Let's Connect. It's Conference Time!

It’s conference time! On my way to the MEA-MFT Educator Conference in Billings, I’m going to stop by the Montana State Literacy Conference October 15 in Belgrade, where I’ll be presenting on our Women’s History Matters project and lesson plans, Thursday morning, 9:45-10:45, in room #115. (Come say hi!)

Then I’m off to MEA-MFT, where Deb Mitchell and I will once again staff a table in the exhibit hall. Stop by to pick up your very own Montana's Charlie Russell educator's packet, while supplies last.

At MEA-MFT, I’ll also be repeating my Women’s History Matters presentation on Friday, October 16, 2:00-2:50, Skyview High School: Room 238. I promise a hands-on introduction to some fascinating historic photographs and extraordinary women—so if you aren’t conferenced out, come join me.

MHS lesson plans are also being featured in two other MEA-MFT presentations:

• Thursday, October 15, 10:00-11:50 in Skyview High School: Room 149, Laura Ferguson will be introducing “Montana's Landless Indians in the Assimilation Era,” an extremely powerful lesson that uses historical newspapers, archival images, letters, reports, and historical data to re-construct the history of Montana's Landless Indians. I’ve written about this lesson plan here and here—but it would be worth experiencing part of it yourself in this interactive session.  (Can’t make the session? We’ll have copies of the published lesson plan at our exhibit booth for you to peruse and take home.)
• Friday, October 16, Skyview High School Room 149, 9:00-10:50 or Room 148, 12:00-1:50, Ruth Ferris will be debuting "Hazel  Hunkins, Billings Suffragist: A Primary Source Investigation." This amazing teaching with primary sources lesson plan designed to introduce students to the women’s suffrage movement by examining the story of Billings-born suffragist Hazel Hunkins, who joined the National Woman’s Party in picketing the White House. As Ruth says, “Before it was history, it was news.” She’s pulled together remarkable primary source sets to make the movement come alive, including newspaper articles, letters, photos, and telegrams (like this one from Hunkins to Mrs. E.L. Perkins, 218 N 33rd St., Billings, “TWENTY SIX OF AMERICAS FINEST WOMEN ARE ACCOMPANYING ME TO JAIL ITS SPLENDID DON’T WORRY LOVE HAZEL”.) Look for it on our website soon.

Montana Council on Social Studies, Montana Council for History and Civics Education, and Montana Writing Project are to be commended for putting together bang-up sectionals. Among the sessions at MEA-MFT this year that intrigued me are

Thursday, October 15

• 9:00 AM-9:50 AM “Myth and History in the American West,” Tim Lehman, Skyview High School: Room 235  
• 9:00 AM-9:50 AM “The Pryor Mountains--Crow Sacred Land,” Dick Walton and Susan Newell, Skyview High School: Room 201
• 10:00 AM-11:50 AM “America Indian Music: More Than Drums & Flutes,” Scott Prinzing, Skyview High School: Room 238
• 10:00 AM-10:50 AM “Student Research: Learn about the Possibilities,” Bruce Wendt, Skyview High School: Room 201
• 11:00 AM-12:50 PM “Memories of the Heart Mountain Concentration Camp,” Sam Mihara, Skyview High School: Room Theatre (I heard him last year. Fantastic!)
• 11:00 AM-11:50 AM “Montana 1864: An Examination of a Crucial Year,” Ken Egan, Skyview High School: Room 239
• 12:00 PM-1:50 PM “Teaching the Boarding School Era,” Glenda McCarthy, Skyview High School: Room 202
• 1:00 PM-1:50 PM “Issues of Education on the Reservation,” Janna Lind, Skyview High School: Room 238
• 1:00 PM-1:50 PM “Montana State National History Day,” Michael Herdina, Skyview High School: Room 149 Herdina
• 1:00 PM-2:50 PM “Project Archaeology: Investigating Anzick Burial,” Courtney Agenten, Skyview High School: Room 239
• 2:00 PM - 2:50 PM “American Indian Students: Today and Tomorrow,” Janine Pease, Skyview High School Theater
• 3:00 PM-4:50 PM  “DPLA – An amazing resource worth learning to use!” Jennifer Birnel, Skyview High School: Room 131 
• 3:00 PM-3:50 PM “Pictograph Cave: Connect the future with the Past,” Krystal Carlson, Skyview High School: Room 201 
• 4:00 PM-4:50 PM “Heartwood: A Growth-Based Approach to Learning,” Casey Olsen, Skyview High School: Room Theatre
• 4:00 PM-4:50 PM “Interpreting the American Indian Photographs of Edward Curtis,” Sandra Oldendorf and Priscilla Lund, Skyview High School: Room 238

Friday, October 16 

• 8:00 AM-8:50 AM “Explore C3 and new Perceptions of Social Studies,” Bruce Wendt, Skyview High School: Room 238
• 8:00 AM-11:50 PM “Western Heritage Center: Take a Tour Back into Time,” Western Heritage Center
• 9:00 AM-9:50 AM “American Indian Mascots,” Glenda McCarthy, Skyview High School: Room 235
• 9:00 AM-9:50 AM “K-12 Resources at Buffalo Bill Center of the West,” Megan Smith, Skyview High School: Room 239
• 9:00 AM-10:50 AM “Project Archaeology: Investigating Nutrition,” Courtney Agenten, Skyview High School: Room 238
• 10:00 AM-10:50 AM “Using Visual Thinking Strategies in the Classroom,” Yvonne Kunz, Skyview High School: Room 146
• 11:00 AM-11:50 AM “Hazel Hunkins: the Fight for Women’s Rights,” Kevin Kooistra, Skyview High School: Room 239
• 3:00 PM-3:50 PM “Tribal Sovereignty Issues,” Glenda McCarthy, Skyview High School: Room 203

See you in Billings (or Belgrade)!