THE BEST TIME OF THE YEAR TO DO THIS.....

Yea!  For some of you, your summer break has started.

But for others, this is might be the last week of school.  And, sometimes this last week of school teachers are in this state of limbo with a few more days before the break.  What to do with finals completed, books checked in, but many of our students have checked out....

I LOVE this time of the school year.  For, this is the time I can indulge myself and my students and go a little deeper into a historical subject that we did not have time for during the year.

One way I do this is showing a historically based movie.  Why?  Because kids LOVE movies, and I LOVE history.

So here are a few of my favorite movies I have shown to my students at the end of the school year.

1) 42 - This is the best movie to grab my students attention. It has it all; sports, history, and a very compelling true story.  42 is about Jackie Robinson signing on with the Brooklyn Dodgers organization in 1945 to his historic 1947 rookie season and how he struggled against racism all the while breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball.  
 

2) The Bridge of Spies - WOW, what a great historical thriller!  This takes place during the Cold War and is based on the 1960 U-2 incident during the Cold War the film tells the story of lawyer James B. Donovan, who is entrusted with negotiating the release of Francis Gary Powers.  But students will also learn more about the Berlin Wall, life in the East, and details of the American U-2 spy plane incident that was shot down over the Soviet Union.
 
 3) The Cinderella Man - A great movie for students to learn how daily life was for the average American during the Great Depression.  But, this movie is centered upon an average guy who has a chance to fight back.  This movie is very engaging since it's another great historical story that includes boxing and history.
 

4) Flags of Our Fathers - I had to include at least one war movie.  But, this is not your typical American war movie.  It tells a story of how history is open to interpretation.  How eyewitnesses see events differently, how others view historical events and what those events mean to them. The movie is centered around the 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima, the five Marines and one Navy Corpsman who were involved in raising the flag on Iwo Jima, and the aftereffects of that event on their lives. A powerful movie for the end of they year.


5) Miracle - Okay, another sports/history movie.  But, why not?  These stories are engaging. This is about the 1980 American men's hockey team defeating the Soviet Union, and later winning the gold medal.  All though the historical aspects are down played in the movie, the Cold War revival is there - and the other events weave their way into the story such as the American boycott of the 1980 summer Olympic games.
 

Then, to top it off, I have movie guides to go with all these movies.  Please feel free to check them out here.  Don't forget to click on the HISTORICAL MOVIE GUIDES tab in the upper left...

Also, if you are looking for the best Social Studies resources on the Internet, take a few minutes to check out the entire Social Studies SUPER store.

5 alternatives to the traditional professional development.

YEA SUMMER TIME!  Time to relax, put your feet up, and sleep in....Ya right....

As many educators know this is the time of the year to review what went right and what went wrong in our classes.  Also, it's the time of the year for some professional development.

What?  You haven't signed up for any because it's too late?!  Well, here are 5 easy (and cheap) alternatives to the traditional professional development.


#1 - EdX - Wow!  This is not your normal free college course resource.  I once tried a course based upon comic book heroes. The course include video lectures, discussion boards, short self graded tests, and peer feedback.  These courses are very engaging.  The pool of universities are limited to a small number. Some of these include MIT, Harvard, UC Berkley, and Boston University. Finally, as with most online classes they are all on demand.Click here to learn more about EdX

#2 - Read a book- I love this option.  It's not only the simplistic, but most convenient.  You can complete this any place. While on the sunny beach, on that long flight to paradise, or just snuggling in bed.  Also, you get to focus on the subject you want.  This summer I plan on reading about the war of 1812.

#3 -  Open Educational Database- This is the Costco of EdX.  Nearly every kind of course you can image can be found.  And like EdX, all courses are free, and each include videos. Click here to learn more about Open Educational Database.

#4 -  Free Social Studies webinars with the American Institute for History Education (AIHE).  These are top-notch Social Studies webinars.  The webinars are both content and methods webinars.  Once you have completed viewing some of the recorded webinars, you may take a short quiz and then receive a certificate of completion.  If you are a history teacher, these are awesome webinars.  The speakers are experts in their field, and I ALWAYS learn something new from every webinar. Click here for more information about the AIHE webinars.

#5 - EXPLORE:  Turn a family vacation into a family field trip.  When visiting San Francisco take sometime to visit the old Nike Missile sites.  When in any state capital, take an hour or two to tour the capital buildings.  All the kids will love this tour. Check out the architecture, learn about the state and their history. With a little planning, you can always learn something new to take back with you to your class while relaxing with the family!

LOOKING for the best social studies resources/ activities on the Internet?  Check out the Social-Studies-Super-Store. 

A FREE OFFER TO HELP YOU!

It's that time of the year for teachers to offer their closing thoughts to their students for the year.  This being the case, here is a speech I gave to my students for the academic banquet.

In this speech I discuss the most important trait a student needs to succeed, then I encourage my students to action.  Please feel free read and share as you like!


Please feel free to use this and/or modify as you like. The link is as follows:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-end-of-year-speech-for-Secondary-teachers-2561402

The N word in the classroom

As an American social studies educator, it as my duty to teach students about the N-word.  After all, this word is not left in a vacuum.  There are times when teaching history this controversial word makes it's way into my classroom. Then as American history teacher, I stumble through this rocky territory when the N-word is addressed. 

ADDRESSING IT HEAD ON
When I teach certain eras of American history, the N-word unavoidably pops up.  There is no way to dodge it.  But, when it does, I address it head on with my students.  I remind students that examining history is not only studying old presidents and battles from long ago.  But it is important to study the social side of history too. What were the kinds of food people ate? What was their favorite music? Also, when studying primary documents, students study how people in the past spoke or how they used language. And this leads me to the N-word. 

First I explain to my students that the N-word (and other words like it), are used in my classroom ONLY in the historical sense.  But today, we do not use this word.  Most of the time, my students accept this explanation and we move on.

But, sometimes a student will push for a deeper explanation.  To which I explain the word is full of pain.  For many people the word drips with hatred, pain, and death. The N-word puts people of color in a subjective place in a society, with limited or no rights.  It's an outdated title used by those who seeking to keep power.

However sometime, I might have a student respond with, "But, Mr. Moran, today it's different.  The N-word is used by kids in conversations and in our music."

Yes.  This might be the case.

So I explain to my students the N-word was used (and, unfortunately still is used) by people who view people of color as being less than human.  But, in our society, all humans are born with certain inalienable rights, among them are the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These rights also include the right to vote, fun for an office, and hold an office.  But, those who use the N-word deem to take these right from people of color.  For the N-word makes a human to be something less than human; without basic rights.  Even those who use it today in music or an any way.

I continue to explain, that I believe ALL my students (and people) have these god given rights and therefore humans.  This is why we do not use the N-word.

Looking for the best social studies resources such as movie guides, lessons and activities on the internet?  Check them out at the Social Studies Super Store.

Top 5 Teacher Job Fair Tips That Will Land You That Job!

It's that time of year when teachers will be attending job fairs around the nation.  Here are five best tips to get that perfect job!


#1) The Sales Pitch.  The administrators have only two, sometimes three minutes to size you up.  In a short about of time you need to answer these three questions: 1) What can you do for them and their students? 2) What makes you better than all the other candidates? 3) Can you walk into their building and teach tomorrow? These are the questions the administrators what to know. Answer these questions you will be off to a SUPER start.

#2) Stand out.  The administrators will see many candidates.  At the end of the day, they may not remember you.  So, stand out from the rest. How?  1) Stable a business card to your resume.  If you don't have business cards, get them.  2) Create a website - make sure you have that information on your business card. 3)When speaking with them, use their name.  This is an old sales trick, people love hearing their name.

#3) Arrive early.  When arriving early to the job fair, you can get the lay of the land. Many times you will be given a map of the fair. Prioritize the school districts you want to visit first.  Know which districts you will visit first, second, and third. 

#4)  Good Shoes:  Do NOT underestimate comfortable shoes.  You will be standing for what seems like hours and walking miles...well, not really, but by the end of the day it will feel like it.  So, wear those comfortable shoes to make your trek a happy one.

#5)   Prepare, prepare, and prepare:  This happens days before the job fair.  1) If you know the schools you want to apply to, send the administrators an email.  Let them know you are interested in a teaching position and you hope to see them at the job fair.  2) Better yet, visit the schools and meet the administrators a few days before the fair.  This way you have more time to meet with him or her and you will not be rushed.  Then, don't forget to follow up with an email!


ALSO - don't forget to visit my store for the best Social Studies resources on the internet at the Social Studies Super Store. Click here to check out the SUPER deals!