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AAM Electronic Newsletter
Published by An Adventure of the American Mind at Mars Hill College
Vol. 8 Issue 24 - March 23, 2007
Eye Witness to History
Looking for interesting accounts of famous events in history?
Eyewitnesstohistory.com is a site packed with dozens of history articles and special features. The site is divided into different "eras" ranging from the Ancient World to the Middle Ages/Renaissance to the 20th Century. Here are some example articles:
Ancient World:
Everyday Life in Ancient Greece - Xenophon (4th century BC) Gladiators (50AD) Dining with Attila the Hun (448AD)
Middle Ages/Renaissance:
Life in a Christian Monastery (ca. 585)
Anarchy in 12th Century England
Crime and Punishment in Elizabethan England Kublai Khan In Battle, 1287 (as described by Marco Polo)
The site has special features such as It Happened This Month, Photo of the Week, History in Motion - movie clips from the past, Voices of the 20th Century - audio recordings, and more.
Click on http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/index.html to get started.
Guide to World War I Materials
From the Library of Congress, this collection guide includes photos, essays, documents, films, and sound recordings related to World War I. Read news accounts of the war in the "Stars and Stripes," a newspaper written by and for American soldiers at the war front. See brief features about the U.S.
entering the war (April 6, 1917), American forces' first offensive (September 12, 1918), and the Treaty of Versailles (June 28, 1919).
http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/wwi/wwi.html
Got Bleep?
Did you know that Alexander Graham Bell originally wanted the greeting for the telephone to be "Ahoy?"
You'll learn this and many useful facts at the Federal Communications Commission "'Kids Zone" website (http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/kidszone/). Find out what the FCC is and what it does. Learn how satellites work by clicking on a beam in the Satellite Learning Center (http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/kidszone/satellite/satscene.html).
There are also grade-level sections containing commonly asked questions such as "What do the numbers in a phone number do?," "Do cell phones cause brain cancer?," and "What is Digital Television?."
Click on http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/kidszone/ to tune in.
Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth
From the National Endowment for the Arts, here is $150,000 to help fund arts programs that your school can take part in. The Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth program offers funding for projects that help children and youth acquire knowledge and understanding of and skills in the arts. Projects must provide participatory learning and engage students with skilled artists, teachers, and excellent art. Get started now; the deadline is June 11, 2007. (http://www.nea.gov/grants/apply/GAP08/LITA.html)
NEW Special Collection: Green and Growing
North Carolina State University is developing a new site that looks at agriculture, the 4-H ,and what became the Extension service.
Though still under development, this site contains some terrific photos and a timeline. As an aside, this also functions as a cultural history of segregation and the transition to a fully integrated 4H, both nationally and in North Carolina. (
http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/specialcollections/greenngrowing/)
Thanks to Teaching American History director and AAM alum, Polly Johnson
Open Educational Resources (OER) Commons
Here is a new online resource that gives teachers and students free access to more than 8,000 digital learning materials. Educators and students can add tags, ratings, reviews, and comments to help others quickly find what they're looking for. The site's mission is to provide a single point of access through which educators, students, and other learners can search for, browse, evaluate, and discuss these free learning materials.
Already more than 10,000 people reportedly visited the newly created OER (Open Educational Resources) Commons to find a range of educational resources, from primary documents to complete course guides on a variety of topics. OER Commons is a comprehensive network for open education resources, combining content with extensive social networking. Educators and learners add tags, ratings, reviews, and comments to help others in schools and on campuses quickly find what they are looking for and to encourage others to share their ratings and reviews.
(http://www.oercommons.org/)
Voting Rights Act May Impact DC Residents
Legislation being proposed in the U.S. House of Representatives (HR
328) will be voted on this month and may be a first step toward giving residents of the District of Columbia voting representation in Congress. This is a fascinating issue that is well-suited for the study of the Constitution and how the nation resolves issues that impact civil rights. There is strong support for this bill in the current Congress, but the matter remains controversial for many reasons. It is yet unknown how the Senate will respond and whether the bill could become law this year. However, the constitutionality of the law could be challenged even if it is passed.
Background
Many Americans understand that the District of Columbia is not a state, but many do not know that DC does not function exactly like a state (see a poll from 2005
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A33746-2005Jan24.html)
. DC residents do not have a voting representative in either the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate. This is because the Constitution only gives these rights to states. DC residents do elect a representative to the U.S. House of Representatives, but this person does not have voting privileges on the House floor, only in committee. This issue has been debated for many years, with some groups even attempting to get full statehood for DC.
Arguments in Favor of the Legislation
- DC residents pay federal taxes, serve in the military, and vote in presidential elections. Many argue that not having Congressional voting representation is "taxation without representation," which is inherently unconstitutional.
- When the Constitution was originally drafted and the District of Columbia established, the city was envisioned as a temporary residence of government officials while they served in the "federal city." It was not envisioned as a city that would house permanent residents. Now DC is a large, dynamic, multi-functional city that is home to nearly 600,000 people, so conditions are different today that call for voting rights repeal.
- It is unconstitutional to deny voting rights to some U.S. citizens and not to others.
Arguments Against the Legislation
- The Constitution explicitly provides for the representation in Congress through the states. Since DC is not a state, Congressional representation does not apply to DC.
- The U.S. Congress cannot pass a law granting voting rights to DC residents. Only a Constitutional amendment can do this.
- DC residents choose to live in the District, thereby knowingly surrendering the rights they otherwise would have as state residents.
- DC residents (and its local government) have more access to the federal government by design.
Online Reading and Study Guides
http://www.dcvote.org/ - A site in support of the voting rights legislation. Contains study materials and lesson plans. Also contains a good page with both pro and con arguments.
http://www.stampactcongress.org/index.html - Another site in favor of the legislation. Some good information on the establishment and history of DC.
Thanks to Karin Hedberg, AAM Assistant Director
Spread the Word!
If the teachers in your school or AAM program are not receiving this newsletter, please send me their names and e-mail addresses. Also, feel free to share this newsletter with a colleague. And we encourage new readers to get their own subscription.
More input + greater diversity = better newsletter. Be part of the equation! Thanks to everyone who has sent submissions to me. Please continue to send your favorite resources and successes to your either of your editors, Liz Lang at elang@mhc.edu, or AnneMarie Walter at awalter@mhc.edu. I will feature them in coming newsletters and on the AAM program Web site.
Don't forget to contribute your favorite links to the Useful Links section!
Contact aam-teachers@aweber.com to be added to the mailing list.
AnneMarie Walter
AAM Associate Director
Mars Hill College
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