The Rochester ReviewThe Rochester Review Social Studies Department Newsletter Rochester City School District

Vistas, Voices, & VisionsVistas, Voices, & Visions The National Council for Social Studies Annual ConferenceThe National Council for Social Studies Annual Conference

November 2010

The Power of RelevanceThe Power of Relevance The Upcoming RCSD Social Studies Conference The Upcoming RCSD Social Studies Conference

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From the Director... What is the state of social studies education in our nation? Educators from around the world and

United States gathered this past weekend to discuss this question at the National Council for the

Social Studies 2010 Conference: Vistas, Voices, and Visions. At the Mile High City of Denver’s

gathering of social studies teachers and leaders, reports from fellow educators confirmed that the

state of our discipline is at risk and challenged in the shadows of NCLB, as schools across the

nation sacrifice content for skills. In spite of this, three powerful themes ran through the sessions

and keynote address. Number one, Social Studies matters for building an active citizenry.

Sessions focused on how to get students engaged in service learning, peace education, community

activism, while connecting local actions to global concerns such as scarcity of fresh water, energy consumption, and

ethnic or racial discrimination. Maya Sotoro Ng, Director of the East West Center, social studies educator, and sister

to President Obama, asserted the importance of teaching for social justice. Stating, “Social Studies is that place that

through narrative complexities, we can interpret our world.” Historical narrative is a powerful tool for self

examination as a nation. Only through reflection, dialogue and analysis of the past can we provide children a hope for

a more peaceful future. A second theme of the conference was that Social Studies is Literacy. Sessions emphasized

integration of social studies in the literacy block, children’s literature and trade books, leveled texts for differentiation,

and teaching students to analyze, apply critical thinking skills, empathize with characters, in both fiction and non-

fiction. “Stories,” Ng imparted, “have the power to combat cynicism and corruption.” It is

stories and imagination that help children to dream. Author Da Chen reminded audiences to

keep in mind that there are dreams swimming around in the minds of all children. Citing a

childhood raft with hunger and challenges growing up in China, Chen reminded the audience

that all children have dreams and that teachers have the power to unlock those dreams. A third

theme was Technology Engages Learners. Opportunities to create virtual learning spaces,

incorporate media literacy, and encourage dialogue and response to reading through emerging

technologies were emphasized. In the coming weeks, we are excited to introduce a powerful

database, NBC Learns, to RCSD. This tool will help Rochester teachers to more seamlessly

bring the world and current and past news stories into our classrooms. Our Social Studies

leadership team returns to Rochester ready to continue to share the Vision, give students a

Voice, and to provide a state of the art curriculum that is relevant and engaging for our

learners. Ng urged the audience to remember: “Community is the center of our schools and

we must make our schools the pillar of the community.”

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

News & Notes 3

Opportunities 4-5

Rochestrivia 5

Teaching American

History Grants 6

Who’s Who and

What’ What in SS 7

November 2010 Volume 3, Issue 3

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

mark.feraro@rcsdk12.org

262-8107

Kitty Palumbo

kitty.palumbo@rcsdk12.org

262-8269

Stefan Cohen

stefan.cohen@rcsdk12.org

262-8162

Steve LaMorte

stephen.lamorte@rcsdk12.org

262-8169

Elementary

Lead Teachers

Secondary

Lead Teachers

3

News & Notes The Power of Relevance The Social Studies Department will be holding it’s first annual

conference on Saturday, February 12th, 2011. The conference,

entitled, The Power of Relevance: Connecting Our Students to

the World aims to provide RCSD teachers with a program

tailored for their unique needs and interests. Targeting

teachers in all grade levels, the conference will kick-off with a

movie-screening on Thursday, February 11 at the Little

Theater.

We are still accepting proposals from district staff. A proposal

form is attached to this newsletter; contact Steve LaMorte with

questions.

Rochester Teachers Represent in

the Mile High City

Robbin DeHollander of Northwest College Preparatory High School and Lead Teacher Stephen LaMorte present-

ed their project, “Picture This: History Through Art, Music, and Poetry“ to a packed session at the National

Council for the Social Studies conference in Denver, CO. Jazz mu-

sic cooed in the background while teachers engaged in an analysis of

Romare Beardons’ work “ The Dove.” Working at stations around

the room, teachers identified the people, actions, and objects present

in the artwork. The culminating project completed by the 8th grade

students at Northwest Preparatory Academy in which students were

asked to create a collage reflective of a decade or time period in the

style of Beardon, fostered dialogue among participants for the power

of visual arts in teaching social studies. Ms. DeHollander and Mr.

LaMorte then shared the variety of ways in which they have incorpo-

rated the Picturing America poster series into their instruction. This

presentation highlights the power of arts integration in the support of

student learning and concept attainment in social studies.

Lead Secondary Social Studies Teacher Stefan Cohen’s poster session: “Why every high school student should

read the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas” attracted the interest of educators from around the country.

Cohen believes that literature, and yes, an entire biography, has a place in the midst of a secondary social studies

curriculum. He encourages teachers to think about the role of literature

and a wide variety of texts plays as students construct meaning around

key historical topics, themes, people and events. Douglas

words echoed through the hall while Cohen interacted

with the teachers as they questioned and discussed how

to make room in history courses for depth. Cohen asserts

that the text serves as an anchor for the course, inspires

and motivates students, and provides a basis for further

learning.

Participants examine artwork at the Picture This session

Cohen talks with NCSS attendees at a poster session

Eveyone wanted in to the NCSS Conference at the Colorado Convention Center!

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Friends of Mt. Hope Essay

Contest

To celebrate the release of Richard

Reisem’s new book, Frederick Douglass

and the Underground Railroad, the

Friends of Mt. Hope Cemetery are

sponsoring an essay contest for students in

grades seven through twelve answering this

question: What does the Underground

Railroad mean to you and to the city of

Rochester? Rochester City students in

grades seven through twelve are eligible to

enter; see the attached flier or visit

www.fomh.org for more information

___________________

County Executive’s Senior Ball

The 2nd annual County Executive’s Holiday Seniors

Ball will be held on Wednesday, December 1, 2010

from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Double Tree Hotel in

Henrietta. Sitting at tables of eight, 4 seniors from

Monroe County senior centers will be joined with 4

high school seniors from their respective towns or

area of the city. Here, stories can be shared and

lessons can be learned between the generations.

Students will also have the opportunity to earn

senior service hours by decorating and attending the

event. Do you have any students interested in

attending this event? A flier and additional

information are attached.

___________________

It’s All About the Fruit!

The National Gardening Association is accepting

applications from U.S. schools for Jamba Juice "It's

All About the Fruit" grants, which will provide

selected schools with fruit trees to create engaging

nutrition and gardening experiences. The grant is

open to schools and community garden programs in

the United States with at least fifteen children

between the ages of 3 and 18. Applications will be

evaluated based on plans to promote nutrition

education, ideas for incorporating fruit tree activities

into the curriculum, and the ability to sustain the

program over multiple years. Twenty recipients will

be selected to receive fruit trees valued at $500.

Trees will be selected based on recommended

varieties for each area. Visit the grant’s website for

more information:

http://www.kidsgardening.org/grants/jamba.asp

___________________

WXXI Educator of the Year

Mission US is a series of FREE, standards-based,

quest-themed, online video games designed for

classroom use by middle school students (4th-12th

students can benefit from use.). WXXI is searching

for one local educator who has used the Mission US

game and accompanying materials in innovative and

exciting ways! An application form is attached to

this newsletter. For more information about the

Mission US game, visit http://www.mission-us.org

___________________

Focus on China Workshop

China is a major player on the world stage. Chinese

culture and history are important topics in many

courses. Join us as we share content and lesson

strategies that you can use as you teach your

students about China. There will be something for

everyone; registration information is attached. The

program, taking place on Saturday, December 4

from 9:00-12:00 p.m. at Nazareth College includes a

keynote presentation by Professor of History Nevan

Fisher, China’s Dynamic Economy and Its Impact

on the Environment and Global Issues. Terry

Noonan, NCTA-FCCEAS seminar leader will share

China in the Global History and Geography Regents

Course: Materials and Strategies that work with

students. Jennifer Gkourlias Rochester City School

District Social Studies Supervisor and Marc Fleming

Teacher on Special Assignment, Greece Central

School will present an inquiry lesson using

Opportunities

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Opportunities

facebook.com/rcsdsocialstudies

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

Upcoming Dates: November 15: Content Area

Literacy Circle

November 16: Grade 4 TLC

November 17: Grade 12 Colle-

gial Circle

November 18: TLC American & Global History

November 18: Elementary Historians (Late)

November 24-26: Thanksgiving Recess!

November 29: Suffragist Book Circle

November 30: Grade 5 TLC

November 30: Growing Up in America

December 2: New Teacher TLC

December 3: Marking Period 2 Ends

December 6: Content Area Literacy Circle

December 7: Lecture—Women’s Rights

December 7: Grade 4 TLC

December 9: American History TLC

December 13: Suffragist Book Circle

December 13: Grade 5 TLC

December 14: Elementary Historians (Early)

December 15: Grade 12 Collegial Circle

December 16: Global History TLC

December 16: Elementary Historians (Late)

Which local inn once housed a nudist colony for a short time

early in the 20th century?

photographs to study Chinese culture for elementary

school students. Susan Daly, Former AP World

History Consultant and current AP World History

Table Reader will discuss China in AP World

History. During these sessions, participants will also

share lesson ideas and all are encouraged to bring

ideas to share with colleagues. A panel discussion

with FCCEAS past China study tour participants-

lessons learned and developed will also be shared.

___________________

Re-Thinking Thanksgiving Perry Ground, Seneca Educator and Director of the

Native American Resource Center, presented

multiple workshops for teachers during the month of

November. Ground encourages teachers to use a

critical lens when selecting texts for use with young

learners and when teaching about Thanksgiving.

His presentations assert the need to use primary

sources and accounts in conjunction with authentic

childrens’ literature so as not to perpetuate a

mythological account of the “first

Thanksgiving.” He reminds us there

were many “thanksgivings” and the

practice of giving thanks is replete

throughout many different Native

American religions. Ground speaks

again at 4 p.m., November 17th, at

School #19. Teachers K-12 are

welcome and encouraged to attend.

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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

Elementary Historians

Dr. Timothy Kneeland presented on the roles of

African Americans in the American Revolution

in November for the Elementary Historians

professional development program. Dr.

Kneeland provided insight into the hundreds of

African Americans who fought and served on

both the British and American sides during the

Revolution. The significant roles African

Americans played in the founding of our nation,

as well as the selection of materials that provide

an accurate portrayal of African Americans in

roles of agency, will continue to be a focus for

our year-long study of the founding of our nation.

TEACHING AS HISTORIANS

The TAH Book Circle series continues with a

reading of

Sisters: the Lives of America’s Suffragists

by Jean Baker

We will meet to discuss the book and how to apply

its themes and content to our work with students.

Sessions meet on Monday afternoons 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on the

following dates:

November 29, 2010

December 13, 2010

January 3, 2011

January 24, 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 or contact Stefan

Cohen (stefan.cohen@rcsdk12.org) for more information.

Growing Up in America

October 26th, 60 teachers gathered at

the Genesee Country Village &

Museum to explore issues in race,

class, and gender in children’s

working roles in 19th Century

America. Teachers worked with

interpreters at the Farmstead, Cooper

Shop, Midwifery, and ----house (originally

located in Rochester’s Corn Hill neighborhood).

After learning about 19th century work in the

Genesee region, Dr. Thomas Lappas, Nazareth

College Professor of History, presented a

comparison children’s working roles. Dr. David

Hursh of the University of Rochester presented

an action research opportunity in which 10

teachers will work in tandem with researchers to

investigate the process of historical inquiry in

classrooms with young children. The next

Growing Up in America Session is planned for

November 30th at the Rochester Museum and

Science Center and will feature Seneca educator

Perry Ground who will speak about Family

Structures in Native American Families.

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Why is Social Studies awesome? I love, love, love teaching kids about

culture and history. I try to make it as interactive and hands-on as

possible. Since I teach Social Studies to 2 of our 4 fourth grade

classes, I try to incorporate as many of the other disciplines as

possible into my lessons. Most recently, I did a unit on the Native

Americans of New York. I wanted to get kids excited about this

historical content. After I invited guest speakers from the Native

American Resource Center to present about their culture, I held a

Native American Festival in class. I made 7 centers that related to

Math, Science, Writing, and Reading that tied into the SS content. We

had 10 parents come into the building to assist with the centers. One

center was for students to “hunt” for deer by throwing a bean bag 10

times at a target. The students graphed their hunting results. Another

center involved playing the Iroquois Peach Pit Game. When they

finished they discussed fractions and equivalents of how many peach pits were on the painted side up versus the non-

painted side. One parent read and discussed the Algonquin story The Rough Faced Girl. We made wampum belts out of

pattern blocks to learn our geometric shapes and then we placed them on the belt in patterns. We wrote responses to a

DBQ related to the Iroquois. Since corn, beans, and squash were such important staples in the Iroquois diet, one parent

prepared dishes made with these items for the children to sample. They discussed how the Iroquois would have limited

choices for seasoning and flavoring their food. Finally, we tied in the parts of a plant by having students label the parts of

a corn plant. Learning about the Native Americans was a ton of fun! This week we are writing Iroquois Haiku’s! I try to

bring history visually alive to my students as much as possible. I am so pleased that the district adopted the websites

BrainPop and Discovery Education. These are such great tools for teaching history.

About Jenise: The thing that I hope to impart on my students the most is a

fascination with other cultures. I love to travel. I have been to 5 continents, 22

countries and at least 119 cities! Last summer, I was chosen by the National

Consortium for Teaching about Asia to go to Japan and S. Korea with 13 other

teachers in the Northeast. We had an in depth study into the lives, government

and economics of these countries. I came back excited to share my learnings with

staff and students. The fourth grade created a unit around S. Korea which we

displayed during our school’s Multicultural Week. I presented a 10 hour course on

Japan and S. Korea with my colleagues so they could share in all the knowledge

that I gained through that experience. I also presented a workshop on my

experience at the Rochester Area Social Studies Conference last year.

This year, I am participating in the School Violence Demonstration Program. I hope to bring valuable social skills

instruction to the students at School #41. I look forward to obtaining resources that will better enable our students to

handle conflicts and cope with anger management. I am also participating in the Teaching about History grant. This

opportunity will allow me to advance my understanding of the curriculum that I teach. I will work collaboratively on a unit

that will excite my students about understanding Rochester’s early history and the importance of the Erie Canal.

Jenise was nominated by Paula Riexinger: Jenise teaches social studies to my students and I find her ideas and lessons

interactive & very hands on. She takes a long time finding and preparing lessons that are engaging for all students. I find she is

quite knowledgeable about the Social Studies curriculum for 4th grade and is always someone I can turn to for support & answers.

in Social Studies Jenise Fortunato

Kodak Park School #41

Contact Steve Lamorte and Make a nomination for Who’s Who and

What’s What in Social Studies!