The Learning Network: Briefly Noted: Practicing Useful Annotation Strategies

The Learning Network: Briefly Noted: Practicing Useful Annotation Strategies: "Lesson Plan | Practicing note-taking methods and reflecting on the value of marginalia."

The Learning Network: One Size Fits All? Reflecting on the Role of Government

The Learning Network: One Size Fits All? Reflecting on the Role of Government: "Lesson Plan | Nine different activities for considering the role of government and political ideology."

The Learning Network: Of Budgets and Bargaining: Putting the Union Protests Into Context

The Learning Network: Of Budgets and Bargaining: Putting the Union Protests Into Context: "Lesson Plan | Activities for learning about the current protests over state budgets and unions."

The Learning Network: More Great 'Read-Alouds' From The New York Times

The Learning Network: More Great 'Read-Alouds' From The New York Times: "We've updated last year's popular list of short, engaging Times pieces to read aloud in honor of the March 9 observance of World Read-Aloud Day."

Rethinking Schools: Teaching About Labor Issues and the Wisconsin Worker Fight Back

Teaching About Labor Issues and the Wisconsin Worker Fight Back

According to Labor historian, Mark Naison, the movement of workers that began in Wisconsin and is now spreading to other states is "the most important labor struggle in the United States in the 21st Century."

The current uprising of workers in Wisconsin and other states presents a powerful opportunity to teach students about what the protests are about, and why their teachers and neighbors are joining the struggle. It's an opportunity to critically examine issues, and to model for students responsible civic action and engagement in the political process.

As members of teacher unions, we have an additional responsibility, summarized by the late Howard Zinn in an interview published in Transforming Teacher Unions:

"If teacher unions want to be strong and well-supported, it's essential that they not only be teacher unionists but teachers of unionism. We need to create a generation of students who support teachers and the movements of teachers for their rights."

Listed below are teaching resources for all grade levels.

Embrace this "teachable moment," and share with us (in the comments) what resources you are using, how you are using them, and how your students are responding.

Ferlazzo: More Resources On Wealth & Income Inequality

Here are the newest additions to The Best Resources About Wealth & Income Inequality:

It’s the Inequality, Stupid is from Mother Jones and has eleven infographics.

Malcolm Gladwell On Why Income Inequality is the Next Big Issue Facing America is an article and video."

Ferlazzo - “Film Education” Looks Like An Excellent Resource

Film Education is a UK site with tons of study guides and other resources on how to integrate movies into any curriculum. It also has some neat online activities.

I’m adding it to The Best Places To Find Theatrical Movies On Science, Math, & History."

Stenhouse DBQ Resources

3) PD Corner: Document-based questions

The vast majority of our students will not become professional historians. In their careers, however, they will need to know how to find valid information, analyze it from multiple perspectives, and communicate it clearly. —Sara Cooper, from Making History Mine Analyzing documents from multiple perspectives and communicating ideas clearly are the essence of a document-based question (DBQ). DBQs challenge students to write and think critically in response to a set of documents. Get the gist of the DBQ process at Peter Pappas's site, Teaching with Documents. Find worksheet organizers to support students' analysis as well several example DBQs: http://www.edteck.com/dbq/index.htm Want to construct your own questions around a historical theme? Dip into Paula Goldstein's treasure trove of primary source and DBQ resources: http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil/pages/listdocumentpa.html Or discover the interactive National Archives Experience and build a question to support students thinking about American history or literature: http://www.digitalvaults.org/ Do your students struggle with analysis? Help them make sense of the evidence with History Matters. Review how to make sense of a variety of text types: http://historymatters.gmu.edu/browse/makesense/ Hone your craft with Making History Mine by Sara Cooper. Chapter 5, "How Historians Think: Writing as a Way of Understanding," builds a foundation for the DBQ process: http://www.stenhouse.com/0765.asp?r=n209 (Click on the Table of Contents tab.)

MLK Jr. - “The Purpose of Education”

Dr. King on the purpose of education in America: “The Purpose of Education”

Teaching Tolerance - Jim Crow Today

Jim Crow Today: "
It can be daunting but also amusing to set the context for Harper Lee’s classic To Kill A Mockingbird. If my students thought the 1992 L.A. Riots were “back in the day,” imagine how long ago the 1930’s feel to them. Not only that, but when I refer to the southern United States, several of them think I really mean “a place near L.A.” To conquer this, we spent a period locating Alabama on the map, sipping sweet southern tea and checking out Dorothea Lange’s Depression-era photos. I even play a compilation of tunes that were popular then, including A Tisket, A Tasket by Ella Fitzgerald. Overall, we have fun as we look back...

The Learning Network - Ways to Teach About the Unrest in Egypt

The Learning Network: Ways to Teach About the Unrest in Egypt: "We'll continue to update this post, which provides a variety of ways to address the breaking news about Egypt in the classroom."

NYTimes - On Education: Closing the Achievement Gap Without Widening a Racial One

On Education: Closing the Achievement Gap Without Widening a Racial One: "Ronald Ferguson has explored the reasons black students’ grades lag behind those of whites."

Huff Post - McCaskey East High School Divides Students By Race, Gender For 'Better Mentoring'

McCaskey East High School Divides Students By Race, Gender For 'Better Mentoring': "UPDATE: After the segregated mentoring program sparked national outrage, McCaskey East High School has ended the policy, CNN reports.

Pennsylvania's McCaskey East High School has come up with a controversial plan to help the school's black students: to segregate them.

The policy applies only to homeroom, which meets each day for six minutes and once a week for 20 minutes, and was intended to help close the school's racial achievement gap.

NPR / The Root - The Scary Segregated School Trend

The Root: The Scary Segregated School Trend: "
On Tuesday, Michelle Obama announced that the 2012 Democratic National Convention will be in Charlotte, North Carolina. Cynthia Gordy of The Root argues that hopefully the location of the convention will draw attention to the increasing segregated school problem in North Carolina."

Ferlazzo: “A Class Divided”

We have used this in humanities several years in a row and it has led to some strong class discussion in our civil rights unit. Here's what Ferlazzo posted:

"I’ve just learned about the PBS website and film (available online) titled “A Class Divided” (and I learned about it from the excellent resource “TeachersFirst,” which I’ve described on more than one “The Best…” list).

Instead of reinventing the wheel, I’m just going to reprint the description written by TeachersFirst (I hope that’s okay with them):

This is one of the most requested programs for effectively conveying the reality of discrimination, what it feels like, and how it can change a person. Frontline, the PBS news-magazine show, produced this gripping piece that tackles the controversy, complexity, and consequences of discrimination that have shaped our society. This film and collection of activities are based on the 1970 documentary of the daring lesson that teacher Jane Elliott taught her third-grade class to give them a firsthand experience in the meaning of discrimination, immediately following the assassination of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. The film shows what she taught the children and the impact that lesson had on their lives. It includes three major segments: the footage of the original documentary of Jane Elliott’s third-graders, (approximately 20 minutes), the reunion of those third-graders 14 years later who talk about the effect her lesson has had on their lives, (approximately 7 minutes), and also Elliott teaching her lesson to adult employees of Iowa’s prison system and how their reactions to her exercise were similar to those of the children, (approximately 20 minutes). A Teachers’ Guide, as well as an abundance of supplementary materials that allow students to wrestle with realistic ideas, are available on this site.

I’m adding this resource to The Best Sites For Walking In Someone Else’s Shoes."

NYTimes: Mapping Our Neighborhoods, Mapping America

Mapping Our Neighborhoods, Mapping America - NYTimes.com

Ferlazzo: The Atlantic’s “2010 In Review”

The Atlantic’s “2010 In Review” is surprising accessible and includes several slideshows.

I’m adding it to The Best “Year In Review” Features That Aren’t Photo Collections — 2010.

Ferlazzo: Martin Luther King Resources

Martin Luther King Resources: "

Martin Luther King’s birthday will be celebrated and honored in a few weeks.

I’ve updated The Best Websites For Learning About Martin Luther King.

NPR: 50 Years Since Integration At The University Of Georgia

50 Years Since Integration At The University Of Georgia: "
Fifty years ago, two-African American students walked onto the campus of the University of Georgia in Atlanta, effectively integrating the school. One of them was Charlayne Hunter-Gault.

Ferlazzo: Human Trafficking

Human Trafficking: "

January 11th is Human Trafficking Awareness Day.

I have revised The Best Resources For Learning About Human Trafficking Today.