Kids Standard November's Issue

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I S S U E 1 6 | N OV E MB E R 2 01 6

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Lessons from History Historical

Fiction PA GE 1 4

Educators

History

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Motivate. Activate. Celebrate.

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F E AT U R E

Index: Feature..................................................2 Editorial Calendar...............................3 Nature...................................................4 Fun In History.....................................6 Arts........................................................8 Poems..................................................10 My View ............................................12 Parent’s Corner..................................13 Historical Fiction ..............................14 People We Admire............................15 Food for Thought..............................16 Graduates...........................................18 Teacher’s Corner................................19 Educators............................................20 College Tour......................................22 History................................................23 Volunteer opportunity is available for students and Adults.

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Lessons from History

rince of Tricksters, written

by British historian Matt Houlbrook, begins with a simple question: How can we be confident in something? According to Houlbrook, this is “a recurrent philosophical and ethical question, but it is also always a historical question, shaped by social relations and cultural forms that are time and place-specific.”

To a great degree, confidence comes from knowledge, which is always connected to the past. Whether personal or collective, history contains lessons: lessons of intentions and experiments; of causes and consequences; of failure and success. These lessons develop integrity and shape character within our children. They give them knowledge and guidance for the future.

Confidence is also connected to a strong sense of identity. As the story of human existence, history is an invaluable framework for nurturing children’s ability to interpret the world around them, and consequently, for figuring out who they are.

Understanding our collective history leaves no room for injustices and divisions, as it becomes increasing clear that, as human beings, we all are intricately interconnected. This helps

Arina Bokas

Kids’ Standard Editor & Author of Building Powerful Learning Environments: From Schools to Communities

our new generations develop dispositions to celebrate differences and create alliances. And perhaps, they can build a better world.

In our November issue Lessons from History, students and educators offer their perspectives on what role the past plays in our lives and how our personal history reflects and connects to our collective history as human beings.

Enjoy!

Motivate. Activate. Celebrate

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E D I TO R I A L C A L E N DA R

2016-2017 Editorial Calendar December 2016

I am a Citizen of the World What does it mean to you to be a citizen of the World? What does it mean to live and interact across many countries, time zones, and technologies? What knowledge and understanding are necessary for you to be a responsible citizen in our increasingly interconnected world?

What school or life experiences helped you become aware of global problems and understand people from other countries and their views that might be different from yours? Is there a person whom you consider a global citizen?

Why so? Do you have a perspective on a world event that you would like to share?

say, and do make a difference in someone else’s life? How do your actions affect other people? What can we do today to make the world a better place?

What did you do to make a ripple?

What ripples can be made in schools to make them better places for learning? Are there any people whom you consider ripple makers? Why?

March 2017

Simply Different

January 2017

My Element Is doing something make your eyes spark and heartbeat faster? Is there something that you can do forever and hardly notice the time? This is your element, or your passion. How did you discover it? How does it help you in life? What lessons do you learn from it?

What can you tell your readers about it?

February 2017 Making a Ripple

Why do we need differences? What does it mean to be different? Does being different mean being a bad person? Do you know of someone who is not like other people around you? How do you think of people who cannot sit still in school, take too long to complete a task, or just always seem out of step? Do you know of someone who is different? What makes him or her a special person?

When we learn to count on our fingers, we “see” our math. Do you see math around you? What helps you see when you learn math? What pictures do you create in your mind? What makes math interesting and relevant to real life?

How can we learn from numbers? If there were no math or numbers, how would our world look like? Share with us stories about numbers.

May 2017

Stories that Matter As human beings, we are wired to like stories. Since the beginning of times, stories have been the way for human beings to pass their knowledge to next generations. Is there a person or place that adds special meaning to your life or lives of other people? Why does this person or place matter? What is your own story? What can we learn from telling and listening to stories? How can stories be used in schools? You can tell any story, just make sure to explain why it is important.

Summer 2017 Family Magic

April 2017 Number Talk

By making a choice to be helpful, kind, or just smile to someone who is upset, you can start a ripple of positive energy and actions. How can what you think, NOVEMBER 2016

Our families are important to us. Tell us about relationships in your family, connections between kids and parents, and meaningful experiences that you had with your family. What makes spending time with your family important to you? What do you learn from your family members? How do you learn together as a family?

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N AT U R E

Snakes nakes have a long history, going back to the fossil record during the time of the dinosaurs. Snakes

snake lived 60 million years ago and was 50 feet/15 meters long. Over millions of years, snakes evolved in different in length and size species. There are more than 3,000 species of snakes in the world! The world’s smallest snake is the thread snake. They grow only about 3.9

can expand their jaw. They eat their food whole.

Snakes evolved many behaviors that helped them find and catch prey and survive in many climates. Most snakes that are venomous; they inject their prey with venom. If they are constrictors, or snakes that are no-venomous and big, they squeeze or constrict their prey to prevent the animal from breathing. They mostly hunt at night to catch their prey under the cover of darkness.

All snakes flick their tongues to smell the air and who is around them to see if it is a predator or prey. Snakes are ectotherms, or cold blooded; that means their

are reptiles. Whether it is because they slither, have a fork tongue, or just plain scary, for centuries, snakes have been one of the most feared animals.

It is thought that snakes evolved from ground dwelling lizards. No one knows how big was the first snake, but the largest fossil found is called Titanoboa. This

inches/10 centimeters long. The longest and largest snake is the python. They can grow up to 30 feet/9 meters long.

Snakes are carnivores. So their diets are rodents, birds, frogs, fish, and other small animals. They can even eat other snakes, too. They can eat animals bigger than them because snakes

blood temperature changes with the air temperature, so snakes will go in the light when it is cold or go in the shade when it is warm. Snakes also shed their skin three to six times per year.

Snakes are amazing animals. They would live for a long time if we protect them.

By: Sophia Le,

4th grade, Deerfield Elementary, Rochester Hills

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F U N I N H I S TO R Y

Abraham Lincoln By: Nicholas Pal, 5th grade

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Deerfield Elementary, Rochester Hills

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braham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States: from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865.

Here are some fun facts that I have learned about Abraham Lincoln.

Abraham Lincoln’s Beard There was once a little girl who wrote a letter to Abraham Lincoln. Her name was Grace Bedell, she was 11 years old and lived We s t f i e l d , New York.

In her letter from October 15th, 1860, she asked Abraham Lincoln to grow a beard to improve his chance to become the President: “if you will let your whiskers grow I will try and get the rest of them [brothers] to vote for you; you would look a great deal better for your face is so thin.” On February 16, 1861 Abraham Lincoln stopped by the little girl’s house. He wore a full beard.

Abraham Lincoln’s Hat Many people were surprised by how tall Lincoln’s hat was and used to ask, “What is in Abraham Lincoln’s hat?” Well, here is the answer to that question: he kept his bills and party invitations in his hat and that is the reason his hat was so tall. There is a myth that he kept a copy of the Declaration of Independence in his hat as well. The real reason why Abraham Lincoln will always be remembered is because he gave the world one of the greatest days the day he stopped slavery, which was on January 1, 1863.

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POEMS

All It Takes is a Single Song By: Gabrielle Lantero, 8th grade, Clarkston Junior High School All it takes is a single song.

Papers scrunching, pencil silencing, music marching around my room Biology homework, a bore, as usual, why not spice it up, right?

The record skips, raps fill my room to the brink, Saturated music distracts, a little too much, they blabber about being able to do anything.

Well, that hit a little close to home.

It was the stress of homework, just the crappy day I had, that song took a bat and swatted me until I broke down, my walls fell into the earth, and then that shattered too.

Thoughts rushed to fill that gap, the memories and shame of quitting football made it deeper.

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The shame halted me to a stop, I sunk to my knees and cried.

No one did anything, like this was an everyday thing to them.

Blurred yells and glares combined, I promise myself that I will never step on a field again.

Back in reality, my heart beats even faster while time does the opposite.

Repeating history, I crumble into a ball on the freshly clipped carpeting.

Whaling out to someone to hold me, comfort me as I’m left to deal with this earthquake alone.

Seconds froze to hours, I slowly try to catch my breath, dry the river while repairing the world that split not too long ago.

Duct tape doesn’t work for situations like this, I think of reasons why I’m not a Disappointment Disgrace Stop it.

All the pain of quitting football,

Soon enough my earth is sown back together,

all the silences that followed,

the lies I feed myself working their magic.

came back to destroy me.

Rising up unsteadily,

I was on the field again,

my tears dry.

drunkenly wobbling around the turf,

I lay in the safe little haven known as my bed.

players and coaches trying to encourage me to keep going,

Falling asleep,

“Just one more lap!”

Someone would yell being motivating,

only with the shadow of self doubt grinning at the music that still is playing,

making me slow down.

All it took was a single song.

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POEMS Cider with Family

November

By: Ben Haas, 8th grade, Clarkston Junior High School

By: Matthew Rozman, 8th grade, Clarkston Junior High School

One Fall day in October

An ignorant boy rambles about his power

with leaves changing color,

He just won’t stop bragging

and apples ready to be picked.

And through the loud corridor students try to escape

My family wake up and depart for the apples.

From the young boy’s nagging

One by one we walk out the door.

Trampling over his fragile competitors

Our shoes getting wet from the damp grass.

Embracing the cold, we get to the trees.

He’s never tasted failure before Seeing the others, he laughs at them mercilessly

We look up at the intricate branches winding into a tree.

As they come in through the out door

The thin branches just supporting my body,

Something seems to have shifted

Yet on a brisk November Monday I climb to the top.

The teacher hands back the paper

Hand after hand,

To the boy deemed gifted

foot after foot.

And so, he gawks at the results I grasp the trunk,

His smile melting into fears

which looks like another branch.

He’s finally toppled, he’s finally lost

Shaking with all of my strength,

And so, here are the tears

the apples rain down.

Stepping slowly out of the class Through the falling leaves I see,

He didn’t process his mistakes

My family getting bombarded by falling apples.

The train suddenly hits the brakes

Some with buckets.

Some just catching them in their shirts.

We go back inside with the day’s haul.

Like a well oiled machine, we cut up the apples and throw them in the blender. until they are a lumpy mush.

With our fall collection in the right form, we squeeze the chopped up moist apples, until they make, Cider.

Best made with family.

Best drank with family too.

NOVEMBER 2016

The grade solemnly staring at him

Time passes, he still meanders About the failure he achieved He starts to reconsider his actions And the things he used to believe His mindset improves, the engine starts Success arrives once again He keeps quiet, not wanting to go Back to places he’d been To the bragging, to the nagging To the laughing from before He lays down the memories of the past And closes the worn-out drawer.

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MY VIEW

Changing My History By: Hannah Passer, 11th grade, Bloomfield Hills High School

E

very person has a history.

Because of this history - our past experiences - we are who we are today, but it doesn’t mean that we cannot change and become better people.

School hasn’t always been my favorite place to be, and I’ve never been that student who gets all A’s.

So once summer is right around the corner, a countdown starts. Going to an overnight camp isn’t something every child can experience, but for me, some of my greatest accomplishments have come from going to camp.

This past summer, I had the opportunity to go to Alaska for seven weeks. During this experience, I had to face traveling with 15 other individuals that I wasn’t close with.

I usually go with the same people, so I don’t have to deal with any new opposition. But I decided to go with an open mind.

In Alaska, I decided to set some goals: to strive to be more positive and to get as much out of my comfort zone as possible. I knew this wasn’t going to be easy for me. Generally, I had always stuck between the same friend group and same sports. I always found it uncomfortable to try something new.

But seven weeks later, I thought differently. It turned out to be one of the most beneficial and meaningful summers of my life. Not only did

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I get to meet incredible individuals, but I also feel like now I have a second family of encouraging and loving people. All 30 of us wanted the same: to see who we could truly become.

In prior years, I hadn’t been very appreciative. But this summer, I spent time working on myself. I found it very important to realize who I want to be and how to achieve my goals. Being in a positive and encouraging environment was the best. I have discovered myself and who I want to strive to be, and I have found ways to encourage others with positivity and love.

I now think of Alaska not as a place, but a mindset. A mindset that will always let me see who I can truly be and how positivity in the world and my surroundings can help. I really learned how to focus on living in the moment and being true to myself. When surrounded by nature and the beautiful Earth, it was hard to not be grateful.

As I mentioned before, school wasn’t my favorite place to go. But this school year, I decided to let my “camp-self” out. I think my friends and family can see me trying to be more encouraging, determined, positive, appreciative, thoughtful - a person who has finally found herself. I truly appreciate that I have this opportunity every summer, because I do understand that many kids don’t. I plan on using my connections and experiences to help in some way other kids achieve their

goals, so they, too, can better themselves down the road. I wish for high schoolers and young adults to be encouraging and thoughtful individuals, as I choose to be.

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PA R E N T ’ S C O R N E R

Freedom is Never Free: THE LESSON OF AUSCHWITZ

By: Jos van Koolwijk, Elementary Teacher, Basisschool “De Oversteek,” Dreumel, The Netherlands, Translated by Janny Hurkmans

L

ast June, I celebrated my 40th anniversary as an elementary school teacher in the village where I live and work.The school organized the celebration, which also included a reception.

My wife and kids gave me a very special present: a trip to Krakow, Poland, and to Auschwitz.

I was surprised, excited, and touched at the same time. This trip has been on my bucket list for a long time. My whole life, I have been interested in History, and specifically, in World War II. I talk with students in class about it as we remember the people who gave their lives so we can live in

freedom. To me, it’s very important to teach our children that freedom is never free.

The same night, we drove from the Netherlands to Poland. For the first few days we explored the beautiful old city of Krakow. An English speaking tour guide drove us through Jewish town, where our attention was drawn to the impressive NOVEMBER 2016

Monument of the Chairs. It represented the thousands of Jews who were forced to live in the Ghetto. We also visited the factory of Oskar Schindler, the main character of Steven Spielberg’s movie.

Slowly, we realized how much the war had affected the city of Krakow. We, Dutch, had no idea.

On our last day in Poland, we took a bus to Auschwitz I and II, accompanied by a Polish tour guide. During the bus ride, we watched a documentary about the history of Auschwitz.

At that point, I knew that I was entering a world that I had never experienced. I knew it existed once, but until now, it was far away from me. The truth of what I saw, however, was even more confronting than I had ever expected.

On this early morning, there were already thousands of people crowding the big square, ready to go through security because of the latest terrorist attacks in Europe. The atmosphere was quiet and modest.

I heard multiple languages whispering around me. With my headphone on and the tour guide's voice in my ear, I walked through the gateway that had “Arbeit macht frei’ (Work Gives Freedom) above it.

The tour guide took us from cell block to cell block, identified as “Extermination,” “Medical Experiment,” and similar others. The walls in the big hallways were covered with pictures of the Jewish prisoners from all over Europe. Showcases were filled with

shoes, glasses, prosthetics, and women hair - silent witnesses of what happened here.

Right after, we went to Auschwitz II- Birkenau - a huge extermination camp. This is the camp people think of

when they hear the name “Auschwitz.”

Although the Nazis mostly destroyed the camp, these desolate plains impressed me. How deeply can people sink to destroy their fellow mankind? I felt ashamed as a human being to walk around there!

In silence, deeply impacted by what we had seen, we left Auschwitz behind us and drove back to Krakow. We all were trying to process the meaning of what we had experienced. Everyone in our world should have the chance to visit this place, to see what human beings can do to one another. It showed me that we all have to work together to keep our freedom. It is NEVER free.

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H I S TO R I C A L F I C T I O N

The Diary of Caroline E. Feebler, April 15, 1912 By: Nicole Schroeder, 5th grade, Deerfield Elementary, Rochester Hills

T

he waves of the North Atlantic Ocean swayed back and forth like the rocking horse in maid Martha’s nursery. I gripped onto the railing and gazed at the snowy icebergs as the Titanic sailed past. I tightened the shawl around my shoulders. The wind blew my curly brown hair against the night sky.

“Thump, click, thump, click,” sang a steady patter of high heels creeping up behind me.

“Caroline,” said a soft voice, “what in heaven’s name is my 11-year old girl doing up so late?”

I turned around and saw my Ma standing there in her evening gown, which was flowing in the wind. Her slick black hair was tied into a bun; from her ears hung gorgeous diamond earrings. She must have just arrived from her latenight banquet with Pa and their friends.

“I couldn’t summon myself to sleep,” I said as Ma stepped up next to me and looked into my bright blue eyes.

“Why is that?” she asked.

“Well, I was considering what maid Martha said today: a ship is unsinkable before it sinks,” I gulped and looked down at the lacy rim of my white nightgown. “What if the Titanic sinks?”

Ma looked at me and then at the icecold waves ahead of the huge steam ship, as if thinking of a strategic way to win a chess game.

“Well, I do agree with maid Martha, but try not to think too hard about those things, okay?” She looked at me, “Those troubles are for God’s shoulders; he will take care of his plan. Remember, think positive thoughts.”

I looked up at her and smiled.

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“You’re right!” I exclaimed.

Then we prayed. Prayed that if it was God’s will, that the steam ship wouldn’t sink, and if it did, that we would be safe.

“Now, let’s go tuck you into bed,” Ma offered. And we headed back to room 316, where my bed was waiting soundly for me to curl up and dream under its well sewed comforter.

To our surprise, people of all ages were running towards us; some of them I had seen during supper time.

“What is happening?” Ma tried to ask them, but they all were too busy running. Then, one man came running towards us. He was wearing a suit, tie, cloak, and a 1912 army badge.

“Pa!” I screamed, as he knelt and gave me a big hug.

“Thank God, you’re okay!” he gasped and looked at us both.

“James,” Ma demanded, “do tell me what all this commotion is about. I was just about to take Caroline to bed…”

“Laura, you have to take Caroline to the safety boats… as quickly as you possibly can…the Titanic is in trouble.”

Pa was spitting out warnings so fast I couldn’t keep track of them all.

“Come on Caroline,” said Ma, “let’s go…”

“What about Pa?” I questioned, tears swelling up in my eyes.

“Just …come, I will explain it to you later.”

“PA, PLEASE!!! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!?!?” I screamed as my Ma thrust us into a safety boat. We were plopped into the water with 63 other people in the boat with us, each looking equally confused.

Then I saw it. The Titanic had split

in two! The side I had been relaxing on was nearly completely covered by water.

Some people were jumping into the icecold water; others hung on the railing for dear life. The musicians were playing sad songs, for they were men and could only board a boat if all women and children had already boarded.

Then I saw Pa jump off. I could tell, as soon as he hit the water, he was iciclecold. He lashed through the water, trying to reach us.

“Pa!” I yelped, a smile growing on my face. He would be all right, I just knew it!

But then I remembered how cold it was in the water, and how we already had the maximum of 64 people on the boat, and how he could suffer immensely from pneumonia…

“Think positive,” my mom whispered under her breath as if reading my mind, “think positive.”

Think positive I repeated to myself over and over, trying as hard as I could to do so, think positive. So, I thought about him swimming over to our boat and giving me a big frosty hug. I thought about our whole family being safe in our home when we got there. I thought about Pa being healthy when he boarded the safety boat. And I trusted God with all my might.

“You can do it Pa!” I cheered, clapping my hands. Ma looked at me and smiled.

I smiled back. She joined in. “You can do it!”

Sure enough, he made it, and when he did, he gave me and Ma a big frosty hug.

Our prayers had been answered. We were safe. And I learned to be grateful for what you have when you have it.

www.KidsStandard.org

PEOPLE WE ADMIRE

WHAT HAS HISTORY TAUGHT US? By: Liberty Guilmette, 7th grade, Waldon Middle School, Lake Orion

“T

hough we may come from different places, and speak in different tongues, our hearts beat as one,” - Albus Dumbledore There are so many different lessons we can learn from history: be brave, stand up for what you believe in, stay strong, help the world become a better place. However, what I believe is that one person can change the world.

One person’s choice can re-write history. It all starts with one person wanting a change, and as a result, he or she impacts the world.

This is what history has taught me.

Rosa Parks started a revolution by refusing to stand up. Mrs. Parks most likely did not know the impact of her decision on so many lives, but she was the spark that ignited a roaring fire for civil rights. Nelson Mandela changed

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South Africa for speaking out against segregation and oppression. Though he was in jail for over half of his life fighting for his people, Nelson would not stop. As a result, he affected thousands of lives and removed barriers separating black from white in South Africa. Malcom X was born in the 1920s, when racism was blatant. He preached philosophy of racial equality. Maya Angelou was an inspirational poet and songwriter. She was also a civil rights activist, a professor, and an author. Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights activist and led many peaceful protests changing the way many viewed the world.

All these people have a few things in common: they changed the world, they were black, and they were civil rights activists. All of these men and women of color were fighting for their rights; all of these men and women are still fighting for their right to be

treated like human beings. I wonder why white people still think that they are superior to any other race. History books make it clear: we are the ones who have inflicted pain, misfortune, anger, damage, and sorrow on others.

Why must these people still fight for equality? History shows us that we have not yet learned that we are different, and yet, we are the same.

Muhammad ibn Musa AlKhwarizmi is also known as the father of algebra. He introduced Arabic numerals to European mathematics.

Without him, we would still be using Roman Numerals. Ibn Zuhr was the first person to link our overall health and wellbeing to our diets; he understood that exercise and good food were needed for us to be healthy.

Shirin Ebadi is an Iranian human rights lawyer. She has spoken out against her government and fought for women’s rights. Malala Yousafasi has spoken for women’s and children’s rights for education.

All these amazing men and women are Muslim.They are also proof that  Continue on page 19 15

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT

An Amazing Phenomenon By: Aiyan Lanker, 8th grade, Clarkston Junior High School

J

ust outside my house is a picture too beautiful for words. A simple flower, growing straight out of the concrete. It grew, even though the odds were against it. At first glance, I thought it was just a flower, but as I stopped to really truly appreciate its beauty, I realized that it actually meant a lot more to me.

Sometimes all odds are against us.

Sometimes life seems impossible.

There is no denial: we all have been there, at the point when life seems just too much and we feel as though we can't carry on any longer. But we can.

Throughout our history, life hasn’t

been easy. People had to fight their way through it. Life is tough, you have to grit your teeth and bear it till the end. You have to struggle before you can really appreciate life.

This simple little purple flower inspired me. It made me realize that even though times are hard and we feel like we can't make it, there is always a way. Whenever you feel like you can't make it any longer and you just want to give up, remember this flower. Remember how it grew and became something wonderfully beautiful in a place no one thought was ever possible. Remember how it grew without any help from anyone.

Remember how it proved everyone wrong.

The World We Live In By: Lori Wilson, 8th grade, Clarkston Junior High School

I

was walking through my yard, leaves crunching beneath my feet and sticks snapping underneath my weight. I looked from tree to tree, listening and breathing in the world around me. Then I saw it: the same tree I saw so often. In the base of it, there was a hole to which I had not payed much attention before. To me, it wasn't much; it was just a hole.

I kept on walking, not caring or thinking any more about it. But as I kept walking, my mind wandered back to the hole. What was the hole? The hole was the carefully dug home of a chipmunk or squirrel. This hole that meant nothing to me, probably meant everything to that creature. The leaves that I crunched beneath my feet could

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have been the home of thousands of organisms. We all share this world, so what are we doing to it?

There are millions of things we do every day that greatly affect the world, but are just beneath the surface of our understanding. How much goes on in our world that we don't know, because, in our minds, it has nothing to do with us? How much do we see with

our eyes, but don't think about?

This hole in the tree reminds me that we all share this world, and everything we do has a consequence. We, as humans, don't tend to think about the consequences that simple everyday things have on us and others. We all share this world, and whether we know it or not, every action affects us and those around us.

www.KidsStandard.org

PEOPLE WE ADMIRE  Continue from page 15 no matter your skin color, religion, age, or country, you can make a difference. Yet, because of their religion and way of life, they are looked upon with disgust and fear. We, humans, must not judge religion, ethnicity, or gender. We must judge a person’s character and actions. We must not make false assumptions; we must judge everyone on a clean slate.

Because we are human, we make mistakes, but when one person makes a mistake, the whole community shouldn’t suffer. We must start anew for every individual we come across. One person can tip the scale; one person can change the world.

Paula Abdul changed the realm of music with her astounding voice. Isaac Asimov wrote many books and was a brilliant biochemist. Max Baer was a heavyweight boxing champion and wore the Star of David on his shorts while boxing in the ring. László Bíró was a Jewish inventor; he invented the ballpoint pen. He fled the country of Hungary due to Nazis’ invasion. Once Word War II was over, László Bíró patented his pen in the United States. Noam Chomsky was a Jewish civil rights activist. Albert Einstein was one of the most brilliant minds in the world. Richard Feynman was a textbook writer and physicist. All of these women and men were Jewish. History shows that a dictatorship influences a culture. The Holocaust has tremendously impacted Jewish citizens. A lesson we can take from history is that fear plays a big part in having control. Hitler had grasped onto people’s fears, magnified them, and stood on a pedestal of tremendously fearful people. The way to achieve power is through good leadership, an open mind, and an open door. You can make an impact on this world, and your name can be written in love, pride, and awe.

History reveals to us many things about our culture, our beliefs, and how we came to be who we are today. We can see bloodbath, inequality, mistakes, ideas that were thought to be great at one time or another. What we don’t see is that all of these things from the past have evolved into our present. There are weekly shootings and inequality towards anyone who is not a heterosexual white male. There are mistakes in every aspect of our world; there are questions. But we, you and I, can change that.

We must look back and see all the horrific things that have not worked in the past and change them in the present. We must look at all of the incredible people who have molded and shaped our life. We must look and admire all those who gave their lives to make us free. We must open our eyes and see each other through a new light. We must try to live better than our ancestors did. It’s our turn to place the weight of changing this world on our shoulders. You can make a difference. Make them chant your name at the top of their lungs, and cry out Thank you! May your name be spoken in awe; may others read your story and stare transfixed at the glory of your tale of changing this world. Make all of this a reality. Change this world and be the person we admire!

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The Lost Pterodactyl By: Hailey Fisher, 3rd grade, Deerfield Elementary, Rochester Hills

O

nce there was a baby pterodactyl. One day there was an earthquake, and he got separated from his eight brothers, two sisters, and mom and

dad.

He was lonely. He tried to find them, but he couldn’t.

He was hungry. He found some berries and leaves. After he ate, he tried to find his family again, but he had no luck.

Suddenly, the ground shook. He felt hot. CRASH! The sky turned red, yellow, and orange. It was a volcano!

Baby pterodactyl ran as fast as his tiny, little legs could go. Then he felt someone stroke him. It was his mom and dad. He was so happy. Finally, he was safe. And he never got separated again.

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G R A D U AT E S

By: Zachary Somers, Sophomore

I

Mott Community College, Flint

t was a short drive to the loading docks in Grand Blanc, near Dort Highway. As I approached the warehouse where the rail cars were unloaded and reloaded onto semi-trucks, a thick fog enveloped the area. I could barely make out the once pristine and now faded and rusted sidings of the railroad cars.

As I walked along the railway, the white stone, studded with granite, crunched beneath my feet. Bent and rusted railroad spikes, litter, and debris littered the landscape...

The United States is a very young country. This does not mean, however, that we do not have a history. America‘s legacy of incredible industrial production and infrastructure tells a story of its own. From highways that crisscross the country to railroads that extend from sea to shining sea to bridges extending over massive bodies of water, the incredible effort exerted to build all of such infrastructure is a source of American pride.

In much of the United States these accomplishments evoke great pride and nostalgia. In the so-called rustbelt of the United States, much of nostalgia and pride is mingled with the effects of the aftermath, remaining from the era of world globalization. One such place that exemplifies hardships of the rustbelt is Genesee County, where business still goes on, despite the collapse of the auto industry and the many services and industries that supported it.

The fog that had formed in the early morning seemed unending; it stood in a great cloud just above my head, rippling 18

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softly at the slight breeze caressing it.

This area was once a giant arboreal forest. Carved out of the landscape, it was cleared to facilitate the ease of transporting rail goods from major industrial cities, such as Saginaw, Flint, or Detroit. It was founded in 1822, long before mass industrialization took place. From there, an expedition was launched to map a trail to Saginaw. This history is still reflected in

names of the main road running through the town center - Saginaw Street.

The banging of loading and unloading of the railway cars had not yet begun, and there was an eerie silence to the place.

Moving farther ahead, I encountered the first of hundreds of railway cars. Not a single one of them looked like it had been built in this millennium, or within the last 50 years. Rust clung to every exposed orifice of the cars; the paint chipped and was peeling away. Nearly every railcar had been “tagged” with spray paint.

Most of the markings were illegible, with a few letters cleverly and artistically sewn together like a Frankenstein version of the alphabet, thrown out of place.

Gangs and artists expressed themselves on these cars as eloquently as a playwright. Some had jokes, others - insults, but there seemed to be darker overtones.

Singular words, indicative of the struggles facing the “artists,” covered entire railcars from end to end. In a sense, I felt that these artistic renditions were a way for people to express their frustration at being forgotten, abandoned, and left behind in a world that never stopped moving.

As I trudged back to the warehouse that was just beginning to stir to life, I couldn’t help but wonder. Society went through a lot of effort and loss to gain control over nature and to provide a better life for itself and future generations.

Without the maintenance of such vital infrastructure, what is left for those whose relatives came here to build a life?

What should we, as society, do about the abandonment of those who were not fortunate enough to escape this depressed, dilapidated, industrial heartland?

The railway seemed to be a metaphor for all of rustbelt in America. I believe we should protect and preserve our history, such as this little railroad depot, because it is important. We have a responsibility to create a better society where we want to live -- a society that exists for people first, despite being the economic juggernaut that America has become. We owe it to ourselves and future generations to know what we were, so we know what we could be… before it rusts away like this infrastructure in front of me. www.KidsStandard.org

T E AC H E R ’ S C O R N E R

Getting Students to Think Like Historians!

By: Jay Weinberg, Social Studies Teacher, Sashabaw Middle School, Clarkston

W

hat does it mean for a seventh grader to think historically? How can thinking like a historian make a middle school student appreciate not only history but also the life he or she is living now? I believe that it’s a matter of perspective.

The Value of Different Perspectives

In our school, we stress that there are different points of view on the topics we study in history class. We are exposing students to experiences of other cultures not because we wish them to follow a certain path or to be “enlightened;” we are teaching children that history allows for different perspectives and that one point of view is not the only way to look at something.

The sooner students understand this, the sooner they will develop tolerance for the diverse cultures in our world, respect beliefs of others, and accept people for who they are. In no way, of course, we want students to leave behind their own beliefs, but rather gain an understanding that they live in a country that thrives on differences. Thus, by realizing that learning about history comes from different perspectives, students learn to appreciate different views without abandoning ones of their own.

Dispositions to Investigate and Question

In my class, I have students question what they learn, read, and see on a regular basis. In addition to understanding the information, they research and verify evidence to prove the claim that is supplied to them. There is always a need NOVEMBER 2016

motives. To understand and appreciate different perspectives, I guide my students to seek out the author’s point of view. Students must learn to source their research to understand the author’s purpose in putting the information together.

They ask important questions about the author: Why did he or she write this?

What was the purpose or intent? For whom was this written? Then students must use different perspectives to support their conclusions. The goal of the end result is to hopefully support the original claim that is backed by evidence obtained from various primary source documents.

So what does it mean “to think historically?” To me, it means to have

What does it mean “to think historically?” It means to have the disposition to be tolerant and open-minded towards the feelings, beliefs, and theories that we don’t necessarily share.

— Jay Weinberg

for multiple sources, as corroboration is the key to useful evidence. Students are provided multiple source documents with agreeing or opposing points of view. Students are able to learn that perspectives vary because they are based on different premises, perceptions, and

the disposition to be tolerant and open-minded towards the feelings, beliefs, and theories that we don’t necessarily share. Understanding different perspectives and the evidence used to prove them is the basis for thinking historically.

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E D U C AT O R S

Out of Eden Learn:

Helping Young People

Connect Their Lives to Bigger Human Stories By: Liz Dawes Duraisingh, Principal Investigator at Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education.

I

n January 2013, Paul Salopek, a National Geographic fellow and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, began a 21,000mile walk around the world that retraces the broad migratory pathways of our ancient human ancestors. Since then, he has walked across Ethiopia and through the Middle East and Caucasus to Uzbekistan, following the old Silk Road into China.

From there, he will make his way to the Bering Strait, take a boat, and walk down the west coast of North and South America to its southernmost tip.

Salopek’s Out of Eden Walk is an experiment in “slow journalism.” His writing weaves together various timeframes: the overarching and unfolding story of our human species, the regional histories of the places he walks through, the life stories of the individual people he encounters, and the ongoing story of his own walk, which is taking place at a particular moment in human history.

My interest in helping young people relate their own lives to the past or

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history has led me – somewhat serendipitously – to help create Out of Eden Learn (an initiative of Project Zero, a research center at the Harvard Graduate School of Education) that involves a collaboration with Salopek. Out of Eden Learn is about much more than introducing young people to one person’s history-inspired journey. Our online learning community picks up on deep themes of Salopek’s walk, including the premise that as human beings we are fundamentally connected to one another, both by our collective past and our shared present and future.

Connecting Students to Understand Our Shared Present and Future

Out of Eden Learn brings together groups of young people from diverse contexts from around the world to en-

gage in a series of learning activities and to comment on one another’s work (teachers of students under the age of

Young people today, particularly teens, are hungry for opportunities to ponder important existential questions, such as how as individuals we are connected to bigger human stories. Out of Eden Learn is one way to tap into that need.

- Liz Dawes Duraisingh ten post on behalf of their classes). These activities invite young people to 1. slow down to observe the world more carefully and to listen attentively to others, 2. exchange stories and perspectives with one another, 3. reflect on how our individual lives connect to bigger human stories.

For instance, students are asked to take slow walks in their neighborhoods and to document everyday activities.

Some activities prompt young people to consider how global trends or forces are playing out at a local level, inviting them to reflect on how their everyday lives tie to bigger, unfolding human stories.

Activities that Invite Students To Connect Their Own Lives to the Past

We also encourage young people to make connections between their own www.KidsStandard.org

E D U C AT O R S

User name Hawkboy2, an elementary school student, North Carolina, USA “This is a picture that my grandma showed me. It is a picture of her grandma with Santa. We were wondering how old my grandma’s grandma was back than. When my grandma was a kid, after school she went to where her grandma worked and they spent a lot of time together. So when I was a baby she moved close to where we live so I could have that relationship with my grandma.”

User name Meow608, a middle school student, Singapore: “I think all aspects of history (including personal heritage, national identity/country and even the whole human history) play a role in shaping who we are and who we want to become in the future. That’s why I have chose to include all three aspects into my diagram as I feel that they are the essential three aspects that influenced me the most....”

connection to the past and general curiosity about other people’s lives.

Why This is Important

lives and the past. In Learning Journey 2: The Past and the Global students draw a diagram to explain how the past is connected to who they are or the lives they are living. Students typically produce a wide array of diagrams. For instance, some focus on their family history, others look at emerging technology and changes in human lifestyles, while others concentrate on their national or religious identities.

Another activity invites students to look slowly and carefully at an old, valued object with someone from an older generation and to record highlights from that conversation. Students often report having highly meaningful discussions with grandparents, neighbors, or family friends that heighten their sense of NOVEMBER 2016

Young people today, particularly teens, are hungry for opportunities to ponder important existential questions, such as how as individuals we are connected to bigger human stories. Out of Eden Learn is one way to tap into that need.

The activities on Out of Eden Learn are valuable in and of themselves, but their potential power is amplified when young people have a chance to learn from one another. This is part of the beauty of Out of Eden Learn: young people gain new perspectives about their own lives and communities – including their relationship to the past - at the same time as they are connecting online with young people from different cultural backgrounds, who are having similar learning experiences

themselves.

Overall, we hope to nurture a respectful curiosity about the world and other people, as well as a sense that as individuals we can make unique and important contributions to the ongoing human stories of which we are all a part.

Liz Dawes Duraisingh is a Principal Investigator at Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

She co-directs Out of Eden Learn with her colleagues Carrie James and Shari Tishman.

From the Editor: Participation in Out of Eden Learn is free of charge and open to all educators and their students.

The curriculum materials, which can be adapted for everyday classroom use, are also free. To find out more about the project, visit learn.outofedenwalk.com, which includes links to the Out of Eden Learn YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts.

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C O L L E G E TO U R

Amanda Junior, University of Michigan Major: History and Political Science; Minor: German By: Sophia Gabrysiak, 11th grade, Lake Orion High School

You are a History major. What effect has studying History had on you and your life?

I have always been interested in History, but was reluctant to become a history major because I feared it wouldn’t look good to employers. However, after deciding to major in history, I have discovered how valuable this degree is.

I am able to conduct research, critically analyze documents, and understand the world in a holistic way. Studying history has impacted my life by preparing me for the workforce and giving me context to the world around me.

How can historical events and people teach us lessons that we can use today?

This is a very common question that is asked to history majors and historians, 22

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and the most general answer is that by studying history we can learn about mistakes in the past and, therefore, not to recreate them in the future.

I disagree that we as humans can avoid mistakes by looking at the past. Of course, some patterns are common and can be picked up quickly. However, the future can never be guaranteed despite understanding past behavior. The same mistakes will be made over and over again in different forms, and only when a historian looks back and analyzes the event, do we realize they are very similar. Every generation has growing pains, but by looking at the past, we grow closer to understanding humanity and ourselves.

What are some important lessons have you have learned from history?

leads to lack of understanding. So I’ve learned to open up, listen up, and quiet down.

How do events from American history, world history, and our personal history differ in the lessons we are able to take from them?

In general, understanding history from around the world helps a person gain more understanding of different cultures, ideologies, and approaches to interpreting history. The idea that history is a linear progression is a very westernized concept; in other areas of the world, history is understood as a circular concept, with no end or beginning.

Gaining insights about these differences helps grow a more universal community.

Communication is key. A lot of problems throughout history came from a lack of communication, which often www.KidsStandard.org

H I S TO R Y

History W

Maggie Razdar Publisher/Founder

hen it comes to the potentials of ‘learning from history’ there are without question many things we could aspire to learn.

Some of those would be more practically useful, in terms of contributing to the usual and decent functioning of well-meaning societies than others.

Many of us use famous quotations and quotes about ‘ learning from history ‘ begins with a couple quotes in which people express some disillusionment about Humanity’s all-too-frequent failure at actually learning from history or the past mistakes of history.

Overview of learning from history may not so much obviously focus importance on the broader range of past mistakes of history, of which there are many, as learning useful lessons about - The Human Condition AND Social Change.

This can show, how past mistakes and serious misjudgments have arisen from time to time disrupting the normal and decent functioning of would-be well-meaning societies.

Hope you enjoyed our issue on History!

“Human nature will not change. In any future great national trial, compared with the men of this, we shall have as weak and as strong, as silly and as wise, as bad and as good. Let us therefore study the incidents in this as philosophy to learn wisdom from and none of them as wrongs to be avenged.” Abraham Lincoln (in the context of The American Civil War of 1861 to 1865)

NOVEMBER 2016

“Those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it.”

—Winston Churchill

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