Weimar Republic: Paul Bookbinder

Looking at Paul Bookbinder's Writings http://www2.facinghistory.org/campus/weimar.nsf/

1. Can the "Legacy of WWI" be compared to the legacy we are creating of the "war on terror?"

2. Related to his question about the need for transitional periods for democracy (when the majority of the people are uneducated in democratic ideals), I wonder about the transitional period that is/will be needed in America if they elect an African American president. How can the integrity of this democracy be maintained in the face of the demons of racist history?

3. Do we deal with terrorists in the same way as the leaders of the Weimar Republic? How has America's policy on terrorism changed since 9/11/01?

4. What is nationalism? What is patriotism? Are they the same? How do we define these in post-9/11 America? How are we expected to manifest these ideals? What are the consequences for not manifesting them? Are they both necessary for a democracy to work? What are the consequences to society when they are taken too far? Is it feasible to expect disenfranchised citizens or residents to be nationalistic and/or patriotic?

5. Why is it necessary for "individuals and groups to compromise their immediate self-interests to the larger interests of society"? Whose intersts are more important (more valued)? Does majority interest rule? What is that majority interest represents the lower class of people in a society?

6. Bookbinder raises another interesting point when he talks about the roles of intellectuals in politics. By "intellectuals" does he mean people like, professors, political pundits and lobbyists or is he referring to intellectual politicians? I'm interested in the ways that intellectualism is used to exclude the masses (at the ways in which "think-tanks" have created social policies and programs based on scientific inquiry).

7. How is America viewed by other governments? Certainly the Weimar view could be contrasted with the way current Islamic governments/countries view America OR with the way America was viewed by the Chinese or Japanese (from late 1800's up through 1940's).

8. The concept of "self-deception" can be applied to any nation. This question related to Bookbinder's question about how people define their own identity. Teachers could consider the deceptive stories that Blacks, Native Americans or Japanese Americans have created for themselves to justify their own marginalization in America. This could also connect to Jewish self-deception which Primo Levi alluded to in The Drowned & The Saved.

9. The last four questions in Bookbinder's overview could all be connected to a study of the 2008 Presidential Campaign

• role of grass roots organizing
• role of propaganda
• role of technology/media
• role of hatred
• role of religious leaders/religion
• role of the citizens and their expectations for political leadership
  

10. In thinking of the "choices and consequences" of a democracy, it seemed to me in order to "kill a democracy" one has to first work systematically to "kill the culture and the individuals that represent that democracy." Hitler accomplished this buy working at a grassroots level to build support from the masses, then the media. He learned about the frustrations and needs of the masses and used their emotions about those things to promise change. Once he became Chancellor, he used the legal system to normalize the attitudes brewing among the masses of German peoples - in essence, he worked to crush the artists, political dissidents, Jews and other "undesirables" and there were no repercussions because German law supported his deeds.

Weimar Republic Critique - part 1

As I work my way through my study of the Weimar Republic, I feel the need to get down some initial thoughts and questions.....

Essential Questions to Consider as I read/viewed (per Phredd M-W)

(http://www2.facinghistory.org/campus/weimar.nsf/home?OpenFrameset&login=1)

1. Which of these readings and materials best communicates the idea of the fragility of democracy during this period in Germany's history?

2. How does the Weimar Republic inform us about our own democracy and those newer democracies today?

3. Which of the readings and materials may be most helpful for educators using with students?


My Connections...

1. Is there any form of government that does not work to exploit "we and they" dichotonomies in their society for the purposes of political gains?


2. How can the the Weimar module and readings be used in conjunction with US History courses where teachers are required to talk about the Revolutionary Era? Can connection be made to Weimar Republic and democracies in America? What about the relationships of

• Cherokee Democracy ("The 5 Civilized Nations")


• The Haudenosaunee Democracy


• The origin of the USA as a democracy

3. How can we use this question presented by Paul Bookbinder - "In a democracy, what is the proper role of nationalism with its symbols, uniforms, music, and poetry? "

• compare/contrast it with nationalism in USA after 9/11/01 and the backlash against artists that spoke out against Bush and the war


• the role of creative movements in USA vs. cultural movements in Weimar during that time period

4. How was terrorism defined in Weimar vs. how it's defined today?

5. I think the sections on the module under SOCIETY can be used as a base for having students conduct research in those areas as it relates to US history (antisemitism, education, gender, homophobia, racism).

6.What does democracy mean today?

7. What has kept the USA from becoming a totalitarian government?

• This is a great way to use Weimar to study constitutional law or the role of individuals in a democracy
• this can be a tool to look at the process of creating laws, enforcing laws and using laws to justify wrongdoing

8. Why not create an activity where the students can compare-contrast the political parties of Weimar Republic to those of the United States (past or present)? They could create little magazines, comic books, charts or even political cartoons.

9. Starting the Weimar study by having students look at and/or create global timelines would be great. These timelines could hang throughout the unit so that students could add to it as they learned new facts about the period.

10. Why not do a cultural mini-lesson on the arts and artists of Weimar Republic vs. Harlem Renaissance?

Identifying Techniques of Persuasion in "Triumph of the Will"

I was totally unprepared for what I was about to view...I expected another documentary on the Nazi regime, but was surprised to find a marketing/PR-type film...propaganda footage, no doubt used to persuade people to join and/or support the efforts of the Nazi regime. I found myself jotting what could only be described as streams of consciousness (notes and questions)...

1. The images of Hitler as a rock star type leader...a demi god...pharaoh...savior...reminiscent in some ways of footage used to show the impact of entertainers (Elvis, the Beatles, Michael Jackson), but more recently, the negative slant thrown towards Obama as a "rock star" type
2. What makes people so enthralled by politicians, military leaders and organizers?
3. What makes a follower become a zealot?
4. A side issue - Were Mercedes Benz sales affected by German occupation/Nazi regime following WWII? Did Nazis get revenue from car sales that were used during the war?
5. Are there any similarities between Nazi training and gang intitiations? The recruitment and initiation of child soldiers in Africa? The mafia?
6. What is the correlation between the symbolism of the eagle for Nazis vs. its meaning in America? Which US leaders or citizens were members of the Nazi Party?
7. What is being said in the speeches - Goebbels and Hitler in particular are of interest to me?
8. What is the pledge being recited in the scene where some soldiers are holding shovels? Why are they holding shovels as if they were weapons of war?
9. Why was it okay for their flags to touch the ground?
10. What is happening in the night time scenes?
11. It's interesting that one of the only times Hitler is shown smiling is at the youth rally. What does he say in his address to the youth?
12. How did the Nazi salute originate?

Connections to Media Literacy

http://www.medialit.org/pdf/mlk/02_5KQ_ClassroomGuide.pdf

My streams of consciousness led me to make some connections to Center for Media Literacy materials I'd used in my Critical Media course at Young Women's Leadership Charter School. In viewing the film, I began to look for Techniques of Persuasion, subliminal advertising and other tricks of the media industry that often go unnoticed by the average person. There was definitely an intentional selection of the songs for the soundtrack and an obvious focus on images that highlighted family, machismo, nature, celebrity and friendship - 5 of the 10 strategies in the "techniques of persuasion."

Also at the forefront of my mind were the 5 core concepts that CML operates with:

1. All media messages are ‘constructed.’
2. Media messages are constructed using
   a creative language with its own rules.
3. Different people experience the same
   media message differently.
4. Media have embedded values and
   points of view.
5. Most media messages are organized
   to gain profit and/or power.

Brief thoughts on "THE NAZIS: HELPED INTO POWER"

I didn't have a lot of ideas related to this documentary. My time was spent in note-taking and learning more about the dates and facts outlined as they were unfamiliar to me. Here are the few questions or lasting impressions:

• One man in the film referred to seeing "Hitler's beautiful side." I couldn't help but wonder - what happened to that side when he was mandating the slaughter of millions?
• At what point does love or one's people/nation become problematic?
• How doyou discuss the "good" and "bad" sides of individuals in history - the yin & yang- with students? In what way does this relate to choices and the decision-making processes we all employ daily?
• I watched this following "Degenerate Art" so art still loomed in my mind. I wonder what alternative lifestyles artists choose when they can't be creative? We all saw the extreme in Hitler.

Degenerate Art: Past & Present

DEFINING DEGENERATES


The online etymology dictionary indicates that degenerate as an adjective is latin in origin (degnerare) and means "to depart from one's kind, fall from ancestral quality." For Adolf Hitler, degenerate art was that which moved away from the pastoral, realistic or traditional European styles he'd been trained in. It was any piece not like his own. Degenerate art was an abstract product of Gypsies, Jews, Bolsheviks and other non-Aryans who had to be exterminated. It never occurred to him, it seems, that artistic repression instinctively breeds some form of resistance because he had a simplistic view that out of sight meant out of mind.


When that didn't work, public humiliation in the form of an art exhibition seemed a plausible next step. The placement of art and the derogatory statements that surrounded them were just as disrespectful as chiseling someone out of a hieroglyphic story or tagging (spray painting or writing over) over the art of another muralist. It's as though Hitler was taking out the frustrations he felt (as a stifled artist) and trying to find a scapegoat for his problems. So, ironically, he began to push the very ideas that seem opposite of what it means to be artist - conformity, uniformity, creating art without abstraction/deviation/imagination, creating art void of the interpersonal and intrapersonal.


Overall, I was left with these questions:

1. What does society look like when everyone is the same? When there is no invention, originality? (refer to The Giver, Pleasantville, Harrison Bergeron)
2. By censoring the art didn't this serve as a way to affirm its relevance and validity in society?
3. Who defines what art is? Who determines what's degenerate or not?
4. Who were the real degenerates?
5. What did the world outside of Nazi regime think of these artists?
6. Was this really a personal vendetta Hitler had against Jewish artists?
7. What kind of man would Hitler have been had his own art/artistic career flourished? What does this say about the importance of art education and art as therapy?
8. Would the German audiences have thought this art was degenerate if the derogatory labeling hadn't been done?
9. Just because you may not like a piece of art or a certain style, does that mean that it can't be defined as art?
10. Were the Nazis more disturbed by the art or the artists?

LOOKING AT THE VALUE OF ART

In Eric Jensen's Arts with the Brain in Mind, there are some fundamental statements made regarding the role of the arts, brain development and community dynamics that came to mind when I viewed "Degenerate Art:"

1. art can be a tool to connect individuals of various ethnic, social and economic backgrounds
2. art is an outlet for emotions/feelings and is a product of thinking
3. art is a language or communication tool
4. art is archival and can serve as an educational tool that promotes the best (and the worst) of a people
5. art is an motivator and can be used to foster engagement (ritual or authentic)
6. early art served to foster family and community relationships, honor ancestors, communicate traditions or rituals and was used to strengthen individual or collective identity

When I consider these ideas and what was presented in the film, it seems clear that the Nazi regime, Hitler in particular, was fully aware of the power of art as a communication tool, as an outlet and as a way of preserving culture and heritage. As an artist himself, Hitler was cognizant of the multiple ways in which Jewish art could be used to persuade Aryan peoples away from the ideals of the Party. By crushing the movement and stifling the artists, he halted the rise of sympathetic sentiment and comraderie that non-Jewish artists may have felt for their colleagues. Those in the film that didn't agree with the Party line either went along with the program or left Germany. They were afraid to speak out or to use their public art as a means of speaking out. Feeling stifled, some killed themselves. This intrigued me because when you cut off a person's means of communicating, it's like they are dead. The Egyptians knew this and therefore, erased people from glyphs to ruin their chances of immortality. Langston Hughes' referred to artistic censorship in two of his poems - "A Dream Deferred" and "Genius Child" (my all-time favorite poem :-). In the former, he warns that stifling an artist or "a dream" only means that there is build-up to an explosion of some kind - a revolution, a renaissance,etc. In the latter he writes,

This is a song for the genius child. Sing it softly, for the song is wild.

Sing it softly as ever you can - Lest the song get out of hand.

Nobody loves a genius child. Can you love an eagle, Tame or wild?

Can you love an eagle, Wild or tame? Can you love a monster Of frightening name?

Nobody loves a genius child.

Kill him - and let his soul run wild.

The souls of all the Jewish artists that were stifled or that took their own lives are now immortal. Hitler's attempts to remove them from history was in vain because like any censored artform, it was sustained in the underground through the curiosity of the masses. This is how it has always happened - with the blues, with jazz, with rock & roll, with rap, with most forms of modern visual art. It's the responsibility of the people to be the receivers of the gifts that artists have to give - theirs is an ethereal blessing and burden that needs to be transmitted. Ars longa, vita breve. Who are we to stifle, question or get in the way of that?

How do you quantify hatred? A reflection on "The Longest Hatred"

I found myself intrigued by the title of the documentary because I couldn't figure out how to count/quantify hatred in years. It seems to, perhaps unintentionally, suggest that the Jewish community has been victimized and been powerless longer than any other people. I think, therefore, that in using this resource we have to clearly express that no peoples' suffering is greater than that of another.

That said, the parts of the film that held the most interest for me were the segments focusing on modern Jewish experience (post 1948). As an educator, this part of the history is the most difficult to work with students on because the issues are so controversial. I liked that artists were included and that there was a discussion of symbolism, imagery, rituals and language that are deeply rooted on all sides of the controversy. The issue of stereotypes and false assumptions were also important.

"Guilt isn't collective, but personal." This was a remark made by a German president in recent years and I wonder, if America adopted this idea that would mean, for example, that the people featured in "Banished" would have legal recourse against the individuals who currently hold their property. Conversely, would that mean that the government would be free of issuing reparations or taking responsibility for their crimes against humanity?

What was problematic to me was that the film didn't seem to suggest solutions, but seemed to glamorize the Jews as victims, which doesn't seem to do the culture justice. Jewish people, like all oppressed peoples, have risen to greatness in society and have a history of creativity and scholarship. Of course, I don't know for certain, but this is the impression the documentary left with me. What do you think?

Reflecting on "The Individual & Society"

Various internet sources define "individual" and "society" in the following ways:

Individual:

• being or characteristic of a single thing or person
  
• separate and distinct from others of the same kind
• a single and distinct entity who exists in their own right. The opposite of the individual is the crowd, and a person can either exist as an individual or merely be a member of the crowd.
• Individualism is the belief in the primacy of the importance of the individual and his or her autonomy. Individualism is true humanism.

While many of the readings promote these ideals, why is it that conformity is the expectation of so-called "civilized" society? Why must individuals give up their individuality in order to gain membership and acceptance in American society? Why is "English only" being pushed? Why aren't the ideals of religious freedom being supported and encouraged when it comes to non-Christians in post-9/11 America? Why were individuals being harassed and criticized for speaking out against the war when it is an individual right outlined in the Constitution? Are individual rights violated because they are too limiting? Should our rights be expressly and specifically clarified in detail, like the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights?" Does tolerance imply compromising one's own culture? Who has the right to define which culture is dominant?

Society:

• A long-standing group of people sharing cultural aspects such as language, dress, norms of behavior and artistic forms
• A group of people who meet from time to time to engage in a common interest
  
• The sum total of all voluntary interrelations between individuals
• an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization
• club: a formal association of people with similar interests
  
• company: the state of being with someone
• the fashionable elite
  
• A society is a grouping of individuals which is characterized by common interests and may have distinctive culture and institutions. Members of a society may be from different ethnic groups.

How is society being defined in HHB? Is society the whole world (global community)? Is it the national community (America)? Or is it local communities (state, county, city)? If we are speaking of American society, conformity and assimilation are the norm. Tragedy brings out patriotism and maybe national security is the "common interest" spoken of above. Does our history of separating, categorizing, labeling and segregating society down into individual factions negate our claim to be a true society? Who determines how people are grouped? When tolerance or intolerance is determined by an elite what are the effects on society as a whole? Is it possible for society to evolve if its individuals don't desire change?

We know that individuals make up a society and that a society would not be such without individuals, but if everyone in a society doesn't receive the same rights, privileges and responsibilities how can society survive? Revolutions would be inevitable. Societal decay and decadence would become the norm. What does it say about today's society when an individual's skin color is seen as more important than knowing they are a decent, productive human being? With all of our advancements and technologies, are we really that far removed from the animals we consider ourselves superior to? Or, like the Bear, should we look to Nature for solutions to the problems we have created?

We and They...Us and Them...Can the World Exist Without Opposition?

Several ideas or themes came to mind as I went over the readings in chapter 2 of HHB.

• Montesquieu's Spirit of the Laws, The Social Contract by Rousseau and Francis Bacon's Novum Organum can serve as a frame of reference for the ideas expressed in this unit
• The violent, but systematic relationship of whites to non-whites expressed in these readings, in particular in relation to the Americas, can be contrasted with the methodology of The Willie Lynch Letter
  
• In oppressive societies, it seem that the only way to achieve equality is by inconveniencing some in the society or by lowering the traits and skills of the "superior" to meet those that are considered "inferior." Why can't it be the opposite? Why shouldn't those with "lower" skills sets or abilities be urged to have high expectations for achievement?
• A key essential question came out of "harrison bergeron" - "The minute people start cheating on laws, what do you think happens to society?
• In oppressive societies, why are people punished for being upstanders, resisters, rescuers?
• Is rule by an elite, inevitable in a society with a marked class system? Does it matter if that elite is elected or appointed or gains power by birth?
• Elite rule thrives when the masses are taught to fear retaliation of some kind from their enemies, when they are ignorant of their so-called enemies and when they have surrendered mental/psychological control of themselves to their ruling elite
• Mental/psychological control leads to physical and social control
• Media propaganda is a powerful tool for persuasion, false teaching, subliminal messaging, and a kind of "dumbing down" of the masses. It might therefore be useful to look at the "10 techniques of persuasion" outlined in media/advertising courses. I have used the "media lit kit" at medialit.org
• The idea of the other reminded me of the Two Cradle Theory of Cheikh Anta Diop. The following link refers to the dichotonomy between "southern cradle" peoples vs. "northern cradle" peoples http://www.jalumi.com/class/csu/Two_Cradle_Theory.htm
• Can the world exist without an "other"?
• Is racial, national or ethnic pride wrong?
• Do people live up to or thrive on the stereotypes ascribed to them? What happens when society seems to reward this embracing of lower abilities or attributes ascribed by oppressors?
• FH uses "We and They" and "The White man's burden" poems, but why not also consider "Foreign Children" by Robert Louis Stevenson
• In order for conquest to be complete in the New World (the Americas), leadership, rule and land ownership had to be individualized and ascribed to a few by an elite group. There was no room for territorial rule or social collectivism in a capitalist republic; therefore, indigenous and African peoples were enslaved and debased.
• The issue of land ownership is at the root of global domination. One sees the correlation of several moves towards land grabbing - the manifest destiny, Berlin Conferences of 1884-1885, the local TIFF or gentrification plans (21 Plan) in Chicago, etc. Consider the original draft of the Declaration of Independence that refers to "the pursuit of life, liberty and the pursuit of property"!
• Columbus' belief that he'd found a quicker route to India is based in his acceptance of the knowledge of the day as complete....citizens didn't question the theories of the scientists of the day (this became the norm). This kind of ideological stance is very different from the beliefs of non-European cultures in which knowledge is seen as an infinite, life-long quest.
• In order to enslave or mistreat a people you have to dehumanize them and systematically strip them of their rights and privileges in society.
• Many of the ideas expressed in the text correlate to the theory of the role of economic racism and cultural racism in the destruction of global societies over time.
• One of the readings speaks to African Americans as being "outside the universe of obligation" which is why they were able to be enslaved. Are they still outside the UoB? Is it possible that this belief is one of the barriers to reparations?
• What happens to a culture, race or ethnic group when the males aren't allowed to protect, provide and function as independent men? Was slave resistance an outlet for the reclamation of manhood? Physical castration coupled with mental control of the population led to the demise of powerful men in the newly freed African communities.
• Rebellion or revolts are only one form of resistance.
• Orlando Patterson's referral to people of color "wearing masks" echoes the words of Paul Laurence Dunbar in the poem, "We Wear the Mask."
• I wonder how current residents of Massachusetts juxtapose modern racial conflicts with the historical fact that Massachusetts was one of the first states to outlaw slavery.
• Do schools today teach that the abolition of slavery (i.e., Emancipation Proclamation) was more politically and economically motivated than morally/socially?
• I think the creation of the US, as is assigned in one of the "Connections" questions, is a great discussion piece for a workshop or seminar. This activity encourages Americans to face internal conflicts with civil and international conflicts.
• In discussing nationalism in Europe, the statement is made that the people of India were thought of as a branch of "European," "Aryan" or "Caucasian" according to early theories, how was it possible that the British could oppress them? How could Brits oppress the Irish?
• Hagen Schulze's quote regarding the burning of books in Germany and a kind of punishment by fire is reminiscent of the apocalyptic use of fire in punishing mankind (Bible), punishing the Jews (pogroms, crematoriums) and punishing of African Americans (KKK cross burnings, lynchings, church bombings). What is the symbolism of the fire? Is it spiritual? Is it political? Cultural? Social? How does this compare to "positive" or necessary uses of fire?

Immigration Resources I've Used...

Sparked by seeing Aqui Estoy at the Goodman Theatre, I began to recall the immigration and migration related resources I've used. There was a week where I went to the public library and checked out 30 children's books so they could read up and do reading projects. Another thing that made our study unique was looking at FORCED IMMIGRATION/MIGRATION VS. VOLUNTARY IMMIGRATION/MIGRATION. That, of course, widens the gauge of what you can cover or read.

Here's a partial list.

Books

1. From There to Here
2. Forty Cent Tip
3. Breaking Through
4. The Great Migration
5. A Nation of Immigrants
6. Ellis Island
7. Journey to Ellis Island
8. Color Me Dark
9. Cajos de Carton (also available in english)
10. Senderos fronterizos (also available in english)
11. The Circuit
12. Teenage Refugees from Mexico
13. My Bloody Life
14. Women of Brewster Place

Films & Documentaries

1. The Promised Land
2. American Made
3. Wetback the Undocumented Documentary
4. Joy Luck Club
5. Gangs of NY
6. Godfather II (Vito Corleone flashback scenes only)
7. Spirit: Stallion of Cimarron
8. Women of Brewster Place
9. Mi Familia
10. El Norte

Of course, there are countless articles in newspapers in California, Illinois and other cities where national or local immigration rallies took place. Time magazine had an amnesty cover story that I reference a lot with kids. Websites are a good source sometimes. We used to use youtube clips of our chicago rallies; as well as, some local org sites doing webcasts, but I can't recall the name of it now.

Tips for your teachers: Attention PA's

One of my annual August rituals when I was a teacher (as I mentioned in my first entry) was to make sure the Feng Shui was on point in my classroom. For 7.5 years, this went a long way in creating a safe, productive learning environment. I know what you're thinking..."If she set it up the way she wanted of course it's going to feel safe for her!" True, but my assertion that it was a safe and productive space was echoed in comments by students, alumni, faculty, staff, visitors and parents. I took it as a compliment that my classroom was always a scheduled stop for school visitors (known and unknown) -from Oprah to the countless college students that come to observe every year. That said, I want to offer some resources you may want to share with teachers, especially those that may have had some classroom management concerns. These resources aren't magic. They don't work in isolation. A feng shui layout is one element of classroom milieu. Self-confidence, a sense of pride in one's work, professional manner, high standards of excellence and morality all encourage students to participate in and maintain the classroom community. The best line of defense is open communication with the students about what you wish to create, why and how you want them to take a proactive role in it.


Books to check out...
1. Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui and Creating Sacred Space with Feng Shui by Karen Kingston (I've read and loved both of these. Very easy reads)
2. Feng Shui for Financial Success and Feng Shui Do's & Taboos by Angi Ma Wong (I've read and utilized these. She has 2 more books also.)
3. Feng Shui for your classroom by Renee Heiss (never read this, but Renee beat me to the punch in getting her ideas published!)

Websites to browse.....

http://www.spaceclearing.com/html/

http://classroomfengshui.com/

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft%3Aen-us%3AIE-Address&rlz=1I7ADBF&q=feng+shui+websites+for+the+classroom

HHB Educator Guide Commentary I

This reflection is based on my review of the HHB educator guide up to section 3 (page 106). Many of my comments are generalized to layout or usability of the guide rather than commenting on specific activities. The english teacher in me caught a couple typos - in 1st sentence under core learning principles & title line next to section III (in the main introduction at the beginning of the guide). The other thing that the visual learner in me noticed was that it is void of any eye-catching images, photos or graphic organizers.



On the Core Learning Principles

• The essential question posed is so critical to the use of HHB and the resource guide that I feel it needs more prominence on the page. Many schools utilize essential and unit questions to create lesson and unit plans. Can more questions be developed in the guide? Or could that be an exercise teachers are asked to do in HHB workshops?



• The core learning principles seem to align with the pillars or core principles of many area schools, in particular charter schools. Why not have an exercise asking workshop participants to print their school pillars/principles and compare-contrast to the FH principles? This may breed more buy-in for skeptical or new schools.



• It is also necessary to talk about how the principles correspond to the journey. What type of graphic could be designed or thought of to connect the two? A cause-effect template with CLP on top and journey underneath? Or would concentric circles be better?



• The journaling section is great on so many levels (this blog in itself is a Facing History journal), but I feel like it could also be a separate page that teachers could pull out and copy for student distribution. Sometimes in my classroom, students would be given the option to choose the type of journal entry they wanted to do to analyze a text, film or other resource. This could be a handout they keep in their folders or binders to use for not only their FH class, but perhaps even other classes because these journaling techniques are universal.



• I would also add to the list the option to create electronic journals (either as online blogs or just allowing a designated amount of time in lab to type up entries for compilation at the end of a term or school year). Electronic or typed journals serve as great writing samples/documentation, are always legible, allow opportunities to practice tech skills, allow for use of spell and grammar check if necessary and fit in to the already popular desire by youth to be on the computer (maintain active engagement). If the typing takes place after the entries have been handwritten, it encourages revision and editing, too.



• Teachers could consider utilizing school discussion or message boards as a journaling tool also. Programs like Blackboard, SchoolFusion and Edline offer these capabilities.



• Can there be a student introduction? Is this an activity teachers could create a draft of at an HHB workshop?

On the lessons

• I love the format of the lessons and think one of the best elements of every lesson is section 3 "follow up". A lot could be done with these in training sessions (either online or in person) - having participants shoot out list of texts, films or sites to review for further extensions, coming up with alternative assessment strategies in small groups or on a discussion board, thinking of ways to integrate technology or multimedia tools.


• What isn't clear is whether or not the sections in the resource guide correspond to the chapters in hhb? For example, do the lessons in section 1 of the guide correspond with "The Individual & Society" in HHB?

Week 2

I'm slowly getting into the groove of things here - "baby stepping" my way through ACT; working through my anxieties of working with a lot of schools in city and suburbs at the same time; getting used to passing by the school where I worked for 8 years on the way to the Chicago office. The texts and emails started coming at the end of last week from teachers and students....separation is hard, but necessary for growth to occur.

Thanks for the great feedback from those that have been reading. I want to encourage you to post your comments directly to the blog, as well. Underneath each entry is a "comments" link where you can pose questions or make statements or give suggested connections of your own.

I should also point out that the entries are posted in the order in which they are created so even if I save a draft from last week and finish it up today, it would be posted under last week's date. That, said periodically you may wish to scan for entries you didn't see....that is of course, if you are motivated to do so.

I am here: Critique of "Aqui Estoy" (play)

http://www.aptpchicago.org/

This was put on by the Albany Park Theater Project (APTP) at Chicago's Goodman Theatre and was the culmination of the CHI office summer outing on Tuesday, August 12, 2008. Here's what my reflections were that evening...

The choreographed monologues of the first half of the play gave clues as to the kinds of jobs undocumented persons may have to take when they come to America. Some were obvious, other movements weren't. It would've been great to have the monologues make mention of the jobs they were illustrating as the individual stories were being told.

I loved the way scene set-up/breakdown was included in the body of the play.

This play was actually 2 plays put together. How did APTP make the choice to integrate these 2 stories? What made them decide to focus on mainly Manuel and Julio within those 2?

The best part of the play was "Nine Digits," in which Julio, an undocumented Colombian, is plagued by problems that could in some cases be resolved with a social security number - getting a job, registering for financial aid, registering for college, participating in summer programs, etc. The actor's presentation of the story was lively and the integration of dance with speech was phenomenal (there were elements of modern, jazz, hip hop and capoeira styles). A touch of humor as he told of he and his mom's life made it much more enjoyable. Also key was the fluctuation between past recollections and his present (as a member of aptp who now felt comfortable sharing his secret).

It's interesting to consider that an actor is telling the story of an immigrant who's been living a lie and is then, at APTP allowed to use that "lie" as a dramatic outlet....a true example of Ars Longa, Vita Breve.

Reflections on the "Lunch Date"

Why is a wealthy woman taking public transportation or was it Amtrak?

Why does she seem to blame the Black man for making her late for her train when she ran into him?

Was something missing from her purse (like her wallet)? What was she looking for before she went into the diner? Why did she not think about it again or call someone she knew for help?

If she assumes the 2nd Black man is eating her salad, why doesn't she ever ask him where her bags are? It also seems strange that she didn't walk the whole perimeter of tables to look for her belongings (which oddly enough she left unattended).

Why are all the homeless people/beggars depicted as men of color?

"Banished"

Remembering the name Marco Williams and having seen his previous work, I knew without having read a description of this film that it would cover yet another dark story of the African American experience. So, like I was with the Emmet Till, I was not really "gung ho" to jump right into viewing it. Viewing it in public might have been a bit much as well. So I chose to view it at home in the company of friends and family- all of whom were African American and have roots in the South, like myself. We'd just watched "A Class Divided" and another "hollywood" movie the night before so were anxious to view and discuss this piece. Fresh in our minds was "Being Black in America" - the 2-part series shown on CNN over the last couple of weeks. Naturally, with all of this context, a lot surfaced.

The first thing I began to write down were connections or instances in history that seemed to compare or contrast with what was being described....

1. I thought of the "Red Summers" that occurred in South but also in Chicago with the drowning of Eugene Williams at a south side beach (just minutes from my house!)

• The Sumner-Rosewood, FL case
• The Tulsa, OK case

2. The various lynchings published in the Chicago Defender and other Black newspapers across the country at that time, but I was reminded of Without Sanctuary (book and exhibit)

3. It called to mind the exile of Jews from their homes into the ghettoes

4. The fact that I never heard of Japanese Internment Camps until I had to teach a Facing History humanities course (2001-2008)

5. The possible inclusion of my own ancestors in the "Trail of Tears" and "Indian" removal process from the South to reservation land out west.

6. The encroachment of 1st Nations lands in British Columbia and the struggles of those peoples today

7. I was reminded of the FHA sanctions on housing and home loans ("Race: Power of an Illusion" documentary)

The second thing I found myself doing was questioning what I was seeing and hearing:

• Why were the Black descendants so forgiving?
• How is it that African American descendants used their Christian beliefs to forgive what had happened when some Whites used Christianity to preserve their town they way it was? Which is the true Christian?
• What would happen if all Whites in America practiced a Day of Prayer and openly acknowledged the role of their ancestors in slavery, lynching or banishment?
• Why is it that African Americans seem to be the only group to not be eligible for reparations?
• Has the world REALLY changed if this kind of film is even necessary? If racism and healing had taken place since Dr. King, why is it so difficult for these families to claim what's rightfully theirs?
• Why were the White citizens of these 3 counties so angry with the writers who brought the stories out? Why were they angry with the descendants for wanting compensation, a public acknowledgement or even, memorials?
• What roles should "forgiving and forgetting" play in the lives of African American descendants of banishment?

Lastly, I guess, I consider the condition of myself and African Americans today. As we look back over our own family histories (mine include stories of alleged racial violence and segregation, but no banishment) and the general history of minorities in America, I couldn't help but think that in many ways all people of color suffer from some form of banishment. Lower class citizens, too, are banished. Women, have suffered banishment, as well. Can one compare all these cases, though? Is it fair to say they are the same when African Americans are still so clearly behind their white counterparts in education levels and net worth? There is and always has been the concept of the "other" or this racial dichotonomy in America that keeps Whites on one side and everyone else on the other side. Without all that we've overcome, that's still one mountain we have yet to move.

Mrs. Elliott's Return: "A Class Divided"

I'm not really sure how it is that the 3rd graders and the adult prison employees fell into their discriminatory patterns so quickly when they were informed that it was a "game" or learning experiment. Of course one of the main distinctions was that Mrs. Elliott's entire 3rd grade class knew it was a game; whereas, only the brown eyed participants in the adult workshop were aware of the activity. I found it ironic that there were no people of color in the blue-eyed group. Of course this made my mind instantly go to Mendel and recessive vs. dominant genes.

Why is it that the blue eyes didn't assert themselves during the 20-minutes they were left outside?

Why is it that none of the men asserted themselves against Mrs. Elliot as the female participant did?

How did the African Americans feel as members of the brown eyed (dominant group)? They seemed to relish being part of that group.

In the end, did the prison officials feel the workshop served its intended purpose? I ask because in none of the scenes were there any references to the ways in which they work with minorities in the prison population.

Is Race an Illusion?

http://www.pbs.org/race/000_General/000_00-Home.htm

William Edward Burghardt Dubois, in his book Souls of Black Folk, said that the biggest problem of the 20th century would be race. Now, in the 21st century, this still seems to be the issue of the day. This series breaks down the race problem into 3 parts. I was only required to view the 1st episode for the sake of staff development, but was moved to watch the entire series. I viewed it when it was on PBS awhile ago, but unfortunately seeing it again in 2008 only reminded me that we still have a long way to go as a nation.


Episode 1 - "The Difference Between Us"

• This episode brought to mind the works of Bacon, Rousseau, Crevecoeur and Montesquieu - all writers I was introduced to in a grad course entitled, "Racism: In Theory & In Fact" at the Ctr for Inner City Studies here in Chicago. In these works, we examined the concept of man as a natural being, in a natural state of freedom and what happens when there are varying views on those natural states. We also debated the role of scientists and "think tanks" in the development of social policies while reading modern works like An American Dilemma: The Negro Problem & Democracy, Tribes or The Rich & The Superrich.
• In another grad course, we talked about the Lake Mohonk (NY) conferences on the Negro and Indian question (what was to be done with the Negro and the Indian? These were the issues of the early twentieth century).
• Of course, there were instant connections to the scientists discussed in Race and Membership - the bewildering manner in which scientific theory becomes social policy.
• The fact that certain races were seen as inferior and were thus, treated a certain way based on their scientifically proven inferiority called to mind The Willie Lynch Letter and his step by step plan to "make a negro," i.e. slave.
• Science was be used as a justification social policies and actions, like Indian removal or the Trans-Atlantic slave trade or Jim Crow legislation. This is not all that different from the ways in which the Bible (or religion) was used as a form of justification.
• I was intrigued by Hoffman's theory of "negro extinction" because I don't feel we are innately inferior I do believe that certain social conditions have led to the repetition of destructive behavior patterns in the African American community. It is as though some Blacks have internalized the stages of economic and cultural racism described in Merlin Stone's Three Thousand Years of Racism. Perhaps it was unconsciously passed down or taught to them through the generations since slavery, but there is a definite lack of adequate housing, equal access to educational resources and in some cases, a reliance on public assistance for living rather than taking care of one's self.
• In the document, "Means proposed for cutting off the supply of human defectives & degenerates" (shown on screen), they listed 8 steps in the process. I had the following questions about those steps:

1. Have these steps been applied in places other than America and with the Nazis?
2. Was birth control a by-product of this movement? The Tuskegee Experiment? Injection of small-pox into blankets disseminated to Native Americans?
3. Was this the ideology used in Brazil when government officials encourage European immigrants/settlers to mate with indigenous women?

Episode 2 -"The Story We Tell"

It was intriguing to consider the works of Thomas Jefferson in Notes on the STate of Virginia, knowing his sordid past with his slave & if I remember correctly, half sister-in-law, Sally Hemings. The fact that he writes on the one hand that all men are created equal and on the other hand systematically writes of the inferiority of the African seems a bit two-sided. How can a man so well read and international, be so prejudice in his writings? In his support of the Back to Africa movement, did he really feel Africans were capable of governing themselves? I also didn't realize that TJ was probably the first to publicly call on scientists to prove white superiority over the darker peoples of the Earth, specifically the African as the Native was essentially a white man that had gone astray.

Also interesting was the systematic way in which poor whites were put against Blacks. It was as though they'd forgotten that as immigrants or poor people, they, too had been mistreated by the land holding democrats of the early Americas! It did bring to mind the book, How the Irish Became White.

Other ideas that came to mind as I viewed episode 2 were:

• manifest destiny vs. gentrification today
• "Rabbit Proof Fence" (film about aboriginal people & eugenics)
• "500 nations" (series on nations of indigenous peoples of North America)
• "The Patriot" (film)
• Gen. Philip Sheridan's quote "The only good Indian is a dead Indian"
• The Lake Mohonk Conferences (on the Indian and on the Negro)
• The poems "We & They" vs. "Foreign Children" vs. "The White Man's Burden"
• The book, The West & the Rest of Us
• the experience of Native Americans vs. 1st Nations peoples of Canada

Episode 3 - "The House We Live In"

One of the most important points noted in these episodes is that physical ability, physical apperance and current behaviors do not reflect one's genetic makeup. What is perhaps more important to note are the "environmental affects" on an individual. So, stereotypes about certain diseases being attributed to one race were proven false. Subsequently, to support these points the series documents the experience of a high school class that did experiments with their own mtdna. When all the experiments were done, it was clear that their preconceptions about who they would be most similar to (genetically) was incorrect- white students weren't more alike to other white students. This was an interesting segment and cause me to go and review my own mtdna sequence (I took an AfricanAncestry.com dna test to search for which African nation my maternal line is linked to - the Balanta people of Guinea-Bissau). It was reassuring to note that science is now in many ways, working to refute many of the racist notions of the past.

Episode 3 struck me on a personal note because since my 1st viewing, I became a home owner. It was disturbing to hear the history behind the reason for Chicago's segregated and gentrified communities. For those communities that aren't completed segregated, gentrification has forced the removal of the lower and lower-middle class residents along the lakefront, near south side, near north side and south loop area. My limited knowledge of the complicated nature of home-ownership and lending, led me to wait until I was well into my 30's to finally buy a home. I was in no hurry because I knew I wouldn't be able to afford to own where I wanted - centrally located in an area bordered by Lake Michigan on the east, Halsted on the west, 35th street on the south and Fullerton on the north. My top choice area would place me within 30 minutes of work, school, community service work, family/friends and entertainment. My condo in South Shore puts me within that time frame, locates me near 90/94 Expy & Lake Shore Drive and close to several public transportation options (15 minutes from South Loop/Bronzeville or 95th Street, 30 minutes from downtown), but is an area where my goddaughter doesn't feel comfortable coming home on public transportation at night. It's a changing neighborhood due to gentrification, but that change isn't seen as a positive one by all its residents. South Shore was historically an area filled with well-to-do African Americans, like Bronzeville or Chatham or Beverly, but with desegregation laws in effect, the affluent began to leave the city for suburban environs. Even still, being a lakefront community, South Shore never completely lost its value and is slowly on the rise again. As evidenced by new condo rehabs and the need for parking permits!


I'm not really sure whether or not this series was proposing a solution for racism or if they were merely presenting the facts. Is the answer interracial relationships? Integrated communities? Learning more about white privilege and the history of America? I am left with many questions as I ponder this film:

1. Even though factual evidence point to race as an illusion, will racism ever end?
2. How can an open dialogue on race and racism begin when the dominant worldview seems to still support the idea of "white supremacy"?
3. How do you have a dialogue about "white privilege" with white citizens?
4. "If biology is destiny," how do you account for the rise of Asian culture (power struggle for global domination in 21st century)?
5. If biology is destiny," what is America (the world) destined for as the multiethnic populations are on the rise?
6. Is race pride acceptable as long as it doesn't encroach on the rights of others outside of that race?
7. What made Black men volunteer to fight in wars for America knowing the kind of treatment that their people were receiving?
8. How can this episode be used as a dialogue between suburban and urban schools?

Eye of the Storm: Social Experiment in Racism

http://www.janeelliott.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=J&Category_Code=VV

In googling Mrs. Elliott a lot of hits came back. Some of them agreed with her experiment. Others referred to her as a monster. Perhaps the most important thing to remember is something that Mrs. Elliott said herself in "A Class Divided", the Frontline PBS special about her experiment.

When asked if she felt the experiment should be repeated or taught to other teachers, she said (I'm paraphrasing) "no". The necessity for such an experiment is troubling, but if necessary teachers could be trained to conduct the experiment.

When I first saw this piece about 5 years ago, I was surprised to know that someone in a place like Riceville, IA would think it a worthy cause to conduct such an experiment. I found myself wondering if the parents of those 3rd graders had any idea beforehand of what was going to take place. Although they were virtually a segregated town, the children seemed aware of racism and discrimination - no doubt due to Mrs. Elliott.

As far as the kids themselves, the blue eyed children seemed completing comfortable in their dominant role - one even offering suggestions as to how to make the inferiority of the brown eyes known to those outside the classroom! Their actions indicated to me a behavior or attitude that was long since present in their psyche. These were not attitudes that were new to many of them. Brian seemed uncomfortable with the experiment from the start. The boy with the glasses (Russell, I think his name was) seemed to enjoy his new found power - taunting his classmate on the playground.

The brown eyes on the first day seemed down. Although they knew it was a "game", they completely bought into it...even scoring low on the flashcards. On the second day, when they were on top, they weren't like the brown eyed children. They didn't seem to "lord" power over their classmates. They just seemed relieved to no longer be wearing the collars. The brown eyed children were almost like Hester Prynne of the Scarlet Letter - they wore their badges of shame in silence and obedience.

In the debrief, all the children seemed scarred, yet relieved that the "game" was over. They seemed to fully understand what it felt like to be discriminated against....well, as much as any non-minority could understand.

"Little Things are Big" Commentary

http://www.facinghistorycampus.org/ctp/ctp.nsf/All+Docs/CTP+Little+Things?openDocument


I think it was interesting how Jesus Colon describes the mother he sees. His first identifying descriptor is that she was "White", a woman and then, a mother. I wonder if that's how she would identify herself. There's a book and video/online training series called "Courageous Conversations about Race" that I was reminded of. In one of the videos of a pd session, the facilitator (an African American man) talks about the fact that when surveyed most African Americans identified themselves as "Black or Af-Am" first, then went into other identifiers. Whereas, when whites were surveyed they didn't list their race as their first descriptor. When viewing that training, I wondered then if Latinos or Native Americans or even, Asians would be more like Blacks or Whites in their identity list. With Jesus Colon, he clearly identifies himself as a Black-Latino man (which he fears would be a problem at that late hour).

Although his description of the incident lasted maybe 5 minutes, I wondered how long the train ride was. How long did he really ponder whether or not to be of assistance? No matter what the time span, it was clear that the incident left an indelible mark on his psyche. Much like the experience Countee Cullen had in Baltimore as described in his poem, "Incident." The point I'm making here is that everyone has those life-altering events or moments in their lives (my colleague, Denise Gelb has a great icebreaker/team bldg activity related to that idea).

Colon's brief encounter did however leave me with questions....

1. Why didn't he just offer help to her from afar first rather than approaching her to help? If he felt uncomfortable asking her, why not ask or speak to kids?
2. Could he have just spoken to her or made some sort of gesture/smile initially as she boarded the train to better judge how she would respond to his help?
3. Did he have another opportunity to help someone of another race later in life?
4. If he could do it over again would he make the same decision?
5. Why does he run away (as if he is a criminal leaving the scene of a crime)? Is he running from his own guilt/shame at not helping?
6. If he'd offered to help and she said "no" or was afraid, would he have felt worse than he felt by not offering in the first place?

The Bear That Wasn't by Frank Tashlin

(see youtube link for this cartoon short to the right)

When I originally read this book, I was hit on so many levels. There are so many connections that can be made to the text. One could use it to talk about man's encroachment on animals and their natural habitats (leading to global warming, pollution, etc) i.e., violating their social responsibility as living creatures of the planet. The people in the story fail to acknowledge the fact that they have destroyed the ecosystem that the bear once resided in. Instead, they choose to scold him for not doing as everyone else and for questioning authority. I often wondered why they didn't just kick him out of the company rather than go through so much effort to get him to conform? What if the story had been reversed - where the factories were encroached upon by the nature? Would the animals then ask the humans to leave or conform?

From a graphic design, media or visual arts point of view, one could talk about alignment, proximity, repetition, contrast. There are points throughout the story where image alignment tells a story without the need for words and vice versa. There are times when alignment allows for the expression of emotion. Similarly, the proximity of the text to the images is interesting. In the opening pages, it reads like a normal storybook, but later there are points where the words are on separate pages from images or where the text overpowers the images it shares the page with. Quite obviously, the repetition of his not being a bear serves to eventually "break" him; therefore, visually this is a required element. Similarly, the repetition and contrasts in the offices of the levels of management work to emphasize the disparities of the social classes. Lastly, the dark-light (black & white) contrast serves to emphasize 2 underlying themes of the book - The first is that man is destroying nature; therefore, stripping the Earth of its beauty and color. The second point being that when you strip a person (or in this case, a bear) of their ability to self-identify, you take away their ability to be seen in their natural beauty and spendlor (think of the film, "Pleasantville." The characters' color, in that case, were returned when they were finally able to free their minds and be themselves).

Perhaps more connected to the work of Facing History, it can be used to start a discussion on identity and belonging. The cartoon short reminds me of the Peanuts/Charlie Brown or one of those 70's cartoons with all the psychedelic flowers and backgrounds (which were often used as a critique of the prevalence of drugs during that time). Perhaps this effect works for the story because in a way the bear functioned in an altered state of mind much like someone who might have used a psychedelic substance! In any case, his identity was determined by someone else (the various levels of mgmt in the company that had encroached upon his natural habitat). The conformity is instant in the cartoon (the bear immediately starts drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes like the other workers). It's as though the bear had no issue taking on the vices of the working class, but didn't want or accept the work until the president took him out to the zoo and the circus. The question I did have is why did he keep the cigarette in his mouth the whole time?

I came away thinking that the "powers that be" failed to see people (in this case, the bear) as they are or that society would rather label you than to let you self-identify (think of the census) or have a knowledge of self. Perhaps, in today's education, there's more a move towards pluralism or multiculturalism, but there still seems to be fear of anyone who expresses pride in their individual distinct group if they are considered a minority. Society, in general seems to celebrate this pluralistic view of America because it's a way to focus on the positive, but it also seems to be a defense mechanism to keep us from talking about the real painful issues in our history. Similarly in The Bear that Wasn't, by continuing to not listen or not hear his pleas of individuality, they could repeat their ideology and ultimately, force him to assimilate.

The questions I continue to have are:

1. Why does the bear accept his role as a man?
2. Where does the bear go every night when the factory closes? Or is the story suggesting that the factory never closes?
3. What makes him come back to his senses (revert back to his natural state of freedom and individuality as a bear)?
4. How can this be connected to texts like Novum Organum by Francis Bacon or The willie lynch letter or the communist manifesto?
5. Does society celebrate conformity?

Interesting Tid-Bits...

• the cartoon leaves out the circus bear sequence
• the foreman and different levels of mgmt don't look like the same man; whereas, in the book, it basically looks like the same person who ages, gets more wrinkles, loses his hair and gains weight as his rank is increased

Introducing the new "CHI" (but not shy) PA....

I was born in Mobile, AL, but have been a Chicago South Side resident since 1978. I graduated from Chicago Public Schools for elementary and high school. My B.A. and M.A. are from 2 Illinois universities. I was honored to receive National Board Certification in Illinois, as well. My M.Ed is from Grand Canyon University in Arizona. I have been an educator, spoken word artist and youth organizer in Chicago since 1995. I am currently the Board President of Kuumba Lynx (www.kuumbalynx.org), a non-profit, mulitarts organization that conducts workshops for students & teachers and holds performances across not only the city, but the country (and in 2 instances, the world)! Our poetry slam team just placed 1st in the annual teen city slam (Louder Than a Bomb) and placed 3rd in the national slam (Brave New Voices) in DC last month! As an educator, I founded KL2 at YWLCS on Chicago's south side. That group performed around the city and had a slam team that placed in the semi-finals for 2 years in Louder Than a Bomb. Many of the productions and performances we create align with the scope and sequence of FH. I was introduced to FH at the Young Women's Leadership Charter School of Chicago in 2001 as a member of the Humanities Team/Dept. As of June 2008, as head of the Hum Team, I'd mentored 10 teachers in our department, taught approximately 225 girls in my own FH Hum classroom and mentored approximately 25 student teachers & observers in the "FH approach" to learning. I was a member of the Chicago Teacher Leadership Team and subsequently, was asked to participate in the National Teacher Leadership Team. I have a passion for education, the arts and youth. I love Chicago. I love Facing History. I'm excited to be an official part of the team.

School's in session...

This entry is more of a staff dev. things to do list for me, but it's time for me to "get my study on" before CPS & the charters get back in session...

1. Society and the Individual (due 8/20/08)

• Reading HHB pp. 1-55 (8/11-8/12)

• Reading ERG- Educator’s Resource Guide—pp. IV-XVI. (8/9-8/11 at home)

A/V resources:

• Bear That Wasn’t – book by Frank Tashlin- (review 8/7)

• You Tube version of The Bear That Wasn’t - (8/7)

• Read and View “Little Things Are Big” - 8/7

• View “The Lunch Date” -8/9 (at home)

2. We and They (due 8/20/08)

• Reading HHB pp. 56-108 (8/11-8/13 at home)

• Reading ERG- Educator’s Resource Guide—pp. 1-40 (8/9-8/10- at home)

A/V Resources:

• View “ The Longest Hatred” (8/12-8/14 at home)

• “Eye of the Storm” (8/8)

• A Class Divided on line at PBS (8/8)

• Race the Power of An Illusion Episode 1 The Difference Between Us -(8/7, hm)

3. Germany in the 1920’s- Failure of the Weimar Republic Democracy (due 8/28/08)

• Reading HHB pp. 109-153 (8/13-8/19)

• ERG – Reading pp. 41-74 (8/13-8/19)

• Explore Weimar Republic Online Module

A/V Resources

• (8/13-8/14) Witness to the Holocaust 7 part series- Episode 1: Rise of the Nazis:

• (8/14) The Nazis: A Warning From History: Tape 1 Helped Into Power
• Helped into PowerA detailed and sober account of German history from the aftermath of the First World War to Hitler's elevation to the post of Chancellor in 1933. This episode explains how a major European country fell under control of gangsters, aided by elements in the judiciary and business world.

• (8/14-8/15) Degenerate Art – Teacher’s Guide from Teaching the Holocaust

• (8/15) Triumph of the Will

I hope I can stick to my deadlines. I look forward to learning more about Weimar Republic because I haven't had any interaction with this content since the national teacher leadership team mtg and before that, at the HHB workshop I took years ago. I never taught this content in my WWII unit. What I know of German history as of today relates to their role in WWI, Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation, limited knowledge of the cabarets and the German perspective of the Armenian Genocide.

A home away from home

I was especially anxious about my first day (Aug 4, 2008) at Facing History-Chicago. This was due in part to being "the new girl" and also due in part to the dread of summer vacation actually being over. Jet-lagged from a 2-hour time difference (I'd just returned from British Columbia the weekend before starting work), I prepared myself for my move to the Chicago office.

There's something interesting about taking 13 years of teaching materials from a personal storage space and prioritizing which of those items gets to have a new home or "workspace" (the UN-cubicle)! As an educator, in addition to preparing classroom materials and lesson plans, my annual ritual included cleansing, clearing and designing my space. Consider it my own personal southside feng-shui aromatherapy session. Being a visual/intraspective/interpersonal learner, I would fill my class with posters, plants, fish, aromatics and other items to inspire and motivate anyone that entered the space. It was (is) my firm belief that if my classroom felt warm and inviting (like home) then my students and I would feel comfortable enough to get to know each other, learn from each other and grow with each other. Visitors and my co-teachers (those that shared the room) would have the sense that this was a productive, safe and welcoming environment to work in. It is this same philosophy that made the task of designing my "workspace" a pleasure and a challenge. How could I make it feel like a home away from home?

The second aspect of starting a new year or transitioning into a new environment is the anxiety associated with "fitting in" or worrying about the group dynamics within the workplace. I can say for certainty that my 7 years with FH as a teacher & TLT member has made me a lot less anxious than I probably would have been had I took a job somewhere else. All of those anxieties, however, were quickly washed away the moment I arrived in the office. I was warmly greeted (with a hug & smile as always) by Dunreith. Then, I saw a cute little "Welcome" sign outside my cubi...ahem, excuse me..."workspace". Naomi soon stopped in with flowers. Denise, Chuck, Ashlynn, Roxanne, Judd and Eleanor were on hand to give warm wishes and more warm smiles. Bonnie and Judy's encouraging words were a blessing. Short of the appreciation I've gotten from the YWLCS community in the last few months of my tenure there, I can't recall ever feeling so appreciated in a professional environment!

I think I'm gonna love it here. I'm still a little anxious about balancing out all the tasks, but I've already got ideas of things I would like to try once I do find that balance and once time allows for it.