diamonds. See the link below for more detail on " adbusting ," project requirements and more resources on the issue of conflict diamonds. http://hansengeorge.blogspot.com/2007/10/adbusting.html Similar Project Ideas: http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/14_02/adv142.shtml Visit this link for samples of " Adbuster " posters on the issue of conflict diamonds: http://hansengeorge.blogspot.com/2008/05/samples-of-student-work.html Important: If you choose to answer ...

Part I: "Apathy" Read Eve Bunting's "Terrible Things." Listen to Simon and Garfunkle's "Sound of Silence." Write a brief essay addressing the lessons of "Terrible Things" and your impressions of the song "Sound of Silence." In your essay discuss reasons people remain indifferent in the face of the suffering of others. Include past and current examples of the dangers of apathy. Reflect on the following questions as you read "The Terrible Things": What is the poem about? Who are the "Terrible Things"? Why didn't the animals resist the "Terrible Things"? Who might be the "Terrible Things" today? How are people fighting the "Terrible Things"? For people who do not resist the "Terrible Things," why don't they? See me for a copy of "Terrible Things" or visit the link below for an excerpt. http://www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch546/annefrankelit/...

N.Y. Times Lesson - Examining the issue of race in war: http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20000607wednesday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons Answer these questions from the lesson linked above (Answer #1 or #2): 1. In what ways might the race of a soldier affect his or her military experience? How might his or her race affect others in his or her unit? 2. Examine how issues of race in the military are portrayed in the film, "Glory." In addition to answering #1 or #2, go to the link below (it is a history blog) and answer the question about leadership. Post all of your answers here. http://ushistorysite.blogspot.com/2006/11/characters-from-movie-glory-which.html

After watching the movie, "Bobby" answer the following questions: 1. Who were the leading Presidential candidates running for President in 1968? Follow these links to find the answers to this question: http://www.tahg.org/module_display.php?mod_id=54&review=yes#307 http://www.tahg.org/module_display.php?mod_id=54&review=yes#304 http://www.tahg.org/module_display.php?mod_id=54&review=yes#339 2. What did you learn about Bobby Kennedy's platform from the film? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_F._Kennedy 3. Looking back at the film, what references to racial issues were made? (Perhaps you can recall incidents of prejudice or discrimination based on race in the film.) 4. What did you learn about public perceptions of the War in Vietnam from the film? 5. What did you learn about 1960s popular culture from the film? Protest Music: http://www.jwsrockgarden.com/jw02vvaw.htm Resources and past blog posts: http://hansengeorge.blogspot.com/2008/01/bo...

Need a break? Check out these links below. Hope to see a few smiling faces! Free Hugs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr3x_RRJdd4 Childhood Dreams Lecture: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo

Wikipedia - "The Third Wave" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Third_Wave Lesson Plan on "The Wave" http://www.tbc.school.nz/elearning/localsites/holocaust/activity/68plan/comp.htm Related Links: Watch clips from Frontline's "A Class Divided." Based on Jane Elliot's famous "Brown Eyes/Blue Eyes" Experiment. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/divided/etc/view.html Frontline's "A Class Divided" site: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/divided/

Headline: NBC's Tim Russert dies of apparent heart attack http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25145431/ Russert was a standard of excellence in journalism. His loss is not just a loss for journalism but for our country. He will be missed by many. http://www.newseum.org/news/news.aspx?item=nn_RUSS080613&style=f Tim Russert Remembered: http://www.newseum.org/news/news.aspx?item=nn_RUSS_MEM080613&style=f NPR Story: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91658122&ft=1&f=1001

Info on Ron Kovic : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Kovic Interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaY6uK0vtGs Info on the movie: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Born_on_the_Fourth_of_July Lesson Plans/Projects relating to themes dealt with in this movie: http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/template?page=home& src =static/teaching-tools/ tchcived /12-14 lp . htm Resource List (Teaching about the Vietnam War) http://www.rethinkingschools.org/war/ideas/vres.shtml Statistics - Vietnam War: http://www.vhfcn.org/stat.html Related News Stories: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/01/nyregion/01veterans.html?_r=1& scp =4&sq=war+veterans+services&st= nyt & oref = slogin N.Y. Times Lesson - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Returning Veterans: http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20030311tuesday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons N.Y. Times Lesson - Battling Memories of Vietnam: http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20010430monday.html?sear...

For those of you wishing to read books relating to a topic/theme in either U.S. or World History, leave your book titles and comments relating to the books here. If you have any book suggestions for other students leave them here as well. One suggestion is Art Spiegelman 's , Maus and Maus II. For information on these books: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maus Online Exhibit (Maus) http://www.nmajh.org/exhibitions/maus/

Summer School History Recovery begins June 11. Class will meet Monday through Friday, 8:30-1:00 (includes bathroom and lunch break). Most of the information regarding course requirements , projects, etc. can be found on the wikispace page under "U.S. History Recovery." World History Recovery information can be found here as well. http://georgeclasses.wikispaces.com/U.S.+History+Recovery You will post Unit/Theme choices, beginning and ending dates, questions and comments here. (This is required. After you complete each Unit/Theme, I will post a comment verifying completion of your project. Parents/guardians/Guidance, etc. will be able to track your progress by checking the comments section of this blog post.) Before you post comments, you must register with Blogger. On the first day of class we will do this. Everyone must do this. If you do not have an email address, we will set one up for you. Once you register, DO NOT forget your user name or password! Your user name is yo...