Primary Source Sets from DPLA

It's not Montana history, but it is really cool. The Digital Public Library of America is now offering primary source sets. 

According to Glenn Wiebe at HistoryTech, "The sets were created and reviewed by teachers on the DPLA Education Advisory Committee and are ready-to-use for both middle and high school students and teachers. Each set includes a topic overview, ten to fifteen primary sources, links to related resources, and a teaching guide with discussion questions and ideas for classroom activities. Drawing online materials from libraries, archives, and museums across the United States, the sets use letters, photographs, posters, oral histories, video clips, sheet music, and more. Initial teacher and student feedback on the project has illustrated a variety of ways in which the sets can be used, from independent resource projects to classroom debates and close reading of individual sources." 

Topics are wide ranging, including everything from the Wounded Knee Massacre to American Indian Boarding Schools to Mexican Labor and World War II. Middle and high school teachers: let me know what you think.

Dave Walter Research Fellowship

Have you ever wanted to delve more deeply into research? This may be your chance!

The Dave Walter Research Fellowship will be awarded to two Montana residents involved in public history projects focused on exploring local history. The award is intended to help Montanans conduct research on their towns, counties, and regions using resources at the Montana Historical Society. Research can be for any project related to local history, including exhibit development, walking tours, oral history projects, building history or preservation, county or town histories, archaeological research, and class projects. Awards of $1,250 each will be given to two researchers annually.

Recipients will be expected to:

·       travel to the MHS to conduct research

·       spend a minimum of one week in residence conducting research

·       provide a copy of their final product or a report on their completed project to the MHS Research Center

Applications are evaluated on:

·       suitability of the research to the Society's collections

·       potential of the project to make a contribution to local history

·       experience in conducting local history research

The application must include the following:

·       project proposal, not to exceed 3 pages, describing the research including the specific MHS Research Center collections you intend to use

·       cover letter

·       1-2 page resume

·       letter of recommendation

Applications must be sent as one PDF document to mhslibrary@mt.gov no later than March 15. Announcement of the award will be made in early April. Questions should be directed to Molly Kruckenberg at mkruckenberg@mt.gov.

New Maps Added to Montana Memory Project

The Montana Historical Society has added 30 new maps to the Montana Memory Project. Among my favorites:

• Map showing location of trading posts in 1874 on Milk River Reservation - Judith Basin 
• 1912 Map of national forest lands in vicinity of Missoula, Montana, showing roads, trails, fishing, hunting, and camping grounds 
• Official map of the territory of Montana drawn for the useof the territorial schools 
• Map of Park-to-Park Highway across Blackfeet Indian Reservation 

These join the over 500 maps already available on the Montana Memory Project as part of MHS and UM's joint project Mapping Montana and the West.

To explore the this collection of digitized maps, use the Memory Project's "Advance Search." Before searching, make sure you click on "show" Type of Material. Then check the box next to "Print Materials/Maps." With that box checked, scroll back to the top and enter your search term. Try "military" or "Fort Peck" or "Glacier" or the name of your town and see what comes up. 

Looking for more on maps? You can find other posts about teaching with maps and online map collections here. 

Free Half Day Workshop at Fort Missoula

Interested in place-based learning, student activism inspired by historical events, and/or practical approaches to teaching about Japanese Americans during World War II?

Join the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula and Hood River Middle School Teacher Sarah Segal for a free half day workshop, "From Roots to Results: Exploring Japanese American Incarceration and Student Activism.  Learn how Ms. Segal’s students embarked upon an exploration of local history which resulted in testifying in front of the Oregon State legislature and recording a video letter to President Obama in support of the important work done by former internee, Min Yasui.  Ms. Segal, a graduate of UM, will discuss ways in which local teachers can engage their students in issues of social activism and see results.

The workshop will be held at HMFM (3400 Captain Rawn Way, Missoula, on Saturday, February 11, from 9-12. It is free and OPI credit will be available.  To register, email kristjana@montana.com.

World War I Resources

With anniversaries come attention. Since 2017 markes the centennial of the U.S.'s entry into the war, I'll be writing several posts on World War I this year, to add to the great post my colleague Natasha Hollenbach wrote last month on studying WWI through digitized historic newspaper collections.

I thought I'd start by surveying some existing resources.

The Volunteers: Americans Join World War I, 1914-1919, is a free curriculum aligned with U.S. Common Core and UNESCO Global Learning standards for secondary school classrooms worldwide. The curriculum helps students analyze the history of World War I through the lens of volunteer service, both before and after the period of American neutrality, and aims to continue the legacy of volunteerism established during World War I by encouraging students to engage in local, regional, and international service. Learn more about the project, download twenty-two free lesson plans, and visit the Teacher Toolkit for additional resources.

The National World War I Museum and Memorial has great resources, including an interactive timeline, online exhibits and a newsletter for teachers.

As many of you know, World War I was particularly contentious in Montana. German, Irish and Finnish immigrants all questioned the U.S. government's decision to ally with England. Labor organizers--particularly members of the radical Industrial Workers of the World--decried it as a "rich man's war but a poor man's fight." Other Montanans embraced the war with patriotic fervor.

In 1918, the Montana legislature passed the Sedition Act, which made it illegal to criticize the federal or state government, the military, the war, or any war programs. To whit: 

"Whenever the United States shall be engaged in war, any person or persons who shall utter, print, write or publish any disloyal, profane, violent, scurrilous, contemptuous, slurring or abusive language about the form of government of the United States, or the constitution of the United States, or the soldiers or sailors of the United States, or the flag of the United States, or the uniform of the army or navy of the United States or shall utter, print, write or publish any language calculated to incite or inflame resistance to any duly constituted Federal or State authority in connection with the prosecution of the War shall be guilty of sedition."

Seventy-nine Montanans were convicted under the act. Was it a necessary wartime measure or an outrageous violation of free speech rights? (Governor Schweitzer, who in 2006 pardoned all those convicted under the law, thought the latter. Governor Stevens, in office when the law was passed, supported it.) 

The Sedition Project is a great website for you and your students to use to explore this topic--though certainly one with a point of view. It features information about all of the people convicted under the law, including photographs, occupational information, profiles, prison intake forms, etc. Note that the site does repeat some vulgar language so you may want to preview before sharing with students. The creator of that website, University of Montana professor Clem Works, was also involved in the production of the hour-long documentary, Jailed for Their Words: When Free Speech Died in Wartime America. I found a "for educational use only" copy on YouTube--but no guarantees how long it will stay up. You can also buy the DVD from MontanaPBS.

Other resources for studying World War I in Montana can be found on the Montana: Stories of the Land website for Chapter 16 and its accompanying Educator Resources page.

Nominate a Deserving K-12 Teacher for National History Teacher of the Year

The National History Teacher of the Year Award recognizes outstanding American history teachers across the country.  Each state will select a state winner who then will be placed in competition for the National History Teacher of the Year award. Nominate a teacher today!   ­

• State winners receive a $1,000 prize, an archive of classroom resources, and recognition at a ceremony within their state.
• National winner receives a $10,000 prize presented at an award ceremony in their honor in New York City.

You can nominate any K-12 Teacher for the 2017 HTOY award. 

Nominations may be made by clicking the link above or going to:

https://www.gilderlehrman.org/programs-exhibitions/national-history-teacher-year-nomination-form 

Important Calendar Dates:

• Deadline for 2017 nominations: March 31, 2017
• Deadline for 2017 nominees to submit supporting materials: April 30, 2017

The 2017 awards honor outstanding elementary school teachers. The 2018 awards will honor middle or high school teachers. Teachers may be nominated in either category throughout the year.

The Gilder-Lehrman Institute for American History, New York, NY sponsors this competition.  The Montana Council for History and Civics Education (MCHCE) administers the Montana state competition for the Gilder-Lehrman Institute.  Visit the MCHCE at: mchce.net or on Facebook.

Note: This post has been edited to reflect the fact that the award is open to all K-12 teachers, not just elementary teachers as I originally posted. 

NEH Summer Programs for Teachers

It's never too early to think about summer! Check out these great NEH Summer Programs in the Humanities for School and College Educators, tuition-free opportunities for educators to study a variety of humanities topics. Stipends of $1200-$3,300 help cover expenses for these one- to four-week programs. And, I'll let you in on a secret--programs directors are generally looking for "geographic diversity" when they award spots, so your application from Montana will be very competitive. (Never done this before? You get points for being a "first-timer," too.)

Looking for relevance? Try one of these relating to American Indian history.

Teaching Native American Histories

Deadline: March 1, 2017
Dates: July 16-28, 2017 (2 weeks)
Project Director(s): Alice Nash, Linda Coombs
Visiting Faculty: Jessie Little Doe Baird, Lisa Brooks, Peter d’Errico, Amy Lonetree, Harlan Pruden, Debbie Reese, Byron Stone
Location: Cape Cod, MA
For more information: msolomon@fivecolleges.edu (413) 542-4018 https://teachnativehistories.umass.edu/neh-programs/2017.

Native American and African-American Educational Experiences in Kansas, 1830-1960

Deadline: March 1, 2017
Dates: June 18-24 (commuters only) or July 9-15
Project Director(s): Cassandra Mesick, Celka Straughn
Visiting Faculty: Gina Adams, Angela Bates, Brenda Child, Deborah Dandridge, Saralyn Reece Hardy, Elizabeth Kronk Warner, Chester Owens, David Trowbridge, Connor Warner, Kim Warren, Jancita Warrington
Location: Lawrence, KS
For more information: cmesick@ku.edu (785) 864-5253 http://SMA-NEH-Landmark.drupal.ku.edu

Following in Ancient Footsteps: The Hopewell in Ohio

Deadline: March 1, 2017
Dates: July 9-14 or July 23-28
Project Director(s): Elizabeth Hedler, Bradley Lepper
Visiting Faculty: Terry Barnhart, Robert Riordan, Stephen Warren, Glenna J. Wallace, Joe Watkins, Christine Ballengee Morris, Marti Chaatsmith, Linda Pansing, Mary Borgia
Location: Columbus, OH
For more information: ehedler@ohiohistory.org (614) 297-2538 http://hopewell.creativelearningfactory.org.

Grand Coulee Dam: The Intersection of Modernity and Indigenous Cultures

Deadline: March 1, 2017
Dates: July 16-22 or July 23-29
Project Director(s): Dorothy Zeisler-Vralsted, David A. Pietz
Visiting Faculty: Ben Columbi, Vincent Langendijk, Robert McCoy, Francene Watson
Location: Cheney, WA
For more information: dzeislervral@ewu.edu (520) 621-0632 http://sites.ewu.edu/grandcoulee

Looking for something completely different, to rejuvenate your spirit and love of learning? How about

The Immigrant Experience in California through Literature & Theatre

Deadline: March 1, 2017
Dates: June 25 - July 9 (2 weeks)
Project Director(s): Matthew Spangler, David Kahn
Visiting Faculty: Ping Chong, Glen Gendzel, Khaled Hosseini, Persis Karim, Maxine Hong Kingston, Andrew Lam, Erika Lee, Kinan Valdez, Luis Valdez, Judy Yung, Sara Zatz
Location: San Jose, CA
For more information: matthew.spangler@sjsu.edu (408) 924-1373 http://immigrationtheatreinstitute.org/

Visiting faculty includes Maxine Hong Kingston!

Or

Gullah Voices: Traditions and Transformations

Deadline: March 1, 2017
Dates: July 9-14 or July 16-21, 2017
Project Director(s): Robert Stephens, Mary Ellen Junda
Visiting Faculty: Cornelia Bailey, Emory Shaw Campbell, Erskine Clarke, Leroy Campbell, Ron Daise, Geechee Gullah Ring Shouters, Georgia Sea Island Singers, Victoria Smalls, Mary Moran, Wilson Moran, Peter Wood, Karen Wortham
Location: Savannah, GA
For more information: robert.stephens@uconn.edu (860) 486-5760 http://gullahvoices.uconn.edu

And so many more....

The deadline for applying for any of the NEH Summer Programs is March 1--but you don't want to wait until the last minute, since you'll need time to craft your application essay.

Join Our January 9 Teaching Montana History Online PLC

As you may know, we've been experimenting with mixed success with leading an online PLC for Montana history teachers the second Monday of every month from 4:00-4:30. Month 1, September, we had a good crowd, but I wasted our time writing instead of talking. Month 2 and 3 had many fewer participants, but I think very good presentations on reading strategies and on tools for honing historical thinking skills. (You can still get the information and earn a renewal credit by listening to the recorded sessions recordings and participating in the course discussion forums. To do so, you'll need to register at the Teacher Learning Hub--but that is quick, painless and free.) 

We took December off but we are reconvening at 4:00 on January 9. The topic: "Beyond the Textbook: Activities and Lessons that Bring Montana History Alive." I would REALLY like this month's PLC to be an opportunity for teachers to talk with other classroom teachers about what has worked. Can you help me make that happen? 

• Before the January 9 GoTo Meeting, please spend 5 minutes sharing information about one of your most successful Montana history lessons on our google doc. We'd also love it if you uploaded lesson plan/outline/notes or resources in the shared Google folder.
• Then, join us to talk about your experience on January 9 at 4:00.

To participate in the discussion, you'll need to register for the class if you haven't already.
To do that, you'll need to start by creating an account at the Learning Hub. 
1.      Fill out the New Account form with your details.
2.      An email will be immediately sent to your email address.
3.      Read your email, and click on the web link it contains.
4.      Your account will be confirmed and you will be logged in.
5.      Now, select the course you want to participate in.
6.      If you are prompted for an "enrollment key" - use the one that your teacher has given you. This will "enroll" you in the course.
7.      You can now access the full course. From now on you will only need to enter your personal username and password (in the form on this page) to log in and access any course you have enrolled in.

After you have created your account, enroll in the Teaching Montana History Online PLC by going directly to the course.

I'm hoping for a lively discussion on January 9. Please help make this happen.

Transcribing Documents for the National Archives

Anyone here teach keyboarding? Or have a good relationship with the business teacher?

The National Archives is working with volunteers to transcribe the millions of digitized records in its catalog to improve search results and increase accessibility. There missions What a great way to engage with historical documents (and practice reading cursive!). The Archives has created various transcription missions, including Native American Records, Exploring Space, African American history, and documents from the House on Un-American Activities. I poked around and saw in need of transcription "Letter from Captain John S. Poland to the Assistant Adjutant General of the Department of Dakota in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Which Gives an Account from Seven Sioux Indians of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer's Defeat at the Battle of the Little Bighorn on June 25, 1876" and "U.S. v. Sale of Negro Man, Woman, and Two Children." Below is the National Archives call to action.

Improve Your Transcription Skills

Help us transcribe the millions of digitized pages of records in the National Archives Catalog. Transcription helps us improve search results and increase accessibility to our historical records. New to transcribing? Our newly designed Transcription Tips webpage shows you how to get started with transcription, and includes some helpful examples of documents so you can see transcription in action.

Teachers can download and print a PDF version for use in their classrooms. By transcribing, you are helping unlock history and discover hidden details of records and the stories they contain. Check out our transcription missions! We’ve curated groups of records on particular subjects to help you get started transcribing. Take a look at our missions page to start transcribing documents related to exploring space, African American history, and more! If this is your first time participating - read the Transcription Tips and begin with the getting started instructions. Happy transcribing!