October 2008 Chalkboard by Jenny Witcher

PROJECT BRIDGE TO ACHIEVEMENT

The Chalkboard OCTOBER 2008

National Hispanic Heritage Month This article was contributed by Jennifer Plumley, a cohort 7 intern. September 15 through October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month. It is an annual celebration to recognize the important contributions of Hispanic and Latin Americans to the history of the United States. It is a time when America celebrates the culture and traditions of U.S. residents who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico, and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. The observation began in 1968 under President Lyndon Johnson as Hispanic Heritage Week. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan expanded the celebration to cover a 30-day period starting September 15 and ending October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988 on the approval of Public Law 100402. September 15 is the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico declared its independence on September 16 and Chile on September 18. Many Hispanic people have made numerous

contributions to America’s society and influenced her communities through paths as arts, politics, and law. Such Hispanic culture reflects a strong commitment to family, love of country, and respect of others. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 44 million people (14 percent of the population) in the United States are of Hispanic origin. Hispanic cultures contribute to American life while preserving the unique customs and traditions of their ancestors that are reflected in their art, music, food, and faiths. Teaching about Hispanic heritage will help build the self esteem and the pride of those that are Hispanic. It is important to teach heritage in the classroom. According to Multicultural Education: Issues and Perspectives (Banks and Banks, 1992), it is essential that all students learn to understand the ethnic diversity that is our country. Integrating the cultures in the social studies classroom helps develop “ethnic literacy” in all students. Developing ethnic literacy fosters pride in one’s own culture and a respect for the uniqueness of the others.

From September 15 to October 15, the focal point of many classroom activities will be teaching the contributions of Hispanic Americans. The website http:// www.educationworld.com/ a_lesson/lesson/ lesson023.shtml has phenomenal activities to incorporate into the classroom. The activities range from writing biographies on famous Hispanics to U.S. geography. Did you know that many U.S. place names are derived from the Spanish language? For example, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, and Montana are all derived from the Spanish language. Another fantastic website for activities in the classroom is http:// www.infoplease.com/spot/ hhm1.html. This website has crosswords, quizzes, and much more. Enjoy the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month while paying tribute to the wonderful Hispanic Culture. ¡Celebrar! For more information on this holiday and celebration activities, see the following website: http://www.fldoe.org/ JustForTeachers/hhm.asp http://

Upcoming shows at Marian College’s Peine Theatre st

*The classic tale of horror, Dracula, by Crane Johnson: October 1 through October 4 *Escanaba In Da Moonlight, a full length comedy by Jeff Daniels: November 19th through November 22nd. Marian College students, staff, and faculty get free admission with their Marian I.D. and a non-perishable food donation. These donations will go to institutions like Gleaners Food Bank or St. Vincent de Paul Society. Ticket prices for general admission are: $10.00 for Adults; $5.00 for children, students with I.D., senior citizens and Marian College alumni. For reservations call 955-6588 or e-mail boxoffice@marian.edu.

V OLUME 6 , ISSUE 3

Teacher Tips: From NEA: Works4Me, found at http://www.nea.org/ti ps/index.html

YUMMY BINGO "M&M's or Skittles are a fun addition to test review Bingo. The students can use the candies to cover up the spaces. They struggle not to eat the candy during the game and have a yummy snack when it's finished." From Shelly Clausen

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: October

Calendar Fun for

the Kids Kudos!

Culture

Corner Indianapolis

Civic Theatre Intern Profile

O CT OBE R 20 08

P AGE 2

Schedule of Events

October 2008 Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

School with

Classes at Marian

Mentor Teacher

8am-4pm

8am-11am

Happy Halloween!

Sat 4 ü October 1 — Chinese National Day

ü October 4 — Mexico became a republic, 1824

Classes at Marian

School with

Classes at Marian

8am-4pm

Mentor Teacher

8am-4pm

8am-11am

Family Math Workshop

School with

Classes at Marian

Mentor Teacher

8am-4pm

8am-noon

9am-3pm

Solo Teaching Phase-In

School with

ü October 20— National Fruit Day

Mentor Teacher

ü October 25— Pablo Picasso born, 1881

Solo

ü October 27— International School Library Day

Teaching

ü October 5— World Teachers’ Day ü October 8— R.L. Stine (Goosebumps writer) born, 1943

ü October 12— Hispanic Day, Spain ü October 13— Thanksgiving Day, Canada

ü October 18— Freedom Day, Azerbaijan

ü October 28— Statue of Liberty dedicated, 1886

Fun for The Kids Animation at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis “Explore the art, math, science and technology of animation from concept to finished product.” For more information, go to http://www.childrensmuseum.org/ or call (317) 334-3322. And don’t forget: the first Thursday of each month is free of charge from 4-8 p.m. INvestigation Stations at the Indiana Historical Society “By studying clues, asking questions, analyzing and recording findings, guests can piece together a reasonable conclusion of events, just like Sherlock Holmes…historians play detective in order to piece together conclusions about the people, places and events that have shaped our history.” Admission is free. For more information, go to http://www.indianahistory.org/ or call (317) 232-1882. Indiana History Train - Sullivan, Indiana The Indiana History Train visits Sullivan, Bargersville, New Castle and Evansville in October. “This fall, hop aboard the History Train and get a hands-on, close-up look at Hoosiers whose lives were touched by the Civil War.” Stops: Oct. 2-4: Sullivan; Oct. 9-11: Bargersville; Oct. 16-18: New Castle; Oct. 23-25: Evansville. The Indiana History Train is open Thursdays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call (800) 447-1830 or go to www.indianahistory.org/

T HE C HA LKBO ARD

P AGE 3

Kudos! Matt Laker, a cohort 3 graduate, is one of 20 selected Social Studies Teachers from across the United States to be awarded a grant through the Saudia Aramco Educators Program. Congratulations, Matt!

Culture Corner: Contributions from Latin and Hispanic Americans To commemorate National Hispanic Heritage Month (see this month’s Culture Corner for more information), we would like to identify some notable firsts from Latin and Hispanic Americans: Government ♦ The first Hispanic member of Congress was Joseph Marion Hernandez, delegate from the Florida territory, 1822. ♦ The first Hispanic U.S. Treasurer was Romana Acosta Bañuelos, who served from 1971 to 1974. ♦ The first Hispanic U.S. Attorney General was Alberto Gonzales, who began his tenure in 2005. Military ♦ The first Hispanic Medal of Honor recipient was Philip Bazaar, a Chilean member of the U.S. Navy, for bravery during the Civil War in 1865. ♦ The first Hispanic General

Flag of Chile

♦

of the U.S. Army was Richard E. Cavazos, in 1976. Science The first male Hispanic astronaut was Franklin ChangDiaz in 1986. The first female was Ellen Ochoa in 1991. Medicine The first Hispanic winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine was Severo Ochoa for the synthesis of ribonucleic acid in 1959. Literature The first Hispanic to write a novel in English was María Amparo Ruiz de Burton, who wrote Who Would Have Thought It? In 1872. Music The first Hispanic opera diva was Lucrezia Bori, who debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 1912. The first Hispanic rock star was Richie Valens. Television and Film ♦ The first Hispanic star of a network television show was Desi Arnaz for his role in I Love Lucy. ♦ The first male Hispanic Oscar winner was José Ferrer, who won the Best Actor Oscar in 1950 for Cyrano de Bergerac.

♦

The first female Hispanic Oscar winner was Rita Moreno, who won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 1961 for West Side Story. Sports The first Hispanic major league baseball player was Esteban Bellán in 1871, a player for the Troy Haymakers. The first Hispanic NFL player was Ignacio “Lou” Molinet in 1927. The first Hispanic heavyweight boxing champion was John Ruiz in 2001 when he defeated Evander Holyfield. Interesting Firsts The first Hispanic supermodel was Christy Turlington. The first Hispanic entertainer on the cover of Time magazine was Joan Baez in 1962.

Flag of Cuba

Now Showing at Ever Teaching, Ever Learning, Ever Changing

Indianapolis Civic Theatre:

Project Bridge To Achievement Marian College School of Education 3200 Cold Spring Road Indianapolis, IN 46222 Fax: (317) 955-6448

Newsletter Contact List Cheryl Hertzer Program Director 317-955-6087 chertzer@marian.edu Patricia Stewart EDU Administrative Assistant 317-955-6089 pstewart@marian.edu Jenny M. Witcher Project Bridge Assistant 317-955-6095 jmwitcher@marian.edu

Readers, this is your newsletter. We welcome any contributions you wish to make. If you have a news item, a suggestion or a correction, please contact Jenny M. Witcher by phone or email. If you are a mentor or student and would like to volunteer to be profiled in subsequent issues, or if you would like to contribute a “Teacher Tip,” please contact Jenny, Patricia Stewart or Cheryl Hertzer. Thank you for your interest and participation!

October31 — November 16, 2008. For more information and to purchase tickets, call 923-4597 or visit the web site at http://www.civictheatre.org/. Indianapolis Civic Theatre is located on the Marian College campus at 3200 Cold Spring Road.

Intern Profile: David Lueck David Lueck, a cohort 7 intern, grew up in Indiana and lived in California for nearly ten years. Before joining the MAT program, David served as a Certified Meeting Professional with twenty years of meeting and event planning (as well as non-profit fundraising) experience. He has produced events in nearly every major United States market – from fundraising dinners for 1,400 and sporting events for 10,00, to trade shows for 20,000. After completing his Bachelor of Science degree in 2005, David decided to make a a significant change in his life and career: “I come from a family of educators and was surprised to discover that I have a true passion for teaching – specifically educating children of privilege and teaching these future leaders the great importance of a diverse and multi-cultural society.” David decided to earn his degree and teaching licensure at Marian for several reasons: “After much research and reflection, I felt like Marian’s MAT program would provide me the greatest experi-

ence in transitioning to teaching. As a product of a Jesuit high school education (Brebeuf), I was drawn to Marian’s Franciscan values – the dignity of the individual; peace and justice; reconciliation; and responsible stewardship. I really appreciate the small cohort size and the hands-on and practical approach of the faculty. I must also give credit to the incredible dedication of the program director, Cheryl Hertzer, as a huge draw…I am really excited about the opportunity I have to learn from such a dedicated and motivated faculty – and to grow as an educator at the feet of an amazing mentor teacher, Karen Walls.” David’s philosophy of education is anchored in respect for the individual and for diversity: “As an educator my primary responsibility is to create an environment where children feel safe and valued. Mirroring the value of dignity, I will respect my children as unique individuals. I will embrace and celebrate their cultural heritage and their individual gifts and talents. As a servant leader I will attend to the needs of the entire class and

each child as a whole child…Children come from a variety of backgrounds, cultures and experiences. As their teacher, I will encourage them and support their development and acculturation. I will guide them and expose them to cultures other than their own, and I will work to broaden their horizons…I will be my authentic self and will allow myself to make mistakes as long as I am reflective and learn from them. I will not be too proud to ask for help and will collaborate with my peers to improve my skills and knowledge. I will work cooperatively with administration and guidance to ensure my students’ success. I will behave with integrity while in the classroom, the playground, the school campus and the community. While I bring much life experience to the classroom, I will be approachable and will recognize that my students have much to teach me….I will do all of this and more, as I have chosen the career of teacher to make a difference in the lives of children and their parents.”