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The Rochester ReviewThe Rochester Review Social Studies Department Newsletter Rochester City School District
The Power of The Power of
RelevanceRelevance Register for the 2011 Social
Studies Conference now!
January/February 2011
Living Living
VoicesVoices … bringing history to life.… bringing history to life.
2
From the Director...
On February 12, 2011, teachers and leaders from across the district will gather for The
Power of Relevance, a professional social studies conference for educators K-12. The
keynote address will be delivered by Myra Zarnowski, Queens College, professor of literacy
and education and author of Making Sense of History: Using High Quality Literature and
Hands-On Experiences to Build Content Knowledge. Dr. Zarnowski will share her research
and work with teachers and children on reading history by using sense-making concepts to
join content and process in intermediate grades classrooms. She will work in a break-out session with teachers to
further explore these issues of building historical context, historical significance, reading historical fiction, and
reading primary sources. Dr. Nevan Fisher, Professor of History, Nazareth College, will share the relevance of
China on the world’s stage, U.S. China relationships, and the significance of cultural and political changes in
modern China during the luncheon keynote. Rochester teachers and Fullbright-Hayes scholars Khieta Davis and
Diane Watkins will share insights from their 2010 summer journey to Ethiopia and discuss
the significance of Ethiopian resistance to colonization. Additional workshops will be
provided by speakers from the Close-Up Foundation, New York State Geographic
Alliance, NBC Learns, and the Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester, as
well as teacher-leaders from the RCSD community. Sponsors will be on hand from
Educational Resources, Pearson-Scott-Foresman, the American Institute for History
Education, the Strong Museum, and Teachers Curriculum Institute (History Alive!). Many
door prizes, resources, and texts will be shared with attendees. I hope you will carve out
some time on Saturday to join us to invigorate your practice with new ideas and to support
the teaching and learning of Social Studies in RCSD.
Jennifer Gkourlias, Ed.D.
Executive Director of Social Studies
I N S I D E T H I S
I S S U E :
From the Director 2
Conference 2011 3
Opportunities 4-5
Teaching American
History Grants 6
Rochestrivia 7
Who’s Who and
What’ What in SS 7
January/February 2011 Volume 3, Issue 5
THE ROCHESTER REVIEW SOCIAL STUDIES NEWSLETTER
R O C H E S T E R C I T Y S C H O O L D I S T R I C T
Don’t hesitate to contact one of the Department’s Lead Teachers if you have any question, needs, or concerns...
Mark Ferraro, Intermediate
Elementary Lead: 262-8107
mark.feraro@rcsdk12.org
Kitty Palumbo, Intermediate
Elementary Lead: 262-8269
kitty.palumbo@rcsdk12.org
Stefan Cohen, Secondary
Lead: 262-8162
stefan.cohen@rcsdk12.org
Steve LaMorte, Secondary
Lead: 262-8169
stephen.lamorte@rcsdk12.org
Mariella Diaz, Primary
Elementary Lead: 262-8367
mariella.diaz@rcsdk12.org
Khieta Davis, Primary
Elementary Lead: 262-8372
khietan.davis@rcsdk12.org
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The Power of Relevance: The Power of Relevance:
Connecting Our Students to the WorldConnecting Our Students to the World February 12, 2011
R O C H E S T E R C I T Y S C H O O L D I S T R I C T
China’s Dynamic Economy and the Resulting Impact on the Environment and Global
Security
Nevan Fisher, Nazareth College
Join us at the Rochester City School District’s Center for Professional Learning (690 St. Paul Street) for the Social Studies Department’s first annual conference. Workshop sessions will apply to teachers of Social Studies from Kindergarten
through grade 12.
Register on Avatar now!
To Learn the Lessons of History, Students Need
Lessons in History
Myra Zarnowski, Queens College
Registration and Opening Remarks
8:00-8:30
Keynote Address (Light Breakfast Provided)
8:30-9:15
Workshop Session 1 9:30-10:45
Workshop Session 2 10:55-12:10
Keynote Address (Box Lunch Provided)
12:30-1:30
Workshop Session 3 1:45-3:00
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Gilder Lehrman Summer
Institutes
K-12 history, social studies and English teachers are
invited to apply to the Gilder Lehrman Institute of
American History 2011 Summer Seminars. Taught
by renowned historians on college campuses in the
US and the UK, these one-week seminars give
educators the opportunity to deepen their knowledge
of topics in American history—while gaining
practical resources and strategies to take back to
their classrooms. This year’s deadline is February
15, 2011 - go to http://www.gilderlehrman.org for
more information.
Additionally, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of
American History has received a challenge grant
from the NEH to provide free resources to schools.
To register for free as an Affiliate School go to:
http://www.gilderlehrman.org/affiliate/
affiliate_overview.php. For more information
contact Ron Nash at ron.nash@gilderlehrman.org.
The Bill of Rights Institute
Do you have a student
or two interested in the
Bill of Rights? Help
them to be among the most knowledgeable about the
Constitution by nominating them for the Bill of
Rights Institute’s Constitutional Academy. Find out
more information and nominate a student at www.ConstAcademy.org
American Art in the 18th and
19th Centuries
The National Gallery of Art (Washington, DC) has
an opportunity for K-12 teachers to learn more about
American art in the 18th and 19th Centuries. There
will be two six-day seminars (Jul. 11-16; Jul. 25-30)
where sessions will integrate art, social history,
language arts, and learning theory through
examination of the collections of the National
Gallery. For information and an online application,
visit www.nga.gov/education/teacinst.htm.
The application deadline is March 15, 2011.
Foreign Policy Institutes
The Foreign Policy Research Institute's Wachman
Center is pleased to invite applications for two
upcoming history institutes for teachers:
"China and India: Ancient Civilizations, Rising
Powers, Giant Societies, and Contrasting Models
of Development" will be held at the University
of Pennsylvania from March 19-20, 2011. For
more information, visit: http://www.fpri.org/
education/1103china_india/
"Civilian Control of the Military and American
Democracy" will be held at the First Division
Museum, Wheaton, Illinois from April 2-3,
2011. For more information, visit: http://
www.fpri.org/
education/1104civilmilitaryrelations/
TAH Book Circle
There are still openings for the next
TAH Book Circle. As part of
commemorating the 100th
Anniversary of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire, we will be
reading Triangle: the Fire that
Changed America by David Von
Drehle. We will meet to discuss the book and how
to apply its themes and content to our work with
students. If you sign up now, we will deliver a copy
of the book to your school (while supplies last).
Sessions meet on Monday afternoons from 4:00 p.m.
to 6:00 p.m.
February 7, 2011
February 28, 2011
March 14, 2011
March 28, 2011
Participants will receive 8 Professional Development
Incentive hours per book circle. You must attend at
least three of the four scheduled sessions and submit
a lesson plan to be published on SharePoint in order
to receive PD credit. Sign up on Avatar (title is “SS
Book Circle: Triangle, the Fire that Changed
America (4072)” or contact Stefan Cohen
(stefan.cohen@rcsdk12.org) for more information.
Opportunities
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Opportunities
Upcoming Dates: February 1: Growing up in
America: Education
February 3:Elementary
Historians (Early Schools)
February 3: TLC - New
Teachers
February 7: Triangle Shirtwaist Book Circle
February 8: :TAH Lecture: The Rise of
Corporations (Dr. Jose Torre)
February 9:Grade 12 SS Collegial Circle
February 10: TLC - American History
February 10: Cornhusk Dolls and the Three
Sisters
February 14: Content Area Literacy Circle
February 17: TLC - World History
February 17: Elementary Historians
February 21-25: Recess!
February 28: Book Circle - Triangle
March 1: Lecture - Labor Movements
March 3: Elementary Historians (Early Schools)
March 3: TLC - New Teachers
Strong National Museum of Play
Advanced Placement American
History Conference
The theme for the 21st Annual Advanced Placement
American History Conference at Strong Museum is
“The Turbulent Sixties.” Teachers may choose
one day during the week of Monday March 21
through Friday March 25, 2011. Conference hours
are 9:00 AM.-1:30PM on Monday, Wednesday, and
Friday and 8:30AM.-1:00PM on Tuesday and
Thursday.
The conference challenges students to think critically
by illuminating the historical process of change and
continuity through insightful seminars offered by
local college and university professors. Register by
calling 585-263-2700. The cost is $7 per person and
registration closes February 11. More details are in
the attached flyer or at the Strong Museum website:
http://www.museumofplay.org/education/ap-
conference
NYSCSS Annual
Conference
The New York State Council
for the Social Studies annual
state conference will be in
Rochester this year, from
March 17-19, 2011.
The theme is “The March
from Civil War to Civility: Through Social Justice
Education.” Check with your building RTA Rep to
see if there are conference days or funds left so that
you can attend! Session offerings, registration
information, and more can be found at http://
www.nyscss.org/Default.aspx?pageId=643958
GORGE-ous Geography
The New York Geographic Alliance and the IRIS
Program at Cornell University are pleased to
announce that we are ready to accept applications for
our summer institute, GORGE-ous Geography
Institute 2011 . This institute will be held from July
24-July 29, 2011 on the campus of Cornell
University. Any educator who works within New
York State is invited to apply. This includes school
teachers, college instructors, and informal educators
(museum docents, 4-H leaders, etc.). Visit their
website for more information: http://
www.nygeographicalliance.org/in-the-news/in-the-
news.cfm?mode=display&article=90
Portraits of Courage
The Rose and Joseph Denaro Interfaith Center is
hosting its 9th annual David Ferranti Multi-Media
Gallery Art and Writing Forum. This year’s theme
is “Portraits of Courage” and students in K-12 are
eligible to participate. The submission deadline is
Friday, March 11. For more information about
submission requirements or about the forum, visit
www.denarocenter.org.
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The Rochester City School District is currently implementing
three separate federal Teaching American History grant
programs for teachers:
Teachers as Historians: targeting Middle and High
School teachers
Elementary Historians: geared toward teachers of
Fourth and Fifth Grades
Growing Up in America: designed for teachers of
Kindergarten through Grade 2.
Roc
hes
ter’
s T
each
ing
Am
eric
an
His
tory
Gra
nts
Growing Up in
America
The Growing Up In America
program for K-2 teachers is well
underway and a great success. In
October, participants had the
opportunity to tour the Genesee
Country Village and Museum and
participate in a workshop on
Child Labor presented by Dr. Thomas Lappas of
Nazareth College. Participants learned about the
resources available to teachers by the GCVM and
examined the Lowell factories in respect to child
labor practices of the times. In November,
participants convened at the Rochester Museum
and Science Center to tour two exhibits and
enrich their historical content knowledge. Mr.
Perry Ground, the director of the Native
American Resource Center, engaged teachers in
a hands on workshop to develop a deeper
understanding of the Native American Family.
In addition to the above experiences, these two
workshops provided teachers with resources and
materials to design lessons to incorporate in their
classroom. On January 27th, teachers met at the
Rundel Library and participated in the third
session of the program entitled; Urbanization:
From Farm to City. Participants learned about
the Great Migration presented by Dr. Timothy
Kneeland from Nazareth College and toured the
Local History & Genealogy Department to learn
how to use local directories and historical
education boxes to create dynamic Social Studies
lessons in order to engage our youngest future
historians, K-2 students.
Elementary Historians
The Elementary Teaching American History
Grant has begun the New Year with a discussion
of the role of African Americans in the
Revolutionary War. Participants learned about
the involvement of African Americans from the
Boston Massacre through the war through an
engaging presentation by Dr. Tom Lappas of
Nazareth College. We spent a great deal of time
with the historiography of African American
participation in the war, and looked at how study
has changed as the mood of the public and its
views have evolved. We are looking forward to
February when we will be studying the
foundations of the US Constitution with Dr.
Timothy Kneeland of Nazareth College.
During the session, the group reviewed primary
sources from figures such as Lemuel Haynes and
Phillis Wheatley, and discussed the complexity
and nuance in the views of these authors while
exchanging ideas for their incorporation into our
practice. Some of Dr. Lappas’ suggested
resources are listed below:
http://www.footnote.com/
page/1387_african_american_patriots_of_the/
http://www.forerunner.com/wheatley/
wheatley.html (Complete Poems of Phillis
Wheatley)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part2/2p12.html
Peter Salem, Minuteman. By: Keats, Mark,
Plays - The Drama Magazine for Young
People, 00321540, Jan/Feb95, Vol. 54, Issue 4
Gary Nash, The Unknown American
Revolution, 2005.
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All men are created equal." It was a dangerous idea. No
government ever made such an idea the
cornerstone of its existence. Our Revolution is the
story of one of many common citizens who fought to
bring these five words to life. Words
that have even greater meaning to an
African American soldier in 1776.
Our Revolution looks at the
experience of being a Patriot and a
soldier in the Continental Army during the American Revolution from a rarely considered view: a
young free African American in the northern colonies. The show is being brought to eight
elementary schools across the district through our Teaching American History Grant.
Our Revolution is a production of Living Voices, a theater company based in Seattle, Washington.
The company’s productions combine live performers with dynamic archival imagery to help
students experience what it was like to live in another time. History comes alive as students
journey to defining moments in America’s past. Last year, Living Voices visited district High
Schools with its Hear My Voice program, addressing women’s right to vote.
in Social Studies Living Voices:
Our Revolution
Contact Steve Lamorte and Make a nomination for Who’s Who and
What’s What in Social Studies!
Every month, a trivia question dealing with local
Rochester history will be posted on the RCSD SS
Facebook page. Log on and post a comment with
your guess and you’ll have a chance at winning an
awesome SS prize.
From the book Rochestrivia by Pete Dobrovitz
What is the official name of the 50-foot-tall structure that towers above Manhattan
Square Park?
facebook.com/rcsdsocialstudies