Critical Literacy: And that means? . . .

Before taking any education classes, I never knew what critical literacy was. Now I understand that it is too complex and too deep to be defined in just one sentence. (So I will use a couple.) Critical literacy is using reading, writing, speaking, and listening in many different forms to become informed of the world around them to and to aware of their position in it. It is also having the access to these sources so that you can be informed and then using that information to make a change. One of the most important things that I can do as an educator is to teach my students to be critically literate. Too many times in education, students take what they are given and they never question it. Or if they do question it, they are not given answers or are told that they shouldn't be questioning. The only view given in education is the white higher socioeconomic perspective. Students not of that group are usually marginalized, not validated in their own history and experience. As a teacher of history, I especially can be an influencer for good when helping students develop critical literacy, teaching students to become critical (not necessarily critiques) of the world around them. As students are given access and taught how to access and question the world around them, their histories and lives become validated. They are given the tools they need to make change, which is one of the biggest aspects of critical literacy. Becoming an agent of change is the ultimate goal of critical literacy--look at the world critically, see something wrong, and then use the skills they have been taught to change it. And hopefully I am helping cultivate these agents of change.

Lots and Lots of Texts . . .

Text Sets

1.      (2012). “U.S. citizenship test”. Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved April 5, 2012, from http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2011/0104/Could-you-pass-a-US-citizenship-test/Results

a.       This citizenship test is a great way to get your students involved with the process of becoming a citizen of the united states. It is filled with questions that those looking for citizenship would need to know about the government, the constitution, and about leaders. I would use this in a US government test as a pre- and post-test to see if my students are prepared to be citizens and if they learned throughout the year what they needed to in order to be a citizen.

2.      U.S Government. (2012). “1940 census data.” Census. Retrieved April 3, 2012, from http://www.census.gov/1940census/

a.       This is just an overall good website when looking at information regarding our country in any year. They have only just released 1940 census info. and it is great to look at for data after the Great Depression and as the country enters World War II. I would use this website for any of my US history and government classes to compare data from different years and to make the time periods we are looking at real for my students.

3.      The National Archives and Records Administration. (n.d) “The national archives: Powers of Persuasion”. National Archives. Retrieved April 3, 2012 from http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/powers_of_persuasion/powers_of_persuasion_intro.html

a.       This website put out by the National Archives and Records Administration looks at different types of propaganda used by the United States during World War II to persuade citizens to do their part and to boost national moral and patriotism in the country. I would use this website in conjunction with propaganda posters from Germany, China, and Russia to see if there are any similarities or stark contrasts between the ways countries use propaganda to enlist the support of their citizens.

4.      Block, H. (2010) “Herblock’s history: Political cartoons from the crash to the millennium.” Library of Congress. Retrieved April 5, 2012 from http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/swann/herblock/fire.html 

a.       This is a great website for students when looking at political cartoons from the Great Depression to the 2000s. I love political cartoons and you can assess how well a student understand what is being discussed historically by if they get the cartoon and think it is funny/get the point. These are great cartoons to use for the later half of the 20^th century dealing with presidents, the cold war, and so on.

5.      (2009). “One minute videos”. Have Fun With History. Retrieved April 4, 2012 from, http://www.havefunwithhistory.com/HistorySubjects/oneMinuteHistory.html

a.       These are short one-two minute videos that go over pertinent points in US history that you don’t necessarily want to take a long time to discuss but are good to know about. Some include parts of the Revolutionary War, the Industrial Revolution, Expansion, Presidents, World Wars, and so on. This will be a nice way to teach students some fun facts without it having to be me teaching it to them because I teach them everyday.

6.      Foundation for the National Archives. (n.d.) “American history documents”. DocsTeach. Retrieved April 3, 2012 from, http://docsteach.org/documents

a.       This is a great resource for me as a teacher and for my students. This website has all sorts of documents from US History be it photographs, memoirs, government documents, posters, etc. I will use it to teach with primary documents at various times, making connections, forming chronology, and for students to make inferences about history. They can use it to find primary source documents for proofs in DBQ questions.

7.      Mumford and Sons. (2009). “Dust bowl dance”. On Sign No More. [CD]. United States: Glassnote.

a.       This is a song by a group called Mumford and Sons about the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. I love listening to music about history and trying to guess what the people writing the song were thinking about. I feel that some students learn best through music and this is a great example of learning about something kind of depressing, dry, (pardon the puns) and not really fun to learn about in a new exciting way.

8.      mrallsop. (2007, December 20). “We didn’t start the fire: Billy Joel”. Youtube. Retrieved April 5, 2012, from www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8lrRvuwczk&list=LLoSZ4pRgIXezp5HPqJtVMYg&feature=mh_lolz

 

a.       This is one of the greatest songs to teach about the cold war, in my opinion. Billy Joel includes events, people, and objects from all parts of society be it cultural, social, economic, political, etc. It shows that a lot more went on during the Cold War than being scared on a Nuclear attack. I will use it to get students involved with the last half of US history—1945 to 1989 with the song and then students will create their own stanzas for the next set of history using this song- 1990 to 2012 and beyond.

9.      historyteachers. (2010, September 14).“The French Revolution: Lady Gaga Bad Romance.” History for Music Lovers Channel: Youtube. Retrieved April 5, 2012, from http://www.youtube.com/user/historyteachers?ob=0&feature=results_main

a.       I absolutely love this channel on youtube. It is a bunch of history teachers that have put historical events to popular songs. My favorite are Henry VIII put to “Money, Money, Money” and The Black Plague put to “Hollaback”. It teaches students history in a way that is fun and interesting. And the lyrics will definitely get stuck in your head!

10.  Kaiser Aluminum. (Producer), Saul Bass (Director/Writer). (1968) “Edifice Sequence.” Why Man Creates. [Motion Picture]. United States: Pyramid Films. Retrieved April 3, 2012 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nHOWkfGFsk

a.       This is another way to give students a brief overview of what history is and why we learn it. This short clip starts with cavemen through the Neolithic period and then follows Western History up to the creation of technologies up to the 1960s. It creates an “Edifice”, building parts of history on one another. It is a great way to get students thinking about what history is, whose history we learn, and what parts of history may have been left out.

11.  Redlener, I. (2008). “Surviving a nuclear attack.” TEDtalks. Retrieved April 3, 2012 from http://www.ted.com/talks/irwin_redlener_warns_of_nuclear_terrorism.html

 

a.       Irwin Redlener reminds us the threat of nuclear terror has changed since the Cold War, but is still a real possibility today. He looks at some of history's farcical countermeasures and offers practical advice on how to survive an attack. I would use this in conjuncture about teaching the Cold War. Kids think that history that happened is over and no longer affects us—this TEDtalk tells us otherwise.

12.  Amato, L. (Producer), von Garnier, K. (Director). (2004). Iron jawed angels. [Motion Picture]. United States: HBO Films. 

a.       This film discusses the more radical form of Women’s Sufferage during the early 20^th century. It follows the story of Alice Paul (who is usually forgotten in the face of names like Susan B. Anthony) who helped in the movement and in the passage of the 19^th Amendment. The film is rated PG-13 so I would only show parts of it to my high schoolers—parts about the protests, the marches, and picketing at the white house—to show what these events looked like (artistically).

13.  Howard, R. (Producer/Director). (1992). Far and away. [Motion Picture]. United States: Universal Pictures. 

a.       This film is also rated PG-13 and would only be shown in clips. However, the clips I would show in a class discuss what it was like to be a female factory worker during the late 1800s in America, railroad building, and the Westward movement/land grab. It would also be used to demonstrate to students in a World History class the conflict between British and Irish during this time in regards to land rights.

14.  Loader, J. (Producer/Director). (1982). Atomic Café. [Motion Picture]. United States: Libra Films. 

a.       This film has no commentary/narration and visits nuclear warfare in the world in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s using filmclips, news reels, advertisements, tv and radio programs, etc. It is a great way to show my students what the world was like and the terrors of the world in the face of nuclear warfare when it was new, something that we still face today but deal with differently

15.  Forstater, M. (Producer), Gilliam, T. & Jones, T. (Directors). (1975). Monty Python and the Holy Grail. [Motion Picture]. United Kingdom: Colombia Pictures. 

a.       This video, while stupidly funny, would not be shown in its entirety in my class. However, it looks at events in European history with humor and there are five things that I would use Monty Python for in a class: 1) the rise of monarchies and governments, 2) witch hunts, 3) the flagellant movement, 4) the black plague, and 5) chivalry. It is a great, humorous way to approach these topics in western history.

16.  Fields, F. (Producer), Zwick, E. (Director). (1989). Glory. [Motion Picture]. United States: TriStar Pictures. 

a.       This film looks at Robert Gould Shaw as he leads the US Civil War's first all-black volunteer company. The film looks at the problems of fighting prejudices of both the Union army and the Confederates. This movie is also long but shown in parts, are very forceful in showing how blacks were treated during the Civil War, fought to help them gain their freedom. Also, there is a great clip about black revivals. (Rated R for violence and bloody images—not shown in its entirety)

17.  Mann, M. (Producer/Director.) (1992). Last of the Mohicans. [Motion Picture]. United States: 20^th Century Fox. 

a.       This film is also is rated R for its violence and bloody images. Again, not shown in its entirety but it is good to use when teaching about the French and Indian War. It shows men hollering at a cabin so they didn’t get shot just approaching which was common at the time; it also is pertinent to show students how the Native Americans traded furs with—the Dutch, and how the British tried to persuade the colonists to fight for them against the French, showing that the colonists had already separated themselves and thought of themselves no longer British.

18.  Ciardi, M. (Producer), O’Connor, Gavin (Director). Miracle. (2004). [Motion Picture]. United States: Walt Disney Pictures. 

a.       The opening montage of this film is awesome when showing students quickly events that happened during the cold war—the gas prices/inflation, the Watergate scandal, popular culture, and the tensions between the soviet union and the United States. I would show this to get students thinking of events that happened during 1960-1980 and then have a discussion about why those things were included and are we being affected by those things today.

19.  Zusak, M. (2007). The book thief. New York: Knopf Books for Young Readers.

a.       This is a fantastic book when you want to show your students the reality of World War II in Germany. This is a story about a girl who lived in Germany during this time, was a part of Hitler’s Youth, and who struggled with living in a Germany she did not agree with. It also discusses the hardship of starving, bombings, and hiding Jews. It is a great way to get students thinking that not all Germans, and in fact most, were not Nazis and why they allowed Hitler to do what he did (which is a question a lot of kids bring up when discussing the Holocaust—why didn’t they stop him?)

20.  Scieszka, J. & Smith, L. (1989). The true story of the three little pig. New York, NY: Penguin. 

a.       The true story of the three little pigs is told by A. Wolf and he tries to prove his innocence in the poor death of the pigs saying he was sick and just needed a cup of sugar for his grandmother. This story can be used for a high school history class to talk about WWII. A. Wolf is Adolf Hitler and the three little pigs are the counties he attacked/got with the appeasement agreement with France and Britain. It is a great way to have students critically think about perspective in World War II and what really happened.

21.  Tsuchiya, Yukio. (1951). Faithful elephants. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin. 

 a.       This book discusses how the Japanese Army had requested that every zoo in Japan poison their large or dangerous animals because they were worried that these animals would escape and harm the general public if a bomb detonated near the zoo. The poison that worked on the other animals did not work on the three remaining Indian elephants, so they were starved to death. This book was written to let children know the grief, fear and sadness caused by war. It a different way to have students look at different perspectives during war. (And what student doesn’t like to read a picture book?)

22.  Ayer, E.H., Heck, A., & Waterford, H. (2000). Parallel journeys. New York, NY: Aladdin.

a.       This book discusses the story of a boy who was a member of the Hitler's. Youth and a Jewish girl. They lived near one another but their lives turned out completely different. The girl was sent to Auschwitz and the boy became a high ranking officer in the Hitler's Youth. I would used this book to show students differences in people's lives in Germany during World War II.        

23.  Greene, Bette. (1973). Summer of my German soldier. United States: Penguin. 

a.       This book follows a twelve-year-old Jewish girl named Patty living in Arkansas during World War II. The story focuses on the friendship between Patty and an escaped German POW named Anton. Patty first meets Anton when a group of German POWs visits her father's store. Anton teaches Patty that she is a person of value. In return, she protects Anton by hiding him above her father's garage. Again, this is another way to look at things that went on during World War II between Jews and Germans, even in the United States.

24.  Monk, L. R. (2005). The words we live by, your annotated guide to the constitution. New York: Hyperion. 

a.       This book breaks down the U.S. Constitution by article and by word. It makes the document comprehensible and puts it into language that students would understand. It also tells of how the document has been interpreted historically and today. I would use this anytime I needed students to understand parts of the constitution, especially when dealing with clauses, the branches of government, and the bill of rights.

25.  Swift, J. (1729). A modest proposal. Retrieved April 5, 2012 from http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Texts/modest.html

a.       This proposal was written in 1729 by Jonathan Swift as to what can be done with the starving poor in Ireland at the time of the Corn Laws. Not only is it good for a World/Western History class when discussing these laws and what was going on in Britain at the time but also when trying to teach students about persuasive writing. The “modest” proposal is not so modest, and while it shocks you, he does give some pretty convincing evidence as to what can be done to solve the problem.

26.  Lincoln, Abraham. (1863, November 19). Gettysburg address. Retrieved April 5, 2012 from http://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/gettyb.asp

a.       I would use this when teaching students about the Civil War. However, I would have students read just parts of it, in a row. I feel that you get how powerful this short statement was. Then students can rewrite what was said in their short part in modern language so they can understand what Lincoln was trying to say to his fellow Americans at the time.  

27.  U.S. Declaration of Independence. (1776). Retrieved April 4, 2012 from http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration.html 

a.       The Declaration of Independence is an important founding document and every citizen needs to know what it says and where the ideas came from. I will hang a copy of this document in my classroom. I especially like having students memorize and remember the “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal . . .” It is also important to have students understand that this document started the Revolutionary War.

28.  U.S. Constitution. (1787). Retrieved April 4, 2012 from http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution.html 

a.       This document is, what I believe, the basic text of a U.S. Government class and a secondary source in the broader U.S. History class. Every American should know what this document says, what freedoms it awards and how it sets up our government. I will be using this, in conjunction with the constitution annotation, to teach my students about how the government is set up and run and what things we do today that are and are not stipulated in the constitution.

29.  Sistine Chapel Tour. Retrieved April 5, 2012, from http://www.vatican.va/various/cappelle/sistina_vr/index.html 

a.       This is a great virtual tour to have students go on when looking at Renaissance art. Everyone has heard of the Sistine Chapel and Michaelangelo, but very few actually get to see this. This tour is a 360 degree view and zoom of the chapel. I will use it to get students there and interested in the art of the Renaissance.

30.  Lacey, Bill. (1988). The new deal on trial. Lakeside, CA: DBA Interact.

a.       This is a lesson plan/simulation about the New Deal. It provides teachers with roles for their students to play when discussing the topic: Was the new deal successful/constitutional? It is a great, interactive way for students to learn about parts of the new deal, who it affected, and what the results were.

Too True . . .

An I-What?

I have not gotten into the I-craze so I do not use an iphone, ipod, ipad, etc. I do use a personal computer, daily. And I use a cell phone, just depends on the day how much or if at all. I use a cell phone for a clock and to communicate with my family and friends. I use a personal computer to accomplish homework, read the news, listen to music, journal, and browse the internet. I get online anywhere from 6-10 times a day for various reasons--listening to homework while playing with roommates; reading the news or emails; accomplishing homework via Canvas or the internet; stalking friends on facebook; reading books, textbooks, or blogs; finding new crafts on pinterest; etc. I don't watch a lot of TV, less than five hours a week. However, my roommates and I do watch a lot of movies--Disney is preferred. My phone is usually close by and I can spend anywhere from 5 minutes to all day having a text conversation with someone. I usually exchange text messages with family and a few close friends. I exchange emails with my dad, my professors, and various others (usually about work/applications). I read online newspapers because I like to keep somewhat current on the events in our state, nation, and world. I read online blogs for various reasons be it photography, craft ideas, cooking ideas, new teaching strategies/technologies, or keeping up with friends. I read books online only because Logan Public Library does not have the books I want to read and I need to read them. I read homework stuffs online because I have to and I read things on facebook or the web or pinterest because I am bored or I am trying to avoid reading my homework stuff. I have always felt strongly about using technology and digital texts in my classroom. Students today are very digital-savvy and know lots about using technology. Also, because of this and fast-paced lifestyle in which we live, many students have a hard time with brick and mortar, sit and listen to a lecture, do a worksheet types of classrooms. After looking at how often I use technology and digital texts in my own life, be it for personal use or school use, I spend a lot of time with technology. Students need to be allowed to do this in a classroom, with some direction, to benefit and enhance their learning. As a social studies teacher, I believe that it is important to be aware of the world around you. I will use online media sources to help my students understand what is going on in the world, how it affects them, and what historical contexts these world events are rooted in. I love youtube and find that it can be a great educational tool whether it be showing clips directly related to history, clips that try to make a point about something (even if not directly related to history but particular skills), or uploading their own videos for history. I love doing blogs, reading blogs, browsing websites, creating websites, and find that this type of technology will be important to students learning/showing and reflecting on what they have learned. Students are attached to their phones and love any moment they can use them. With history and civics, it is really easy to use student polls with cell phones to get them involved and excited. Facebook and other various forms of social media are also very popular. Students can interact with one another via classroom facebook pages, collaborating on wiki-assignments, or having class-blogs. When I was in school, I loved making my powerpoint presentations as crazy cool as I could, and now we have prezi that adds a whole new dimension. We will use all these texts in class and for students who have no experience or no access to these resources from home, we will work on them in class. Just like anything you expect students to do in school, in order for them to do it correctly, to do their best, and to succeed you need to scaffold what that looks like and in doing so, I, as the teacher, need to be familiar with how to use them and how to teach them. It also means staying up on the latest trends.