Teaching the Declaration of Independence as a Break Up Letter - Podcast and Video

NOTE : This post is an update of my podcast and post from about a year ago describing how I use a fictional break up letter to help teach the purpose of the Declaration of Independence. In the original podcast, from September 2007, I included audio of my class while doing this activity. Today - October 30, 2008 - I did this activity with my 8th graders and instead of capturing their reaction using audio, I used my Flip video camera and took video of the activity while it was happening. It was great and really shows how the activity works in a real classroom. I have embedded the video with this post.

Hello. Today's podcast describes one of the activities I use in class to teach about the Declaration of Independence. Students often don't really understand the purpose of the document and this activity usually helps. I act as if I have found a note on the floor of my class the day before after school and then I read it to the class. It is a break up letter and at the end the students are stunned to learn that it is from "the American Colonies". I have included the text of the letter that I use below and the podcast has a recording of what happens when I read the letter in class and the discussion that follows. The podcast also has some hints and suggestions if you would like to replicate this activity in your classroom. I'm sure someone out there does something similar but I have not been able to find it anywhere else. I really enjoy this activity and my students have fun with it as well.

Direct link to Podcast #120 - Teaching the Declaration of Independence as a Break Up Letter - MP3 File - 16:57 Minutes

If you have any comments or questions please leave a comment on the blog or send me an e-mail at speakingofhistory@gmail.com

You can subscribe directly to the Speaking of History podcast via i-Tunes here

Text of the letter that I read to my class this year:

I'm not sure how to start this letter but I feel we need to talk. I've been thinking about us a lot lately. Things used to be so great - it was like we were M.F.E.O. I mean everyone said it was perfect. I really thought we would be together forever but then things changed.
I feel like you started to take me for granted. You just started to do whatever you wanted and never even asked me about anything or how I felt.
I've been thinking about this for a while and I don't want to hurt you but I think it is time we broke up. I mean it's just not going to work. I need some time by myself to see what it is like on my own. I'm sorry things didn't work out but I do think YOU are the one to blame. Sorry but "US" is over.
The American Colonies

Podcast #159 - Online Resources for Teaching the 2008 Election

Hello. A week from tonight we will elect a new president and many teachers across the nation are implementing online resources to explain the process to their students. I recently wrote an article which was published in School Library Journal magazine (September 2008 issue) describing a variety of resources. The article is available in print or you can view the entire article online here.

In today's podcast I discuss the resources listed below. If you use an additional online resource to teach the election please share it by adding a comment to this blog post.

Budget Hero

CNN Student News

Daryl Cagle's Professional Cartoonist Index

eLECTIONS Online Game

The Living Room Candidate

Select A Candidate

270 To Win

Direct link to Podcast #159 - Online Resources for Teaching the 2008 Election - MP3 Audio File

2008 T+L Conference in Seattle - Visiting the Space Needle

Hello. After I presented my preconference session on Monday afternoon I decided to visit the Space Needle. Everyone in Seattle has to visit the Space Needle right? I took the Monorail over to the Space Needle and as I paid $16 for my ticket to ride the elevator to the top I had doubts that it would be worth it but I must say that I was not disappointed. I arrived at the top of the Space Needle at about 5:30 PM right as the sun was setting over Elliott Bay. The sky turned several shades of red as ships moved in the bay. The city came alive as it grew darker and the lights began to show a city alive. I spent about an hour at the top and even watched part of a football game below - as I watched one team even scored a touchdown.

I have included some pictures from my visit and also took along my trusty Flip cam to record some video. I made a video Monday night and have posted it so my students can share in my visit to the Space Needle.

If you have any comments or would like to share your experience in visiting the Space Needle please leave a comment to this post. Thanks.

2008 T+L Conference in Seattle - A Tour of the Pike Place Market

Hello from Seattle. I'm in Seattle to present at the 2008 T+L Conference. My presentation is Monday afternoon but I did get into town on Sunday afternoon. After checking in to my hotel, I walked down to my favorite Seattle location - The Pike Place Market.

I took some pictures and video with my Flip. I created this short video on Sunday night so that my students back in Liberty, Missouri could watch it in class. It has some video of the original Starbucks, buskers and the "wall of gum".

Podcast #158 - Visiting Ellis Island

Above - Grandpa's name on the wall at Ellis Island

Above - Great Hall in 1924 - same year my grandfather came through Ellis Island

Above - Great Hall as it appears today in 2008

Above - Sitting on the original benches in the Great Hall

Above - Statue of Liberty framed by a door in the Great Hall

Above - My first view of the Statue of Liberty

Hello. A couple of weeks ago while attending a national teacher of the year workshop in New York City I was able to visit a location that I knew I needed to visit at some point in my life - Ellis Island. My grandfather, Henry C Langhorst, immigrated to America in 1924 as a 26 year old German who knew no English and came through Ellis Island. I spent about 5 hours soaking in the history at Ellis Island on September 30th and recall the experience in my podcast. It was an emotional experience for me and I was moved to tears on several occasions that day. I have also included some pictures and a video from my Flip video recorder.

Direct link to Podcast #158 - Visiting Ellis Island - MP3 Audio File

If you have any comments or questions about the podcast please leave a comment or e-mail me at speakingofhistory@gmail.com

Visiting My Classroom To Check Out the Zunes

Hello. I recently received an e-mail from a teacher wanting to visit my classroom to see how my students are using the Zune MP3 player in class for instruction. I marked the e-mail for response but after two days of searching cannot find it.

If you sent me an e-mail about visiting my classroom please send me another e-mail. You are more than welcome to visit my classroom but I need your contact information again.

Thanks.

Eric

Always Remember....

Always remember. It struck me today when I was taking attendance in my 8th grade American history classroom and realized that the students in my room were only in the first grade when this day changed our country forever. It is our duty to remember, we owe them this at the very least.

Source : http://www.rebirthstudios.com/articles/

Upcoming Opportunities at the Truman Library

Just passing along some great upcoming opportunities from the Truman Library:

1) Presidential Election Trivia Contest for Missouri and Kansas 9-12th graders

Monday, October 20, 2008, from 7:00 - 9:00 P.M. Truman Library, Independence, Missouri

This contest is designed for Missouri and Kansas 9th - 12th grade students. Registration will be $25 per team. The deadline for entering is October 3rd. Only one team from each school may participate. Private, parochial, public and home schools are all welcome to register for the contest.Format Groups of up to six students from each school will participate in teams. They will answer questions on a variety of questions relating to Presidential campaigns and elections in American history.

For further information contact Mark.adams@nara.gov To enter, you can download the entry form at: http://www.trumanlibrary.org/triviacontest

2) National Issues Forums for Missouri and Kansas High School Students"

The New Challenges of American Immigration."October 11 & 18, 20089:30 - NoonTruman Library & Museum Independence, Missouri

The New Challenges of American Immigration On October 11 & 18 from 9:30 am to noon, the Truman Library will host two High School Student National Issues Forums on "The New Challenges of American Immigration." While the students are engaged in their forums, the teachers will be separately trained by National Issues Forums Institute moderators how to organize and conduct the type of dialogue that comprises NIFI forums. The deadline for RSVPs is October 6 for the October 11 forum and October 13 for the October 18 forum.

To rsvp, email ray.geselbracht@nara.gov ; include the teacher name, school name and the number of students participating. More information is at: http://www.trumanlibrary.org/nifi/

Teacher Workshop Opportunity at the Winston Churchill Memorial Library

I am always amazed at the number of high quality professional development opportunities we have as social studies teachers. This year I hope to spread the word about more of these opportunities. Some of these will be regional, such as the posting today, and others will be open to anyone regardless of your physical location.

Today's item is from the Winston Churchill Memorial and Library located in Fulton, Missouri on the campus of Westminster College. It is an excellent museum and I highly recommend it to any history teacher. Today I'm sharing some information on an upcoming teacher workshop at the museum.

A one-day Teacher Breakout Workshop will be held Saturday, Sept. 20, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at fhe Winston Churchill Memorial and Library in the United States, located on the Westminster College campus in Fulton, MO.

This event is open to any 4th or 5th grade teacher. The cost is $5.00, including lunch, and enrollment is limited to 20 teachers.

The first of three professional development workshops, the Elementary School session, will provide in-depth training about the museum’s education curriculum specific to the 4th and 5th grade classrooms, including both the onsite and outreach programs. Subjects touched upon on the elementary level include Geography, Social Studies and Communication Arts. We will offer professional development credit.

Upcoming workshops are Middle School Teachers – Saturday, December 13, and High School Teachers – Saturday, March 21. Our 3-day teacher workshop is June 25-27.

For more information and to RSVP, please contact Mandy Crump, Education/Public Programs Coordinator, at 573-592-6242 or Mandy.Crump@churchillmemorial.org.

The Winston Churchill Memorial and Library in the United States is located on the campus of Westminster College in Fulton, MO, the site of Churchill’s famous “Iron Curtain” speech. The Memorial was founded in 1969 to honor the life and legacy of one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century. It is housed within the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury, a 12th century church from the middle of London, redesigned by Sir Christopher Wren in 1677 and relocated to Fulton in 1969. The Undercroft of this beautiful and historic Wren church is a museum filled with a priceless treasury of artifacts and information relating to the life and times of Sir Winston Churchill.

The Churchill Memorial is open from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily. Admission is Adults: $6.00; Senior Citizens, AAA and AARP members: $5.00; Youth (12-18): $4.00; College Students: $4.00; Children (6-11): $3.00; and Children (5 and under): free.

45 years ago today........

Forty-five years ago today, Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous "I Have A Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Today I would like to share one of my favorite pictures of my daughter on our last trip to DC when she stood on the spot. She had learned about the speech in her preschool class and it was a very cool "dad moment" to be able to tell her this was the exact location. In light of the political events occuring today, it does make me pause to think about how much, or if, we are making progress and how we will look back on this moment 45 years from now.