Frank Romeo

EDU 551-50

fromeo@archbishopcurley.org

10^th Grade United States History: Federalism vs. State’s Rights

Unit of Study: Federalism vs. State’s Rights

The unit on Federalist v. Anti-Federalists (State’s Rights) for grade 10 will be supplemented by the following three books, which describe the struggles between the Federal government and State power in the United States. In addition, students will examine and interpret various primary sources, including speeches and documents to determine their political origins and impact.  This unit takes place within a 10th grade U.S. History class with average ability level students.

1.  Trade Book: The Best American History Book.

          ISBN-10: 0595284795: Reading level: Ages 9-12

          Flesch Kincaid Readability grade-level estimate from Word ’07: 7.0

Burnett, E. (2003). The Best American History Book. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse, Inc.

This trade book was written by Eric Burnett, currently a teacher at the Singapore American School.  The book includes a variety ofeasy to read charts, various primary source illustrations and documents, and academic level appropriate summaries, questions and activities.  In addition, the book includes sections (sub-chapters) to assist in breaking down different time periods and events.  I teach in a 10^th grade remedial class and this book would fit nicely into our curriculum. This book would be a great supplement to journal articles, various primary sources and period pieces written by those who lived history.  The book was written for and by high school students.  However, the book does contain some flaws, including wrong information, some grammar mistakes, it can be a bit monotonous and may not be as challenging in some chapters. 

One of the most confusing and challenging topics to cover in U.S. History is the ratification and signing of the Declaration of Independence.  Students often have a difficult time understanding and comprehending the ratification process and the emergence of the political differences between the Federalists (strong central government) and Anti-Federalists (weak central government or state’s rights). This book does an excellent job of breaking down the process and provides a very easy and fluent explanation of those differences.  I actually experimented with the book in my remedial class and the students appeared to enjoy and grasp the concepts easier.  In addition, the simplistic but informative breakdown of the ratification process and argument of weak vs. a strong central government is age/academic level appropriate. 

2.  Trade Book: The Great Decision.

ISBN-10: 1586484265

Flesch Kincaid Readability estimate grade-level from Word ’07: 11.5

McKean, D. (2009). The Great Decision. New York, NY: Public Affairs: Perseus Books Group.

This trade book is an excellent source concerning the topic of state’s rights versus the Federal government and the battle for the Supreme Court.  The book discusses the presidencies of John Adams, a Federalist, Thomas Jefferson, an Anti-Federalist and Jefferson’s cousin, John Marshall a staunch Federalist and Supreme Court Justice.  David McKean pens a fluent and informative account of the beginning of the Supreme Court, the ratification of the Constitution and epic battle of state versus federal power.  McKean breaks down the famous Supreme Court case in 1803, Marbury vs. Madison and examines the historically political implications and impact of this landmark case.  The court case of Marbury vs. Madison is one of the most essential keys to understanding the idea of separation of powers that the United States Government was founded on.

This trade book would be an excellent supplementary reading source for teaching the basic government principle of separation of powers and Federalism versus Anti-Federalism.  In addition, the book stresses the national emergence of the Supreme Court as a separate but equal branch of the national government.  No other text book that I have used has even stresses the historic importance and significance of this historic landmark case.  The Great Decision contains many primary source documents, including speeches, letters and official government documents concerning the ratification process, the signing of the Constitution and the political thoughts and ideas of several founding fathers including Jefferson and Adams.  These sources are great teaching tools and will be used to reinforce our textbook and journal articles. 

3. Trade Book: Homework Helpers:  U.S. History (1865-present.

         ISBN-10: 1564149188

   Flesch Kincaid Readability estimate grade-level from Word ’07: 11.6

Princeton Review. (2007). Homework Helpers: U.S. History (1865-          present): From Reconstruction Through the Dawn of the 21st Century. Franklin Lakes, NJ: The Career Press.   

Another great time period in history that illustrates the struggles of state versus federal power is the Reconstruction Era directly following the American Civil War.  The introduction of the Wade-Davis a bill, legislation calling for military governors of those states in rebellion was another political argument concerning state rights versus the national government.  The Reconstruction Era is riddled with examples of the fight for a separation of powers and executive control of the returning states.  Homework Helpers is an excellent and informative source for students as a supplementary text. The book begins most sections with a time-line and brief description of that era.  In addition, the book includes a “trends and themes” write-up of the era.  This is a great way to introduce a new topic into your lesson. 

I would use the “trends and themes” section along with the “Reconstruction-era Legislative Acts at a Glance” on page 22 to introduce and reinforce the concepts of ratification and separation of powers between the branches of government.  This section outlines the legislative act, what it provided and its lasting impact.  This chart is an excellent reinforcement tool and visual aid for the students.  The end of the section includes a test review with multiple choices, matching and short answer questions.  These questions will serve as review and study guide questions for upcoming exams and assessments.  I really like the structure of this book, the informative and easy to follow sections along with the chart, graphs and maps that are accompany each section.  This illustrations can be used for my visual learners and provide secondary reinforcement. 

4. Website: Give Me Liberty: An American History

Give Me Liberty: An American History. W. W. Norton & Company Study Space. Retrieved from: http://www.wwnorton.com/college/history/foner2/welcome.asp

This website would be a great supplement for this unit on ratification, the constitution and Federal vs. State’s rights.  This website includes many primary source documents, images and audio/video links for the students to utilize.  For example, Voices of Freedom: From James Madison, The Federalist no. 51, and Anti-Federalist Essay Signed "Brutus" (1787) is an excellent audio of a primary source to reinforce the argument of ratification between the Federalist and Anti-Federalist. 

Students can go onto the website, download or listen to, watch or read primary source documents and complete a worksheet that can be emailed directly to me.  There is no paper involved and no chance of losing the worksheet.  In addition, students can take a multiple choice or true/false quiz to reinforce what they have learned.  Lastly, the website provides students with the possibility of constructing virtual “Index Cards”.  The students can also use an iMap and worksheet to reinforce the lesson.  I love this website and use it often.  The students like the idea of emailing their work and getting familiar with and using many primary sources. 

5. Website: National Archives. Teaching Sources.  Retrieved from: http://www.archives.gov/

This website is maintained by the National Archive and Administration Records department.  I have the students research this website for "official" US Government documents such as the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights....etc.  In addition, the students can research or meet the "Founding Fathers", research questions about the documents and study the process behind ratification and the passing of constitutional amendments.  Each year, students have to present a project about the amendments, Bill of Rights and the process of ratification.  This website gives the students an in-depth look into that process.  We use this site for the "Primary Source" portion of the lesson and their projects. 

“I hereby affirm that I have neither given nor received help on this work.”

Blog Assignment #7 (Inquiry Question)

How can you Help Students with Disabilities succeed in State and District Writing Assessments?

First, it is important to note that good teaching and parental support can assist any student in learning to write more effectively.  There are several academic differences that exist between students with disabilities and their counterparts in school.  For instance, when it comes to effective writing techniques, students with disabilities have a tendency to know less about the characteristics of good writing, often begin a writing assignment with little or no planning, only make minor corrections when revising an assignment and experience difficulty with their handwriting, spelling and punctuation. 

To help counteract these hurdles, teachers/parents can incorporate several strategies/techniques into their lessons when assisting students with learning disabilities.  For instance, the article suggests using the "
three principles of effective writing instruction" (http://www.tourettesyndrome.net/wp-content/uploads/Warger2.pdf) when assisting students with writing.  They are:

· Using a basic framework of planning, writing, and revision.

· Instructing students in steps of the writing process and the features and conventions of

  the writing genre.

· Providing feedback guided by the information explicitly taught.

(http://www.tourettesyndrome.net/wp-content/uploads/Warger2.pdf)

In addition, it is vital to help prepare the students for their writing assignments.  It is essential to their success that the teacher and student work together to develop a strategy for the assignment, while building student background knowledge. The use of technology in instruction and testing is another teaching strategy that can be implemented while assisting students with their writing assignments.  Finally, it is important to provide students with the appropriate accommodations during assessments/testing.

 Warger, C. (2002). Helping Students with Disabilities Succeed in State and District Writing Assessments. ERIC /OSEP Digest #E625. Retrieved April3rd, 2011, from: http://www.tourettesyndrome.net/wp-content/uploads/Warger2.pdf

Blog Assignment #6 (two websites)

1.

National Archives 

This website is maintained by the National Archive and Administration Records department.  I have the students research this website for "official" US Government documents such as the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights....etc.  In addition, the students can research or meet the "Founding Fathers", research questions about the documents and study the process behind ratification and the passing of constitutional amendments.  Each year, students have to present a project about the amendments, Bill of Rights and the process of ratification.  This website gives the students an in-depth look into that process.  We use this site for the "Primary Source" portion of the lesson and their projects. 

2.

Textbook Companion Website 

This website is used in conjunction with our textbooks.  There are interactive maps, puzzle games to reinforce vocabulary terms and timelines to quiz the students.  In addition, there is a current events section to help tie the past and the present.  Another feature that we use is the online skills tutor application.  I use this feature to help students organize and build their critical thinking and reading skills.  For instance, I will use this for comparing and contrasting, drawing inferences and conclusions and identifying cause and effect.  I use this tool to supplement our lessons, introduce new material or reinforce learned concepts. In addition, I use this to assist students with the visual analysis of graphs, charts and maps.   

Inquiry Group Presentation

1.  Teaching students with learning differences
2.  There are different teaching techniques and strategies that can be implemented when teaching students with learning differences. 

3.  I will be following Sara's presentation on strategies for different forms of creative writing.   She will be following Garth's presentation regarding the aspects of teaching teens to write poetry.  My presentation will be  focusing on teaching specific writing skills to students with learning differences.

Blog Assignment #5

What are some adaptive Reading strategies/Materials that can be used for teaching reading to Children with Learning Disabilities?

"Almost any reading material can be adapted to meet the needs of your learning disabled child. Whether your child's difficulty is in basic reading or in reading comprehension, these tips can help him understand the content of reading material with less frustration (http://learningdisabilities.about.com/od/readingstrategies/qt/diffreadingmate.htm)”.

First, it is essential to provide the student with a list of new vocabulary words that will appear in a passage. In class, I have the students keep a journal of new words for each chapter that we use throughout the year.  They can refer back to their journal list when writing papers or answering questions.  Next, have the students sound the word out loud and/or read it aloud to her if they difficulty recognizing or pronouncing it.   In addition, you can ask the student if the word sounds familiar and if any parts of the word suggest what it means.  You can also have the students read the sentences surrounding the new word and determine if they give the student any hints as to the meaning of the word.  Illustrations will also help provide visual examples of the words.  Some students also benefit from “skipping” the word as not to interfere with the flow of reading.  They then can go back and re-read the passage after researching the correct meaning and context of the word.

In addition to these strategies, teachers/parents can inquire about CD ROM versions of their child’s textbooks. The teacher/department or school district can assist in locating these materials.  Another possibility is to research the possibility of textbooks on tape.  Many publishers or book companies sell books or “readers” such as Kindle 2 or Nook from Barnes & Noble to assist with reading.  A third suggestion when reading books or novels is to contact the school or librarian for the possibility of lower-level reading versions of required books. 

Find Free Audio Books for Download:

·         AudioBooksforFree.com - This site has a wide selection of classic and modern literature, as well as fairly recent non-fiction. It has a nifty rating system for parents. Audio books having adult content or strong language are clearly marked.

·         Literalsystems.orgThis site has a limited collection, focusing mainly on classic literature. The quality, however, is quite good.

·         LibriVox.org has a collection of nearly 1000 works of literature in the public domain. Works were generally published before 1923.

·         Project Gutenberg is possibly the most comprehensive collection of free audio books on the web. Many are read by volunteers, and some are computer-generated. The site also carries selections in several world languages.

                        (http://learningdisabilities.about.com/od/readingstrategies/qt/audiobooks.htm)

      Logsdon, A. (2011) Reading Strategies: Reading strategies to Adapt Materials for Your Child. The New York Times Company: About.com. Retrieved March 20, 2011 from:http://learningdisabilities.about.com/od/readingstrategies/qt/diffreadingmate.htm

Blog assignment #4 (2 websites)

1.
Art of War, The. (2001). Web design: Digicard. Retrieved March 11, 2011, from http://www.vietnamartwork.com/

This website is designed to introduce the Vietnam Conflict through the artwork of those that were there.  I have used this website many times for students to explore and get a understanding of conflict from those that experienced it.  In the past, students would choose a painting/picture and reflect on its meaning, what the artist is trying to portrait and how it tells a story.  In addition, students can email and converse with the artist asking questions and obtain feedback from their inquiries.  The host of the website and artist is my father.  He has agreed to interact and provide any historical information or reflect the paintings origin and meaning.  He has also visited our school and provided first hand accounts of his experience.  When he does visit, students are to choose and painting and write a summary, reflection and ask questions for his lecture.  We use this website to introduce conflict and more specifically the Vietnam era.

2.
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, The. (2009-2011). Retrieved March 11, 2011, from http://www.gilderlehrman.org/institute/era_civilwar.php

This is a new website for me.  It was introduced by a colleague of mine this year.  I have used this website to supplement primary source documents, maps, and journal articles.  The material found in this website is information not necessarily taught in traditional textbooks.  It has write-ups and articles from famous historians, book reviews and suggested or additional reading titles for students.  When I assign a particular topic, students are instructed to browse this website for any addition journal articles or book sources not found in our textbook.  Students like the details of the maps and the ease of their explanations.  In addition, we have what I call "This day in History" for extra credit.  Students must write a paragraph and explain what happened on that particular day throughout history.  They must cite their sources and many use the History in the News scrolling headline and historical facts from this website.  I also use this website to point out writing/essay contests and scholar programs.  In addition, I like the link that allows you to listen in on historian’s new books and discoveries.

What are the some guidelines or strategies to Teaching Writing to Students with Learning Disabilities?

Many students with learning differences have problems with writing because they lack

concentration or face problems with focusing for extended periods of time. These obstacles

often lead to problems related to brainstorming, organization, and coherence. In addition, many students with learning differences experience problems in revising and writing final drafts due to difficulty with

spelling and punctuation.
  

First, teachers should provide various writing tasks. Writing about what

students enjoy or are passionate about is a great first step in writing. In addition, students must be provided with the opportunity to explore various writing styles. Introducing different types of writing help students understand the different structures and components of writing.

Second, there should be continuous feedback provided by the teacher.  During this time, the teacher should encourage the students and provide questions that teach not only direct the student.  The student should be learning from the feedback, not just be directed. 
Another strategy of teaching is to promote a learning enviornemnt built on trust.  The teacher should promote and encourage creative and alternative writing technigues and strategies.  In addition, the teacher should set the tone in class.  Meaning, the teacher should also write to show the importance and usefulness in writing.  The teacher should promote the fun and creativity in writing.

(http://lilt.ilstu.edu/rlbroad/teaching/studentpubs/neglectedr/faivre.pdf)

Teaching Writing to Teens

Kristy Miller--Writing workshop
Garth Witmer--Writing poetry
Sara Roman--fictional/creative writing
Frank Romeo--Non fictional/instructional writing

Good Writing Assignments

What are some common features to good writing assignments?

 

A good writing assignment should be broken down into 5 basic principles.  First, your writing assignment should reflect your district/school curriculum.  For instance, what specific classroom/lesson objective will this assignment satisfy? Will the assignment introduce new/old course material or reinforce a specific planned objective? Next, it is essential to know your students writing styles, in addition to their strengths and weaknesses.  In addition, it is important for your students to understand the purpose and meaning behind the assignment.  For example, a good writing assignment should be meaningful to the students, authentic, and reflective of their learning abilities.  This means that the writing should serve a purpose that the students recognize as real.   In addition, the students should be writing about specific and immediate situations rather than abstract and theoretical ones.  Another feature of a good writing assignment is to specify the requirements, what you expect, of the writing assignment.  The students should be provided with a complete list of the requirements, including a grading rubric, deadlines and complete writing instructions. Finally, the assignment should be broken down into manageable and predetermined steps to help structure and formulate a well written paper.  Another important step in the process is to take the time and discuss the assignment with your students. Good writing assignments are not just handed out and forgotten until it is due (http://wac.colostate.edu/intro/pop10d.cfm).

"Good writing assignments always start with a clear goal that the teacher can express, usually on the assignment sheet so that students understand the goal as well" (http://wac.colostate.edu/intro/pop10d.cfm).

 

Two (Three) websites

The History Net
The History Channel
Give Me Liberty: An American Journal

These websites will supplement a unit on Federal v. States rights/powers.  This unit takes place within a U.S. History, 10th grades average ability class.  The students will use these websites for interactive map exercises, primary source documents and audio/visual pod-casts.  In addition, the "Give Me Liberty" website includes primary source's that are accompanied by a media worksheet.  The students will also be able to take multiple choice and true/false quizzes to reinforce the material.  This website also includes a printable outline for the entire chapter along with a timeline date sheet for the students to complete.  The students can email me their worksheets, primary source documents and quiz/test scores.  They go directly to my email address where I can assess and provide feddback/comments.

Three Books

The Great Decision: by David McKean 
The Best american History Book: by Eric Burnett (Reading level: Ages 9-12)
Homework Helpers: U.S. History (1865-present): From Reconstruction Through the Dawn of the 21st Century: by Ron Olson


The unit on Federalist v. Anti-Federalists for grade 10 will be supplemented by the following three books, which describe the stuggles between Federal and State power in the United States.
This unit takes place within a 10th grade U.S. History class with average ability level students.

Burnett, E. (2003). The Best American History Book. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse, Inc.

McKean, D. (2009). The Great Decision. New York, NY: Public Affairs:Perseus Books Group.

Princeton Review. (2007). Homework Helpers: U.S. Histroy (1865-present) : From Reconstruction Through the Dawn of the 21st Century. Franklin Lakes, NJ: The Carrer Press.