Political Cartoons

The 8th Grade class recently completed their unit on The Progressive Era.  This was one of my concentrations during college and is an era of history that I truly enjoy and love teaching.  During this era, there were many new political parties and ideals that came to be.  The Populists were a party in search of help for farmers.  Socialists were hoping for jobs for everyone.  The Radical Republicans just wanted everyone to stay out of their way and let their businesses prosper.  I showed the class images of cartoons from this period to give an example of not only the creativeness of the artists, but to also understand some sarcasm as well as satire. 

Here is the entire set of cartoons displayed outside the classroom.  A few of these I personally believe could be published as the accuracy was spot on and the artistic features were excellent.

The Populist Party demanding an 8 hour work day.

The Radical Republicans wanting "Big Oil" to succeed and be left alone.

The Socialists asking for the government to enforce the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.

 

Another successful project completed by the 8th Grade in Social Studies.  The students now have a sense of appreciation and a deeper, stronger understanding of the different groups that polarized this era in history.

Spring Break!!

No Homework for Spring Break 2011!!! 

All Social Studies classes were able to finish their units and the Dominican Reading group finished their novel.  Lets hope the Easter Bunny brings you an assortment of wonderful treats.  Enjoy the time off, I'll see you at the Cubs games and I hope everyone comes back ready to finish the year strong!!

Mr. Parsons

Mosaic Crosses

The 7th Grade class created mosaic crosses to celebrate Lent.  They cut small pieces of tissue paper to represent specific colors for Lent.  These pieces, when held up to light look similar to stained glass.  Each student was very creative in undertaking this project.  Most used square tiles while some used different shapes to create their work.  Some students used multiple layers to give the piece more texture.  They worked very hard on this project and were very meticulous in placing each piece on their crosses.

 

  

Here is the final project displayed in my classroom window.  The colors look wonderful and the compliments from students and staff has been tremendous!

A Family History

The 5th Grade class created wonderful posters celebrating their family histories.  Many students parents and/or grandparents hail from other countries.  The students were to ask a specific set of questions to their family members to gather and research some basic information.  They were to find out where their family was located in another country as well as their parents or grandparents city of origin. 

The students then added additional components such as a vintage family photo as well as maps and flags of the home countries.  The writing component included adding information about what type of work their parents or grandparents did in their earlier years.  Some students added details about where their grandparents were married.  I was impressed with the photography and how the students were able to add such creative and wonderful artistic details to their posters.  Project after project I continue to be amazed at the quality of work and the attention to detail the students take in creating their works of art!!

Hand Bill Project

Students often believe we have had technology forever and were simply able to text or IM any information to our friends with the click of a button.  Besides physically speaking to one another, there was very little way to communicate.  When the printing press was invented it gave writers an outlet to write articles and give their opinions.  Prior to the American Revolution, authors were creating handbills.  These were short, one page newspaper type articles written by the owner of the printing press.  They were often passed from person to person and read in churches or other public places.  Handbills fueled the fire that lead to the Revolutionary War.

The 7th Grade class created these handbills for our American Revolution unit.  Ironically, we used technology to create them.  So to make them look "vintage", the class soaked them in coffee grounds and tea bags, which were items that caused disputes during this era.  This effect caused the paper to look old and weathered.  Their excellent handbills were historically accurate and are a great addition to our hallway full of historical examples and student work.  (Please note you can click on the photos for a closer view)

Pop Culture

Part of the social aspect of Social Studies is to discover the events in our lives that impact the way we speak, act and generally see the world.  One way I compare the present to the past is to discuss America's love of "Pop Culture".  The girls today are in love with Justin Bieber, just as the girls my age would do anything for New Kids on the Block and my mother's generation would scream in agony for missing a Beatles's performance on TV. (Disclaimer:  In NO way do I feel that Justin Bieber nor NKOTB are on the same lyrical and music level of the Beatles).
 

Entertainment has often defined eras of history, including the "Roaring 20's" and "The Hippies" of the 1960s.  From promoting an American agenda to protesting, music and media have had an impact on how we live our lives and define the culture of those eras.  In class and for homework we do a Current Events activity that not only includes recent national and world news, but also includes pop culture.  There is so much happening in regards to social media and technology that it is impossible to get away from it all.  Instead of ignoring it, we embrace it is added in to my daily lessons.

This has been an important component to Social Studies and why it is needed so much in school curriculum.  The pop culture is a great transition into important world and national news.  Since the start of 2011 there have been major national events in Egypt, Libya and Japan as well as numerous others.  We also remembered the one year anniversary of the tragedy in Haiti by having a moment of silence.  Just this week Justin Bieber was in Israel and caused international news for refusing a photo shoot that was seen as a political stunt.  Children may not watch CNN or Fox News when they arrive home at night, but major events are impossible to ignore.  Just logging into any major email account will present students with the news.  I also can not ignore the fact that students see the world different than adults.  They want to help and do the right thing everyday.  It is hard not to get emotional when seeing the impact that images and videos have on students.  It immediately calls them to action and to assist others.  There is nothing more rewarding than that as an educator.

In closure, I often refer to 80s movies or bands in class that had an impact on my life.  I feel it is important to share my life experiences, both good and bad with students.  One movie I loved as a child was Back to the Future.  During one of our free afternoons during Terra Nova testing, the students were able to watch this wonderful movie from 1985.  We can't escape the past, and we shouldn't.  The 80s are still around us....as this 1980's DeLorean I photographed here in Chicago shows us!  Who wants to go back in time?

Giving back to the community

Part of understanding the world around them is to recognize there are people in need not only in the world, but in Chicago as well.  The 7th Grade class created bags of hope for women's shelter here in Chicago.  The students created "Bags of Hope" for those in need.  Each bag was decorated with a message or slogan, such as "HOPE", "LOVE" and "PEACE".  The students added their artistic components and created some wonderful works of art.

The bags, as seen above turned out to be amazing!! The bags were filled with gently used clothing, new baby bottles and new diapers.  Each student added a personal note describing their wishes for those receiving the bags.