Contents:
- Building Bridges for Scholars
- Growing a Future Scholar
- Why is Teaching History Important?
- Mark Twain Teacher’s Workshop
- Fiction & History XVII
- Urban Museum Collaborative Takes Flight!
- 2011 National History Day Award Finalist
- National History Day
Building Bridges for Scholars
Before I became Executive Director of the Missouri Humanities Council, I spoke with an old friend of mine, Dr. Gale Peterson, who at that time was Director of the Ohio Humanities Council (he has since retired after many years of service in that position). I asked Gale what he enjoyed most about the work, and he replied that he derived a great deal of satisfaction from the process of helping to “bridge the gap between humanities scholars and the public.”
Growing a Future Scholar
If you asked most parents of preschoolers, they would say that they want their children to be “ready” for Kindergarten. Many preschool programs and daycare centers make a point of telling parents that they are preparing the child for school. DVDs, games, and books promise parents the tools they need to make sure their child will be successful on that first day in the classroom.
Why is Teaching History Important?
Some months back, I was meeting with a key group of Congressional staffers in Washington DC about the future of history as a discipline in the elementary and secondary curricula across the country. The effects of high stakes testing in literacy and STEM in so many states has meant that subjects like history and civics have fallen from the curriculum. In Iowa, for elementary level students, instruction in history is now down to a fraction of an hour per week. While the staffers acknowledged that this was happening, they also wanted to know why it is important to learn history.
Mark Twain Teachers Workshop
To fulfill the mission of the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum, which is “to promote awareness and appreciation of the life and works of Mark Twain and to demonstrate the relevance of his stories and ideas to citizens of the world,” educators are essential.
Fiction & History XVII
On a rainy afternoon in December, readers assemble to discuss a challenging novel with themes of religion and redemption in the post-World War II world. They have come together to talk about Wise Blood by Flannery O’Connor, the second of four novels chosen for the Fiction & History XVII book group. The readers are a group of teachers at every point in their careers from entry level through retired who are joined by new members as the years go by. They dig into the book with enthusiasm. Fiction & History is in session.
Urban Museum Collaborative Takes Flight!
When does a dollhouse become a lesson about race or a sewing machine the path to freedom or a coat symbol of compassion? Students at St. John the Baptist School in south St. Louis city made history come alive in dramatic new ways by creating an interactive Museum in their school. It was the culminating experience of a pilot project developed by the Urban Museum Collaborative—an organization that came into being through generous support of the Missouri Humanities Council. After using the newly completed UMC educational materials that included a website, touch trunks, and lesson booklets, and visiting each of the museums in the collaborative—the Eugene Field House Museum, the Campbell House Museum, and the Griot Museum of Black History, the 3rd and 8th graders shared what they learned by developing their own “Museum Day” with hands-on activities, displays, first person performances, and docent-led tours.
2011 National History Day Award Finalists
National History Day is a nationwide program that encourages young people to explore history and teaches them to understand historical issues, ideas, people and events. Participants conduct in-depth research and analysis on individual topics related to an annual theme and presents their findings through an exhibit, performance, documentary, and website or research paper.
National History Day
The National History Day in Missouri (NHDMO) program is looking for judges and other volunteers for the April 21, 2012, state contest. NHDMO, the state affiliate of the National History Day program, is a year-long academic program for sixth-through twelfth grade students. In addition to expanding their knowledge of their chosen topics, the program helps prepare students for college, the work force, and good citizenship. They conduct historical research, interpretation, and creative expression as participants in the program, and they present their findings at a series of contests. NHDMO is sponsored by the State Historical Society of Missouri, in partnership with the Missouri Humanities Council. Over 2,500 students in Missouri participate annually, and over 600 are expected to advance from regional contests to the state competition, held in Columbia.
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