tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30204201237149067872024-03-18T13:35:37.876-07:00Teaching Montana HistoryMartha Kohlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10013961029279793594noreply@blogger.comBlogger878125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020420123714906787.post-62148124481531929262024-03-18T05:30:00.000-07:002024-03-18T05:30:00.166-07:00IEFA: Training and Resources<p> I had a great time at the Indian Education for All Best Practices workshop in Billings a few weeks ago, seeing old friends and making new ones and learning about cool resources and opportunities. Back in the early 2000s, I often heard teachers say "I want to teach IEFA but I don't have the resources (or knowledge)." I don't hear that much anymore. And good thing, because there are so many incredible resources and learning opportunities available.</p>
<h2>Two Summer PDs</h2>
<p>Dr. Anna East has put together a remote, asynchronous course, June 8-28, with six required one-hour meetings via Zoom with an all-star list of speakers: <strong><a href="https://www.chickadeecs.org/course1" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Native American Studies for Teachers</a></strong>. Participants can earn 3 UM graduate credits or 45 OPI renewal units. Cost is on a sliding scale ($25-$275 with an extra $155 to UM for folks wanting graduate credits. </p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.chickadeecs.org/course1" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Learn more about the course</a></li>
<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KVvBLMHCyyaS9Bb3STYB4lw93zRboPGxn4KjhS_bOwo/edit#heading=h.g58008tiq97k" rel="noopener" target="_blank">View Syllabus</a></li>
<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeZpe9MHZg0jPB7978Y03fEz6bGbYgQHaKzGCVml0xvoe2kyw/viewform" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Register</a></li>
</ul>
<p>The Olga Lengyel Institute (TOLI) is once again offering <strong><a href="https://www.toli.us/regional-program/montana/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Worlds Apart But Not Strangers: Holocaust Education and Indian Education for All</a>.</strong> Designed for middle and high school teachers, the seminar, which will held in Billings from July 22-27, 2024, will explore connections between Indian Education for All and Holocaust Education, examine the impact of government policies (both in Germany and the U.S.), and explore stereotypes and biases that influence interactions in local schools and communities today. Participation is free, including books, materials, lunches, and one dinner. OPI renewal units will be offered; participants can also earn 3 MSU-B graduate credits for $135. Low-cost on-campus housing is available. </p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lI4C6n_uIjUn-WbBmL9osonG92_Fz8F8/view" rel="noopener" target="_blank">View the Flier</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.toli.us/regional-program/montana/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">View the website</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.toli.us/montana-application/">Apply</a></li>
</ul>
<h2>Lesson Plans</h2>
<p>OPI has created a new high school lesson plan, <a href="https://opi.mt.gov/Portals/182/Page%20Files/Indian%20Education/Social%20Studies/9-12/Ac_ko_mok_ki_Feathers_Map.pdf">Ako Mic Mi (Feathers) – Blackfoot Mapmaker 1801</a>. Created in 1801, the map describes a landscape of over 200,000 square miles, from Oregon to North Dakota and Alberta to central Montana. According to Dr. Shane Doyle, "the map identifies the major tributaries of the Missouri River, from the Milk River in the north and the Bighorn River in the south, and includes the location of prominent island mountain ranges..." It also notes "the estimated number of nights to travel between each river." A version of the map made its way into the hands of Lewis and Clark, who referred to it on their journey.</p>
<p>Billings School District has a phenomenal IEFA program and websites with lesson plans and recommended book lists, many of which are accessible to folks outside the district. Check out their high school IEFA <a href="https://sites.google.com/billingsschools.org/indianeducation/teacher-resources/high-school/mathematics" rel="noopener" target="_blank">math lessons</a>, other <a href="https://sites.google.com/billingsschools.org/indianeducation/teacher-resources/high-school" rel="noopener" target="_blank">high school lessons</a>, and their <a href="https://sites.google.com/billingsschools.org/indianeducation/teacher-resources/middle-school" rel="noopener" target="_blank">middle school lessons</a>. I also really like their recommended book lists. Here's the one for <a href="https://sites.google.com/billingsschools.org/indianeducation/teacher-resources/middle-school/english" rel="noopener" target="_blank">middle school</a> and here's the one for <a href="https://sites.google.com/billingsschools.org/indianeducation/teacher-resources/high-school/english-language-arts" rel="noopener" target="_blank">high school</a> (scroll down). </p>
<p>Speaking of reading lists, there were lots of great recommendations made during our most recent PD, Literature and Social Studies, most of which were IEFA-related. I pulled together this list of links for attendees, but thought some of you might also find it useful, so I'm <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1re221mjOv_D7BRzEf3zKbii8Bxi7JUBoFqjZ9r8mYIs/edit?usp=sharing" rel="noopener" target="_blank">sharing it here</a>, rough as it is. </p>
<h2> </h2>Martha Kohlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10013961029279793594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020420123714906787.post-87714324885467694622024-03-14T05:30:00.000-07:002024-03-14T05:30:00.141-07:00Student Contest Opportunity<p> America’s Field Trip is a new <strong>contest</strong> that invites students across the country in <strong>grades 3–12</strong> to be part of America’s 250th anniversary by sharing their perspectives on what America means to them and earning the opportunity to participate in unforgettable field trip experiences at some of the nation’s most iconic historic and cultural landmarks. <strong>Students may submit artwork, videos, or essays in response to the contest’s prompt: </strong><strong>“What does America mean to you?” </strong>Students can apply <a href="https://america250.org/fieldtrip/application/">here</a>. The Contest begins at 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time (“ET”) on March 4, 2024 and ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on <strong>May 17, 2024.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Awards:</strong></p>
<p>Twenty-five first-place awardees from each grade level category will receive free travel and lodging for a 3-day, 2-night trip to a select historical or cultural site where they will experience one of the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>Tour of the Statue of Liberty in New York</li>
<li>Tour and hike at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and Montana</li>
<li>Weekend at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado</li>
<li>Unique tours at the National Archives or the Library of Congress in Washington, DC</li>
<li>Special tours at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, National Museum of African American History and Culture, or the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC</li>
<li>Explore America’s iconic financial capital, New York City, with private tours of Federal Reserve Bank of New York Museum and Learning Center and The Bank of New York Mellon, the country’s oldest bank</li>
<li>Experience National Parks of Boston with a special visit to the <em>USS Constitution</em> and a sunset cruise to Spectacle Island</li>
<li>Candlelight tour at Fort Point at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge</li>
<li>Costumed roleplaying experience at American Village<strong> </strong>in Alabama</li>
</ul>
<p>Second-place awardees will receive a $500 cash award. The teacher associated with the top scoring student submissions in each grade level category will receive a $1,000 cash award.</p>
<p><strong>Submission Guidelines and <a href="https://america250.org/fieldtrip/rules/">Official Rules</a></strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Elementary School (3rd to 5th Grade):</strong> Students may submit artwork, including physical or digital artwork through a high-res photo or a short essay (up to 100 words).</li>
<li><strong>Middle School (6th to 8th Grade):</strong> Students may submit artwork or a video (up to two minutes).</li>
<li><strong>High School (9th to 12th Grade): </strong>Students may submit an essay (up to 1,000 words) or a video (up to two minutes).</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Judging Criteria</strong></p>
<p>A diverse panel of judges consisting of current and former teachers will consider the submissions based on the following weighted criteria:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>CLARITY OF IDEA [25%]:</strong> How well does the Entrant use both their personal and academic experiences to clearly address the Question? Does the Entry effectively convey ideas, emotion, or a story visually or with words by acknowledging the past or celebrating America’s achievements and possibilities for the future? Does the response offer fresh insight and innovative thinking?</li>
<li><strong>STUDENT VOICE [50%]:</strong> Is there passion in the Entry or a point-of-view that showcases a unique perspective on the diverse range of different experiences that make America unique in an original/authentic way?</li>
<li><strong>PRESENTATION [25%]:</strong> What makes the submission content more compelling, fresh, or interesting than other Entrants’ content in their grade level category?</li>
</ul>
<p>Want to stand out? Create something that feels special to you and has a personal touch. And remember, you don’t have to focus on our country’s past — you can talk about America’s future too. Finally, be creative and think outside the box!</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://america250.org/fieldtrip/teacher-resources/">Educator resources can be downloaded here.</a></strong></p>Martha Kohlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10013961029279793594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020420123714906787.post-10266063939423329072024-03-11T05:30:00.000-07:002024-03-11T05:30:00.133-07:00Literature and Social Studies<p> Today at 4:00 p.m. we're meeting for our final PD on Literature and Social Studies. </p>
<p>Mike Jetty will be there with a dad joke and some recommendations for good IEFA-related books. Teacher Leader in History April Wills (grade 7, Bainville) will be talking about lessons she's developed for Mandy Smoker's graphic novel <em>Thunderous</em>, and Teacher Leader in History Johanna Trout (grade 4, Billings) will share the unit she's created for <em>Shota and the Star Quilt. </em>Other folks have promised to share how they teach <em>Hattie Big Sky</em> and <em>Counting Coups</em>. </p>
<p>I also plan to share a few resources to help teach <em>Hattie Big Sky, </em>a novel about a single woman homesteader near Wolf Point. The book touches on homesteading and World War I. Oddly, for its location, the book doesn't touch on allotment or Indian lands, but that doesn't mean you can't!</p>
<p>Here are a few resources to supplement a novel study of <em>Hattie Big Sky</em>: </p>
<ul>
<li> Montana and the Great War <a href="https://montana.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=b76743ec5b6d4985a67d27f058ff3816" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Story Map</a>, <a href="https://mhs.mt.gov/education/WWI/GreatWarScavengerHunt.pdf" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Story Map Scavenger Hunt</a>, and <a href="https://mhs.mt.gov/education/WWI/GreatWarLessonPlan.pdf" rel="noopener" target="_blank">RAFT Writing assignment</a>. These resources are a good way to explore themes relating to World War I, from propaganda, anti-German sentiment, and the flu pandemic to stories of bravery on the battlefield. </li>
<li>Hattie Inez Wright is the inspiration for Hattie Big Sky. In real life, she proved up her homestead and you can locate it using the <a href="https://glorecords.blm.gov/search/default.aspx">BLM GLO Records</a>.</li>
<li>There's lots of good material about women homesteaders, including this <a href="https://montanawomenshistory.org/a-farm-of-her-own/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">short article,</a> this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3a2Nz153H4" rel="noopener" target="_blank">27-minute video</a> about Esther Strasburger and her two sisters who near Simms, Montana in 1910, and <a href="https://www.farcountrypress.com/details.php?id=448" rel="noopener" target="_blank">this book</a>. You can learn more about homesteading more generally from Chapter 13 of <em><a href="https://mhs.mt.gov/education/StoriesOfTheLand/Part3/Chapter13/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Montana: Stories of the Land</a>. </em>(Click on For Educator: <a href="https://mhs.mt.gov/education/StoriesOfTheLand/Part3/Chapter13/Ch13Educators" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Resources</a> for lots more material.)</li>
<li>I don't think you should talk about homesteading in northeastern Montana without talking about allotment, particularly of the Fort Peck Reservation. You can find background on allotment in both Chapter 13 and <a href="https://mhs.mt.gov/education/StoriesOfTheLand/Part2/Chapter11/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Chapter 11</a> of <em>Montana: Stories of the Land</em>. This famous <a href="https://mhs.mt.gov/education/Textbook/ARS/11-12.jpg" rel="noopener" target="_blank">"Indian Land for Sale"</a> poster is a good conversation starter. <a href="https://mhs.mt.gov/education/Elementary/Unit4.pdf" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Unit 4</a>, Part 2, Lesson 2 of the <em><a href="https://mhs.mt.gov/education/Elementary/HistoryOfOurHome" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Montana: A History of Our Home</a> </em>features a lesson on allotment that starts by sending kids to the playground to claim a small (undesirable) plot before telling them that they are no longer permitted to use the remainder of the playground. </li>
</ul>
<p>I'm sure I will get lots of other great ideas from this PD. I hope to see you there. <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdRyV35LP6H7nyhGOfWJoBsUpgy6k6Jxg2vhaZ1vWw3oqd0SA/viewform" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Register before noon to receive a link.</a></p>Martha Kohlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10013961029279793594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020420123714906787.post-49952348922168624412024-03-07T05:30:00.000-08:002024-03-07T05:30:00.243-08:00IEFA Link Roundup and the Montana Free Press<p> I'm heading to the Indian Education for All Best Practices Conference in Billings today, so I thought I'd share some links relating to IEFA. </p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/02/20/1232366074/fentanyl-tribes-prosecute-drug-cases-non-indian-suspects " rel="noopener" target="_blank">NPR ran this story</a>, which touches on sovereignty and state-to-state relations as well as a burning contemporary issue (the fentanyl crisis). </li>
<li><a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmissoulian.com%2Fnews%2Fstate-regional%2Fblackfeet-nation-lawney-shorty-burial-carlisle%2Farticle_c5b065c4-7f4a-11ee-a03e-1307393594f1.html%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook%26utm_campaign%3Duser-share%26fbclid%3DIwAR3Sox4tkVl7Cm1Oz0X2rG7kgEQ31MRES_n5eoDKjJd8YzwkSws8_W8gP4k&h=AT1bOY8HQC8UJeunK9ANPe6eE-2ZLGwkBAargo6ow7ZSrPYO-ebV4Y6GuyPYVFq5aZYqrdbdnG9AOReQIG-R2-qPZRmfuf7bR1HDhIYGraOiz07CKR0rNE7bk-559DM2uyRo&__tn__=H-R&c[0]=AT2dK8Q9a78E0fk4K33_UDvr7PLcxGL9VvNpzXaAgqraMamce0rrvMoCXUtpAXZfm6TS_deMx2-UX8zK3WGd2XzGZ5PFLi41NRHd-c1KpzgykxQHCJvaGyyL2Zd-Ht9eTmL2d0dGr4ol7ssj19FmPxSrzOw8Z6K0Uftc4cTVoDxngust4oSHOFyd71CpQRW7Zq8XrDYJDykxKXd1aM8fxcs" rel="noopener" target="_blank">This is a haunting story</a> about bringing the remains of a student who died at Carlyle back to the Blackfeet Reservation for reburial.</li>
<li>I love the <em><a href="https://montanafreepress.org/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Montana Free Press</a>,</em> and if you don't subscribe to its free newsletter, you are missing out! It has all the Montana political news you need plus deep dives into topics like <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2024/02/19/visual-guide-to-montana-public-school-budget-formula/?utm_medium=email" rel="noopener" target="_blank">school funding.</a> Two recent stories that caught my eye:
<ul>
<li>"<a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2024/02/23/aboriginal-lands-and-higher-education/?utm_medium=email">Indigenous lands generate revenue for Montana campuses"</a> about how Morrell Land Grant colleges directly benefit from colonialism.</li>
<li><a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2024/02/26/bison-transfers-to-tribes-grow-as-state-pushes-to-shrink-yellowstone-herd/?utm_medium=email">Bison transfers to tribes grow as state pushes to shrink Yellowstone herd</a>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Have you read anything particularly thought-provoking lately? Shoot me the link or, if you are on Facebook, consider posting it in the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/TeachingMontanaHistory" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Teaching Montana History Facebook group</a>. </p>
<h2>Some Reminders</h2>
<ul>
<li>Don't forget to join our last Monday Meetup: Incorporating Literature into Social Studies. <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1xMCqhs7zWUE8Nq62LMOvjS9QaQBPWuRxdHdMUr6Lmkg/edit" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Register here for the link. </a></li>
<li><a href="https://teachingmontanahistory.blogspot.com/2024/02/nominate-rock-star-teacher.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Nominate a 7-12 grade teacher</a> for the Centennial Bell Montana History Teacher of the Year Award. </li>
<li>Do you teach high school? <a href="https://teachingmontanahistory.blogspot.com/2024/03/high-school-teachers-apply-to-join-our.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Consider joining our Teacher Leader program.</a> </li></ul>Martha Kohlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10013961029279793594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020420123714906787.post-53665536194487569732024-03-04T05:30:00.000-08:002024-03-04T05:30:00.241-08:00High School Teachers: Apply to Join Our Teacher Leader Program<p>The Montana Historical Society (MTHS) is soliciting applications from high school teachers interested in helping improve history education (and especially the teaching of Montana history) in their schools, districts, and regions by becoming Teacher Leaders in Montana History.</p><p>Successful applicants will demonstrate a commitment to history education; interest and experience in teaching Montana history, Western history, or Native American Studies; excellence in the classroom; experience in sharing best practices with their colleagues; and familiarity with the Montana Historical Society’s work and educational resources.</p><p>In addition to the criteria above, up to eight program fellows will be chosen to reflect Montana’s geographic and educational diversity, assuring representation from different regions and both small and large schools.</p><p>Those accepted as Teacher Leader Fellows will be brought to Helena for a two-day Teacher Leader in History Summit, to be held in <strong>Helena</strong>, <strong>July 10-12, 2024</strong>, at the conclusion of which they will be certified as Montana Historical Society Teacher Leaders in History.</p><p>Throughout 2024-2025, this select group of Teacher Leaders in History will join current Teacher Leader Fellows to:</p><ul>
<li>Serve as a member of the Montana Historical Society Educator Advisory Board, providing advice and classroom testing of lesson plans on an as-needed basis.</li>
<li>Work to increase the Montana Historical Society’s visibility in their schools and communities.</li>
<li>Promote Montana Historical Society resources to teachers in their region.</li>
<li>Assist teachers in their schools in finding appropriate resources/implementing lessons that reflect best practices in social studies education.</li>
<li>Communicate with Montana Historical Society staff throughout 2024-25, documenting the outreach they have conducted and participating in up to three one-hour virtual meetings (scheduled at mutually agreeable times).</li>
<li>Conduct a formal presentation at one or more regional or statewide conferences (for which they may earn OPI Renewal Units).</li>
<li>Provide training in their own school or across their district through informal outreach and/or formal presentations.</li>
</ul><p>In return, the Montana Historical Society will provide the following (valued at more than $500):</p><ul>
<li>Full travel scholarships to attend the free two-day July 2024 Summit.</li>
<li>An honorarium of $100 to cover travel expenses to one regional conference, at which the participant is presenting or up to $100 to your school to pay for a substitute teacher so you can present in a nearby district.</li>
<li>Ongoing support and consultation, including model PowerPoint presentations to use and adapt for presentations to fellow educators.</li>
<li>A certificate designating the participant as an official MTHS Teacher Leader in History.</li>
<li>A scholarship to attend the Montana History Conference in Helena, September 28-September 30 (attendance is optional).</li>
<li>Free shipping for one MTHS Hands-on History Footlocker during the 2024-25 school year.</li>
<li>Up to 15 OPI Renewal Units.</li>
</ul><p>No more than eight teachers will be selected for this special program. <strong><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScgKjtYEvYxawmZEMSAvcYqs_-zXfepW2hkiHWBPBPUeRDpLg/viewform?usp=sf_link" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Apply online here.</a></strong> Applications are due April 7. Awardees will be notified by April 28.</p><p>
</p><p>Questions? Contact Martha Kohl at mkohl@mt.gov or 406-444-4740.</p>Martha Kohlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10013961029279793594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020420123714906787.post-20929350344285180612024-02-26T05:30:00.000-08:002024-02-26T05:30:00.145-08:00Connecting Past to Present<p> Teacher Leaders in Montana History Cynthia Wilondek and Dylan Huisken led a dynamite professional development workshop a few weeks ago on "Connecting Past to Present." They created <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-dWlfYoT5nzFrwh42bvGk5DjRd8twhbPZIcIC2-RMFs/edit?usp=sharing" rel="noopener" target="_blank">a Google Doc with links to many resources and lesson plans</a>. I'll only highlight a few here. </p>
<p>In the 2023 case <em>Held vs State of Montana, </em>kids sued the state of Montana over not doing enough to prevent climate change, claiming that the state's inaction violated the Montana constitution's guarantee of a "clean and healthful environment." You can use this as an entry into discussing Montana's 1972 Constitution. </p>
<p>Digitized newspapers are a great way to research the history of current events, for example, the closure of a local business or bridge.</p>
<p>There have been a number of recent articles on trying to document all of the students who died at Indian boarding schools and returning the remains to their communities. This obviously connects to a study of the boarding school era. </p>
<p>Discussions of dark money in politics today tie nicely with a discussion of the Clark-Daly feud, fight for the state capitol and decision to pass the direct election of senators after William A. Clark successfully bribed his way into the U.S. Senate in 1899.</p>
<p><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-dWlfYoT5nzFrwh42bvGk5DjRd8twhbPZIcIC2-RMFs/edit?usp=sharing" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Find links to resources to teach these topics and many more ideas </a>in the Google Doc.</p>
<p>Also, consider participating in our FINAL Monday Meetup, <strong><em>March 11, 2024:</em> Incorporating Children’s Literature into Social Studies. </strong>Novels, memoirs, and picture books are a great way to excite your students about history. Bring your favorite titles to share and learn what other Montana teachers are using in their classrooms to teach Indian Education for All, U.S., and Montana history. <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdRyV35LP6H7nyhGOfWJoBsUpgy6k6Jxg2vhaZ1vWw3oqd0SA/viewform?usp=sf_link">Register.</a></p>Martha Kohlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10013961029279793594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020420123714906787.post-80845807826906977432024-02-22T08:20:00.000-08:002024-02-22T08:20:51.838-08:00Nominate a Rock Star Teacher<p> Do you know a middle or high school (grades 7-12) teacher who has done an exemplary job teaching Montana history during the 2023-2024 school year?</p>
<p>Please nominate them for the 35th Montana Statehood Centennial Bell Award by <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScajxh86wEcCl2HNO1U58OVeqgBO-kNf4CXy4S3bJTA1XiBjA/viewform?usp=sf_link" rel="noopener" target="_blank">completing this very simple form</a>, which will take less than two minutes to complete. Nominations are due <strong>March 31</strong>.</p>
<p>Nominated teachers will be asked to submit two one-page letters of support, one from their principal, superintendent, fellow teacher or librarian and one from a student. They will also be asked to submit one to two pages detailing why they enjoy teaching Montana, how they engage their students in learning, how their Montana history course recognizes cultural diversity and anything else they’d like to share about their class or methods.</p>
<p>Nominees will receive instructions on how to submit this material. Deadline for submissions is May 1, 2024. </p>
<p>The winner will receive the 35th Montana Statehood Centennial Bell Award, which honors the Montana History Teacher of the Year. They and their class will be honored at a ceremony in the State Capitol on Friday, November 8, 2024. The Teacher of the Year will also receive a $3,250 cash prize to put toward classroom materials, field trips, speakers and anything else that will enhance learning in their classroom.</p>
<p>This program, initially created by Montana television newscaster Norma Ashby, is sponsored by the Montana Historical Society with financial support from the Montana Television Network and the Sons & Daughters of Montana Pioneers. </p>Martha Kohlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10013961029279793594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020420123714906787.post-59472617798704083602024-02-22T05:30:00.000-08:002024-02-22T05:30:00.138-08:00Nominate a Heritage Keeper<p>Every community has them--the unsung heroes of local museum or preservation efforts, including Native language preservation. Maybe it's time to let the whole state know about a person who means so much to your community.... </p>
<p>The Montana Historical Society is seeking nominations for people and organizations whose exemplary commitment to identifying and preserving our historical and cultural heritage makes them eligible for a <a href="https://mhs.mt.gov/about/HeritageKeeperNominationForm" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Heritage Keeper Award</a>. </p>
<p>Up to two people or organizations will be honored in 2024 by the MTHS Board of Trustees with its annual Heritage Keeper Award. To qualify, the individual must be alive, and organizations must be currently active. The nominee must have demonstrated a commitment to a significant Montana history project or have identified and preserved objects or property of significance to Montana’s history and culture. Organizations also must have a record of preserving and celebrating Montana’s historical and cultural heritage. </p>
<p>Successful nominees will have shown a commitment to Montana’s historical and cultural preservation beyond the requirements of professional employment or an organization’s specific goals and objectives. In selecting award recipients, the MTHS Board of Trustees will focus on the significance and impact of the nominee's overall work in enhancing, promoting, and stimulating general public interest in a specific aspect of Montana history and culture.</p>
<p><strong>The nomination deadline is April 1, 2024.</strong> <a href="https://mhs.mt.gov/about/HeritageKeeperNominationForm?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Here's the link to submit your nomination</a>.</p>Martha Kohlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10013961029279793594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020420123714906787.post-31612078138695443032024-02-19T05:30:00.000-08:002024-02-19T05:30:00.138-08:00How to Navigate Misinformation Online: A PD with Sam Wineburg<p> On March 6, 2024, from 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m., the Helena League of Women Voters and the Lewis and Clark Library are hosting a presentation by Sam Wineburg: “How to Navigate Misinformation Online.”</p><p class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="4sh8c-0-0"><span data-offset-key="4sh8c-0-0">If you are in or near Helena, you are welcome to go to the library, 120 S. Last Chance Gulch, to watch the webinar on the big screen. You can also <span data-offset-key="9eu1s-0-0"><span data-text="true"><a href="https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JM9zfufZSPGVbgEEU7qmSw" rel="noopener" target="_blank">register to watch it on Zoom</a>.</span></span> After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. I will be offering one OPI renewal unit to attendees who email me at mkohl@mt.gov with a three-sentence reflection after the program.</span></p>
<p class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="4sh8c-0-0"><span data-offset-key="4sh8c-0-0">I've heard Wineburg speak a couple of times before and he's fabulous. I promise it will be worth your time! Here's more information about the presentation.</span></p>
<h2 class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="4sh8c-0-0"><span data-offset-key="4sh8c-0-0">How to Navigate Misinformation Online <br /></span></h2>
<p class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="4sh8c-0-0"><span data-offset-key="4sh8c-0-0">Learn how to quickly navigate the internet to find reliable, fact-based information during an upcoming webinar with Stanford University professor, author and researcher Sam Wineburg.</span></p><p class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="4sh8c-0-0"><span data-offset-key="4sh8c-0-0">“This webinar will be an introduction to the kind of strategies the most skilled users of the internet use to separate fact from fiction,” says Wineburg. “They can often find out if something is reliable or sham in as little as 30 seconds.”</span></p><p class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="4sh8c-0-0"><span data-offset-key="4sh8c-0-0">Wineburg will share easy steps to quickly find your way to factual information without getting duped by disinformation, fake websites, phony organizations and bad actors. “It’s becoming increasingly difficult for concerned citizens to know what to believe,” he says, “and the worst thing they can do is throw their hands up and say, ‘I can’t believe anything.’” This is the goal of Russian disinformation, “to create a muddled citizenry because a muddled citizenry is more easy to control.”</span></p>
<p class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="4sh8c-0-0"><span data-offset-key="4sh8c-0-0">Wineburg's presentation shares tips from his new book, Verified: How to Think Straight, Get Duped Less, and Make Better Decisions About What to Believe Online, co-authored with research scientist Mike Caulfield. It’s being praised by librarians, journalists and educators and was hailed by Nobel Peace Prize winner and longtime journalist Maria Ressa, who wrote, “Verified offers clear advice on how to navigate a world of spin, trolls, and lies.”</span></p>Martha Kohlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10013961029279793594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020420123714906787.post-45178379541295808162024-02-12T05:30:00.000-08:002024-02-12T05:30:00.132-08:00MTHS Lessons with Social/Emotional Components<p> I've been haunted by the attempted suicide rates that Bill Moe <a href="https://teachingmontanahistory.blogspot.com/2024/02/ideas-from-middle-school-colleagues.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">brought to my attention</a> last week, and I applaud all of the classroom teachers who make their students feel valued and loved. You folks are amazing. </p>
<p>I don't have answers to this crisis. Suicide, and student well-being in general, is very far from my area of expertise, and it borders on hubris to say that MTHS has lessons or materials that can help in this area. Because of this, I almost didn't write this post. But then I decided, it may not help, but what can it hurt? Here are a few lesson plans that gifted teachers might be able to use to further social/emotional growth in their students. </p>
<ul>
<li>Our <em><a href="https://mhs.mt.gov/education/docs/Footlocker/Immigrants.pdf" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Coming to Montana: Immigrants from around the World</a></em> hands-on history footlocker (designed for 4-6) includes a series of lessons, "Recognizing Similarities and Celebrating Differences," that focuses on helping students recognize that people across cultures share commonalities and that we should recognize similarities and celebrate differences while working to make sure that everyone is accepted. These can be taught without ordering the footlocker if you use a YouTube read-aloud recording to gain access to the book <em>Christmas Menorahs: How a Town Fought Hate. </em>(Find out more about our <a href="https://mhs.mt.gov/education/HandsonHistory" rel="noopener" target="_blank">hands-on history footlockers</a> here.) </li>
<li><em><a href="https://mhs.mt.gov/education/PictographicArt">The Art of Storytelling: Plains Indian Perspectives</a> </em>(designed for K-12) includes art lessons on winter counts (which some Plains tribes used to record their bands' history) and ledger art (which some Plains tribal members used to document individual achievements). Teacher Leader in Montana History Ron Buck uses the ledger art <a href="https://mhs.mt.gov/education/PictographicArt"></a>materials from this lesson to have his students celebrate themselves--sometimes accomplishments, sometimes family traditions. Other teachers have used the winter count material as background to create a classroom winter count, rotating record keepers and documenting important class moments each week. They've said this has been great for building class cohesion.</li>
<li><a href="https://mhs.mt.gov/education/docs/LettersHomeFinal.pdf">Reader's Theater: Letters Home from Montanans at War</a> (designed for 7-12) is a three-to-five period unit that asks students to work in groups to read and interpret letters written by soldiers at war, from the Civil War to Operation Iraqi Freedom. After engaging in close reading and conducting research to interpret the letters, they will perform the letters as reader’s theater. When theater teacher Rob Holter's students performed the letters, they walked away believing that history isn't just about the famous and powerful and that they, too, could make a difference and make history. </li>
<li><a href="https://mhs.mt.gov/education/Women/WHMBiographyLessonPlan.pdf" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Ordinary People Do Extraordinary Things! Connecting Biography to Larger Social Themes Lesson Plan</a> (designed for 8-12) uses essays published on the Women’s History Matters website to help students explore how ordinary people’s lives intersect with larger historical events and trends and to investigate how people’s choices impact their communities. The takeaway of this lesson is that individuals can make choices within the circumstances (even very tough circumstances) that they find themselves. </li>
</ul>
<p>I also reached out to former classroom teacher and counselor Jennifer Graham, who has done a lot of work on social/emotional learning. She pointed me toward the OPI website devoted to <a href="https://opi.mt.gov/Educators/School-Climate-Student-Wellness/Safe-Supportive-Schools/Whole-Child-Supports" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Whole Child Skill Development.</a> She particularly finds the <a href="https://opi.mt.gov/Portals/182/Page%20Files/Emergency%20Planning%20and%20Safety/Montana%20Whole%20Child%20Skill%20Development%20Competencies.pdf" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Whole Child Skill Development Competencies</a> useful as a reference when creating lesson plans. </p>
<p>She also encourages teachers to incorporate collaborative learning strategies: "Those strategies encourage collaboration while also building classroom communities and skills that support communication (which results in safety and security)." Two sources she suggest on this are <a href="https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/collaborative-classrooms-support-social-emotional-learning" rel="noopener" target="_blank">"Collaborative Classrooms Support Social-Emotional Learning,"</a> published by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, <a class="gwb_link_title b_alink" href="https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=00944026772df2afJmltdHM9MTcwNzE3NzYwMCZpZ3VpZD0yODkwYzM5MS0wMGQ0LTZmODAtMDc1MC1kNzkyMDExMzZlMWUmaW5zaWQ9NTUwMA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=3&fclid=2890c391-00d4-6f80-0750-d79201136e1e&psq=ASCD&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYXNjZC5vcmcv&ntb=1" id="gwb_nav" rel="noopener" target="_blank"></a>and <a href="https://www.socialstudies.org/system/files/2021-10/se-850521274.pdf" rel="noopener" target="_blank">"Cooperative Learning in the Time of C3,"</a> published by the National Council for Social Studies.</p>
<p>Jennifer also highly recommends the <a href="https://qprinstitute.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">QPR Institute</a>, whose mission is "to reduce suicidal behaviors and save lives by providing innovative, practical and proven suicide prevention training." </p>
<p>If you have thoughts on this subject or lessons that teach social studies while helping students develop emotionally and socially that you'd like to share, please send them my way. And, in the meantime, thanks for all you do.</p>
<p> </p>Martha Kohlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10013961029279793594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020420123714906787.post-59566710511659864532024-02-08T05:30:00.000-08:002024-02-08T05:30:00.140-08:00Integrating Science and Social Studies<p> I believe that the more interdisciplinary and holistic a lesson is, the more likely it is to resonate with students. That's one reason so many of the historical society <a href="https://mhs.mt.gov/education/Educators/Interdisciplinary-Lesson-Plans" rel="noopener" target="_blank">lesson plans are interdisciplinary</a>, incorporating math, ELA, art, and science. But the truth is, we have not done a good enough job integrating science.</p>
<p>Linda Rost, Baker High School science teacher and 2020 Montana Teacher of the Year, gave a great presentation last October at the MFPE Educator's Conference on ways to integrate IEFA and science, and my brain has been buzzing about her talk ever since. </p>
<p>Linda wrote her Ph.D. dissertation on building science teachers' capacity to integrate IEFA, and that was the starting point of her presentation. She advocated for everyone to read and learn more from Indigenous scholars and culture keepers and gave a big shout out to Robin Kimmerer's book <em><a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/17465709-braiding-sweetgrass" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Braiding Sweetgrass</a></em>. (I loved this book but only learned recently that there's a <a href="https://lernerbooks.com/braidingsweetgrass/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">young adult version,</a> too!) </p>
<p>Pointing to ideas you can read about more fully on page 6 of <em><a href="https://opi.mt.gov/Portals/182/Page%20Files/Indian%20Education/Indian%20Education%20101/Framework.pdf" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The Framework</a>: A Practical Guide for Montana Teachers and Administrators Implementing Indian Education for All, </em>Linda believes that sprinkling a little IEFA into your classroom (mentioning that a plant was used by Indigenous people, for example) is inadequate. Instead, she advocates for a more transformative approach, placing Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) at the foundation of the lesson. </p>
<p>At her session, she shared lessons focused on material science for fifth-eighth, grade, classifying materials as either strong or tough (or both), and one that looked at having students compare rawhide and tanned leather. Students investigate each step in the hide-tanning process (fleshing, braining, soaking, smoking) and observe changes to the hide using images from an electron microscope. See <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FQ7bAr4E1NX_VOhwIeIsmUyMwHkExuwn/edit" rel="noopener" target="_blank">pages 6-12 of this document</a>, which Linda graciously shared with me.</p>
<p>She also shared her lesson plan, <a href="https://www.nsta.org/science-teacher/science-teacher-julyaugust-2022/eagle-has-fallen" rel="noopener" target="_blank">"The Eagle Has Fallen,"</a> which she published in <em>The Science Teacher. </em>This lesson follows a format similar to several of Linda's other lessons: </p>
<ul>
<li>Students to read (or listen to) tribal oral tradition stories to learn more about how a tribe regards and manages natural resources.</li>
<li>Students do "casework"--in this case trying to find out <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qnxa5cLlhK2LCZloEAnSSsq1leYcHBSv/view__;!!GaaboA!t5c8-C6it7u_p5OU4RKEVJrAEgUXfqr8-DqddiWBnlFyiCDVf2qKcd1gvEr5MXbNZXO-8B4Sn9aahNus7_o$" rel="noopener" target="_blank">why the eagle population has dropped in Flathead Lake.</a></li>
<li>After students analyze the data and solved the case, they investigate different perspectives of resource management, engaging in a <a href="https://www.socialstudies.org/sites/default/files/pinwheel_discussion_instructions_types_of_questions.pdf" rel="noopener" target="_blank">pinwheel discussion</a>, during which students explore the perspectives of tribal governments and state governments to manage the ecological problem. </li>
</ul>
<p>Here's the <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qnxa5cLlhK2LCZloEAnSSsq1leYcHBSv/view__;!!GaaboA!t5c8-C6it7u_p5OU4RKEVJrAEgUXfqr8-DqddiWBnlFyiCDVf2qKcd1gvEr5MXbNZXO-8B4Sn9aahNus7_o$" rel="noopener" target="_blank">PowerPoint</a> she created to go with the lesson, which includes images from <em><a href="https://fwrconline.csktnrd.org/Explore/ExploreTheRiver/CultureHistory/BullTroutsGift/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Bull Trout's Gift: A Salish Story about the Value of Reciprocity</a></em>, the data students analyze, questions for the pinwheel discussions and the roles she has students adopt: tribal scientist, tribal council member, state scientist, and provocateur. (I was a bit confused by "provocateur." It turns out not to be a bomb-thrower, but someone who leads the discussion and keeps it going.)</p>
<p>Linda uses the same format outlined in "The Eagle Has Fallen" for several other lessons including ones focusing on climate change and cultural perspectives, using genetic testing for tribal enrollment, and grizzly bear management. For the grizzly bear lesson, her students evaluate grizzly bear data from the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and determine whether they should have been delisted. She goes into detail on the grizzly bear lesson in this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VefNhDK-Cuo" rel="noopener" target="_blank">online video from OPI.</a></p>
<p>I think including social studies in science (or science in social studies) is a dynamite way to make science more meaningful--and to shed light on social studies issues--so I really appreciate Linda's willingness to share these lessons.</p>
<p>P.S. OPI has more <a href="https://opi.mt.gov/Educators/Teaching-Learning/Indian-Education-for-All/Indian-Education-Classroom-Resources#85007375-science" rel="noopener" target="_blank">IEFA/Science lessons here.</a></p>
<p>P.P.S. Don't forget to <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSffRO1153xB1EWDYqRgQOr7G6sUWopjhTu9szv35klHE5jpFA/viewform?usp=sf_link" rel="noopener" target="_blank">register for our February 12, 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. PD: Connecting Past to Present.</a></p>Martha Kohlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10013961029279793594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020420123714906787.post-87755356690114422412024-02-05T05:30:00.000-08:002024-02-05T05:30:00.134-08:00Ideas from Middle School Colleagues<p> The best lessons always come from classroom teachers, which is why I was delighted to hear from two middle school teachers recently about lessons/activities that have worked in their classrooms.</p>
<p>Angela Gordon, who teaches 6th and 7th grade social studies, wrote to recommend the Digital Inquiry Group's <a href="https://inquirygroup.org/history-lessons/edward-curtis" rel="noopener" target="_blank">lesson on Edward Curtis</a>. "We analyze some of his pictures and talk about his life and obsessive need to capture indigenous people and their culture in traditional dress and native environment. We discuss whether his mission was a success and how his pictures can be of use today."</p>
<p>By the way: <a href="https://inquirygroup.org/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Digital Inquiry Group (DIG)</a> is the new name for the Stanford History Education Group (SHEG). All of their lessons engage students in historical inquiry, revolve around a central historical question, and feature primary source documents designed for groups of students with a range of reading skills. According to their website: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>"This curriculum teaches students how to investigate historical questions by employing reading strategies such as sourcing, contextualizing, corroborating, and close reading. Instead of memorizing historical facts, students evaluate the trustworthiness of multiple perspectives on historical issues and learn to make historical claims backed by documentary evidence. "</p>
</blockquote>
<p>All of their resources are free for teachers (although registration is required). </p>
<p>Angela hasn't been my only correspondent. Middle school teacher Bill Moe recently sent me two suggestions. The first was a worksheet he uses to help his students <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/docs.google.com/document/d/1oB0y3a2pU4iZv3IeUC0DeuQku00xC1VSFjmgLwFNCH8/edit?usp=drive_web__;!!GaaboA!qFzXNfXUetf9mPdIRtuB9HaF9dOwJs4uk3omEVk-zi6LR09YedMSWNetxYHNNohMdw4n3LUpx2G-JkA$" rel="noopener" target="_blank">explore the Montana brand book</a> during their study of Chapter 8 ("Livestock and the Open Range") of <em>Montana: Stories of the Land</em>.</p>
<p>The second was related to a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DMu7SGEPRs" rel="noopener" target="_blank">troubling report by NBC News</a> that more than 13 percent of Montana high school students had attempted suicide in the past year, the highest percentage in over twenty years. In response, Bill put up a sign in his classroom: "The World is a Better Place with You in It." He said, "This might be a good thing for kids to see or hear, or to maybe have kids write in a note or Valentine for their parents. Some of them are struggling." <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/docs.google.com/document/d/1oB0y3a2pU4iZv3IeUC0DeuQku00xC1VSFjmgLwFNCH8/edit?usp=drive_web__;!!GaaboA!qFzXNfXUetf9mPdIRtuB9HaF9dOwJs4uk3omEVk-zi6LR09YedMSWNetxYHNNohMdw4n3LUpx2G-JkA$" rel="noopener" target="_blank"></a></p>
<p>Thank you to Bill and Angela! And if you have lessons or resources that you think are worth sharing, please <a href="mailto:mkohl@mt.gov" rel="noopener" target="_blank">send them on</a>.</p>Martha Kohlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10013961029279793594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020420123714906787.post-45476143770635977292024-02-01T05:30:00.000-08:002024-02-01T05:30:00.149-08:00PDs: Connecting Past to Present and IEFA Best Practices<p> </p><h2><strong><em>February 12, 2024:</em> Connecting Past and Present, Online</strong></h2>
<p>History may not repeat itself, but it does rhyme, and many of the issues we face today were pressing topics in our state's rich and robust history.</p>
<p>Monday, February 12, 2024, from 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Teacher Leaders in Montana History Cynthia Wilondek (Big Fork) and Dylan Huisken (Bonner) will lead a discussion on how to use Montana history and MTHS resources to connect the past to the present and share strategies for making discussions and projects surrounding current events more deliberate and reflective. One OPI Renewal Unit will be available to attendees. <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSffRO1153xB1EWDYqRgQOr7G6sUWopjhTu9szv35klHE5jpFA/viewform?usp=sf_link">Register.</a></p>
<h2>March 8-9, 2024: 17th Annual Indian Education for All Best Practices Conference, Billings</h2>
<p>Looking for a great in-person PD? Check out the 17th Annual Indian Education for All Best Practices Conference, March 8-9, 2024, in Billings. Registration is free. Highlights include keynotes by Montana Poet Laureate Chris La Tray (Little Shell) and Nina Sanders (Crow), author of <em>Apsáalooke Women and Warriors </em>and curator of the exhibit by the same name <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf5sfdef1a-nhN55_9mQjLIkpbw-56z33ra6hH4MfO0E7Iwiw/viewform" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Find more information and a link to register here. </a> </p>Martha Kohlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10013961029279793594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020420123714906787.post-63943286053505196422024-01-25T05:30:00.000-08:002024-01-25T05:30:00.148-08:00Check out this amazing April PD with the Montana History Portal<p>Have you ever wanted to research a Montana or US history topic and share the details of your discovery with your students, including images and other primary resource materials as references? Now is your chance. Spend two days—hotel, meals, and tours included at no cost—with the Montana History Portal staff learning how to create various types of digital exhibits using the content from the History Portal. <strong>Participants will earn 16 OPI credits and a $425 stipend for your finished exhibit. </strong></p>
<p class="elementtoproof">Select a topic, gather the details, read, research, and create an exhibit of your topic. Your exhibit will be published on the <a href="https://www.mtmemory.org/nodes/browse/?tax=eyJudGlkcyI6W10sInZhbHVlIjpbIkV4aGliaXRzIl19" rel="noopener" target="_blank">History Portal website</a>, where you can access it, and it will be available to the public as a history lesson of its own. </p>
<p>The History Portal contains over 88,000 items to help tell the story of a variety of topics. U.S. History and World History can be taught through Montana primary source materials, and primary sources can be used successfully with ALL ages. </p>
<p>As part of the 2-day workshop, you will get a sneak peek tour of the new Montana Heritage Center and a historic walking tour of the Montana Capitol grounds to help inspire ideas and learn more about our state history. </p>
<p><a href="https://forms.office.com/g/1gFRRjnFzU" title="https://forms.office.com/g/1gFRRjnFzU"><strong>Register</strong></a> to join this <strong>April 12 and 13, 2024,</strong> workshop, which will be held at the Delta Hotels Helena Colonial, 2301 Colonial Drive, Helena.</p>Martha Kohlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10013961029279793594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020420123714906787.post-1644610177401216722024-01-22T05:30:00.000-08:002024-01-22T05:30:00.153-08:00What is "sovereignty"?<p> <a href="https://mhs.mt.gov/education/ConferencesWorkshops/Teacher-Leaders" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Teacher Leader in Montana History Elysia Bain</a> shared some useful resources for teaching about tribal sovereignty with me that I thought I would share with you!</p>
<p>The first is this article, published in Indian Country Today in 2014: <a href="https://ictnews.org/archive/professor-breaks-down-sovereignty-and-explains-its-significance" rel="noopener" target="_blank">"Professor Breaks Down Sovereignty and Explains Its Significance,"</a> by Shaawano Chad Uran, professor of American Indian Studies at the University of Washington. </p>
<p>Elysia has her government students read the article and then answer some basic questions:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Define the term sovereignty.</strong> (Okay! This one isn't basic, but according to the article "Sovereignty is a type of political power, and it is exercised through some form of government." In addition, "The defining aspects of sovereignty are the international relationships carried out as sovereign nations.")</li>
<li><strong>What are the three types of sovereigns in the United States?</strong> (Federal, state and tribal governments) </li>
<li><strong>What section of the U.S. Constitution recognizes tribal </strong><strong>sovereignty?</strong> (Article VI, Clause 2) </li>
<li><strong>What are treaties and why are they important to understanding sovereignty?</strong> (Because "treaties are agreements made between sovereign entities...by signing a treaty, both sides are showing that they recognize the sovereignty of the other.")</li>
</ul>
<p>I think it is a really great article, and I were teaching it, I might add some other "check for comprehension" questions, like</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Is the sovereignty of tribal nations the same as or different from the sovereignty enjoyed by individual states?</strong> (Different)</li>
<li><strong>According to Professor Uran, if tribes are "domestic dependent nations" (which is how the Supreme Court has defined them), how can they still be sovereign?</strong> (Absolute power, independence, and autonomy is not necessary for sovereignty to exist. and rights "not explicitly given up to the US Federal government are still held by the tribes.")</li>
<li><strong>Professor Uran does not think tribal nations should be blamed for their economic dependence on the United States. Why not?</strong> ("Tribal economies were based on access to land" and "lands were ceded to the U.S. by treaty in exchange for tribal economic security and other provisions."</li>
</ul>
<p>Elysia follows this activity by having her students watch the four-and-a-half-minute video <a href="https://youtu.be/xivHS8RI-oI?si=EMarbQ4D8uZt4-8c" rel="noopener" target="_blank">"Sovereign Rights, Sovereign People."</a> </p>
<p>Looking for more short videos? Check out the National Museum of the American Indian's four minute <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNll8ZWQPkI" rel="noopener" target="_blank">"Nation to Nation"</a> and twelve-minute <a href="https://youtu.be/if-BOZgWZPE?si=JaxzDeyeEfCxE5Bk" rel="noopener" target="_blank">"The 'Indian Problem',"</a> two other videos created as part of NMAI's <a href="https://americanindian.si.edu/explore/exhibitions/item?id=934" rel="noopener" target="_blank">"Nation to Nation"</a> exhibit. </p>
<p>Do you have resources that work really well with your class that you'd like to share? <a href="mailto:mkohl@mt.gov" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Let me know!</a></p>Martha Kohlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10013961029279793594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020420123714906787.post-75165906208131196952024-01-18T05:30:00.000-08:002024-01-18T05:30:00.132-08:00Dreaming of Summer<p>Each summer<a href="https://www.neh.gov/divisions/education/summer-programs?field_sort_date=1&sort_by=field_sort_date&sort_order=ASC&f%5B0%5D=summer_program_audience%3A351">, the NEH offers tuition-free opportunities for K-12 educators</a> and higher education faculty to study a variety of humanities topics. Stipends of $650 to $3,450 help cover expenses of these one-to-four-week programs. Programs may offer continuing education or graduate credits (often for an additional cost).</p>
<p>Teachers who participate in these institutes (including our own interpretive historian, Melissa Hibbard) rave about the opportunity and talk about how energizing, restorative, and enlightening the experience is.</p>
<p><strong>All applications are due March 5, 2024</strong>. These programs are extremely competitive, so if one interests you, don't leave the application until the last minute (especially if the application requires a letter of recommendation.) <strong>*NOTE* </strong>Special priority is given to applicants in their first five years of K-12 teaching.</p>
<p><strong>Program Formats</strong></p>
<p>Professional development programs include the following format options:</p>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><strong>Residential:</strong> All participants attend for the duration of the project at the host site.</li>
<li aria-level="1"><strong>Virtual:</strong> All participants attend for the duration of the project using an online platform. This can include synchronous and asynchronous sessions.</li>
<li aria-level="1"><strong>Combined Format:</strong> All participants attend a portion of the project online and a portion of the project at the host site. Online and residential sessions occur at different times, but participants attend the same format simultaneously.</li>
</ul>
<p>Here are just a few of the many diverse institutes offered this year:</p>
<p><strong>Indian Education For All</strong></p>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.neh.gov/programinstitutefellowship/grand-coulee-dam-intersection-modernity-and-indigenous-cultures">Grand Coulee Dam: The Intersection of Modernity and Indigenous Cultures</a> (Spokane, WA)</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.neh.gov/programinstitutefellowship/reclaiming-narrative-learning-truth-about-indian-boarding-schools">Reclaiming the Narrative: Learning the Truth About Indian Boarding Schools in Arizona</a> (Phoenix, AZ)</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Japanese American History</strong></p>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.neh.gov/programinstitutefellowship/heart-mountain-wyoming-and-japanese-american-incarceration-1">Heart Mountain, Wyoming and the Japanese American Incarceration</a> (Powell, WY)</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.neh.gov/programinstitutefellowship/little-tokyo-how-history-shapes-community-across-generations">Little Tokyo: How History Shapes a Community Across Generations</a> (Los Angeles, CA)</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.neh.gov/programinstitutefellowship/japanese-american-post-war-resettlement-chicago-1943-1950">Japanese American Post-War Resettlement in Chicago </a>(Chicago, IL and Online)</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>America 250 (Democracy, Citizenship, and Civil Rights)</strong></p>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.neh.gov/programinstitutefellowship/exploring-first-amendment">Exploring the First Amendment</a> (Philadelphia, PA)</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.neh.gov/programinstitutefellowship/democracy-and-education-view-detroit">Democracy and Education: A View from Detroit </a>(Detroit, MI)</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.neh.gov/programinstitutefellowship/american-women-american-citizens-1920-1948">American Women, American Citizens: 1920-1948</a> (New York City & Online)</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.neh.gov/programinstitutefellowship/freedom-summer-60-years-later">Freedom Summer: 60 Years Later</a> (Jackson, MS & Online)</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.neh.gov/programinstitutefellowship/problem-color-line-atlanta-landmarks-and-civil-rights-history">The Problem of the Color Line: Atlanta Landmarks and Civil Rights History </a>(Atlanta, GA)</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Community Archives</strong></p>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.neh.gov/programinstitutefellowship/missing-stories-reclaiming-history-through-community-archives">The Missing Stories: Reclaiming History through Community Archives</a> (Philadelphia, PA)</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>And of course there are many other topics represented including</strong> <a href="https://www.neh.gov/programinstitutefellowship/lgbtq-histories-united-states">LGBTQ+ History</a>, <a href="https://www.neh.gov/programinstitutefellowship/legacy-early-african-americans-and-gullah-geechee-people">the Gullah-Geechee people</a>, <a href="https://www.neh.gov/programinstitutefellowship/using-comics-teach-social-justice">using comics to teach social justice</a>, and three institutes on Shakespeare.</p>
<p>Check out the NEH website and start putting together your application. <a href="https://www.neh.gov/divisions/education/summer-programs?field_sort_date=1&sort_by=field_sort_date&sort_order=ASC&f%5B0%5D=summer_program_audience%3A351">Learn more about the program and how to apply here</a>. You won't be sorry.</p>Martha Kohlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10013961029279793594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020420123714906787.post-88752956489636176922024-01-04T05:30:00.000-08:002024-01-04T05:30:00.132-08:00The Rural Experience in America<p> This is the third year that the National Council for History Education is offering <a href="https://ncheteach.org/rural-experience/">The Rural Experience in America,</a> a program that seems tailormade for Montana schools. It's been going on for a few years, but this year, <strong>we will be offering OPI Renewal Units when you submit your certificate of completion to MTHS </strong>(<a href="mailto:mkohl@mt.gov" rel="noopener" target="_blank">mkohl@mt.gov</a>). Read on to learn more, with text taken almost verbatim from the National Council for History Education's website.</p>
<p>Funded by a grant from the Library of Congress <em>Teaching with Primary Sources</em> program, National Council for History Education is offering a series of free, professional development opportunities designed to support K-12 teachers focusing on this year’s theme, <em>Change and Development in Rural America. </em>Support will be provided throughout all three parts of this project with built-in additional collaboration opportunities with other teachers and the NCHE staff.</p>
<h2 class="mb-0 font-sans text-uppercase">Part A: Asynchronous Learning</h2>
<div class="py-3 fs-5">
<p>From December 2023 through March 2024, registered teachers will self-pace through two online courses: the Library of Congress 6-week module course, "Teaching with Primary Sources Basics," and the Right Question Institute 4-week module course, "Teaching Students to Ask their Own Primary Source Questions." If you do not have a lot of experience using primary sources in your classroom, want to learn about the Library of Congress’s collection of sources, and/or want to add to your toolbox of strategies using primary sources, this professional learning is highly recommended! (12 OPI Renewal Units). <a href="http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=uehjdadab&oeidk=a07ek0qf0erdb5c3dea" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Register.</a></p>
<h2 class="mb-0 font-sans text-uppercase">PART B: Synchronous Online Colloquia</h2>
<div class="py-3 fs-5">
<p>Registered teachers will participate in three online synchronous Saturday professional development sessions led by historians, educational specialists, and master teachers. These sessions will be held once a month on March 23, 2024, April 20, 2024, and May 11, 2024, from 11:00 am to 4:30 pm (EST) and will focus on a variety of topics related to Change and Development in Rural America. During this time, teachers also applying for the onsite colloquium will identify a community partner to assist them with their public history project. (5 Renewal Units for each Saturday session, with a total of 15 possible.) <a href="http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=uehjdadab&oeidk=a07ek0qf0f0e20611f9" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Register.</a></p>
</div>
</div>
<h2 class="mb-0 font-sans text-uppercase">PART C: Onsite Colloquium</h2>
<div class="py-3 fs-5">
<p>Fifteen teachers (from those who participated in Part B) will be selected to travel to an onsite location (to be determined) along with a community partner in July 2024 (specific dates to be announced). During this two-day learning experience, teachers and community partners will learn from historians and build civic connections to develop a plan for implementing a public history project in their own community. Teachers will receive up to $850 to defray travel costs and up to $750 to support their community project. The application deadline is March 15, 2024. (10 hours of OPI Renewal Units.) <a href="http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=uehjdadab&oeidk=a07ek0qf0gkb819b4b1" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Register.</a></p>
<h2>Final Thoughts</h2>
<ul>
<li>Teachers who've already taken the Right Question Institute's "Teaching Students to Ask their Own Primary Source Questions" have raved about it.</li>
<li>Studying your own community with a partner (e.g., a local museum) can be absolutely life changing for students. </li>
<li>If you enroll in any of these courses and want renewal units, <a href="mailto:mkohl@mt.gov" rel="noopener" target="_blank">email me</a>!</li>
</ul></div>Martha Kohlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10013961029279793594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020420123714906787.post-48224707556546907562023-12-21T05:30:00.000-08:002023-12-21T05:30:00.139-08:00Christmas 1873<p>What do you think Christmas was like 150 years ago? Compare your vision to the account, excerpted below, from the <i>Helena Weekly Herald</i>.</p>
<p>Any surprises? I was struck by how communal Christmas was, with public balls and presents (even friend to friend) distributed from trees at various churches. I was also surprised that people were shopping on Christmas Day. Finally, I was surprised by the expectation of Christmas Eve mischief. (Things were much worse in 1868, when <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/image/951631968" rel="noopener" target="_blank">the newspaper reported</a> excessive drunkenness, fights with "many torn garments, black eyes, bloody noses," broken windows, and people who threw lit firecrackers under dancers' feet at a local hurdy-gurdy house.)</p>
<h2><a href="https://mthspublic.newspapers.com/image/343194577/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">"Christmas Times," Helena Weekly Herald, January 2, 1873</a></h2>
<p><em>Christmas eve found the citizens of Helena with good sleighing and moderate weather to begin with, and from the continual jingling of sleigh-bells, we are of the opinion that every had his wife, and every bachelor his "girl' out riding. At the different churches assembled the teachers and children of several Sabbath Schools, and all were made happy by presents from off the respective "Christmas trees."</em></p>
<p><em>At the Bazaar hundreds flocked in and out during the evening, feasting the eye upon the many beautiful things wrought by the hands of Helena's fairest daughters for this special occasion....</em></p>
<p><em>No fights or unduly boisterous merriment were indulged in ... yet some mysterious changes of signs ... were made during the night, causing confusion ...</em></p>
<p><em>Long before noon [on Christmas morning] the streets were full of life. ... Past all pedestrians [shopping] go whizzing jolly parties in cutters, bob-sleds, and long sleds, the most of whom are recipients of numerous snow balls from the many mischievous urchins posted at convenient distances.</em></p>
<p><em>The Bazaar was not forgotten by any means; for at the dinner hour there appeared score upon score of men, women and children to partake of the good things there set forth.</em></p>
<p><em>Delicious egg-nog was set out at the principal hotels and saloons ... The Helena Brass Band was out in the forenoon, dispensing enlivening music on every corner. The new "Cornet Band" was also out...we must say that the noise was terrific--a cross between an earthquake and a Chinese New Year. ...</em></p>
<p><em>On repairing to the Broadway M.E. Church at an early hour in the evening, we found that edifice densely crowded with the Sunday School scholars, their parents and friends. The services were opened with singing and prayer, and then from the branches of two gigantic Christmas trees were dispensed innumerable gifts, to gladden and make light-hearted the one hundred or more children of the school. Many of the presents, gifts from friends to friends, were elegant. Later in the evening our reporter visited the Ladies Bazaar, at the Masonic Temple, and found the ball crowded. Business was lively... Many of the fancy articles were disposed of at private sale, and the balance were sold at auction. </em></p>
<h2>Looking Ahead to 2024</h2>
<p>Teaching Montana History won't come out during the week between Christmas and New Year's, so I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone happy holidays. I hope your Christmas plans don't include throwing firecrackers at anyone's feet! But I do hope you'll sign up for <strong><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdHW5XMDLOyoOnjrF2BPfE0WjQnKBep5wSyG-txIlhoVPFfTQ/viewform?usp=sf_link" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Finding Primary Sources Online</a></strong>, our <strong>January 8 Monday Meetup</strong>. Join us online from 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. to earn one OPI Renewal unit. See you in 2024!</p>Martha Kohlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10013961029279793594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020420123714906787.post-26432039323030537442023-12-18T05:30:00.000-08:002023-12-18T05:30:00.244-08:00Christmas, 1910<p> For the holiday, I’m changing it up with two posts that invite you to compare Christmas past with Christmas present.</p>
<p>If you have a Christmas tree, how do you decorate it? And if you have a traditional Christmas dinner, what do you eat?</p>
<p>Here’s how Edna Patterson, who moved with her parents into a homestead cabin north of Glendive, remembered her 1910 Christmas. (Taken from Dave Walter’s book, <em><a href="https://app.mt.gov/Shop/mhsstore/christmastime-in-montana-11">Christmastime in Montana</a>). </em></p>
<p><em>We were going to get a cedar tree for Christmas. We went up about half a mile or more from the house, and we found two little cedar trees in the coulee. That’s all we found. They were too precious to cut for our Christmas tree so we cut down a bullberry bush, and we took it home.</em></p>
<p><em>Mother had a couple of newspapers…she let us cut them into little strips, and she made us some flour past. We made those strips all into chains, paper chains. Then we decorated the bullberry bush with the chains. It was a sight to behold, I tell you….we had some crayons that we had brought from Iowa with us—some color crayons—so we colored some of those pieces of paper…</em></p>
<p><em>For Christmas dinner, Mother had put this big prairie chicken pie in the oven to bake. And she had baked cookies the day before, so there were lots of cookies.</em></p>
<p> </p>Martha Kohlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10013961029279793594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020420123714906787.post-26220564767801594632023-12-14T05:30:00.000-08:002023-12-14T05:30:00.141-08:00Turning Points in History<p>I recently listened to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/07/27/895896462/a-d-a-now?fbclid=IwAR0tMFJG_6s9nokkuNdNBghrP58RSoydELF4oplPq0CdzJNN6E7PXD7i12I">A.D.A. Now! from NPR's Throughline</a>, <span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u">an incredible podcast </span>that explores, through first-person stories, the history of how disability came to be seen as a civil rights issue, how the Americans with Disability Act changed American society, and what the disability community is still fighting over 30 years later.</p>
<p class="x1e56ztr"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u">It occurred to me that exploring how the ADA impacted (and continues to impact) your local community--and what life was life for disabled people before this landmark legislation passed--would be a great class project.</span></p>
<p class="x1e56ztr"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u">It would also make an amazing National History Day project for an individual student or group of students, especially because this year's theme is <em>Turning Points in History,</em> and the passage of the ADA is nothing if not a turning point.</span></p>
<p class="x1e56ztr"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u"><a href="https://teachingmontanahistory.blogspot.com/2023/09/national-history-day-is-back.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">What's National History Day,</a> you ask? It's a program that has grade 6-12 students conduct in-depth research to develop projects around annual themes before sharing their findings in one of five presentation categories (papers, performances, exhibits, documentaries, and websites). This can be an exclusively classroom-based experience, or students can also enter their projects into History Day competition. This year, regional competitions will be held in Helena and Miles City in February. The statewide competition will be held in Bozeman in April. Winners at state can go on to compete in Washington, D.C. </span><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u">Visit the <a href="https://sites.google.com/view/nhd-montana/home" rel="noopener" target="_blank">National History Day in Montana</a> website or email <a class="XqQF9c" href="mailto:nationalhistorydaymt@gmail.com" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><span class="C9DxTc aw5Odc ">nationalhistorydaymt@gmail.com</span></a> for more information. </span></p>
<p class="x1e56ztr"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u">It's not too late to get your students involved in National History Day, but if you are unsure whether you want to take it on, I'd encourage you to sign up to judge at one of the competitions. That's the </span>best way to see how powerful the program can be, and NHD in Montana is offering OPI renewal units to teachers who judge. <strong><a href="https://sites.google.com/view/nhd-montana/home" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Sign up to judge</a></strong> at the contest closest to you: </p>
<ul>
<li class="x1e56ztr">Western Regional: Capital High School, Helena, Saturday, February 3, 2024</li>
<li class="x1e56ztr">Eastern Regional: Miles Community College, Miles City, Saturday, February 24, 2024,</li>
<li class="x1e56ztr">State Competition: Montana State University, Bozeman, Saturday, April 6, 2024.</li>
</ul>
<div class="x1e56ztr"></div>Martha Kohlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10013961029279793594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020420123714906787.post-66995393492771221902023-12-11T05:30:00.000-08:002023-12-11T05:30:00.143-08:00Every Month Should Be Native American Heritage Month<p> For Native American Heritage Month the National Council for History Education created a <a href="https://ncheteach.org/resources/indigenous-heritage-resources" rel="noopener" target="_blank">curated list of websites for teaching Indigenous history and heritage</a>. But since every month should be Native American Heritage Month, I thought I'd share two items on their list that particularly caught my eye: </p>
<h2>National Archives Citizen Archivist Mission</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://www.archives.gov/research/native-americans/communities" rel="noopener" target="_blank">National Archives</a> has a special Citizen Archivist Mission to make the records it holds on various Indigenous communities more accessible to researchers. This is a crowd-sourced project (using search strategies they outline) to find relevant documents and then tagging them with terms that will make them easier for future resources to find. Could this be a class project? (If you've ever had your class work on a citizen archivist mission of any kind, I'd love to hear from you!)</p>
<h2>Native Knowledge 360°</h2>
<p>The material created by OPI's IEFA unit is so good, it's easy to stick to their offerings, but if you haven't explored the National Museum of the American Indian's <a href="https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Native Knowledge</a><a href="https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360" rel="noopener" target="_blank"> 360°</a> site recently, I highly recommend you make a little time. Among the material I just found was a really interesting 9-12 unit called <a href="https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360/plains-belonging/">How Do Native Americans Experience Belonging?</a> It asks students to explore four case studies: Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, Crow, and the Three Affiliated Tribes (Hidatsa, Mandan, and Arikara) to answer title question as well as three supporting questions:</p>
<ul>
<li>What gives Native Nations a sense of belonging to the land?</li>
<li>How do kinship systems work to create a feeling of belonging? </li>
<li>What are the rights and responsibilities of belonging to a Native Nation? </li>
</ul>
<p>This is just one of many units, including a <a href="https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360/resources/Northern-Plains-Treaties-Is-a-Treaty-Intended-to-Be-Forever" rel="noopener" target="_blank">dynamite one on treaties</a>, to be found at <a href="https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360" rel="noopener" target="_blank">NK360°</a>, which also has videos, exhibits, FAQs, teacher workshops, and more. They have materials relating to all subject matters, including STEM, social studies, art, and ELA. Did I mention that their resources are all <a href="https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360/lessons-resources/search-resources" rel="noopener" target="_blank">sortable</a> by grade level, subject, nation, region, format, and topic? Do yourself a favor and check them out.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>Martha Kohlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10013961029279793594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020420123714906787.post-67873719333954671262023-12-07T05:30:00.000-08:002023-12-07T05:30:00.133-08:00Find the historic photos you want online<p> The Montana History Portal is both incredible and intimidating. Incredible because there are so many digitized resources available on the site. And intimidating for the same reason: the sheer quantity of resources can make it difficult to find things. </p>
<p>Here are a few hacks for making the site more manageable as well as cool things you might have missed if you've given up on the site. </p>
<h3>1. <a href="https://www.mtmemory.org/nodes/view/106128?lsk=dc3ec1acabc8e6b59923618131158b53&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Adventure Lab</a></h3>
<p>The Montana History Portal teamed up with Geochaching Adventure Lab to create walking tours/scavenger hunts of historic Montana places. Adventure Lab is a free-to-use mobile app that allows users to roam locations using GPS coordinates to make their way to specific locations. Can't make it to a particular site? The tours (including some present-day street views) are also posted on the Portal in the <a href="https://www.mtmemory.org/nodes/view/104849?lsk=dc3ec1acabc8e6b59923618131158b53&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Places exhibits Page.</a> The Adventure Lab entries all have "A Walking Tour" as the subtitle, but there are exhibits of other places too (for example, check out this exhibit of the <a href="https://www.mtmemory.org/nodes/view/94846?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery" rel="noopener" target="_blank">construction of Hungry Horse Dam</a>). </p>
<h3><a href="https://www.mtmemory.org/nodes/browse/?tax=eyJudGlkcyI6W10sInZhbHVlIjpbIkV4aGliaXRzIl19&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery" rel="noopener" target="_blank">2. Exhibits</a></h3>
<p>These online exhibits are basically small, curated sets focused on particular people, places, and events. I've already mentioned the <a href="https://www.mtmemory.org/nodes/view/104849?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Places exhibits above</a>. The <a href="https://www.mtmemory.org/nodes/view/104848?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery" rel="noopener" target="_blank">People exhibits</a> include exhibits on topics as varied as eastern Montana photographer L. A. Huffman and the 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps. These African American soldiers were tasked with testing if bicycles could serve the military as a substitute for horses. (Spoiler alert: They could not.) </p>
<p><a href="https://www.mtmemory.org/nodes/view/104850?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Events exhibits </a>include Montana floods and the 1972 Montana constitutional convention. </p>
<p><strong>Possibly the most useful exhibits are included under </strong><a href="https://www.mtmemory.org/nodes/view/104851?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Research Guides and Teacher Resources</strong></a>. These exhibits include not only text and images, but also guiding questions. Check out this one on <a href="https://www.mtmemory.org/nodes/view/101843?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery" rel="noopener" target="_blank">logging</a>!</p>
<h3>3. Find What You Want by Narrowing Your Search</h3>
<p>Many people hit the <a href="https://www.mtmemory.org/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Montana History Portal home page</a>, type a search term where it says "Search Our Database," and then throw up their hands when the Portal comes back with a huge list of (often unrelated) items. Don't let this be you.</p>
<p>Instead, narrow by item type (e.g., image, for photographs) and (if relevant) by date range and additional keywords. Here's an example:</p>
<p>I'm interested in finding pictures of women homesteaders. Typing in the word "Homestead" gets me 3,657 results, including many pages of Evelyn Cameron's diaries, in which she used the word. Narrowing it by “<strong>Image”</strong> gets me 391 results. Narrowing it by <strong>“Date”</strong> (I chose January 1, 1909, to January 1, 1919--the height of the homesteading boom) results in 184 images. That's still too many for me, so I'm going to click on <strong>"Refine Search Terms"</strong> and add a keyword: "women" and "Update Search". Sixteen results found. Now that's manageable.</p>
<p>Note: Starting with the phrase "women homesteader" and narrowing it by image only got me two pictures. That's why I always start with one word in the main search box and then use the "Refine Search Terms" button to add keywords. </p>
<p>One last note: Don't be afraid to play around with search terms. I would have gotten different (maybe better) results if I had used the word "homesteader" or "farm" instead of "homestead" or "woman" instead of "women."</p>
<h3>4. Browse (or Search) Specific Collections</h3>
<p>Want your students to find a photo to use as a prompt for a story, to create a meme, or create an exhibit? Interested in having them explore a particular topic or the work of a particular artist or photographer? Consider having them browse specific collections.</p>
<p>This just got easier. The Montana Historical Society has posted over 11,000 images and counting on the Portal. Until recently, all of these photos were maintained in a single large collection on the Portal. Now many are broken out into smaller collections of significance to make it easier for you to find the images you are looking for. The five new collections are:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.mtmemory.org/nodes/view/112998?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Bud Lake and Randy Brewer Crow Indian Photograph Collection</a> (over a thousand images, mostly documenting people, places, work, and regalia of the Apsáalooke [Crow] Nation.)</li>
<li><a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?__tn__=-UK-R&c%5B0%5D=AT1pn5g-dT51LCq4LG4rH2uVPkFoqebAae2RcWQvEhmmPd_HpbeUL687KyCwcITifZdel7Mxi4C_rPol9ohOuXGGNETX6ZdeSJoTvNSVrkkKEsNsFiyEXubR7fQZ7m1Ov5LYpUU5bhk2CF5571XmB2GP-mV3tlNvsK_G8cXi3xi-HAsvqWPSR9b1rn0VfOgfat7m0M7wPGONhDawejor3iU&h=AT0lrZKdlFWZuOWBSjbijiYCI460dbBd9_sMKvbT97bbUXoav5X89K9e26-hxAeixhWVoZS2x1XpgV3USYpp3B1fPACUNg64KjGViJijwmzMWoz3icsnfsaxtqNtJXDsZ0un&u=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDQsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm10bWVtb3J5Lm9yZy9ub2Rlcy92aWV3LzExMjk5Nz91dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9zb3VyY2U9Z292ZGVsaXZlcnkiLCJidWxsZXRpbl9pZCI6IjIwMjMxMTE3Ljg1ODIyODQxIn0.4yQilzpP2Z7bwCKvneVEwX5d8BbB8x5qPYcjGDm33JI%2Fs%2F2163272541%2Fbr%2F231106495484-l%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0HG5PM0KmR807TXS5yQiGOUeayLgGwH3FXzyynXxpX4-IJWvE9vxdGisk%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Dgovdelivery&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Evelyn J. Cameron Photograph Collection</a> (660 photos by Evelyn Cameron, who moved to Terry, Montana in 1893 and helped support herself and her naturalist husband with a photography business.)</li>
<li><a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?__tn__=-UK-R&c%5B0%5D=AT1pn5g-dT51LCq4LG4rH2uVPkFoqebAae2RcWQvEhmmPd_HpbeUL687KyCwcITifZdel7Mxi4C_rPol9ohOuXGGNETX6ZdeSJoTvNSVrkkKEsNsFiyEXubR7fQZ7m1Ov5LYpUU5bhk2CF5571XmB2GP-mV3tlNvsK_G8cXi3xi-HAsvqWPSR9b1rn0VfOgfat7m0M7wPGONhDawejor3iU&h=AT2mm6vjcSmFXGDUpYuoZwJKBjfBUQ7-0_MoW8php4uuZTkua4E4JNBpINmbUNJR35ieg3lHSpnyQHH8AWepyQOOONIzmUY2sGQmIcy27_udc1cMqlw2FyJFkYNrTCFOzSiH&u=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDUsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm10bWVtb3J5Lm9yZy9ub2Rlcy92aWV3LzExMjk5NT91dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9zb3VyY2U9Z292ZGVsaXZlcnkiLCJidWxsZXRpbl9pZCI6IjIwMjMxMTE3Ljg1ODIyODQxIn0.PwfV7vVjRH_rZhN2TcklP1kv4raRs3sxL3PsZHBO4t4%2Fs%2F2163272541%2Fbr%2F231106495484-l%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR2e2UuVqGopmxAlxc8BkkV1IsBjLWiJrLLh7a6E_ybOkQsKDS7UsKBRDQs%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Dgovdelivery&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Haynes Foundation Photograph Collection</a> (a massive, and still growing collection of photographs by F. Jay Haynes, the official photographer of the Northern Pacific Railroad, who also established the first photo concession in Yellowstone National Park, and his son Jack, who inherited the Yellowstone photo business.) </li>
<li><a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?__tn__=-UK-R&c%5B0%5D=AT1pn5g-dT51LCq4LG4rH2uVPkFoqebAae2RcWQvEhmmPd_HpbeUL687KyCwcITifZdel7Mxi4C_rPol9ohOuXGGNETX6ZdeSJoTvNSVrkkKEsNsFiyEXubR7fQZ7m1Ov5LYpUU5bhk2CF5571XmB2GP-mV3tlNvsK_G8cXi3xi-HAsvqWPSR9b1rn0VfOgfat7m0M7wPGONhDawejor3iU&h=AT31H4Xy8SSSwgtT8lnAatJI150vz9m8XOr6Z7xXsCR5GRMa_D3pYkui4tylvmWpa-VRGSt9dVKvP-pWGrTric91MLGsjmr3KHnXiXzTfzjsjTlPtjAtv0_8L4D8r906HhB0&u=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDYsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm10bWVtb3J5Lm9yZy9ub2Rlcy92aWV3LzExMjk5OT91dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9zb3VyY2U9Z292ZGVsaXZlcnkiLCJidWxsZXRpbl9pZCI6IjIwMjMxMTE3Ljg1ODIyODQxIn0.IdtsDD045WVQwiP7XhOk_qjf7DPp6LqZWeB6l3iFxxw%2Fs%2F2163272541%2Fbr%2F231106495484-l%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR2AQrij4Lm4ux_pxqP0o_XgH2XNAZ8d3_jcX4qhk_OM5hWv_BcMeIIfVe0%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Dgovdelivery&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Henry B. Syverud Scrapbooks Photograph Collection</a> (over 1,500 images taken by Henry Syverud of his friends and neighbors in northeastern Montana between 1909 and 1965).</li>
<li><a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?__tn__=-UK-R&c%5B0%5D=AT1pn5g-dT51LCq4LG4rH2uVPkFoqebAae2RcWQvEhmmPd_HpbeUL687KyCwcITifZdel7Mxi4C_rPol9ohOuXGGNETX6ZdeSJoTvNSVrkkKEsNsFiyEXubR7fQZ7m1Ov5LYpUU5bhk2CF5571XmB2GP-mV3tlNvsK_G8cXi3xi-HAsvqWPSR9b1rn0VfOgfat7m0M7wPGONhDawejor3iU&h=AT2RxnUQQqbP8mOzQfe5K8c5oQyk7A_opcxQszO1ulhD9g2lbiRbUtHmlTRxyWoLonTKOP0mu8Ouz4HBIkkpEPQa2omfl6OHBWCNmQhIJfky4Hn5fZ3t7G5sGGgPvk_OnnqI&u=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDcsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm10bWVtb3J5Lm9yZy9ub2Rlcy92aWV3LzExMjk5Nj91dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9zb3VyY2U9Z292ZGVsaXZlcnkiLCJidWxsZXRpbl9pZCI6IjIwMjMxMTE3Ljg1ODIyODQxIn0.hEtl14H9QT8_0Fflsa7WTitTXM5AodLHQ-cP8NBfmVA%2Fs%2F2163272541%2Fbr%2F231106495484-l%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR2lTAQMaBndC0tPjugJegu6Boqn2emx4P39YYJQvqa-R-1HL8hcRAKWXMg%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Dgovdelivery&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery" rel="noopener" target="_blank">L. A. Huffman Photograph Collection</a> (740 images of eastern Montana, especially the Miles City area, taken between 1879 and 1931.)</li>
</ul>
<p class="x1e56ztr">Want to search within these collections? Type the collection name in the main search engine, select the <strong>"Search For"</strong> button, and choose <strong>"Exact Phrase."</strong> Then, after your initial search, chose the <strong>"Refine Search Terms"</strong> button to add or restrict keywords.</p>Martha Kohlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10013961029279793594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020420123714906787.post-10107433577699417322023-11-27T05:30:00.000-08:002023-11-27T05:30:00.129-08:00A Potential Community History Project<p> Last spring, Billings Public Library launched a program to collect photos of Billings from the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. The library displayed those images and then partnered with the Montana History Portal to make some of the scanned photos available online. </p><p>People were asked to complete a Creative Commons agreement (giving permission to share the photos), This step is critical! They were also asked to answer questions about each photo. (The questions below were taken directly from BPL’s description of the project):</p><p><strong>Title:</strong> A short title describing what's shown or going on in the image.</p><p><strong>Creator:</strong> Who took this photo? If it was not you, please name who did and your relation to this individual. Due to copyright concerns, ambiguous descriptions in this field may force us to disqualify the image for event display and upload to MHP.</p><p><strong>Location:</strong> Please provide a physical street address if possible. If not, please describe where the image was taken with as much detail as possible.</p><p><strong>Date:</strong> Month/day/year, or as close to the actual date as possible. Please refrain from using "circa" and provide at least the correct year the image was taken.<strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Description:</strong> Here's your chance to describe what the image portrays in detail. Where is this taken? What landmark is shown? What event was this taken at? What is the significance of this image? If possible, include the names of people shown in image.</p><p>BPL did this with members of the general public, but I’m wondering if this could be a class project, in cooperation with your public library and the Montana History Portal. (Note: You'd need to include your local library, because you'll need their help editing the metadata into a form that will work for the Portal.)</p><p>I reached out to BPL archivist Joe Lanning, and he said he’d be happy to visit with folks who want to take something like this on. Just email him at <a href="mailto:lanningj@billingsmt.gov">lanningj@billingsmt.gov</a>.</p><p><span class="cf0">PS: Joe has also offered to help classes or individual students conducting research for National History Day projects. <a href="https://sites.google.com/view/nhd-montana/home" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Learn more about NHD, a program for grades 6-12, here</a>. </span></p><p><br /></p>Martha Kohlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10013961029279793594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020420123714906787.post-31965857089311897842023-11-20T05:30:00.000-08:002023-11-20T05:30:00.134-08:00True or False?<p> “Spring plowing often begins in early March and fall plowing rarely ceases until November. The crop growing season for the central part of the state averages 144 days.”—<em><a href="https://www.mtmemory.org/nodes/view/91800" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Montana</a> </em>(1917)</p>
<p style="margin-left: 30px;">“There is not another state in North America where a day’s work or a dollar spent in agricultural enterprise will bring such large returns and amid living conditions which are so uniquely delightful.”—<em><a href="https://www.mtmemory.org/nodes/view/91800" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Montana</a> </em>(1917)</p>
<p style="margin-left: 30px;">"The Judith Basin has sufficient rainfall to insure good crops. The average precipitation per year for the past seven years was 17 inches."—<em><a href="https://www.mtmemory.org/nodes/view/91802" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The Great Judith Basin, Montana</a> </em>(1908)</p>
<p>It's one thing to read that railroads aggressively marketed Montana land along their lines as, in the words of <em>Montana: Stories of the Land,</em> "a golden opportunity for farmers." It's another thing entirely to actually read the brochures produced by the Great Northern Railway and the Milwaukee Road. </p>
<p>Reading these brochures helps us understand why people came to Montana. Perhaps it also might encourage a little more media literacy amongst students today.</p>
<p>Consider having your students search the text for potential falsehoods. Then have them look for images that illustrate the falsehood and do research (either online or at your local historical society) to prove that the falsehood is, indeed, untrue. (About a decade ago, Corvallis teacher Phil Leonardi told me that he did this with his students, and I still think it's brilliant.) </p>
<p>P.S. It wasn't just the railroads. Town boosters published their own pamphlets. Here are a few excerpts from a brochure published by the Ryegate newspaper: </p>
<p style="margin-left: 30px;">"The territory known as 'Ryegate Country' has been well-named 'Man’s Opportunity Land,' for nowhere, in the broad expanse of the continent is there better opportunity for those who desire to follow the avocation of farming.”—<em><a href="https://www.mtmemory.org/nodes/view/91849" rel="noopener" target="_blank">We Are Satisfied: Stock Raising, Grain, Dairy Products, Ryegate, Montana</a> </em>(circa 1914)</p>
<p style="margin-left: 30px;">"The Ryegate Country lies in the fruit-growing belt."—<em><a href="https://www.mtmemory.org/nodes/view/91849" rel="noopener" target="_blank">We Are Satisfied</a></em></p>Martha Kohlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10013961029279793594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020420123714906787.post-15155496141310290342023-11-16T05:30:00.001-08:002023-11-16T05:30:00.147-08:00Hands-on History<p> Have you ever ordered on of our hands-on history footlockers? If you have, you know that there's nothing like material culture (objects) to make history come alive.</p>
<p>We started our traveling footlocker program over twenty-five years ago, and now have twenty titles, each focused on a different topic or time period, and each filled with reproductions of clothing, tools, and everyday objects and maps, photographs, and documents. Every footlocker also includes a User Guide with historical narratives for educators and students, lesson plans (many of which do not require material from the footlockers), Amazing Montanan biographies, and information on standards alignment.</p>
<p>The footlocker program is a great way to enrich your classroom, but it's gotten very expensive for schools. We have historically provided the footlockers free of charge, while requiring the school to pay for shipping on to the next venue. Shipping fees used to average $30-$50 dollars. These days, teachers are telling us it can cost up to $70 to ship a trunk!</p>
<p>We don't want the program to become cost prohibitive, so we're changing our system. Instead of making the school responsible for shipping costs, schools will simply pay MTHS a flat $25 fee and MTHS will cover shipping.</p>
<p>We hope this provides some predictability and restores affordability to the program. </p>
<p><a href="https://mhs.mt.gov/education/HandsonHistory" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Learn how to order a footlocker</strong></a>. </p>
<p><strong><a href="https://mhs.mt.gov/education/Footlocker/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Explore the list of titles and their User Guides</a></strong>. </p>
<p>Questions? Contact Katie White at <strong><a href="mailto:kwhite@mt.gov" rel="noopener" target="_blank">kwhite@mt.gov </a></strong>or 406-444-9553.</p>
<p>P.S. Having a hard time choosing which footlocker to bring into your classroom? I'm quite partial to <strong><a href="https://mhs.mt.gov/education/docs/Footlocker/ThroughAChildsEyes.pdf">Through a Child's Eyes: The Stewart Family in Turbulent Times, 1913-1921</a></strong>, which investigates life and politics, 1913-1921, through the lives of Montana Governor Samuel Stewart's three daughters.</p>
<p>P.P.S. The Montana Jewish Project is giving away book kits, just in time for the holidays. And unlike our footlockers, the Montana Jewish Project book kits are yours to keep. <a href="https://teachingmontanahistory.blogspot.com/2023/11/free-book-kits.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Here's more information on what's in it and how to order. </a></p>Martha Kohlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10013961029279793594noreply@blogger.com0