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      ufn44 uln44

      Social Studies teacher
      Pittsburgh CAPA
      Middle School (13 to 15 years old), High School (16 to 18 years old)
      Teacher/Educator
      Language Arts And English, Civics, Literature, Cultures, Economics, Social Studies, Geography, Writing, US History, Arts, Other

      I'm a history-lover, art fan, and bookworm. I taught high school history (U.S. History and World Religions) for ten years in North Carolina, teach currently in Pittsburgh, PA,  and am working to help teachers make the most of this new resource!


      ufn44 uln44's collections

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      Robber-Baron or Captain of Industry: Andrew Carnegie

      <p>This collection includes different perspectives and information about Andrew Carnegie. Students are challenged to build an argument supporting one position or the other: Robber-Baron or Captain of Industry--using the resources as evidence. <strong>Was Carnegie an industrialist who desired to get rich and promote himself regardless of the effects on his workers? Or was he an example of the American dream, an industrial leader who improved the nation and helped its people?</strong></p> <p>Investigate the items in this collection while thinking about those questions. After an initial review of the collection, complete the sorting activities at the end to test your understanding of the issue and begin to develop an argument reflecting your answer to the question above. </p>
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      Carlisle Indian Industrial School

      <p>Perhaps the most famous of the Indian boarding schools created in the late 19th century, the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania was founded by Captain Richard Henry Pratt (with funding and support from the United States government), with the purpose of assimilating (or Americanizing) Indian students. </p><p>Student will use archival materials to explore student life at Carlisle Indian School and to evaluate assimilation policy as practiced through the school. <strong>What was gained and lost through the process of assimilation? </strong></p><p>Using these resources as a starting point, users should research one former Indian student or one aspect of student life using the <a href="http://carlisleindian.dickinson.edu/" target="_blank">Carlisle Indian School Digital Resource Center</a>. Many student files record not only experiences that occurred while at the school, but information about occupations and life after the boarding school experience. Were students and families able to shape positive experiences despite the intended consequences of boarding school policy? </p><p><span>Students should create a writing or artwork that reflects information learned about that particular student or activity and that shares the learner's opinions on assimilation policy and the response of Native Ameri</span><span>cans</span><span>. </span><strong>How should the Carlisle Indian School be remembered? </strong></p><p>Tags: Native American, Indian, boarding school, assimilation, Pratt, Dawes Act, Jim Thorpe, allotment</p>
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      The 1980s: A Decade Collection

      <p>This is a topical collection about American life and politics in the 1980s. Resources in this collection might be helpful to students and teachers working on projects about the decade. It is not meant to be completely comprehensive, but rather includes highlights of the Smithsonian's collection spanning art, popular culture, social trends, leadership, and technology.</p><p>Teachers and students might copy and adapt this collection to suit their needs; highlighting a specific aspect of life in the 1980s and adding annotations and additional resources.</p><p>tags: Eighties, Reagan, George H. W. Bush, rap, detente, Vietnam, politics, decade, Cold War, Olympics, boycott, space shuttle, star wars, Reaganomics, trickle-down</p>
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      Origin Stories from Around the World

      <p> Creation myths, or origin stories, tell us what a culture believes about how humans came to be. They can also tell us much about what that culture values. These are often religious or spiritual explanations for human life. </p><p>Choose one of origin stories on this page to focus on. Read, watch, or listen to the story. Then, create a visual that illustrates a scene in the story that you think is revealing about that culture's values. Finally, write a paragraph summarizing what you learned about that culture based on their origin story.</p><p>To recap:</p><p>1. Read/watch listen.</p><p>2. Create a visual of 1 scene in the story. </p><p>3. Write a paragraph summarizing what you learned about that culture based on their origin story.  <br /></p>
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      California: A Land of Opportunity?

      <p>As we continue to read "The Grapes of Wrath," I'd like you to consider the way in which California represents the "American Dream." How has this changed over time? Has California always lived up to its image? Consider who has access to dreams and opportunities in California at any given time. </p><p>After you look through the collection, choose one of the following assignments to complete and submit your assignment using the "Submit File" option that is part of the last resource. Hint: you may want to take notes and/or save images as you are browsing the resources here. </p><p>Possible assignments:</p><p>1) Create a timeline of "Opportunities Gained and Lost" in California using at least 8 images from the collection. For each image, identify who is gaining or losing an opportunity in this instance, and what kind of opportunity is being referenced. Remember this is a timeline and will need to be in chronological order by year. Complete your timeline with an image that you have found (from the Learning Lab or an outside resource) that represents California today.</p><p>2) Would you argue that "California is a land of dreams"? How could you change that statement to make it more accurate? Write an essay defending your statement that references at least 4 images from this collection. You may want to do some additional research to supplement your essay.</p><p>Tags: point of view, change, continuity, cause, effect, Dust Bowl, drought, migrant, migration, chronology, Steinbeck</p>
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      The "Wild West"?

      <p>The West has always held a special place in American culture. In 1893, Frederick Jackson Turner wrote what is known as the "frontier thesis," arguing that our sense of democracy and hard work has been shaped by experience of survival and growth along the frontier. More than a century later, Americans still idolize the cowboy image and are fascinated by the train robbers, saloons, and violence of the era. How accurate is our mental picture of the "Wild West"? What were the realities of life on the frontier in the late 19th and early 20th century? What was lost and what was gained as America closed out the frontier? Most importantly, why has the West continued to fascinate Americans and play such a prominent role in popular culture?</p> <p>This learner resource includes images, artifacts, and movies that deal with the concept of the American West.  Students will want to read Turner's essay and answer the attached questions. Then, they will focus on choosing images and ideas to include in a movie trailer or poster advertisement that presents a more accurate image of turn of the century western life.</p>
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      Slavery and Slave Resistance in the Colonies

      <p>This collection includes items that will help you understand the conditions that led to the growth of slavery and the ways in which enslaved persons resisted slavery. <br /><br />Guiding Questions:</p> <ol><li>Why did slavery become increasingly important, especially in the Southern colonies?</li><li>How did "slave laws" support the system of slavery?</li><li>What does it mean to "resist" slavery? </li><li>How did white slave-owners respond to such actions? </li><li>Is maintaining a distinct cultural heritage a form of resistance? Why or why not? </li><li>How do religion, art, and music encourage resistance?</li></ol><p>You will answer your group's assigned question using at least 3 pieces of appropriate evidence from the collection included here. </p> <p><br /></p> <p><br /></p> <p><br /></p>
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      Rachel Carson: Innovator

      <p>In what ways was Rachel Carson an innovator? She diligently pursued her goals as a female scientist and author and sparked the environmental movement with her book "Silent Spring." As you look through this collection, consider the characteristics of innovators. What innovative characteristics do you share with her?</p> <p>For more on the characteristics that make up an innovator, look at the Heinz History Center website. You can even take a quiz and find out what innovator you are most like:</p> <p><a href="http://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/education/school-programs-k-12/steam/innovator-mtch-up">http://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/education/school...</a></p> <p>tags: Pittsburgh, science, environment,Silent Spring, Chatham, Maine, Fish and Wildlife Service, #BecauseOfHerStory</p>
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      Who is Frances Mary Albrier?

      <p>This is a collection of items belonging to, or about, Frances M. Albrier. Although an important female leader and activist during the mid-20th century, many students may not have heard of Ms. Albrier. Encourage students to act as history detectives, exploring the collection to determine why this woman's belongings are in the collections of the Smithsonian.</p> <p>Some questions to consider:</p> <ul><li>What are Albrier's main accomplishments? What types of occupations did she have?</li><li> Based on these, what values do you think were important to her?</li><li>How does Albrier's life reflect major changes for women during the 20th century? Changes for African-Americans?</li><li>What do these items tell us about challenges facing African-American women in the mid-century?</li><li>What remains unknown about Albrier based on this collection? Where else could you go to look for more information?</li><li>Look at an encyclopedia entry for Ms. Albrier. Are there any events mentioned not covered in this collection? What might be a good item to add in order to better show her life?</li></ul><p><br /></p> <p>tags: activism, civil rights, union, labor, voter registration, 60s, world war II, shipyards, WW2, nursing, Red Cross, National Council of Negro Women, Nigeria, independence, peace, moral rearmament, #BecauseOfHerStory</p>
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      "Let Women Fly!": Female Aviators and Astronauts

      <p>Did you know that astronaut Mae Jemison carried a picture of aviator Bessie Coleman in her uniform pocket? Or that astronaut Sally Ride was a major supporter of vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro? Maybe you knew that Jane Briggs Hart was Michigan's first female helicopter pilot and flew her husband, the late Senator Hart, to his political campaign stops as well as being vocal and liberal political activist? Find out about these inspirational women and others in this collection. This topical collection is a great starting point for research about female aviators and astronauts, and includes articles, images, artifacts, and video. Some guiding questions to consider might be:<br />-Why do you think it was so challenging for female pilots to become accepted? Compare the inclusion of women in aviation to other industries and fields. <br />-What role did the military play in the growth in the number of female aviators?<br />-What connections can you find between various female pilots and astronauts?<br />-Is being the "first" of something a political act? How do many female aviation leaders use their public voice?</p><p>#BecauseOfHerStory<br /></p>
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      Rebels and Beats

      <p>This topical collection is based on a past exhibit in the National Portrait Gallery entitled <a href="http://www.npg.si.edu/exh/rebels/index2.htm" target="_blank">Rebels and Beats: Painters and Poets of the 1950s</a>. This collection might be used by teachers or students who want to explore the counterculture of the 1950s, a time period typically associated with conformity. The collection includes paintings, photographs, and videos related to the writers and artists involved in the Beat Generation, San Francisco Renaissance, Black Mountain College, and New York School scenes. </p><p>In what ways did these artists challenge the social norms of the time? Why is art often a means of challenging the status quo?</p><p>tags: Ginsberg, Kerouac, Ferlinghetti, de Kooning, Baraka, poem, counterculture, Beat Movement</p>
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      Wounded Knee, Past and Present

      <p>Wounded Knee is often portrayed as the closing point of the wars between Native Americans and the United States government in the late 19th century. However, the place also marks a moment of historic protest. This collection can be used to explore the importance of place in protest movements as well as the history of violence and resistance for indigenous people in the United States. </p><ul><li>How should the site of Wounded Knee be remembered?</li><li>Why did the activists choose to occupy Wounded Knee? What is the significance of that place?</li><li>How were the actions of the American Indian Movement activists similar or different to their ancestors? Consider motives, strategies, and successes, and partnerships.</li></ul><div>tags: Sitting Bull, Oglala, Sioux, Lakota, occupation, massacre, DAPL, Dakota Access, Red Cloud, Kicking Bear, Ghost Dance, cavalry</div>
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