Postcard Pals 2016-2017 Update

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I hope that everyone is having a great September so far! Still warm and beautiful in these parts, and the leaves will soon be changing color soon.

Here's a quick update on Postcard Pals 2016-2017 that I wanted to share. I sent out mailing addresses and instructions to all participants on August 26 via e-mail. The e-mail is from my blog e-mail address, which is info@aspiretoinspireblog.com. 

MailChimp is the program I use to manage my e-mails, and I'm able to check who has opened and clicked on my e-mails. It also lets me know if any of my e-mails bounced back because of invalid e-mail addresses, and none did that. Based on the reports I've been running, I know that there are some participants who have not opened their Postcard Pals e-mails for whatever reason. If you have not seen an e-mail from me in your inbox, please check your spam/junk folders as it may have been filtered there. It is possible that if you are using a school or business address, the firewall has blocked the e-mail altogether. This has been a problem in the past. If you check and do not find an e-mail in any of your mailboxes or folders, please send me an e-mail at info@aspiretoinspireblog.com and include an alternative e-mail address that you can receive e-mails at, such as a Gmail, Yahoo, etc. account. I will then resend the information.

Another thing I've noticed is that the check off documents are not being updated by participants when they send their postcards. Please do this so that I know who has sent postcards and when. Directions for how to do this are included in my August 26 e-mail. Thanks!

The deadline for sending postcards is October 31 so hopefully you've been starting to receive them and to send them. Please send me your updates and photos! I'd love to see what's happening. 

Tillie Pierce: Teen Eyewitness to the Battle of Gettysburg Book Review

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Thanks to innovative hands-on activities, simulations, and technology, teachers have more tools than ever to help overcome the challenge of engaging students in history. However, trade books--especially nonfiction--are still a powerful way to connect students to the events of the past.

Tillie Pierce: Teen Eyewitness to the Battle of Gettysburg by Tanya Anderson is one such nonfiction account that takes students to the front lines of the Civil War's bloodiest battle through the eyes of a 15-year-old girl who was there. In today's world, where students are thousands of miles removed from full-scale wars, Anderson invites students to step through a door to America's past and come face-to-face with the extraordinary sights, sounds, and smells that Tillie encountered. Using Tillie's own words from her 1889 book At Gettysburg: Or, What a Girl Saw and Heard of the Battle, A True Narrative Story as well as interesting, informative graphics and historical images, Anderson presents a well-researched account of Tillie's experiences as well as important background information about Gettysburg itself prior to, during, and after the battle.

One of the aspects of this book I enjoyed most is the narrative style that Anderson uses to tell the story of Tillie. This is definitely not a dry, nonfiction account of the events at Gettysburg. It reads like a story, which will draw in students. While primary sources like Tillie's account are amazing windows to the past, I have found that language and writing styles from the past can be a barrier to students' comprehension of what the witness is describing. In this case, yes, Tillie was a teenager, but her language isn't necessarily that of today's teenager, and I thought that Anderson did an excellent job of conveying Tillie's story in contemporary, easy-to-understand prose. The excerpts from Tillie's book that Anderson did use in the book effectively describe not only Tillie's wartime experiences but also the range of emotions that this 15-year-old had witnessing such an extraordinary event.

I also was fascinated by the graphics and images used to tell the story of Tillie. When I traveled to Gettysburg in 2009, I was impressed by the remnants of history left among the landscape of the town and battlefield. However, even though monuments and placards denoting significant sites dotted the area, envisioning the Gettysburg of 1863 still required some imagination. Thanks to the emerging use of photography in the Civil War-era, readers of Tillie Pierce are able to view images of the actual people and places of wartime Gettysburg, including those connected to Tillie Pierce's story. I had never seen many of these images before, but they were extremely helpful to me as I read the book. Along these lines, the book also includes standard nonfiction features, such as interesting sidebars, charts, and maps, to support the text.

The Confederate dead (courtesy of the Library of Congress)

View from Little Roundtop (courtesy of the Library of Congress)

Evergreen Cemetery gatehouse (courtesy of the Library of Congress)

The structure of the book is well-organized by chapters and subheadings within. Each subtopic within the chapter is a short read, which lends itself to being able to stop and reflect on the information presented. Most, if not all, subsections of the chapters include images or visual aids that tie into the topic being discussed. The book is not simply page after page of nonfiction prose.

The book begins with an introduction to Gettysburg with a short history of the town up until the Gettysburg that Tillie grew up in.  From there, Anderson introduces individuals and families associated with Tillie. Several chapters describe the build-up to the battle then the battle itself, including Tillie's movements, activities, and thoughts during it. As the book closes, readers learn about the aftermath in Gettysburg as well as what happened to Tillie, her family, and the other individuals connected to her story.

The book is 96 pages, with eight chapters, an epilogue, and a detailed resource section in which Anderson provides source notes, bibliography, resources for further information, and an index. She also includes an interesting feature called "Taking Tillie's Path" that provides the blueprint for a virtual tour of modern Gettysburg using Google Earth. Through this activity, students can see the the places that Tillie saw as they are today.

A view from a modern-day Roundtop

Tillie Pierce: Teen Eyewitness to the Battle of Gettysburg is published by Quindaro Press of Kansas City. It was a 2014 YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Nominee, a Junior Library Guild Selection, a 2014 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award (Teen Nonfiction) winner, and a 2014 NCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book. You can order a signed copy with FREE shipping here. You can also visit Tanya Anderson's online home here.

P.S. Tanya Anderson has another book coming out in October 2016 entitled Gunpowder Girls, which tells the stories of the three worst arsenal explosions during the Civil War, the victims of which were primarily poor, immigrant women and girls who worked in the arsenals. It looks intriguing!

Have you read Tillie Pierce: Teen Eyewitness to the Battle of Gettysburg? How would you use this book in your classroom? Leave a comment!

The Official Postcard Pals 2016-2017 Sign-Up is LIVE!

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Wow! I'm thrilled with the response to bringing back the classroom postcard exchange. With more than 100 classrooms expressing interest, that means that the 2016-2017 Postcard Pals Classroom Postcard Exchange is ON!

So now what?

The next step is for teachers to officially sign up. Here is the 2016-2017 Postcard Pals sign up form. The form will be open until AUGUST 20, 2016. At that point, I'll begin working on mailing group assignments.

By completing this form, YOU ARE COMMITTING to participating in the exchange. Participating means that you agree to do the following:

1. Use or create an e-mail address that accepts e-mail messages from my blog e-mail address. Some school addresses have very fortified firewalls so if you use your school e-mail, please make sure that it accepts e-mails from info@aspiretoinspireblog.com. If it doesn't, I recommend setting up an e-mail address specifically for this exchange at a free e-mail provider such as Gmail or Yahoo.

2. Send a one-time paper postcard to every class in your group (est. 30-40 cards) by the mailing deadline.

3. Update a Google spreadsheet to indicate that you have sent your postcards (simply entering a date--easy!).

4. Complete a short feedback survey about your experience after the exchange.

5. (Optional but appreciated!) Send a few photos of any postcard displays or your class in action as they participate. (I will protect student privacy and cover faces, etc. if I use your photos on a blog post.)
 

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Here is some important info to keep in mind:

By overwhelming preference, the postcard exchange will involve traditional paper postcards. Each class is responsible for supplying its own postcards and postage. I will provide you with some ideas for inexpensive or free postcards as well as funding options when I send out the instructions and mailing lists.  

You will receive your mailing list and instructions in early September, and postcards will need to be mailed by the end of October. Please make sure that you are able to work on this project within that timeframe before you commit to the exchange. 

The only information that will be shared with others on your mailing list is your name, school name, and address. All other information that I request from you will be seen and used by me to communicate updates about the exchange only.

Okay, I'm off to check the growing list of official participants. Hope to see your name on that list!

It's Back! Postcard Pals Classroom Postcard Exchange 2016-2017

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So continuing with the theme of my last two posts about making the most of the summer by getting in on some unique learning experiences for students before the next school year starts, I'm going to offer one to you myself! 

Postcard Pals is making its triumphant return after a year hiatus with what I hope will be the best exchange yet. I have coordinated Postcard Pals since 2013, and I'm really happy with the results of both exchanges I've done. (Some of the participants must have been happy, too, because they signed up for another year!)  You can read more about past exchanges here. 

So here's a little description of what has happened in past exchanges:

1. Teachers (public, private, and home school are welcome) sign up, and depending on the number of classes, I divide up classrooms into groups of 20-30 classes. I do this to keep costs low for participating classrooms as opposed to asking them to send 100+ postcards. I also--as best as I can--divide by grade band, usually PK-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. 

Each teacher is then responsible for sending one postcard from his or her class to each of the other classes in his or her group. Postcards include information about the geography, economy, history, and other interesting facts about the state in which the class lives. Signing up commits teachers to sending one postcard to each class on their mailing list. If teachers want to establish a pen pal program beyond the one postcard, they are welcome to do that; however, I don't facilitate that. It would be up to the classes involved to work that out.

2. At the beginning of the year (September, usually), I provide teachers in each group with detailed instructions about what should be included on the postcards along with a mailing list of classrooms in their groups. I give a deadline by which postcards should be sent so that everyone knows by when they should expect to receive their postcards (usually October or November). I ask teachers to indicate that they have sent postcards by updating a Google spreadsheet (very easy to do) with the date that they sent them. I use this spreadsheet to follow up with teachers who have not sent postcards.

3. Let the postcards roll in! I love to receive photos and comments about how the exchange is going, and I encourage participants to stay in touch. Many of the photos I receive show bulletin boards prepared especially for the exchange, which is so fun to see. 

In year one, I had 130 classrooms signed up, and in year two 43. Now, that's a big difference, I know. However, year two actually had a higher success rate of follow through on those who committed to participate so that's a good thing! While this an intermediate blog, I do open this exchange up to K-12 students. I've had all grade levels from across the USA participate--and even a few outside of the country--which is quite exciting. 

For 2016-2017...

Step #1 is determining interest, which is what I'm doing in this post. If you're interested in learning more about this exchange, please complete this Google form. Completing the form in no way locks you into a commitment to join. Once I finalize details, I'll set up another form to officially sign up. Please share this with colleagues and teacher friends! Pin it, tweet it, post it, sky write it with an airplane...just please help me get the word out.

Step #2 is thinking about how to improve Postcard Pals. This year, I'm looking into some different options, including possibly making it a virtual postcard exchange to defray the cost of sending postcards via snail mail. Nothing is set in stone, but it's an idea rattling around in my head. I will also be incorporating feedback from past participants into this and any future exchanges as I know we ran into some issues with people not following through on their commitment to take part.

Click HERE to complete the Google form for more information.

I think that's it for now. Hope to see many of you joining the fun! 

Have you ever done a postcard exchange? Tell us about it in a comment!

5 Unique Learning Opportunities That Your Intermediate Students Will Love

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In my most recent post, I suggested that summer is a great time to research unique learning opportunities in which your students can participate during the next school year, especially if deadlines, fees, and applications are involved. With a little digging, you can find some pretty interesting events, contests, and curriculum extras to engage and challenge your students!

In today's post, I'm sharing five very cool such options for upper elementary and middle school classrooms that I recommend checking out. 

1. Electronic Field Trips (EFT)

The world is so much smaller thanks to technology. Students can now see and experience places, people, and cultures that they might never have encountered otherwise. With electronic field trips, students can "visit" places, sometimes in real-time, without ever leaving the classroom. Ahh...just imagine. No permission slips. No loud bus rides. No constant head counts.

Here are two examples:

Colonial Williamsburg

My classes took part in these EFTs, and they were amazing! My students loved them. Since I last used this resource, it appears that the live broadcasts have been discontinued. Instead, however, they have turned to their HERO multimedia library that includes videos, lesson plans, and other resources about life in Colonial and Revolution-era America that you can access. You can sign up for a free account, but there is a fee involved for school-wide access to the library for the year. The material is high-quality and engaging, and it's a fantastic supplement to social studies curricula. You'll get the most for your fee if you register before the year starts, and that will also give you time to go through and choose material.

National Park Foundation

I have not used these EFTs; however, in browsing through the collection of EFTs available, they seem to be high-quality and varied in social studies and science content and feature diverse US national park locations. These are not real-time videos; however, you can watch them for free in segments whenever you wish. Each EFT includes a video and a corresponding Web site that is rich in resources to use in conjunction with the EFT. The service appears to be free, which is a BONUS!

2. Youth Leadership Institute (YLI) Mock Election 

This is one of those opportunities I found out about just a little to late to incorporate into my classes, but I would have loved to have my students be a part of it. The YLI mock election is "the largest secure, student-only, online mock election in the nation, using electronic ballots tailored to each student's home legislative district." It takes place during the mid-late part of October and includes many resources and options for teachers to conduct an election tailored to their students and their area of residence. You must register for this mock election, and the activity and resources are FREE!  

3. Free Student Book Publishing

We did this activity school-wide for several years, and it was very cool! Every student had the opportunity to write a book and have it hardbound published for FREE. This program, created by Student Treasures, involves each student or class (depending on whether you choose an individual or class book project) receiving a book-writing packet that includes everything they need to create their books (ex. instructions, lined & unlined final pages for writing and illustrations, cover page, dedication page, etc.). Each teacher/school chooses a publishing date, all of which have been established by Student Treasures, so teachers need to plan this project with the submission deadline in mind since all packets must be sent in together before the deadline. Under the guidance and instruction of the teacher, students then write their stories and create colored illustrations for them. In my case, I used this project to practice the writing process--brainstorming, drafting, peer reviewing, revising/editing, planning illustrations, and rewriting, and we spent several months working on the books. I must warn you, though, that executing this program requires a lot of planning so start early! 

I was not the coordinator at our school, but from what I understood then and understand now, the publishing programs are tailored to student age groups (K-6, Middle School, High School, etc.). You simply provide the information to Student Treasures about grade levels and type of book you want students to create, and they determine the program that fits those needs. Again, this worthwhile project is FREE to you, and each student received one FREE hardbound copy of their book. (Parents can order multiple copies of the book using an order form found in the packet.) You can request a free sample packet at Student Treasures' Web site. I can't relay to you how excited students were to receive their books and see their work published. It was amazing!

4. Content-Area Contests

Contests are a great way for students to showcase their talents and, in some case, win prizes for it! I am lumping all of the cool contests I found into one section here because I'm leaving it up to you to decide which of the many out there would fit your needs. There are several different Web pages dedicated to listing contests open to upper elementary and middle school students. I'm including a link to a good resource/repository of contests here. You can find contests for all subjects. I noticed that some have not been updated for next year, and some are defunct so be sure to check for further information at their respective Web sites. Here are a couple of examples that I found:

Cricket magazine is a literary publication for students ages 9-14 and holds contests about a variety of literary topics throughout the year, all of which encourage creativity.

Scholastic Art and Writing Awards involve contests for many art and writing categories in which students enter their pieces based on local program guidelines. These contests are open to public, private, and homeschool students in grades 7-12

5. NASA events and contests

NASA keeps an updated calendar list of opportunities for students in grades K-8 to participate in a variety of science and technology related activities, events, and contests. I noticed the word FREE in many of these descriptions, and there's a nice variety of events that take place at NASA locations and virtually (online). Check back as new events are added! 

What do you think? Have you ever incorporated any of these in your classroom? Other suggestions? Leave a comment!

Meaningful Ways for Students to Observe Memorial Day, Flag Day, and Independence Day

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Holiday celebrations in the classroom can be epic, don't you think? I see so many creative lesson ideas, crafts, and activities for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day, and other big-time holidays that you could probably dedicate a whole month for each of them!

When the school year runs from August to May, though, there are some major holidays just don't get the love they deserve, especially a few important patriotic observances in the USA. If we are to encourage citizenship and a responsibility to preserve freedom among our students, Memorial Day, Flag Day, and Independence Day definitely deserve some attention from us as part of the curriculum. Even though school might not be session on the days they're observed, we can still teach our students how to honor them, which is where the featured freebie in this week's blog post comes in.

One of the first resources I ever shared on Teachers Pay Teachers was an free activity called "What Do You Know About Veterans' Day?" It was a simple 5-question quiz that was meant to activate prior knowledge or supplement a reading or discussion about the holiday. From there, I created the similar activities for seven other patriotic holidays, including Memorial Day, Flag Day, and Independence Day, that I've also shared for free with teachers. In recent weeks, I've started to update these older resources and even beef them up with more content to make them even more attractive and useful to teachers. The major addition to them is a printable list of ways that students can thoughtfully observe the holidays. Believe me. I love a big, fun family cookout and jaw-dropping fireworks show just as much as anyone else, but there are so many deeper, more personal opportunities to connect to these holidays that we can share with our students. After all, isn't that our goal--to empower our students to do something meaningful with the knowledge they have? 

So here are some ideas to encourage students to thoughtfully participate in Memorial Day, Flag Day, and Independence Day on their own and with their families and friends. You can download these along with the 5-question quizzes for each holiday using the link that follows or by clicking on the images. Everything is free! 

Memorial Day

Thank a veteran or active service member.

Maybe you have a family or friend who has served or is serving in the military. Take a moment to say “thank you” for his or her service.

Visit a war memorial or statue.

Statues and memorials honoring fallen military men and women are found in many cities. Visit one. Take time to reflect on the sacrifices men and women throughout history made to protect the country’s freedom—and your own.

Attend a Memorial Day ceremony or service.

Many towns, cities, and organizations hold ceremonies to remember the ultimate sacrifices paid by servicemen and women. Go listen to special speakers, music, and tributes honoring fallen military men and women.

Attend a Memorial Day parade.

Show your gratitude to servicemen and women by attending a parade. Wave, salute, or just silently consider the sacrifices these men and women and others have made on your behalf.

Volunteer to decorate military graves.

A Memorial Day tradition is to place American flags on the graves of military men and women. Contact a local cemetery to find out who does this and get in touch with the organization to volunteer.

Read a book or watch a film about Memorial Day

Learn more about the history of this solemn day by reading a book or watching a film about it. Share what you learn with family and friends. 

Flag Day

Display an American flag.

Whether it’s a large one hung from a flag pole, a small one displayed in a window, or tiny one pinned to your shirt, you can honor the Stars and Stripes by exhibiting a flag.

Read the Flag Code.
Do you know that there are special rules about how to handle and observe the flag? Read up on the Flag Code, which explains how to care for and show respect to the American flag.

Attend a Flag Day ceremony.
Many organizations hold ceremonies to mark the birthday of the American flag. Pay tribute by listening to special speakers and patriotic music that honors the flag.

Wear red, white, and blue.
This one is easy! Dress in patriotic colors to match the colors of the American flag. Research the meaning of each color on the flag.

Enter an art, music, or essay contest about the flag.
Research some opportunities to creatively honor the flag through art, music, or writing.

Listen to the Star-Spangled Banner (and read the lyrics).
Do you know that there is more than one verse in the national anthem? Read all the verses and listen to a recording of it. Reflect on what the flag meant to Francis Scott Key when he wrote this song in 1814 and what it means to you today. 

Independence Day

Display an American flag.

Commemorate the birthday of the United States by showing a symbol of it—big or small!

Read the Declaration of Independence.

This short but important document officially created the United States as a new and separate nation, no longer under the rule of a king who mistreated his colonial subjects. Read about the rights endowed to all people that are the basis of the freedoms we have.

Read what happened to the signers of the Declaration.

The decision to separate from Great Britain was not an easy one for many colonists. Patriots and their families risked much and faced danger for voicing their beliefs. Research some of the names on the Declaration of Independence to find out what these men endured after putting their names on this document.

Attend an Independence Day parade.

Join family, neighbors, and other community members to the celebrate the United States’ independence as you enjoy music, floats—and maybe even a little candy!

Reflect on how freedom impacts your life.

Most of us have never experienced oppression in the way that the American colonists did or the way that even people today in countries with little to no freedoms do. Think about how your life has been impacted by the freedom in this country and how you can preserve freedom for future generations.

Attend a fireworks display.

Independence Day is an event to celebrate by taking part in fun activities like fireworks. If you’re lucky, you may even get to hear a patriotic soundtrack as you watch the show!

You can download these printable lists along with the quizzes here.

Do you have suggestions to add? Leave a comment!

Spark Student Interest with Eyewitness-to-History Interviews

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Last night, I had the opportunity to listen to a Holocaust survivor tell his story at a local library. Oral histories are fascinating to me so I was thrilled when I found out that he was coming to speak, and I called first thing in the morning to register for the event! As expected, I hung on every word he said, imagining him during the war seeing and doing the unimaginable in an effort to survive.

Honored to be standing next to Holocaust survivor Mr. Leo Silberman 

This is not the first time I've heard Holocaust survivors speak about their experiences. When I was in high school, a married couple, who were part of the 1,200 Jews saved by Oskar Schindler, came to a local college to talk about their experiences. I made my parents sit in the front row with me, and I listened to their testimonies, simply captivated. I wanted more. I ended up writing to the couple telling them how much I enjoyed their lecture. I also asked if we could correspond more so that I could ask more questions. To my excitement, I received a reply from them...with a phone number. (These were pre-email days.) And that's where it stopped. I was young. I was shy. I also wasn't confident enough to pick up a telephone to ask them what I wanted to know. I regret that decision to this day. 

Lyndon B. Johnson signs the 1964 Civil Rights Act 

Since that time, I have made an effort to ask questions of people who have been through historical events that I'm interested in. (In fact, just last week, I asked my mom about the reaction of our community here in Ohio in 1964 when three civil rights workers were murdered in Mississippi. She was 15 at that time and experienced it first hand.) I do these interviews informally and out of my own curiosity mostly. However, through these conversations, I feel connected to history. I can say, "I know someone who was there, and now I know what it was really like." That feeling is exciting and empowering. I am actively learning by asking questions. Imagine students making those connections igniting that spark for history!

Textbooks can only tell us so much. They're written so dryly and succinctly that there just isn't room to learn more than the facts. We often stop at identifying the differences between source types when we could be creating our own primary sources through interviews with those who were there.

Oral histories are simply the stories of people who were "there." They are treasure chests of valuable information and experiences for those willing to open them. In addition to collecting first-hand accounts, interviewers become active participants in history. As teachers, we have an amazing and important responsibility to create opportunities for students to seek out these treasures. Through oral history interviews, students gain skills in areas such as speaking and listening; interpersonal relationships; data collection; and organization and planning. Not to mention that students also gain special memories of their time with the subjects of their interviews.

With some planning and guidance on our part, oral history interview projects can be easily implemented in any classroom, in any grade level, and about many different historical periods.

Here are some examples of interview topics based on the possibility of survivors/participants being alive:

• Great Depression
• World War II 
• Holocaust
• Korean Conflict
• Vietnam War
• Civil Rights Movement
• Cultural changes in 1960s
• Gulf War
• 9/11
• War on Terror
• Cultural events (ex. concerts, movies)
• Presidencies
• Famous construction projects (ex. landmarks, highways, railroads, buildings, monuments)
• International events (ex. end of apartheid, fall of Berlin Wall, end of communism in Eastern Europe, changing from one government type to another, coronations of kings and queens)
• Scientific achievements (ex. vaccines, discoveries)
• New inventions (ex. television, computers, cell phones)
• Births and deaths of famous figures
• City or town history
• Family history (ex. comparing parents or grandparents at student's age with the student today)

The pool of possible interview subjects can actually be quite large depending on the topic:

• Parents
• Grandparents
• Aunts and uncles
• Cousins
• Siblings
• Family friends
• People in the news
• Historical societies
• Churches
• Survivor groups
• Clubs, organizations
• Senior centers
• VFW posts
• Guest speakers at local events

So what can students do with their oral history interviews? Here are some ideas:

• Create paper or digital scrapbooks.
• Prepare and give a PowerPoint presentation.
• Write & present a dramatization of the oral history.
• Create a poster about the person interviewed.
• Write & illustrate a short book (maybe even for younger readers).
• Compare/contrast oral histories collected by students about the same topic.
• Create a class anthology of oral histories. 

Consider the following elements of an oral history interview as your plan your project:

1. Goals of the project

• What do you want students to accomplish through this project?
• Will the interview topic be content-related?
• What skills and standards do you want students to demonstrate? 
• What choices will students have in deciding whom they will interview and what they will interview about?
• What is the final product to be assessed?

2. Student materials

• How do you want students to conduct interviews (ex. digital recorders, video cameras, pen & paper)?
• What tools do students need to conduct interviews (ex. recording devices, cameras)
• Do you need to teach students how to use the tools? 

3. Interview logistics

• Where will you suggest students find people to interview? 
• Have you established relationships with organizations or individuals who will partner with students?
• Where should the interviews take place to ensure safety and comfortability for all parties
• When should interviews take place?
• How long should they last?
• Will you provide a standardized form or letter to students to give to their interviewees that explains the purpose of the interviews?

4. Student preparation

• What resources can you share with students to show them how to conduct effective oral history interviews (examples of video or audio recordings and trade books with first-person accounts)?
• Have you provided students time to research the topic and/or the interviewees ahead of the interviews?
• Are there mandatory questions that every student must ask?
• Have you covered appropriate/inappropriate questions to ask? 
• Have you encouraged students to ask open-ended questions as opposed to yes/no questions?
• How will you demonstrate appropriate behavior during interviews (ex. eye contact, not interrupting speaker, staying focused, putting away all possible distractions)?
• Will you provide opportunities for students to conduct practice interviews?
• How will students thank participants (ex. a letter or note)?

There are many resources available to help you plan your oral history project. The Smithsonian Institute offers a very helpful guide to preparing for and conducting oral history interviews. You can find it here. Reading Rockets also provides some practical uses for oral histories in the classroom, which you can find here. 

Now I want to hear from you! Have you ever conducted oral history interviews with your classroom? What makes them successful? What were some unexpected snags in the project? Leave a comment!

Postcard Pals Recap, Wrap-Up, and Round Two

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It's time for a recap and wrap-up of my first-ever "Postcard Pals Postcard Exchange," which I decided to coordinate as a little side project during this past school year. Turns out it wasn't such a little project, but I still consider it a success even with its hiccups! Here's a little summary of what happened, including the major hiccups (as noted by myself & participants) and the helpful feedback I received from participants. Plus, I've got a link for those who might be interested in Postcard Pals II.

Here's a timeline of the exchange:

JULY 2013: I first blogged about the idea behind the exchange last July. Here's the original post detailing my experience with a past exchange and my plan for the one I was coordinating. To track interest in the project, I created a Google document and linked to it in the post. I then sent out an e-mail to those interested teachers asking for a final commitment to the project and asked them to complete another Google Doc to make them "official." I was thrilled with the number of teachers who committed to the project--about 135 spanning PK-High School, including a couple of international and homeschooling teachers!

My plan was to organize classrooms into groups of 20-30 based on grade band and location, then coordinate a one-time exchange of postcards among the classrooms in each group. Each classroom would send one postcard to each of the other classrooms in its group. I left it up to each classroom to decide if they wanted to continue a pen pal-type relationship on their own. I wanted to promote a social studies theme so I requested that the postcards include the state in which the classroom was located; its capital; its geography; important industries; famous citizens, and important historical and cultural sites. My hope was that each class could create a bulletin board to document their experiences.

EARLY SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2013: I sent out detailed instructions and mailing lists to each classroom. I included a deadline for mailing (end of October) as well as ideas for where to get postcards and postage. I also followed up with a blog post that included the same information. I asked that participants keep in touch with me with feedback and photos to let me know how things were going. It was about this time that hiccups in the project began. For example, because of firewall issues and delayed communication, some of the participants did not receive their instructions and mailing lists until October. You'll read more about these challenges later.

DECEMBER 2013: I sent an e-mail to participants to remind them to finish up sending postcards and to give feedback on the cards they'd received so far.

JUNE 2014: I sent out one last e-mail with a link to a Google Doc survey in which participants could provide feedback about their experiences. I received 22 responses, which I consider to be a good number in light of the length of the project and its challenges.

The positive feedback...

I received some valuable feedback from teachers throughout the school year as well as from the final survey. Here's what I heard:

• Students were excited to receive postcards. (Who doesn't like to get something in the mail?)
• This was a fun way to practice research & cooperative learning skills.
• Students enjoyed learning about states that they might not otherwise learn about. 

All of these comments show me that the project was a success because these were precisely the hopes I had for students when coordinating the project.

And the hiccups...

HICCUP #1: Firewall Issues

When I sent out the instructions and mailing lists as .zip files, I had A LOT of electronic "return to sender" failure messages. Many school districts have surrounded themselves with major firewall protection. To try to get around these firewall fortresses, instead of a .zip file, I created a link to the information in Google Docs and included it in a second e-mail with no attachments. No luck.

All of my e-mails came from a Gmail account. It's likely that personal-type mail servers might be on districts' "personae non grata" lists to protect from spam; however, it also makes me wonder how parents are supposed to e-mail teachers from personal e-mail accounts. But I digress.... My solution was to send the information snail mail, which was a pricey because it came from my own pocket. However, I felt like I did my due diligence and didn't exclude anyone who signed up to participate. I did hear from most of the teachers to whom I sent hard copies, and they were grateful to still be included.

For future exchanges, I would require all participating teachers to provide an e-mail address that can be used to send and receive e-mails without the hassle of a firewall. It's very easy to set up a personal e-mail account that can be used specifically for the exchange through Gmail or other similar Web-based mail servers. I hope that isn't an issue that would prevent teachers from participating. I would definitely test all e-mail addresses before sending any of the instructions and mailing addresses!

HICCUP #2: Lack of Commitment

After I sent out the instructions and mailing lists, I started to receive a few "I don't remember signing up for this" or "I can't do it" e-mails. From some classes that committed to participate and decided not to, I didn't receive any communication or explanation.

The lack of follow-through affected this exchange more so than anything. One of the most common feedback messages I received throughout the year and in the final survey was that classrooms only received 5-10 postcards throughout the year when they should have received 20-30. I am thankful that many of the teachers, although frustrated, remained positive in their comments about the postcards that they did receive. I completely empathize with their frustrations in light of the time, effort, and cost associated with the project.

HICCUP #3: Communication

I used e-mail, blog posts, and even snail mail to get out information to participants. Despite my using several modes of communication, it was difficult for me to tell who had received the information unless I heard from the participants themselves. (And I never requested that they contact me unless they had comments or questions.)  If I were to coordinate another exchange, I'd figure out some sort of "check in" procedure for teachers, something that's not seen as a hassle but can still let me know that they're getting what they need and doing what they agreed to do.

I want to say "THANK YOU" to the many teachers whose hard work and commitment made this project a success. Here's a sample of some of the photos I received from them:

From Julie's classroom in WI

From Martha's classroom in CA (Here's a link to her blog.) 

From Lauren's classroom in TN

From Marna's classroom in CA

Postcard Pals Exchange II

So after all of this, I think I'm up for the challenge of coordinating a future exchange. Right now, I'm posting this link to a Google Doc to see who's up for another round or is willing to give it a try for the first time. I'm thinking it will open to grades PK-12 and classrooms within the US. Remember that this is just to see who's interested. I won't share any information, and there's no commitment at this time! I'm taking a maternity leave in the next few days so I anticipate getting things up and rolling closer to September. If you sign up, you'll hear from me then about the next step. I'm looking forward to another successful exchange and "meeting" more of you!

States and Capitals Circuit Boards

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One of the big milestones in 5th grade social studies classes is learning the names, locations, and capitals of the 50 United States. In my classes, this learning goal was spread out over many months with students learning and testing over one region of states at a time. They took a final test of all states and capitals in the spring. For many students, this was their first experience taking ownership of a significant learning goal on their own. To help them prepare, students used textbook maps to label and color blank regional maps. We then brainstormed mnemonic devices based on different learning styles to help learn the information. We also spent a few days a month as a class practicing the locations and capitals using a blank map on the SmartBoard.

Even with all the strategies presented in my class, however, the most innovative, hands-on tool that students used to learn states and capitals came from science class of all places: circuit boards.  The (literally) brilliant idea to combine the study of electricity and geography using homemade circuit boards was presented to me by our 5th-grade team's science teacher. The basic idea is for students create a circuit board on which they complete electrical circuits by correctly touching wires to a state and its corresponding capital. Each state and capital is connected by a foil conductor strip, and the energy source is a 9-volt battery.

The idea of playing with electricity may sound a little frightening, but this activity is completely safe and is easy for upper elementary students to complete!

Prior Knowledge

On the social studies end of this, students will need to have been introduced to at least one region of states and capitals. On the science end, students will need to have a knowledge of circuits and electricity.

Supplies
file folder
blank map of states with list of corresponding state capitals (We used regional maps for this project.)
scissors
hole punch
aluminum foil
transparent or masking tape
electronics wire
small light bulb with holder
9-volt battery 
battery cap with electronics wires

Easy-to-find classroom supplies

Create the Circuit Board

First, punch one hole in each state on the map. Then, punch one hole next to each of the state capitals. I did a soft fold-over of the map and capitals and put the paper about halfway in the hole punch before punching so that I could get a full circle-shaped hole and not bend the paper too noticeably.

You'll need to decide to punch the hole either on the exact location of the capital or somewhere in the middle of the state. In some regions, some capitals are very close together, which could be problematic when attaching the conductor foil. 

Next, turn to the backside of the map and capitals. Cut thin strips of foil long enough to connect the holes from the states to the holes next to the capitals. For each state and capital, line up the foil strip so that the state hole and its capital hole are covered with foil. Then, use the tape to adhere the foil strip. Cover the entire strip of foil with tape. Continue until all states and capitals have foil trails that are taped to the page.

IMPORTANT:

*Start with the states and capitals that have the least distance between them. Tape those foil trails down first.

*It is important that the foil strips do not directly touch one another so make sure they are completely covered in tape.

*Make sure the foil strip does not cover any part of the holes belonging to other states or capitals.

All taped down and ready to go

When all foil has been attached, adhere the map and capitals list to the file folder. You should only see the foil-covered holes.

Ready to test my knowledge of states and capitals!

Assemble the Battery and Bulb Wires

First, attach a battery cap to the top of the 9-volt battery, which will be the source of the electricity. Attach one of the cap's wires to one of the bulb terminals. Attach a small piece of electronics wire to the other bulb terminal. Make sure that the two "loose" ends of wire are stripped back enough so that the wires will easily make contact with the foil surfaces.

You may be able to create a more stable battery apparatus with available lab equipment. You could even use something other than a light like a buzzer.

Completing the Circuit

To complete the circuit, students will take one end of the wire that extends from the battery and touch it to the foil-filled hole of one of the states on the map. Then, the students will touch the other end of the electronics wire that extends from the bulb to the foil-filled hole next to the state's capital on the list. If the state and capital combination is the correct, the circuit will be complete, and the small bulb will light up. If it is incorrect, the bulb will not light up. 

Got it!

Sorry, try again!

Social studies can be a love-it or hate-it class for many students. As a social studies teacher, it can be a challenge to come up with meaningful hands-on learning activities. Being able to partner with my teaching team to develop cross-curricular ideas like this offers students some new and creative ways to take charge of their own learning. The beauty of this activity is that it can be modified for any subject matter that uses matching. It may provide students with a different view of a subject and how it connects to other subjects. It also may build their confidence and interest in subject areas in which they struggle or show little interest. (I'm no science whiz so if I was able to create something like this and have it work, I'd feel like a science superstar.) Overall, this activity really "lit up" both the science and social studies classrooms!

Your comments are welcome! What are some creative cross-curricular activities that you've used in your classroom?