Mid-Valley News Online
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Mountain View High School Teacher Recognized For History Essay
by Anne Donofrio-Holter
Mountain View High School history teacher Chris Lewis was recognized last week for his essay on “how a people’s history is being taught, how teachers were introduced to the work of author Howard Zinn, and how students are responding to learning a more complete version of U.S. history,” along with how he implements the works Zinn in his classroom.
“The Zinn Education Project website has allowed me to find lesson plans and activities that help my students interact with challenging information,” said Lewis. “What impressed me most about the lesson was the engagement required by students. They had to interact at a high level of critical thinking.”
Lewis’ class recently held a Socratic seminar discussion of “The Coming Revolt of the Guard,” in “A People’s History of the United States,” centering around Zinn’s prediction for the future of America where students assessed the impact of small revolutions and evaluated Zinn’s proposal that it will be the disgruntled middle class that will rebel against the current system.
“Students are analyzing the ways in which the American Dream has changed over time and how the definition changes depending on the lens through which it is viewed,” said Lewis. “I want students to see that the so called “dream” was different for the Puritans as they fled religious persecution, different for African Americans during the Civil Rights movement and different for those that live below the poverty line in today’s world.”
After analyzing the dream through themes such as race, gender, class, and religion, according to Lewis, students will develop a prediction for the future. It is his goal that they actively engage in history and that their predictions inspire them to take a more active role in creating the America they hope it can be.
“Chris Lewis is clearly helping students not only learn about history, but how to see themselves as historians and to see the role they play in shaping history,” said Deborah Menkart, Executive Director of Teaching for Change for the Zinn Education Project: “At the Zinn Education Project we are pleased to have the opportunity to share the story of his work.”
“Too often students spend time answering simple questions about terminology or dates,” said Lewis. “It was great to see students experience history and grapple with controversial issues. Many of my students do not realize that they make history every day.”
Sponsored by the Zinn Education Project, Lewis’ essay was one of 90 submissions from across the country, including a winning submission from South El Monte High School social science teacher Sara Quezada. Both won a class set of “A People’s History of the United States” from Teaching Outside the Textbook along with a free copy of “The People Speak” DVD, “Voices of A People’s History,” and “A Young People’s History of the United States.”
Students gathered around Lewis as he opened the box of books he received.
“We hope that many more teachers are inspired by Chris Lewis’ example to help students step into history by using the teaching activities available for free on the Zinn Education Project website,” said Menkart.
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Zinn Education Project
Thursday, February 9th at 13:46 Happy birthday Alice Walker. Author and activist.
History in Pictures - February
Alice Walker, winner of the Pulitzer Prize, author, and activist, was born in Eatonton, Georgia, on Feb. 9, 1944.
See Walker's website for photos, essays, poems, books, and conversations: http://alicewalkersgarden.com/
Also, see:
Undaunted By The Fight: Spelman College And The Civil Rights Movement, 1957-1967: http://zinnedproject.org/posts/5544
"Saying goodbye to my friend @[151141887957:274:Howard Zinn]" in @[5637143257:274:The Boston Globe]: http://www.boston.com/ae/books/articles/2010/01/31/alice_walker_says_goodbye_to_her_friend_howard_zinn/
Interviews on @[17414523278:274:Democracy Now!]: http://www.democracynow.org/appearances/alice_walker
Image from Architects of Peace: http://www.architectsofpeace.org/architects-of-peace/alice-walker
History in Pictures features just a few of the many stories that are often left out of the textbooks. The sources for these stories include: This Week in History from Peace Buttons (http://www.peacebuttons.info/E-News/thisweek.htm), Planning to Change the World: A Social Justice Plan Book for Teachers (http://www.justiceplanbook.com/), This Day in Civil Rights History (http://zinnedproject.org/posts/13684), History.com (http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history), 50 American Revolutions You Are Not Supposed to Know (http://zinnedproject.org/posts/11632), A People's History of the United States (http://zinnedproject.org/posts/67), Black Facts Online (http://www.blackfacts.com), Today in Labor History (http://www.unionist.com/big-labor/today-in-labor-history), and many more.
Zinn Education Project
Thursday, February 9th at 13:07 The National Museum of the American Indian is in the early planning stages for an exhibit on the Native people of New York State and the surrounding regions. They seek insights into how teachers are covering historic and contemporary issues around Native Americans in their classrooms so that they can best integrate the needs of students and teachers into the exhibition. If you are currently teaching, or have recently taught content related to Native Americans from the Northeast, they would appreciate hearing your input on the survey at the link below. As a thank you, you will automatically be entered in a raffle to win one of three books.
Zinn Education Project
Thursday, February 9th at 7:31 On this day in 1950, Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy delivered a speech during which he claimed to hold a list of known communists in the U.S. State Dep't. The speech grabbed national headlines and launched the paranoia and persecution now known as “McCarthyism.”
Here are classroom resources, including a young adult novel, on McCarthyism:http://zinnedproject.org/posts/tag/mccarthyism
Are there other books, films, lessons you recommend to teach about McCarthyism?
History in Pictures - February
On Feb 9, 1950, Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy delivered a speech at the McLure Hotel during which he claimed to hold a list of known communists in the U.S. State Department. The speech grabbed national headlines and launched the paranoia and persecution now known as “McCarthyism.”
Here are classroom resources, including a young adult novel, on McCarthyism: http://zinnedproject.org/posts/tag/mccarthyism
History in Pictures features just a few of the many stories that are often left out of the textbooks. The sources for these stories include: This Week in History from Peace Buttons (http://www.peacebuttons.info/E-News/thisweek.htm), Planning to Change the World: A Social Justice Plan Book for Teachers (http://www.justiceplanbook.com/), This Day in Civil Rights History (http://zinnedproject.org/posts/13684), History.com (http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history), 50 American Revolutions You Are Not Supposed to Know (http://zinnedproject.org/posts/11632), A People's History of the United States (http://zinnedproject.org/posts/67), Black Facts Online (http://www.blackfacts.com), Today in Labor History (http://www.unionist.com/big-labor/today-in-labor-history), and many more.
