Engage Your Students with Indigenous Stories

 The Big Sky Film Institute is once again partnering with the Montana Office of Public Instructions Indian Education Unit to share films made by and about Native people. According to their Facebook post in the Teaching Montana History Facebook group: 

The 2023 season of the NFI Film Club [Native Filmmaker Initiative] presents "Celebrating Cultures & Honoring Traditional Practices," a triptych of films curated to engage Montana youth with unique and uplifting stories of Native and Indigenous individuals ... who are building strength through their communities and upholding traditional practices in the modern day. Our films are selected and ready for teacher registration, each one accompanied with an accompanied discussion guide, streaming link to view the film and an invitation to join our live filmmaker Q&A with film teams and OPI’s Indian Education Specialist, Mike Jetty.

Here's more from their website: 

The Native Filmmaker Initiative Film Club is a virtual youth education outreach program that screens a curated selection of Indigenous-made documentary films in classrooms across Montana. Following the screenings, filmmakers visit classrooms virtually for a live Q&A and discussion activities rooted in Montana's Indian Education for All Essential Understandings. Film Club discussions are led by the Big Sky Film Institute in collaboration with Montana Office of Public Instruction’s Indian Education Specialists as well as participating filmmakers to talk in-depth about the process of filmmaking....

Running October through December, each Film Club event will focus on diverse Indigenous subjects and topics. Consult the discussion guides to help adapt the Film Club activities into social studies, science, history or other areas of study. Films are available to view in advance of Film Club discussions and each classroom will receive access to discussion guides and instructions on how to join the live Q&A.

Visit the Native Filmmaker Initiative website to register your classroom to view one or more of this year's films. Registration includes a screening link to the film with details to join a live filmmaker Q&A and accompanied discussion guides. Email Director of Education, Julia Sherman, at julia@bigskyfilmfest.org for more information, or to be added to their Youth Programs email list.

Here are the three films they will be showing this fall (text from the NFI website): 

October 11: Snqʷeyłmistn (pronounced, SING-KWAY-SH-MEE-STOIN), 7 minutes

Following the native-led organization ​Snqʷeyłmistn, this short portrait follows key players behind the organization's mission and seasonal programming which aims to foster Salish community immersion for foster children of the Flathead Reservation in Montana. With programs and activities designed to empower, strengthen, and inspire generational change, the organization offers indigenized solutions for foster care issues across the Flathead Reservation and greater Indian Country.  RECOMMENDED FOR ALL AGES & GRADES

November 15: Shrampari: Legacies of the River, 16 minutes

In one of the most remote places in the Peruvian Amazon, an Ashéninka boy must overcome his fears to start his journey as an adult: catching a giant catfish using only a hook. RECOMMENDED FOR GRADES 3+ (DUE TO SUBTITLES, OTHERWISE SUITABLE FOR ALL AGES)

December 12: Jonathan Thunder, Good Mythology, 14 minutes 

Follow Anishinaabe artist Jonathan Thunder as he dives deep into the inspirations behind his surrealist paintings and animations. From the killing of an iconic American hero to critical perspectives of how Indigenous people were portrayed in early children’s cartoons, Thunder’s art prompts viewers to reexamine our shared mythologies. THIS FILM IS RECOMMENDED FOR GRADES 4+

On their website you can also find links to past film club films and discussion guides. These films cover topics that are sure to connect with your students: skateboarding, boxing, mountain biking, fly fishing and horse racing to bison restoration and the water protectors movement. They also have a film notetaking guide that could be useful for any film you watch with your students. 

If you are interested in bringing authentic Indigenous voices and perspectives into your classroom--and I hope you are!--this is an amazing resource.

P.S. Don't miss the first of our monthly Monday Meetups, September 11, 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. where I'll be sharing an Introduction to Montana Historical Society Resources. Register to earn one Renewal Unit.      

Monthly Monday Meetups

Join colleagues on the second Mondays of the month, September-November and January-March, from 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. for a series of online sharing sessions around a variety of social studies topics. These sessions will NOT recorded. Attend all six sessions to earn six renewal units or attend individual sessions to earn one renewal unit each. 

September 11, 2023: Introduction to Montana Historical Society Resources

In addition to curriculum for fourth grade and middle school, the Montana Historical Society has an abundance of lesson plans for every grade, most of which are interdisciplinary. Discover how MTHS’s varied and extensive resources can enhance your students’ learning across disciplines. Register.

October 9, 2023: Introduction to National History Day in Montana

National History Day is a grade 6-12 social studies and literacy program that teaches Common Core and social studies skills while teaching students to think like historians. Learn why you should bring National History Day to your school, the curricular resources available, and about National History Day’s contest model, including the upcoming competitions in Montana. Register.

November 13, 2023: Indian Education for All Resources

Find out what’s new on tap at the Indian Education for All Unit of the Montana Office of Public Instruction. Join OPI Indian Education Specialist Mike Jetty as he shares bad jokes and great resources to help you teach your students about Indian culture and history. Register.

January 8, 2024: Finding Primary Sources Online

We all know that a great primary source—a photo, a newspaper article, a letter—can bring history to life. So much is now accessible online, but how do you find what you need amidst the hundreds of thousands of pages of digitized content? Learn techniques for searching the Montana History Portal and Montana Newspapers, brainstorm uses for the primary sources you find there, and discover lesson plans that already incorporate primary sources. Register.  

February 12, 2024: Connecting Past and Present

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. Let’s talk about 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. Register.

March 11, 2024: Incorporating Children’s Literature into Social Studies

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. Register.

Teaching about Montana’s Chinese Communities: A Workshop for Educators

 Everyone I talked to who went to Mark Johnson's workshop on the Chinese experience last spring raved about it. So I was delighted to learn that Mark was offering it a second time. Do yourself a favor and attend if you are interested in learning the history of Chinese Montanans, their struggles and contributions to the region’s development, and how they kept their culture alive on the Montana frontier. 

Note: To register, you need to contact Mark directly (not me!)

Saturday, Sept. 16, Butte, MT

12:30 – 3:45: Butte Public Library: New research and teaching approaches on history of Chinese communities in Montana

4:00 – 5:00: Tour of the Mai Wah Museum & Wah Chong Tai Mercantile

5:00: Dinner at the Pekin Noodle Parlor (the longest continuously operating Chinese restaurant in the U.S.)

Open to twenty teachers. Each participant receives:

• The Middle Kingdom under the Big Sky, new book on the region’s Chinese history
• $50 to help with travel expenses
• Entry to the Mai Wah Museum
• Dinner at the Pekin Noodle Parlor
• Five Professional Development Units toward certification renewal 
• Contact: Mark.Johnson@nd.edu to register

Welcome Back

 

Welcome Back

Welcome back! Or if you are new to Teaching Montana History, welcome. I hope everyone had a good summer. The first posts of the school year are always business, so let's get started.

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For Students with Learning Disabilities

Both Montana: Stories of the Land and Montana: A History of Our Home are available as audio books for students who have learning differences through Learning Ally.

Finding Teaching Resources

You can find resources on the "For Educators" page of the MTHS website. They are organized by subject, as well as by skill level: Elementary, Middle School, and High School.

When Links Don't Work 

We can usually fix bad links quickly if we know about them. Will you help us identify problems by emailing me any broken links you find? Pretty please? 

Looking for Guidance?

Need advice on how to incorporate Montana History or IEFA into your classroom or how to meet the new social studies standards? The Montana Historical Society’s Teacher Leaders in Montana History are here to help. These Montana educators have a passion for history, collaboration, and education, and they are eager to help you find resources. Each teacher leader is ready to work with individual teachers, schools, and districts and are available to consult, mentor, and present at PIR days. Learn more. 

Critical Race Theory

Someone asked me recently if our new fourth-grade textbook teaches Critical Race Theory (CRT). The answer is no--none of MTHS or OPI's Indian Education lessons teach Critical Race Theory. Some of them do teach about the history of discrimination, which is perfectly legal--and in fact required. Confused about what you can and cannot teach? Here's an FAQ sheet. 

Have you had parents ask if you are teaching CRT? Consider using the question as an opportunity to open a dialog. Since CRT means different things to different people, consider kindly saying, "explain to me what you are worried about, and I'll tell you if I teach it" and then address their specific concerns. (H/T to Teacher Leader in Montana History Dylan Huisken for this excellent advice.)

Teaching Montana History Is on Facebook!

If you spend time on Facebook, I hope you'll join--and actively participate--in our closed Teaching Montana History Facebook group. It's a great way to connect to other teachers.

Summer Reading List

 It's almost time for Teaching Montana History to go on summer hiatus. Before we go, I'd love to hear your suggestions for summer reading. I'll compile your responses as my very last post of the year. 

Changing Schools? 

If you are changing schools, please re-subscribe using your new address! We'd hate to lose touch. 

End of Year Survey

Don't forget to complete our annual survey and to share your favorite lesson. (Need more incentive? There are still two prizes waiting to be claimed.)  

Testing Supplemental Materials (Grades 8-10)

U.S. History Media Project is looking for Grade 8, 9, or 10 U.S. history teachers to participate in a study examining the impact of a supplemental digital history curriculum. The supplemental curriculum includes interactive online games focused on key moments in U.S. history along with learning activities. I know nothing about the study, the project, or these resources (so this is not an endorsement.) They will pay teachers $500 as a thank you for participating. If you are interested, click on the link above.

For those of you for whom school has ended, may you have a stress-fee and restorative summer. And for those of you still in the throes of the last days, I send my best wishes for ending strong.

 

Register Now for the Elk River Writing Project's October Workshop

 For those not going to MFPE's educator conference in Billings next October, I can't think of a more exciting opportunity than to attend the Elk River Writing Project's 2023 place-based institute in Gardiner. 

Designed for all content area teachers, this immersive institute focuses on indigenous history, science of the region, and place-based writing techniques that you can easily integrate into your classroom and content area.

Institute highlights will include:

• a full day in Yellowstone National Park with cultural expert Dr. Shane Doyle (Apsáalooke) discussing Indigenous peoples' histories in the park at significant cultural sites;
• conversations and outdoor exploration with National Park Service rangers to learn about Yellowstone's animals, plants, and geology, including the impacts of the 2022 historic flooding on the park;
• an afternoon to write with published poet and former Montana Poet Laureate Tami Haaland;
• opportunities throughout the institute for writing, connecting, and reflecting led by Elk River Writing Project teacher consultants.

The institute begins Wednesday evening, October 18, at 7:30 and ends Saturday at 3:00 p.m. October 21. Your $85 registration fee covers three nightsʹ lodging at Yellowstone Foreverʹs Overlook campus, entrance and transportation into Yellowstone National Park, three meals on Thursday, and breakfast and lunch both Friday and Saturday. Thirty‐two (32) OPI Renewal Units will be available.

Space is limited. For further information, contact Lorrie Henrie‐Koski, Elk River Writing Project co‐director, at elkriverwriting@gmail.com.

 

National History Day is Back!

 For those of you who are struggling through the last days or weeks of schools, save this post. You'll want to reread it when you have a moment to think about your curriculum for next year, because I really think you are going to want to carve out some time for National History Day.

If you've had your kids involved in the program in past years, you'll join me in celebrating the fact that after a few years on hiatus, National History Day (NHD) has a new home at Montana State University--Bozeman, a new website under construction, and new co-coordinators: Hailey Hancock, Assistant Teaching Professor at MSU-Bozeman (and former Middle School Social Studies teacher) and Melissa Hibbard, High School Social Studies teacher at Butte Central.

If you've never been involved in NHD, you are probably wondering why I'm making such a fuss. Here's a little background. According to the National NHD Office: 

NHD reaches more than half a million students and tens of thousands of teachers each year via its international student history contest and its wide range of teacher professional development programs, curriculum tools, and other educational activities.

NHD’s core program is its competition in which students in grades 6–12 choose a topic and dive deeply into the past by conducting extensive research in libraries, archives, and museums. They then present their conclusions and evidence through papers, exhibits, performances, documentaries, or websites, moving through a series of contest levels where they are evaluated by professional historians and educators. 

Through this process, students develop skills in communication, project management, and historical thinking. Their teachers do as well.

Here are the main reasons I love NHD:

• It gives students a chance to think, research, and write as historians rather than simply to consume history content. NHD aligns closely with Montana's Social Studies Content Standards (especially the skills section) and with ELA standards as well. 
• NHD offers LOTS of support to teachers and students, and since there's so much support, it's a good way to teach your students how to conduct independent research projects. 
• Students enjoy the process (except, to be fair, creating their annotated bibliographies. But many are willing to work on creating a good bibliography page because they want to do well in the contest.) And they learn a ton. 
• It's not just for gifted students. The program lends itself to differentiation and some of the greatest success stories are those of "average" or typically low-performing students. Students can work individually or in teams and there are a range of potential projects: papers, performances, exhibits, websites, or documentary. (Of course, as a teacher, you can set your own limits.)
• You can use the NHD curriculum without having students participate in the NHD contests--but for many students the contest motivates them to do their best work. (See above re annotated bibliographies.)
• The program encourages revision. Students create projects for their teachers. They get feedback. For some students, that's where it ends. But others, who want to compete, can take that feedback to revise their projects. Then they present them at a regional contest (information on regionals is forthcoming.) At the regional, they get feedback. They have the opportunity to revise their project before going to state (April 6, 2024, in Bozeman), where they get more feedback. If they place well at state, they can take that feedback and revise before going to DC to compete in nationals (every year in June). Revision is what makes for good writing and good history--and discovering that early can be life changing.

Intrigued? Email Melissa and Hailey to learn more.