Top Ten Survey, Surprises

I’ve already written two posts looking at the results of the Top Ten Events in Montana History Survey that eighty readers took last December: Top Ten Survey Results and Survey Results, Part 2.

But I’ve had such a fun time looking at the results, I wanted to talk about them a little bit more, especially about what I found surprising in the results. So—in no particular order, here’s what surprised me:

1. That there wasn’t more consensus—we were all over the board on what we thought was important.

2. That not only did Indian boarding schools not make it into our collective top ten, they didn’t even make it into the top 30.

• To my mind, the boarding schools’ long term impact has been astounding, particularly in terms of language loss. So it was interesting to me that I was one of only 15 people who put boarding schools in my top 10.

3. That the Great Depression didn’t rank higher.

• This might have been because I called it the Great Depression, instead of the New Deal, or because I gave 1920s drought, rural electrification, dams, and the Indian Reorganization Act their own categories. But it was the Great Depression/New Deal that paved Montana’s roads, built the Fort Peck Dam, revitalized Montana’s labor movement, initiated farm subsidies and social security, grew state government, and increased the role of the federal government in Montana. So how could it only have garnered 22 votes?

4. How little the twentieth century seemed to matter, according to this survey. The Homestead Boom and the 1972 Constitution were the only two twentieth century events that made it into our collective top ten.

• I don’t think that Montana today would be recognizable to Montanans from 1899. The corollary is that there must have been major twentieth century events that transformed the state. But for the most part, we focused on the 18th and 19th centuries. This might have been a flaw in the survey. It was awfully long, and if you were like me, you probably had already chosen most of your top tens before hitting 1900. And, if you were like me, you probably didn’t want to go back and change anything. Alternately, it might be that we gravitate toward what we know, and we mostly teach 19th century history when we teach about Montana.

5. That Indian history made the top ten (with negotiations of treaties, introduction of the horse, and destruction of the bison), but no specifically Indian issue made the top five.

• Why is that surprising to me? Well, from 12,000 years ago to 1805, Montana was entirely populated by native peoples. And from 1805-1855, it mostly was. On the other hand, perhaps this was another flaw in the survey. I’m guessing that people chose one issue to stand in for a number of issues so as to save slots—and that this split the vote. For example, I selected diseases for my top ten list---but I left off the introduction of the horse (which was equally important, to my mind). Instead, I used “disease” to stand in for the Columbian exchange generally. If I had taken the survey ten minutes later, I probably would have chosen horses and ignored disease. Ditto, treaties, creation of reservations, etc.

How were you surprised?

P.S. To learn more about the survey itself, see this initial post.

Nominate an Elementary Teacher to Win the $10,000 National History Teacher of the Year Award

Do you know a fabulous K-6 teacher who does a particularly good job teaching American history to his or her students?

If so, consider nominating him or her for the Gilder Lehrman National History Teacher of the Year Award.  “Any full-time educator who teaches American history (including state and local history) is eligible. American history may be taught as an individual subject or through social studies, reading, language arts, and other subjects.”

The nomination form is quick and easy. Deadline for nominations is Feb. 1. More on the Gilder Lehrman website.

Spring Professional Development Opportunity

As teachers begin implementing the Common Core State Standards, an exciting new program offers regional workshops focused on Literacy in Social studies, Science, and Technical Subjects (LISSTS). With onsite regional workshops and an online course focused on Digital Research, LISSTS is a great opportunity for training.


The workshops and course are free and the registration deadline (January 15) is fast approaching. For dates and details go to http://www.mus.edu/writingproficiency/index.asp, where you can also register online. We encourage districts to send at least two teachers (from two content areas, or a librarian and a teacher) and for participants to attend the workshops and take the online course; however, these are not required to participate.

I’ll be presenting at the workshop in Billings, which focuses on literacy in social studies. We’ll be looking at perspective and bias, with an emphasis on the homesteading era.

Dottie Susag, whom many of you know, will be presenting at the workshop in Helena (Literacy in Technical Subjects)—the Helena workshop will investigate hydraulic fracturing (fracking) as a model for reading and writing strategies.

The Missoula workshop will focus on Literacy in Health Science by exploring issues in obesity.

Register or find more information here: http://www.mus.edu/writingproficiency/index.asp

P.S. When the University system began promoting this, they said that schools must send pairs of teachers (an English teacher and a subject matter teacher)—but they’ve changed the requirement. While they still prefer teacher pairs, it is no longer a requirement for participation. Originally, the online course was only going to be available for those participating in the physical workshops, but they think they will have enough spaces so that individuals can register separately for the online digital researc workshop.

Oral History in the Classroom

Oral history is a great tool to use in your classrooms. Interviewing elders can bring the past alive like nothing else can. Oral history projects can also improve school-community connections, improve student confidence and communication skills, increase student respect for their communities, offer students a genuine opportunity to make a contribution to preserving history, and engage students in historical thinking (for example, looking at issues of objectivity, memory, reporting, and bias.) 

Oral History in the Classroom is a great resource to help you embark on a classroom oral history project. Created by the Montana Historical Society’s Oral History Program, this handy pamphlet includes the information you need (from legal forms to classroom exercises) to teach your students to conduct oral histories.

The Montana Historical Society Oral History Program also loans digital recorders and transcription machines for two weeks at a time on a first come, first serve basis. Its equipment loan form is now online.

Do you have access to a digital recorder but struggle with transcribing interviews? MHS Senior Archivist Rich Aarstad just clued me into Express Scribe Transcription Software.

This nifty free program allows you to control audio playback using 'hot' keys, and offers other valuable features for typists including variable speed playback. (Express Scribe will try to sell you a foot pedal and/or get you to upgrade from the free to the professional version), but Rich says, “don’t bother. The free version with the hot keys works great.”)

Survey Results, Part 2

The results of the survey on top ten events in Montana history are in. Eighty people participated in this very informal survey and many had trouble limiting themselves to ten events. One person even chose 33 "top ten" events out of the 39 events listed.

Sixty people out of the eighty who took the survey placed the discovery of gold and the arrival of the railroads in their top ten. Only fifty put homesteading there.

The least influential events, according to the survey, were county splitting (with one vote) and the Cold War and Progressive era reforms, like initiative and referendum (which each received six votes).

Only two twentieth-century events made the "top ten" list when I didn't artificially break the survey at the turn-of-the-twentieth-century mark: homesteading (with 50 votes) and the 1972 constitutional convention (at 38 votes). Is that because twentieth-century votes are really less significant, because people had already used up their votes by the time they got to the twentieth century, or because most of us know more about pre-twentieth-century Montana? Food for thought for sure.

The full results are here and additional charts are below. I'm curious to know: What about these results surpise you, if anything? (More on what I found surprising in a later post.)

P.S. Several people thought the survey would be fun to share with students, perhaps with some modifications:

• “This was a fun exercise, and great to do with your students since it gives the teacher a chance to see how they are thinking, categorizing, and evaluating history through how they support their selections.
• “The question is valid, particularly if students have to justify their answers in writing. However, I would be very interested to find how they would link these events in a web of causation.”

For those who want to use this with your students, you can find the survey on Google Docs. Go to the "File" menu, then coose "Make a Copy." I think this will make your own copy of the survey (If this doesn't work, please let me know). To edit the form,  go to the "Form" menu and choose "Edit form." Alternately, consider having your students come up with their own categories, based on the material you've covered in class.

P.P.S. If you missed the post "Top Ten Survey Results, Part 1," in which I shared people's comments, you can find it below.

Top Ten Survey Results, Part 1

Thanks to all of you who took the time to take my “Top Ten Events in Montana History Survey.” I’ll report on the survey results in a future post, but thought I’d begin by sharing some of the comments I received, which were as interesting (I thought) as the survey results themselves.

Several people had suggestions for events that should have been on the survey, but weren’t.

The most common suggestion was Jeannette Rankin’s election to Congress/her vote against the wars/ and/or women’s suffrage. One commenter even scolded, “oh please, but you didn't put Jeanette Rankin in the top ten list???? No mention of when Women got "The Vote"? Who put the list together? I know you have Women working at the Historical Society.”

Others lobbied for the addition of these events: the creation of the federal forest system, creation of Glacier National Park; the transition from territory to state, anti-government events like the Freemen and the Unabomber, the arrival of people in what is now Montana (according to archaeological evidence this happened roughly 12, 000 years ago), the Mandate of Indian Ed for All, 1972. More than one person mentioned earthquakes, particularly the one that created Hebgen Lake.

  

Some thought the large forces of immigration, industrialization, and urbanization should have received more play:

• “While it could be counted under ‘development of the copper industry,’ I'd add ‘mass immigration from all over the world,’ wrote one participant. 
• Another wrote: “Industrialization and urbanization - admittedly a process not an event. Wasn't Montana and the West generally "urban" before it became "rural"? I rely on the work of Richard White and others as a warrant for that proposition. However, I find that, in the classroom, Montana and Western history generally is still taught within a progressive Turnerian framework: first, the Indians, then the trappers, then the miners, then the settlers, then the cities, then the industries etc., etc.”

Others wanted the survey to have been even more specific:

• “I was thinking of an "event" as a single moment in time; these are more epochs or eras, covering a broader period of time. For example, the 1855 Hellgate Treaty is an "event" of great significance within the context of Indian wars and treaty-making, which is much broader. Fun, though!”
• “I would have added the many ways Montana was involved in World War II - Hamilton, the Manhattan Project - the balloon bombs. As well as the role of Fort Harrison as the initial home of the Special Forces.”

One person argued for focusing more on ways Montanans have helped one another:  

• “I wish there was more recognition (time for) toward Indian Agents who took time to assist those they were responsible for who were accepted into their roles – the Ronans for example. The influenza outbreak in 1918 and the pastors, doctors and neighbors who helped save members of their communities. The central theme I have always felt about Montana is that neighbors watch out for one another. Examples from our history are needed to help instill this in our future. I have more ideas but you asked for a simple answer so I will stop there.”

And some thought we should look at other large themes:

• Native issues couched not in wars but in the transition from a nomadic life to boundaries - promises made, intent of governments
• How a frontier state meshes with a highly industrial nation
• How money comes into the state - what stays here, what leaves 
• Electorally how a session every two years enables citizen government.

People who responded on our Facebook page tended to be more specific and/or more focused on the twentieth century than those who responded to the survey itself:

• Flight of the Nez Perce through the Bitterroot Valley
• Closing down the Anaconda Company
• Electricity deregulation
• Jeannette Rankin, first woman elected to Congress
• The constitutional amendment that corporations are not people: Once again, Montana leads and with luck the rest of the nation will follow. 

Finally—lots of people found it hard to pick just ten events, and some of them wanted to explain their choices:

• “Several events I have listed as ‘not top 10’ because I'd interweave my lessons to include them. I tried to pick the ‘Big Idea’ item as my Top 10 and the other topics/events would be under it. RE: Copper King War--this would be a side note to the larger story about copper production. Likewise gold discovery would probably begin the unit, but the big event would be copper and electrification. In that story would also focus on unions, the Progressive Era, and MT's importance in WWI.”
•  “In my case (resource) I have fewer direct historical instruction moments, but when I do I lump more together - treaties/reservations, Lewis and Clark/fur trading, gold/Indian removal, for example.”

 More on the actual survey results in future posts.

Professional Development in Missoula, Helena, and Billings areas

The Helena College’s College Readiness Program is organizing an exciting professional development opportunity focused on improving literacy in social studies, science, and technical subjects (like health) and helping teachers integrate Common Core standards.

The program, designed for teacher teams (one English teacher and one subject matter teacher), will model strategies for implementing Common Core State Standards that are critical to college readiness:

• Comprehend and analyze complex texts
• Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content
• Gather relevant information from multiple digital resources
• Cite specific textual evidence to support claims

 

Workshop Details

 

Participants throughout the state may take an online course (Digital Research: Searching, Selecting, and Citing) to help students: gather relevant information from multiple digital sources; assess the strengths and limitations of each source; and follow a standard format for citation. This six-week course includes resources and videos that can be used in the classroom, as well as access to a college database.

 

Onsite workshops will be offered in Helena, Missoula, and Billings. Each regional site will offer a series of 3-4 onsite workshops in which teachers will learn and apply 1) deep reading strategies for complex texts; 2) strategies for teaching authentic writing in selected disciplines; and 3) discipline-specific scoring rubrics, tied to the Common Core State Standards, to analyze and discuss samples of students’ cross-curricular, research-based, writing.

 

Along with Tom Rust and Michael Scarlett (MSU-Billings/National History Day), and Kathy Holt (Coordinator of Clinical Practices, MSU-B), I’ll be involved in the Billings workshop, “Perspectives and Biases in Social Studies.” Other regional offerings will focus on science (Helena) and health (Missoula).

 

Title II: Improving Teacher Quality funds provide college credit, OPI Renewal Units, workshop expenses, including food and materials, at no cost to districts, and substitute teacher pay for up to 75 participants, statewide, for three days each.

 

Registration closes January 15. You can register and learn more here: http://www.mus.edu/writingproficiency/index.asp.