Thursday, December 17, 2020

Rick Steves' European Christmas

 



Today we will look at some of the Christmas traditions as celebrated in different countries in Europe. It is very interesting to compare how we in the US or even in our own house celebrate Christmas with how it is celebrated in other cultures. 

EQ: What are some Christmas traditions in Europe?

Engage:

  • What traditions do your family have this time of year?
  • If you don't celebrate Christmas, are there other holidays you celebrate during this time?
  • Do any of you not celebrate during this time of year?

Explore:

Explain:

  • Do these traditions look like your traditions?
  • Which traditions would you like to do?
  • Which traditions are you glad you don't do?

Evaluate: 

  • Class discussion

Sunday, December 13, 2020

Washington's Crossing Part 2: Pop Art

 


Emanuel Leutze "Washington Crossing the Delaware "

The painting of "Washington Crossing the Delaware" by Emanuel Leutze is a historically significant piece of art in the United States. It is so iconic it has become inspiration for pop art. Read about pop art here.

Below is one example of using the painting to create a pop art piece. Compare the two pieces of art, what is similar and what is different?
  1. Create your own piece of pop art using the knowledge you learned from the Wikipedia page. Use "Washington Crossing the Delaware" as your inspiration.
  2. Check with me if you have any questions.
EQ: 
  • What is pop art and why should it be a thing?
Engage:
  • Part 2 of the lesson
Explore:
Explain:
  • Is pop art based on original works ok? 
Evaluate:

  • Students will create a piece of art using Leutze's painting as inspiration.

Victorian Slum House

 

https://www.pbs.org/show/victorian-slum-house/

Victorian Slum House is a reality show created by the British Broadcasting Company in 2016 to show how people lived in a slum in London during the time from 1860-1900. 

As we continue to migrate from South America to Europe we can learn a little about England here as well as review a few lessons from the social-emotional learning we have been learning in the mornings. 

As you watch this show think about life during this time. How does it compare to your life today? In what ways is your life better? In what ways is it not as good?

EQ: What lessons we learned from SEL are reinforced by watching Victorian Slum House?

Engage:

  • What SEL topics have we covered in the past four months?

Explore:

  • Victorian Slum House video (54:36) AppleTV

Explain:

  • Define: slum, outhouse, dosshouse, on the tick, piece work
  • Why do people live in the slum?
  • What problems do the people face?
  • How can the people become successful?
  • How is your life different from the children in the show? Create a 'T' Chart to compare the kids lives in the show and the students' lives today.

Evaluate:

  • Vocabulary
  • Class Discussion

Extend:

  • The rest of the series is online.

 

Tuesday, December 08, 2020

Washington's Crossing

 


Washington Crossing the Delaware is a very famous painting. Its use in popular culture probably even led to a contest to pick the best George Washington impersonator to re-enact the crossing every year. Watch this video to find out more about the contest. 


After watching the video, lets look at the paining. What do you see? Can you find any historical inconsistencies? You can find more information about the painting of Leutze's Washington Crossing the Delaware.

Emanuel Leutze "Washington Crossing the Delaware "
The painting creates a lot of questions. Why was this painted? Is it historically accurate? Who is the artist Emanuel Leutze? Check out the article below to find out these answers.

Assignment 

In the comment section of this post answer the following questions:

  1. In "Being George" why do you think portraying George Washington is so important to the contestants?
  2. Why did Leutze paint "Washington Crossing the Delaware"? 
  3. Identify three historical inaccuracies in the painting. 
  4. Should art be historically accurate? Explain why or why not. 

Copy and paste the following frame for your comment:
  1. Portraying George Washington is important to the contestants because
  2. Leutze painted "Washington Crossing the Delaware" because
  3. Three historical inaccuracies in the painting are
  4. Yes, art should be historically accurate because/No, art should not be historically accurate because 
EQ: 
  • Should artists have a responsibility to make their art historically accurate?
Engage:
Explore:
Explain:
  • The students will examine pop culture homages to the painting. We will also discuss how the painting has been used for political reasons.
Evaluate:
  • In "Being George" why do you think portraying George Washington is so important to the contestants?
  • Why did Leutze paint "Washington Crossing the Delaware"? 
  • Identify three historical inaccuracies in the painting. 
  • Should art be historically accurate? Explain why or why not. 

Spotlight on Peru

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Machu_Picchu%2C_Peru.jpg

EQ:

  • Which videos should I use to teach about Peru?

Engage:

  • Call back to the Peru segment from Walt and El Groupo
  • Students will be given a short intro to each video and will choose which to watch.

Explore:

  • Peru's Sacred Valley (47:00) Gordon Ramsay Uncharted National Geographic Disney+
  • The Lost City of Machu Picchu (44:00) National Geographic Disney+
  • Lost Temple of the Inca (44:00) National Geographic Disney+

Explain:

  •  Questions will depend on video students choose. 

Evaluate:

  •  Class discussion

Monday, December 07, 2020

Paul Revere and Joseph Warren

 



Typically this is the story that is told about Paul Revere and his 'Midnight Ride'. Revere is still famous today because of this act that happened on the eve of the Shot Heard 'Round the World, the battles of Lexington and Concord. What many do not know what that Revere wasn't the only rider out to spread the word or that he was captured before he could completely fulfill his mission. This raises the question, why do we not talk about William Dawes and Dr. Samuel Prescott? 


https://prh1734.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/PaulRevereMap121416.jpg

In the last lesson we learned about Paul Revere's propaganda piece, the Boston Massacre print. Did you also know that Revere was a silversmith and an occasional dentist as well? On this night, though he was a man on a horse tasked with alerting John Hancock and Sam Adams they were about to be caught by the soldiers. 



Longfellow's poem was written in 1860. It was really a call to keep the union together before the split creating the Civil War. Although it didn't stop the secession of the Confederate states, it did create the myth of Paul Revere's ride.  



THE TRUE STORY OF PAUL REVERE
By Charles Gettemy (link)

"Most men like Revere--- somewhat above the average of the mass, but not possessing the usual elements of enduring fame-- pass out of life eulogized by their fellow-citizens; remembered by a circle of admiring and respecting friends until they also pass away; and are ultimately forgotten, finding no place upon the pages of written history.

"Paul Revere was rescued from this fate by an accident-- the witchery of a poet's Imagination. His famous ride on the night of the 18th of April, 1775, remained unsung, if not unhonored, for eighty-eight years, or until Longfellow in 1863 made it the text for his Landlord's Tale in the Wayside Inn.

"It is to Longfellow's simple and tuneful ballad that most persons undoubtedly owe their knowledge of the fact that a man of the name of Revere really did something on the eve of the historic skirmish at Lexington which is worth remembering."

Let's take a look at Dr. Joseph Warren next. Warren was a leader, along with Hancock and Sam Adams, in the Sons of Liberty. He publicly spoke twice in honor of the Boston Massacre and was appointed President of the Massachusetts Provincial Government, basically the political leadership of those rebelling against the government in Massachusetts. He learned about the British soldiers' plans to march to Lexington and Concord and sent William Dawes and Paul Revere out to warn the towns and then went out to lead the rebels in their fighting against the soldiers. He helped to organize for the siege of Boston and in his governmental capacity negotiated with General Gage. Because of these activities he became well known to British soldiers, which would later cost him his life.





At the battle of Bunker Hill Warren was killed. His body was defiled with bayonets and put in a shallow grave. A few days later a British officer opened the grave and defiled the body again. 



The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker Hill

Ten months later Paul Revere accompanied Warren's brothers with the hope of recovering the body for reburial. When they found the grave they believed to be his they could not recognize his body because of the British defilements. Fortunately, Paul Revere did identify him because of his dental work. It seems Revere had given him and artificial tooth that was identifiable which makes him the world's first forensic dentist

At the time the death of Warren was both a blow and a benefit to the early days of the Revolution. While he was considered a very important person in the Massachusetts rebel organization in his death he was considered a martyr which energized the rebels. Check out this poem,Ode, published in an English newspaper after his death. It celebrates his speeches given in memory of the Boston Massacre and honors his death. This goes to show that there were those in England who supported the cause of the American rebels as well. 

Ultimately both of these men were instrumental in Boston's early contributions to the American Revolution. Their lives seemed intertwined for a half dozen years, until Warren's death. 

EQ: Why is Paul Revere more famous than Joseph Warren?


Engage:
Explore Revere's Ride:
Explore Dr. Joseph Warren
Explain:
  • What did Paul Revere do that made him famous?
  • Who wrote the poem that made Revere famous?
  • How did Paul Revere know Dr. Joseph Warren?
  • What was Warren's role in the Battle of Lexington and Concord?
  • Where did Warren die?
  • Who identified Warren's body?
  • Why do we remember Paul Revere and not Dr. Joseph Warren?
Evaluate:
  •  Answer the questions
Extend:

How Did Fascism Rise in Europe?

 As we watch today's video and define the vocabulary words, think about the rise of fascism in Europe. Could this happen in the United States today? What techniques did the fascists employ to become popular with the people of their countries?

EQ:

  • How did Fascism rise in Europe?

Engage:

  • Review Walt Disney's reasons for going to South America during World War 2 

Explore:

Explain:

  • How do fascists rise to power?
  • What led people to embrace fascism in Europe in the 20th century?
  • Who is Benito Mussolini?

Evaluate:

  • Vocabulary- Fascism, Holocaust, concentration camp, economy, fanaticism

Wednesday, December 02, 2020

Inca Island in the Sky

 EQ: 

  • How did the Inca culture develop in Peru?

Engage:

  • None

Explore:

  • Vocabulary CeremonialTerracePlazaMasonryLidarAnomaly
  • Inca Island in the Sky 45:00) Lost Cities with Albert Lin National Geographic Disney+

Explain:

  •  When was Machu Picchu built?
  • What is the name of the language the Incas used?
  • What evidence are they looking for on top of the hill?
  • What are chullpas?
  • What shape of chullpas made the archaeologists believe they were Incan?
  • What was at the heart of Incan life?
  • What is the name of the volcano Albert Lin investigates?

Evaluate:

 

Saturday, November 28, 2020

The Search for El Dorado

Eldorado

By Edgar Allan Poe

Gaily bedight,
   A gallant knight,
In sunshine and in shadow,   
   Had journeyed long,   
   Singing a song,
In search of Eldorado.

   But he grew old—
   This knight so bold—   
And o’er his heart a shadow—   
   Fell as he found
   No spot of ground
That looked like Eldorado.

   And, as his strength   
   Failed him at length,
He met a pilgrim shadow—   
   ‘Shadow,’ said he,   
   ‘Where can it be—
This land of Eldorado?’

   ‘Over the Mountains
   Of the Moon,
Down the Valley of the Shadow,   
   Ride, boldly ride,’
   The shade replied,—
‘If you seek for Eldorado!’


EQ:
  • Is El Dorado a real place?
Engage:
  • None
Explore:
  • Vocabulary: gaily, bedight, gallant, pilgrim
  • Digging for the Truth: The Search for El Dorado
  • Eldorado poem by Edgar Allen Poe
Explain:
  • How is the El Dorado that Josh Bernstein searches for like Poe's Eldorado?
  • How are they different?
Evaluate:
  • Draw and color a picture inspired by the poem. Try to include at least one detail from the poem.
  • Write a short story about you, the narrator, searching for El Dorado. This story should be at least 350 words long.

Thursday, November 19, 2020

1776 The Musical

 

Since 2015 the biggest musical, let alone history based musical has been Hamilton. Here is a clip from the Tony's.


What you may not know is there was a musical over the same time period that started on Broadway in 1969 and later became a movie in 1972. We are going to watch the movie and try to parse what is factual and what is changed for the medium (besides the congressman not randomly breaking into song.)


EQ: Why did the Declaration of Independence get written and who wrote it?

Engage:
Explore:
  • Vocabulary: declaration, independence, self-evident, equal, endowed, inalienable, liberty, derive
  • Vocabulary: government, destructive, transient, accustomed, usurpations, assent, tyranny, justice
  • 1776 the Musical
Explain:
  • What held up the Continental Congress from declaring independence from Britain?
  • Who was the most ardent supporter of independence?
  • How did slavery complicate declaring independence?
Evaluate:
Extend:

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

The Boston Tea Party: Protest or Riot?

 

The difference between a riot and a protest may simply be which side of the political argument you are on. But, what happens when the riot or protest isn't really about politics at all, but about money? As we learn about the Boston Tea Party think about the reasons behind it and determine for yourself if it was a riot, a protest, or something else completely.

 EQ: Why did the Boston Tea Party take place?

 

Engage:

  • Tea!!!

Explore:

Explain:

  • Who was involved in organizing the Boston Tea Party?
  • What happened at the Boston Tea Party?
  • What was the result of the Boston Tea Party?
  • What do you think of the tea?

Evaluate:

  • Class Discussion

Extend:


Friday, November 13, 2020

Walt and El Groupo

 


EQ:
  • Why did Walt Disney take a group of animators to South America during World War 2?
Engage:
Explore:
  • Vocabulary: animation, movie, union, strike, goodwill tour
  • Vocabulary: overcoat, sketch, sophisticated, plaza, Nazi
  • Vocabulary: estuary, deforestation, gaucho, llano, pampas
  • Walt and El Grupo documentary
  • Selections from Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros
Explain:
  • Why was the Disney company reeling before the trip?
  • Why did the US Government pay for Disney's trip?
  • How did the trip to South America influence Disney's work and the work of his artists?
Evaluate:
  • How does Education for Death inform what you saw in Walt and El Grupo? 
Extend:


Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Map of South America

 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Languages_of_South_America_(en).svg



EQ:
  • What are the official languages of the countries of South America?

Engage:

  • Adventure is Out There Pixar Short over Venezuela
  • Why do South American countries speak European languages?

Explore:

Explain:

  • Identify the countries of South America
  • Identify the capitals of South America
  • Identify the official languages of South America

Evaluate:

Extend: 

Saturday, November 07, 2020

The Girl from Ipanema: Bossa Nova and Brazil

 The Girl from Ipanema is probably the second most recorded pop song of all time, behind The Beatles' Yesterday. It is a type of Jazz called the Bossa nova, and helped make that genre known worldwide in the 1960's. 


Here is Astrud Gilberto singing the song in a live recording:




I love a good story, and I fell into this one a few years ago. As I was looking for more jazz to listen to I came across the story of The Girl from Ipanema. This BBC produced documentary gives us a good look not only into Bossa nova, but into the popular culture of Brazil. I hope you enjoy learning about this amazing musical art form as much as I have.





        
EQ:
  • Why is Bossa nova important to Brazilian popular culture?
Engage:
Explore:
Explain:
  • What is Bossa nova?
  • Why was Astrud Gilberto chosen to sing the song?
  • How important is the Bossa nova to Brazilian popular culture?
Evaluate:
  • Class discussion

Boston Massacre Printmaking



The most famous example of propaganda in United States history is the Paul Revere print of the Boston Massacre. The fact that we still refer to this incident as a massacre is proof of that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Massacre#/media/File:Boston_Massacre_high-res.jpg

The real story of the 'Boston Massacre' is more complicated than a bunch of soldiers indiscriminately firing into a peaceful crowd of Boston citizens. As we examine the evidence as revealed in the trial of the soldiers and find out the true story we need to ask ourselves why would Revere lie? What purpose did it serve? Who benefitted from the false narrative and who was harmed?

Your assignment will be to create a print using the facts of the incident. Obviously the medium we are using will make details very difficult so keep that in mind as you work on the design. 

EQ: Why did Paul Revere create his famous Boston Massacre print?

Engage:
Explore:
  • Vocabulary: massacre, mob, cudgel, deposition, manslaughter
  • Vocabulary 2: engraving, print, propaganda, brayer, art
  • John Adams miniseries video of Boston Massacre
  • Boston Massacre Wikipedia
Explain:
  • What is propaganda?
  • Why did Revere create an inaccurate print of the Boston Massacre?
  • Do you think the soldiers were justified when they fired into the crowd?
  • What do you think was the effect of John Adams representing the soldiers on his career?
Evaluate:
  • Students will create a factual print of the Boston Massacre.
Extend:

Wednesday, November 04, 2020

Road to Revolution


After examining the role of the Seven Years War in the last lesson, today your job is to find out how other events continued to pave a path to independence. I have identified fifteen events that I want you to research. Tell me what happened and why it is important to the Revolution. 

You will click on the link to the worksheet, put in your name, and start researching the events. All fifteen events need to be completed, you need to work with a purpose. 

As a bonus, if we have time you will make a digital timeline of the events as well. Of course, you only get to do that after the worksheet has been completed. See me when you think you are ready to do it. 

EQ: What events led to the American Revolution?

Engage:
  •  Quick review of the Seven Years War
Explore:
Explain:
  •  How did each event lead us closer to the American Revolution?
Evaluate:
Extend:

Sunday, November 01, 2020

Governments and Economies of Latin America

First log in to Clever.com and then click on Discovery Education to Log In

EQ:

  • What are the governments and economies like in Latin America?

Engage:

Explore:

Explain:

Evaluate:

  • Assessment

Extend: 

The Seven Years War

 Now that we have a pretty good handle on what it was like to be an early colonist in the Americas, let's jet ahead a few years and look at the first defining event in the American Revolution.


Why is this the first defining event? Watch and see.


Here is a little more information on the Seven Years War with a little lagniappe thrown in. What new information is provided? Does that also move us closer to the Revolution?


What does smuggling have to do with taxes? What does taxes have to do with the American Revolution? What other events took place that bring us to the Revolution?


EQ:
  • How did the 7 Years War contribute to the unrest in the colonies?
  • Why was smuggling so important to the colonists?
  • Why did the colonists not want to pay taxes?
Engage:
  • None
Explore:
Explain:
  • What caused the war?
  • How did the war end?
  • What were the consequences of the war on the colonies?
Evaluate:
  •  Worksheet

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

The Halloween Tree

 


EQ: What are some of the influences for today's Halloween celebration?

Engage:

  • The students will watch The Halloween Tree

Explore:

  • What happens in Egypt?
  • What happens in England at Stonehenge?
  • What happens in France?
  • What happens in Mexico?

Evaluate:

  • None

Extend:

  • Read Ray Bradbury's The Halloween Tree

Witch Trials and the Haunted History of Halloween

 Happy Halloween! Today we are going to learn a little about the Salem Witch Trials, where mass hysteria and a couple mean kids caused the death of over 20 people. Is there anything more Halloween-like than that? Unfortunately real people suffered for things we tend to enjoy, the confluence of life and death.


As you watch try to identify what caused the trials to begin and what caused them to end.



As you watch see how many cultures are represented by the holiday. Also, when did Halloween as we celebrate it come into being?

EQ:
  • What were the Salem Witch Trials?
  • What is the history of Halloween?
Engage:
  • Don't really need any, it is Halloween
Explore:
Explain:
  • What started the Salem Witch Trials
  • Why did the trials end?
  • What are the historic roots of Halloween?
  • When did the modern version of Halloween start?

Friday, October 23, 2020

Map of Mexico

 


This is a political map of Mexico. You will color the states, but do not label (otherwise there will be way too much writing on the map when we are finished.) 



https://www.mapsofworld.com/mexico/mexico-political-map.html

Here is the physical map that you will use to label the names provided on the checklist


https://www.ezilon.com/maps/north-america/mexico-physical-maps.html

EQ: Where in Mexico do you find the important landforms and cities?


Engage:
  • Ask if any students are from Mexico. If so, have them identify on the map where they are from. 
  • Mexico Geography Now (18:20) 
Explore:
Explain:
  1. Color the states of Mexico on the paper map.
  2. Find and label on a transparency over the blackline map. 
  3. Checklist
  • Rio Grande River
  • Rio Santiago River 
  • Rio Bravo River
  • Yucatan Peninsula 
  • Isthmus of Tehuantepec 
  • Baja California 
  • Mexican Plateau
  • Sierra Madre Del Sur, 
  • Sierra Madre Occidental 
  • Sierra Madre Oriental Mountains
  • Pacific Ocean 
  • Gulf of Mexico 
  • Gulf of California
  • Caribbean Sea
Evaluate:
  •  Map of Mexico
Extend:

Colombian Exchange/Transatlantic Slave Trade

 Today we are looking at how choices made by Europeans fundamentally changed Europe and the Americas.


In the first video we will look at what scholars call the Columbian Exchange. It encompasses the exchange of plants and animals, diseases, and ideas. As you watch identify the positive and negative exchanges. How important were they to the Americas? How important were they to Europe?



The second video is on the importation of kidnapped Africans to the Americas to be slaves. This, along with the attempted genocide of the indigenous peoples of the America, is the most shameful act of the European colonists of the Americas and later of the citizens of the United States. 


EQ:
  • What were some of the effects of the Columbian Exchange on Europe and the Americas?
  • Understand the inhumanity of the transatlantic slave trade.
Engage:
  •  None
Explore:
Explain:
  • What foods did Europe gain from the Americas?
  • What diseases were transferred from Europe to the Americas? 
  • What diseases were transferred from the Americas to Europe?
  • How many Africans were forcibly moved to the Americas?
  • What was the life expectancy of a kidnapped African in a British Colony in the 1700's?
Evaluate:
  •  Student Worksheets
Extend