Passionately Curious

Abe Lincoln's Watch

During my commute home today, I was listening to NPR's All Things Considered as a mystery was revealed.  For nearly 150 years, a story was told about a young watchmaker, Jonathan Dillion, who engraved a secret message on Abraham Lincoln's watch at the start of the Civil War.  Although unconfirmed, it was shared for years among family and friends until it eventually reached a New York Times reporter in 1906. 

The watchmaker's great-great-grandson, Doug Stiles, uncovered the Times article (via Google)  and contacted curators at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, who were unaware of the engraving or of Dillion's story.  Today,  the Smithsonian agreed to open the watch, with Stiles standing nearby.  You can read the transcript at NPR, but the audio is what made such an impression.   I found myself on the edge of my seat, listening as the watch was gently and carefully opened. The inscription was there!  The audience gasped and I got goosebumps as Stiles' was invited to read the words of  his great-great grandfather.    You could feel his excitement as he said afterwards,  "My gosh, that's was Lincoln's watch and my ancestor put grafitti on it." 

Of course, I hope to share this story tomorrow with my second graders.  It's not often that such intriguing mysteries from history come true while we witness it!  As Brent D. Glass, the director of the museum said, “It’s a personal side of history about an ordinary watchman being inspired to record something for posterity.” Ordinary people can do wonderful things.  Thanks to the Smithsonian for letting us share in this moment.

Sources: Associated Press and All Things Considered, NPR. 
Photos: Courtesy of the Smithonian's National Museum of Amercian History.

Wagons Ho!

This month, we've been studying the Oregon Trail and the children have been keeping their own historical fiction pioneer journals.   As a class, we formed a "wagon train", lead by the brave teacher-captains, Ms. Harrison and Mrs. Maxey.  We left our "jumping off" spot in Independence, MO and have so far traveled 550 miles to Chimney Rock.  Twice a week, the children write a new journal entry with the topic chosen by the teachers.  We've read many information books about pioneers and the Oregon Trail.  We've also been following Westward to Home: Joshua's Oregon Trail Diary and Casey's Journey: Going West in the 1860s, two books of historical fiction written from the perspectives of a young children.  Below are some excerpts from our pioneer journals. Although it's difficult for my students to understand life without television or computers, to know what's it like to not have much food or money, to have to work hard at chores that simply sustain a family (laundry, hunting, sewing and mending clothing, chopping firewood), they have really put their imaginations into this project.

Today, the wagon train saw a small heard of buffalo! The problem was they also saw us! Those buffalo charged like a bullet.  The buffaloes killed two oxen and there were 10 buffalo in the heard and we shot them all. 

We are crossing the South Platte River.  P.U.!!!!  It smells disgusting!  We are fording the river.  Sam sits in my lap.  I sit in mama's lap.  It was a good day to cross the river.  We didn't lose anything.  I am very tired. 

Now this is crazy.  First I have to wake up early at 6 a.m. Then we have to walk 15 miles. I met the whole wagon train and the captains.  They are very nice.  I've got a busy schedule (chores, dinner, sleep, breakfast...). My dad wants me for my chores to shoot my pretend arrow at any bird who comes near.  Tonight, I sleep under the wagon. 

We reached Chimney Rock.  When I try to look at it, I almost fall down.  Pa says it means we are a quarter of the way to Oregon!

*The wagons in our "wagon train" were made from recycled milk cartons. 

Journey Around

I discovered Journey Around Chicago A to Z  a few years ago in our school library when my students were writing postcards to teach family and friends in other states about our great city.  This book contains wonderful facts, trivia, history and the kids love to search for the hidden cardinal on each page. It's one of a series including other cities and places (New York, Boston, Cape Cod, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Philadelphia and Maine). Each book features its own feathered tour-guide.   Recently, I decided to find out more about the author, Matha Day Zschock.  As a former third grade teacher, she was inspired to write Journey Around Cape Cod and the Islands From A to Z when she couldn't find other books to enhance her students' field trip experiences.  Her sister, graphic designer Heather Zschock, has co-authored a couple of the books in this series and she describes how it all began on her website. 

Africa Floor Map

Last week, a giant floor map from National Geographic was on display in our gym.  With shoes off, we explored the continent - the areas colored green and tan, the rivers, the capital cities marked with a star, etc.  We located the direction north and identified the major bodies of water surrounding Africa. Then we played a version of geography Simon Says with our Kindergarten buddies.  Here are some of the directions the kids had to follow:

Stand on the equator.
Find Madagascar and make a circle around it.
Sit on a desert.
Hop on the Nile River.
Stand on a capital city.
Swim to Madagascar.

It was fun for all and gave the children a great visual sense of the size of this amazing continent.  One of my second graders commented, "I never realized how big the Sahara Desert really was." After several weeks of study, it was wonderful to see how much they remembered.

I'm trying to find a link to National Geographic so you can learn more about this map or others like it.  So far, I've been unsuccessful.  I'll post the information as soon as I get it. 

Michael Poliza's Africa

Michael Poliza is an acclaimed photographer whose work has been widely published in many environmental and travel magazines, including National Geographic.  His book Africa captures the stunning beauty of an amazing continent.  I first discovered Michael's photographs on flickr where he includes the complete selection of images from his book (180 photos in all!).  I especially love the expression captured in this one, this one and this one. 

Using flickr's slideshow feature, I showed many of Michael's photos to the class as we learned about African animals.   It took a little while for children to identify these animals and it was a wonderful  "ah ha" moment when one child shouted, "Look at the shadows!"  Check this one out as well.  I invite you to explore all of Michael Poliza's photographs.  They will leave you longing to go on safari!

Photo used with permission from Michael Poliza
Come this way...from the Kenya set

Jambo Means Hello

On our quick tour of Africa, we introduced children to Swahili, the most widely spoken language of sub-Saharan Africa.  We read tales from Kenya and Tanzania, learned to count to ten and listened to a song in Swahili.  Here are some of our favorite resources:

We All Went on Safari: A Counting Journey Through Tanzania by Lori Krebs
Follow Massai children on a journey through the grasslands, count animals along the way and learn interesting facs about Tanzania and the Massai people. 

Mama Panya's Pancakes: A Village Tale From Kenya by Mary and Richard Chamberlin
Join a Adika and his mother as they visit a rural Kenyan market.  An eager Adika invites everyone along the way for pancakes while Mama Panya worries how she will feed so many people.  Beautiful illustrations by Julia Cairns bring this tale of giving and frienship to life.  Learn fun facts about Kenya and enjoy and easy recipe for Mama Panya's pancakes!

 

For You Are a Kenyan Child by Kelly Cunnane
Imagine yourself a young boy in Kenya - "What's it like to live in a place where monkeys scurry past and a tasty snack is a bug plucked from the sky?"
Ana Juan's (Frida) whimsical and inviting illustrations bring this lively tale to life.

Jambo Means Hello: Swahili Alphabet Book by Muriel Feelings

Moja Means One: Swahili Counting Book by Muriel Feelings

Putamayo Kids Presents African Playground
You will not be able to get these African songs out of your head!  Here's the song, Jambo Bwana,  which we used to see if the kids could recognize some Swahili.  You and your students may also recognize "hakuna matata" from The Lion King which means "no worries." This song is by Them Mushrooms, a popular group from Kenya. 

Africa Study

In two weeks, a giant floor map of Africa will be on display at our school (from National Geographic's Geography Action!).  We'll be able to walk across the equator, stand on the Nile River, sit on the Sahara Desert.  To make more of a connection to the map, we decided to study more about this amazing continent.  We also are fortunate to have a great resource - my assistant teacher, Pam, who spent 12 years in Cameroon!

In choosing to study something as large and rich as Africa, we have to be very selective and make sure that what the children learn is meaningful.  Of course, we cannot cover everything!  In beginning our conversation, children had several assumptions and misconceptions about Africa.  Here are a few that were striking:

Africa is  a poor country.
Africa is very dry.
Everyone in Africa is black.
No one has electricity.
Everyone lives in mud huts.

We left these as a list of questions or "what we think we know" about Africa and will revisit them as we learn more.  This is a variation of the tradiotional KWL strategy (what do we know, what do we want to know, what have we learned).   Over the years, I've discovered that children often have inaccurate facts or misconceptions.  They are often convinced that they know something and will argue at length with classmates who disagree with them.  Listing these facts as something "we think we know" allows us an opportunity to go back and validate or "change" their statements, without hurting anyone's feelings. 

We started our study with a geographical exploration of the continent.  One their own map, the children identified the major bodies of water that surround Africa (Altlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean Sea), the Nile River, Lake Victoria, Mt. Kilimanjaro, and the three major deserts (Sahara, Namib, Kalahari).  Other vocabulary included the cardinal directions, compass rose, equator, habitat, savannah, and rainforest. Here are a few of the introductory texts we used:

Africa is Not a Country by Margy Burns Knight

Learn about the daily life of children in many countries of modern Africa. See the differences in life at home, work and school as experienced by children.

Africa: A True Book by David Peterson

General information about the continent of Africa, including its most notable cultural and geographic features.  Beautiful pohotgraphs! Explore this land of many contrasts.

Africa (Continents) by Leila Merrell Foster

Explore the continent of Africa and learn some intersting and amazing facts!

Look What Came From Africa by Miles Harvey

Learn about all the things that have come from Africa (music, food, fashion, art, and games).