A Treasure (Box) of a Little Town!

My treasure box is a bit unique. We just finished all of the activities this past week - which is why my post is so late. I am also hoping to get it done before Hurricane Sandy takes down my internet - so here goes!

In our school district we are privileged to have an organization known as the Northern York County Historical and Preservation Society (NYCHAPS) http://www.northernyorkhistorical.org/
This group of people have, in the past, helped to provide our students with a wealth of information about our local history. We used to (notice the past tense) celebrate Heritage Week in October to coincide with our annual Farmer's Fair here in Dillsburg  http://www.dillsburgfarmersfair.org/
Unfortunately, due to budget cuts and the fact that it takes away so much "teaching time", we now have 1 assembly day for the entire school. I decided to link our local history with the Philadelphia experience for Social Studies as part of my New Nation Notebook assignment, so the treasure box became Dillsburg!

A member of NYCHAPS (a retired teacher friend) came to speak to the students about his woodworking. He runs a Wheel Wright's shop on the property owned by the society. He provided many primary sources - tools, pieces of wood they have excavated from a local barn, and copies of documents deeding the land to the Logan family - the founders of the tavern now being restored. We did many compare/contrast activities, and he even had the kids try to recreate a barn truss using no tools. This activity not only involved my classroom, but the entire 3rd grade. He had their rapt attention for the entire hour! One of the most fascinating tools he shared was a saw that had been made in England in the year 1752. He was able to link to my history lesson (I will eventually have all of the 3rd graders as we rotate throughout the year by topic) by explaining to the students that the saw represented one of the reasons the colonists wanted freedom. It was something they could only buy from England at the time, and will serve as a great springboard for my lesson on the Declaration of Independence in November!

Another activity we did was a sort of scavenger hunt, using current photographs of buildings in our "downtown" area. I have several sources, both primary and secondary, that relay the history of our town. The kids were given the photos of the buildings, along with a brief description of what they were used for in the 1750s through 1800s. Some of the familiar sites were doctor's offices, hotels, theaters and even an opera house! They were fascinated - and then able to share the information with their families during Farmer's Fair. I used photos of buildings that they would all see that weekend! We placed the photos on a roll of paper to resemble a birds eye view of town - and this became a map lesson!

One of their favorite activities was looking at photographs from an old calendar that was printed for a town anniversary back in the 50s. The photographs are some of the earliest of the way our town looked "way back then". We were able to compare businesses (blacksmith, grist mills, railroad, stagecoaches for mail delivery) with current ones. They were able to read short descriptions, then create a first person story of what their life may have been like had they worked at one of those places.

The last activity was learning about the history of Farmer's Fair itself. This was a bit more current, since it was the 97th anniversary of the celebration. I have a photocopy reprint that was done of a first person history of the town. In it, the gentleman describes how this event was celebrated as he remembered it. The kids loved learning that each grade level created a secret float (but the school board stopped it because it took too much time from their studies) and that the costume parade included kids dressed mostly as hoboes and fairy princesses - I had to explain what a hobo was! They were then assigned to work in groups to create a poster of different sections of the story - making sure that the drawings were accurate for the time period. We displayed the timeline in the hallway for everyone to see.

Most of the kids went to see the NYCHAPS display over the Farmer's Fair weekend - my wheelwright friend was there! Some made cookie cutters with the tinsmith, watched them make apple butter outdoors in a huge kettle, and saw the actual barn that they pretended to build at school. They were able to pass on bits of history to their families as they enjoyed the fair, and we will now have a more personal link to the events that were taking place in other parts of our new nation as I begin teaching that portion next week!

Biographies - A Cautionary Tale

     Because of time constraints, I decided to just read the biography written by Alfred Young; The Shoemaker and the Tea Party. I started the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, but knew I wouldn't be able to finish it in time for this assignment. One major thing that I was surprised to learn about was how important the task of a biographer truly is. In this work, Young speaks about sifting through memories and recollections. He notes the many questions a biographer needs to ask themselves - who recorded the recollections, what were the circumstances, how do emotions and values change the memory of events that happened particulary those of the distant past?
     Young mentions two biographies of Hewes that he has referenced in his book. One, written by James Hawkes, was done mainly in first person by interviewing Hewes. However, Young mentions that this biographer often interrupted Hewes and "padded the story." The other biography cited was written by Benjamin Thatcher. Young mentions that Thatcher "could not resist embellishing Hewes's stories or inventing dialogue." What a difficult task to sift through primary sources and other pieces of information to create an accurate accounting of peoples' lives.
     In the classroom, we are so caught up with "getting it all in," that it is easy to miss how all of that information comes to us in the first place. I am planning to use some of the events and experiences of George Hewes to enhance not only my Social Studies lessons, but my research and writing lessons as well. Sifting through documents to piece together what truly happened is a great way for kids to use higher level thinking skills - which is just what a good biographer obviously needs to do!
    

The Shoemaker and the Tea Party - July/August

     Before I decide on a book to read, I generally read the comments often listed on the back cover. After reviewing the ones on this book, I decided to read the entire book, and save the Franklin autobiography for another time. Comments such as thoughtful and revealing, fresh insights, and an understanding of the role of ordinary people in important events attracted my attention, and for good reason.
     There were 3 major historical events that Hewes participated in. The first was the Boston Massacre of 1770. He was a bystander, but provided details of thoughts and feelings of the citizens that precipitated the events. This was the event however, that stirred Hewes into political action himself.
     The next major event was the Boston Tea Party of 1773. It was here that Hewes made use of a talent for which he had some "public notoriety" - whistling! Because of his ability, he was made boatswain; the officer whose duty it is to summon the men with a whistle. Hewes also recalls with much confidence that John Hancock was part of the destruction of at least one particular chest of tea with Hewes. He relates that he recognized Hancock by his ruffles which appeared from under his costume, his features, and in particular by an exchange of an Indian grunt - which basically was the expression "me know you" being used as a countersign. In relating this story, Hewes brings the rich "men in ruffles" down to the level of associates in the revolution. For him, this event became a symbol of equality.
     The third major event that Hewes is associated with is the Tarring and Feathering of John Malcolm in 1774. Hewes rescued a young boy from being struck severely by John Malcolm. Hewes found himself being stuck and severely wounded in the process. The incident actually left an "indentation plainly perceptible 60 years later." In the end, Malcolm was tarred and feathered. Hewes attempted to stop the action, as a Good Samaritan, but was pushed aside. He had wanted justice from the courts, not a mob.
       Through these major events, an ordinary citizen experienced an extraordinary time in history. By becoming an active participant in these events he became a patriot. It was very interesting to read this account of his transformation.

Hakim vs Wood...and the winner is....

....Hakim! As an elementary teacher, I definitely preferred gaining my new information from the Hakim book. I chose to look at Chapters 35 and 36 in the Hakim book, which focus mainly on what Philadelphia was like during the Constitutional Convention. Our textbook specifically mentions the heat, the biting flies, and the fact that were it not for James Madison we would not have the great records of this historic meeting that we do today. The description of the city life, including page 161 about A Philadelphia Gardener really put the reader into the time period. I can see myself sharing excerpts from the Hakim book with my students this year.
In looking at that same time period in the Wood book, I must admit it was difficult to stay focused. Those pages (151-158) were filled with important but rather dry facts. It did provide me with a better understanding of just how amazing this new document was. It was interesting to me that Washington was convinced to attend so that it would not appear that he wanted this new government to fail in order to assume a military takeover. Our elementary textbook just states that he was ill, but knew he was needed once again. Interesting spin!

Finishing "A History of US"

I have had the chance to read the minority and skim the majority of A History of US. Hakim's book is definitely a refreshing look at what most students consider to be the dusty old study of history. Making it seem alive for kids is such a struggle, especially now that we have so much emphasis placed on the testable material for PSSAs. I really was intrigued by her style of writing - inserts of photos, artwork, commentary. I have already jotted down references from this book into my plans for next year. For example, Chapter 36 gives great detail that corresponds with a one paragraph statement in our textbook about the summer of 1787 in Philadelphia (or Philly as she refers to it!) I can envision projects for my students that would incorporate content area writing into a similar format next year. It can develop into more creative studies of the events of the time period that would help to tap into all types of learning. My 3rd grade classroom is being restructured physically to allow me to do even more projects and centers to increase the amount of differentiated instruction I can provide (I am getting rid of student desks, and using large tables instead). I will definitely go back through this book in detail over the summer!

Starting on "A History of US"

I have just finished the first few chapters of the Hakim book, and am having a great time reviewing history! I can see already how this information will add to my teaching next year - (scary thought, since it's only May now, right?) As I get further into the chapters, I am looking forward to adding to this blog, and reading others as well.

Reflection - Linking it all together!

"The problem is not just that we're cutting back on teaching history and social studies in elementary
schools; it's also how we "cover" what we do teach. The curriculum has become a mile wide and an inch deep. Students too often experience social studies as a passive slog through the textbook."

This quote from the article really hit home for me. Too often, my class is so pressed for time getting ready for the PSSA, that this is the way I end up teaching social studies in the Spring. I am the inclusion classroom for our 3rd grade, and there is definitely pressure to have those scores be in the proficient range. OUr district allows us to do independent contracts for work over the summer. This allows us to have 2 "exchange days" on predetermined inservice days during the school year. I have written a proposal that would allow me to work for 2 days following the summer institute to incorporate what we are learning in this program into my Language Arts instruction. Hopefully, by combining the two curricula, I can make them deeper next year!