THE HOGGATTEER REVOLUTION
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    • Cerebral Cinema >
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      • Positive Behavior Conversations
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      • Missouri, USA
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      • Scripture Studies

New York, New York

9/30/2018

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We're working in a fog today to help commemorate the largest battle of the Revolutionary War.
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Art Appreciation

Analyze the painting, shown (below).  Check out its details.
  • What do you notice?
  • What do you think is happening?
  • What caused the scene in the painting?
  • What might happen after the scene shown?
  • What does this piece make you wonder?
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Liberty's Kids

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The Largest Battle

Here is an explanation for the largest battle of the Revolutionary War.
What did Washington learn from the situation?  Is retreat the same thing as running away, or is it an effective strategy?  What are the advantages?  Disadvantages?

Discipline

The American army was not well-disciplined.  George Washington constantly wrote to Congress about how poorly behaved the men were and how they often did not follow orders from their superiors.

What would your life be like without the rule of law? What kinds of things would you do differently if there were no laws?  What things would you observe around you?

What would our class be like without discipline and manners?  What kinds of things would you do differently if there were no rules or consequences?

Does freedom mean no rules?

Is freedom ​free?

On Broadway

Walking along on Broadway, would you be able to imagine the largest battle of the Revolution being waged somewhere beneath the concrete and steel? Today, one particular area of the city is known as the Theater District.  This is where the biggest live shows are produced and performed live on stage.  You can check out some of the historic venues at Spotlight on Broadway before we try our hands at some Readers Theater in the classroom.

Prisoners of War

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There is an international standard for the way POWs are treated by their captors, as defined in the third and fourth Geneva Conventions (1929 and 1949) in order to avoid situations like those that occurred during the Revolution.
Check the explanation on the International Committee of the Red Cross website.

The George Washington Bridge

The George Washington Bridge, connecting northern Manhattan with Fort Lee, New Jersey, is the busiest bridge in the world.  From Wikipedia:
The [George Washington] bridge sits near the sites of Fort Washington (in New York) and Fort Lee (in New Jersey), which were fortified positions used by General George Washington and his American forces as they attempted to deter the occupation of New York City in 1776 during the American Revolutionary War. Unsuccessful, Washington evacuated Manhattan by crossing between the two forts.
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The Greatest Show

P.T. Barnum's circus began in Manhattan, New York, in the 1800s.  The recent musical movie, The Greatest Showman, renewed interest in Barnum as a quintessential master of marketing and objectification.
Today, many of the terms used by Barnum and others are considered offensive.  Some are offensive because they belittle a particular race or religion. Some make fun of physical attributes.  Others might have more to do with the shape of a person's body, a person's odd ability, or a disease that makes a person appear different from the accepted norm. However, shouldn't we strive to be sensitive to each other's differences - in the same way we want them to be sensitive to ours?

​Part of the circus that interests some people is called a side show.  These were little money-making locations outside of the main circus tent.  Some people may still remember side shows popping up outside the main attractions at Coney Island in New York, a state fair, or other local event.  Inside sat human beings, altered by nature, by self-mutilation, or some other factor, while outside stood the barker, selling passersby on the idea of paying for a peek at the "freak".

While it could be argued that these people earned money for their families by allowing themselves to be humiliated in a public display that called attention to their "defects", most frown on their exploitive treatment.

With that in mind, instead of paying to ogle people because of their physical traits (like Missouri's own Ella Ewing), wouldn't it be interesting if people were celebrated for their achievements?
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​What is your greatest achievement?  Jot down some ideas about yourself and you major talent.  Make a long list of adjectives to describe you talent and achievement (Look at the posters on the Ella Ewing page for inspiration.)  Use your notes to create a poster for the Hoggatt's Incredible Achievement Circus.  You poster should fit in with the posters above.

Music Appreciation

Cool Kids
Invisible
​A Million Dreams
Outcast
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This Is Me

Something Extra

New York City Rhythm

New York City, today, has quite a different appearance from the Revolutionary time.  Back then, around 25,000 people lived in the big city (That's roughly half the size of Joplin, Missouri today!); now over eight and a half million call NYC home (more than 164 times Joplin's current population).
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  • Design you own city on paper.  Give your city a creative name based on your own.  Use -ton, -ville, -town, _____ City, etc.,  (Center the name at the top of the page.).
  • Include four streets that are parallel to each other.
  • Include one highway that is perpendicular to the four parallel streets.
  • Include one avenue that intersects at least two streets but is not perpendicular.
  • Include three rectangular buildings.
  • Include four square buildings.
  • Include one trapezoidal building.
  • Include a 360-degree skating rink.
  • In the center of town must be a rhombus-shaped platform for the mayor.  Two sides of the mayor's platform should have  parks in the shape of a parallelogram with ten shade trees.
  • Draw right triangle to represent the three branches of your city government on the left side of your title.
  • Draw an isoscles triangle on the right side of title to represent that the people in your city are strong and resilient.
  • Label all parts of your map with original names (Name the buildings and streets.).
  • Color the city brightly and neatly with colored pencils.
  • Put the name of cartographer (you!) in the bottom right corner.

Times Square or Green Acres

Are you a City Mouse or a Country Mouse?  Would you be more at ease in the big buildings and noise of New York City or the sounds of nature?
Ready, set, debate!

Happy New Year!

The dropping of the ball in Times Square is one of the best-known New Year traditions.
We have many more things to look at for the Opening Day of the New Year.
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While We're on the Subject

Learn more about New York City and more by studying these Wonderopolis pages:
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Do All Trains Run Aboveground?
Have You Ever Been to the Big Apple?
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What Is City Planning?
​What's So Special About Broadway?
When Did the New Year's Eve Ball First Drop in Times Square?​
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Why Do People Make New Year's Resolutions?
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JPM:  PTSD?

9/29/2018

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The reader can tell that Joseph Plumb Martin has regrets about things he did and things he saw as a youngster during the Revolutionary War.  When he wrote his memoir at the age of 70, he constantly expressed his sorrow.

On one occasion, Martin begins telling about a fellow soldier who took pity on one of the enemy troops.  The soldier picked up the seriously injured young man and shouldered him in hopes of carrying him to medical care.  In doing so, the jostling was probably a little rough on the enemy's injuries, and it occasioned him to make a snarky comment to his "rebel" rescuer.  Martin's peer took offense at the man's calling him, a Patriot soldier, a rebel, and he didn't waste any time leaving the man on the side of the trail.  The reader feels Martin's empathy for the enemy as he passes by him, choosing not to pick him up himself.

On at least one more occasion, our hero fires at the enemy and has little doubt that he struck his target.  While he believes he killed the man, by the time of his writing he hopes with every urge that the man survived the attack.

Today, we might wonder if JPM experienced post-traumatic stress syndrome during his lifetime.  There should be little doubt that he did, but the question might be whether or not it was severe.  His writing may have been a "clearing" of his conscience in some way.  Many of us have family members or acquaintances, whether an elderly relative like my own grandfather with his experiences in the Pacific during the second world war, or with our youngest veterans who return from service in Afghanistan or Iraq.  We know they suffer.  We know their memories, in some cases, haunt them.  We can only hope they do not wait until they are 70 to purge their emotional turmoil.

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Historical Prizes

9/28/2018

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Huzzah!

On Monday's excursion to the Harry Truman Library and Museum to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Mount Vernon's own presidential library devoted to the study of George Washington, I had the opportunity to play presidential trivia for prizes.  Questions focused on George Washington and Harry Truman.

The high score in the room was 19.5 points.  Yours Truly came in second with 19!  That meant I earned second choice from the prize tables.  Who knew I was so intelligent!

The most valuable prize?  A bottle of whiskey distilled, bottled, and aged in George Washington's distillery at Mount Vernon, priced around $200 if one is to purchase it at Mount Vernon.  Certainly a valuable prize, but before anyone asks, while I can certainly appreciate the design of the label, and while the chemistry of the distilling process intrigues me, I do not drink, and no, I did not choose it as my prize (Neither did the first trivia winner.).

PictureThe Acts of Congress holds a prominent place in the library vault.
Instead, my eye was on another item - a replica copy of the most valuable book owned by the Mount Vernon Ladies Association (MVLA).  Since I was a guest in honor of the library's anniversary, this was a more appropriate prize. The book, you see, was purchased during the same year as the library's opening.  While the MVLA had already raised the $106.4 million to build the 45,000-square-foot building to house its collection of books and manuscripts, as well as provide a venue for study, they also wanted to acquire this volume.

So they raised an additional $10 million and sent a representative to the auction.  At the $8.7 million bid, a record was already broken.  It would now be the most expensive American book every sold.  At $9.8 million, it far surpassed the previous record.

The book of which I now own a copy is the Acts of Congress, including the United States Constitution and Bill or Rights as they were ratified by the first congress of the United States of America.  This particular copy was gifted to Washington and existed in his library for a period before many of his personal papers were dispersed to others.  The video (right) explains why the original book is so valued to the Washington Presidential Library.
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I also came home with a second book prize, this one provided by the Truman Library. This book contains images and explanations from the National Archives.  Some of the images even fold out into pages that double in size.  They are some of the most important and most interesting items in the National Archives collection.

I'll enjoy pondering its pages, from government documents to the lunar module.

Both books (three actually) will remind me of my experience in Independence on the fifth anniversary of George Washington's library, ultimately because of my initial acceptance and invitation to join the Teachers Institute Summer Residency at Mount Vernon, last month.

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Washington Meets Truman

9/27/2018

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Today, September 27, 2018, is the fifth anniversary of the $106.4 million, 45,000-square-foot Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington.  Just thee days ago, I drove to Independence, Missouri, to celebrate with the folks from Mount Vernon at the Harry Truman Presidential Library (which, ironically, opened more than 60 years before the Washington facility.
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During the trip I took on Monday to visit the Truman Library and Museum in Independence, Missouri I had the opportunity to quickly tour the facility before our scheduled activities to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon, Virginia.  I was excited to see the temporary exhibit that now takes up a great space in the lower level - Harry Truman's time in the first World War.  Amazingly, Harry Truman is the only president to have served during WW1.

I am sorely deficient in WW1 history, but I found this portion of the museum to be compelling, with actual objects from the Truman collection on display.  This was my second visit to the museum, but there were many items of interest that I had not seen before - the future president's pistol, uniform, WW1 chest and supplies, hat, medals, and stirrups.

The mock-up of Truman's Oval Office seems resoundingly non-modern and, honestly not very classy, but that may be because the 33rd president actually used the space more as a working platform and less as a movie set.

​Connections to George Washington abound to a person who, just last month, spent five days at Mount Vernon.  I couldn't help contrast the tombs.  While George and Martha are on top of the ground and inside a brick structure, Harry and Bess are at ground level and outdoors. Each of the areas have both humble and majestic qualities.

While the actual-size statues at each museum depict men with great leadership abilities, the difference in physical stature is immense.  I could not help but picture Washington's 6'2" frame standing beside the 5'8" Truman.  The four inches is noticeable.

​I found myself, once again, staring at the beam suspended above me, knowing that when Harry Truman renovated the White House around the turn of the 1950 decade, this beam structure was removed and replaced (along with the entire interior layout of the presidential mansion).
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I feel as if this beam somehow makes a connection with Washington, even though Washington never lived in the White House.  It is, at the very least, a connection between the two eras.

Finally, a great portion of the permanent display at the Independence facility includes a nod to the Second World War, and whether or not dropping atomic bombs on Japan was the right or the wrong decision - It has to be the most well-known of Truman's presidency - and I couldn't help but wonder how Washington would have led differently during WW2.  There is no way of knowing, but there are some inherent truths that one must consider when employing the use of conjecture such as this.

Of course, the technologies of war (airplanes, ships, submarines, radios, telephones, and weaponry) would have dictated certain changes in Washington's strategy.  Would Washington have led his men into the battlefields of Japan or would he have communicated strategic positions from afar? Would have used the planes to cross the Pacific as aggressively as he used boats and ferries to cross the icy Delaware River?  And, of course, would Washington have come to the same conclusion to drop A-bombs on the enemy?  It is enough of a puzzle to keep a historian's mind spinning.
Truman's WW1 Pistol
Truman's WW1 Uniform
Truman Photographed in Uniform
Truman's Medals
Pistols Used in Failed Assassination Attempt
Secret Service Pistol Used in Response to Assassination Attempt
Truman's Oval Office
Presidential and First Lady Tombs
Artwork Based on WW2 Bombs
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Surveying with Washington

9/26/2018

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Some people can't see the forest for the trees, but sometimes, we need to look for the trees in the forest.  To get students using observation skills, Mrs. Friend and I decided to take the class outside, give each a small area to observe, and have them sketch their small areas.
Back in the classroom, students transferred their sketches to a final, neat page and add as many details and colors as they could, along with call-out labels and a description of the items.

George Washington would have described the areas of land he surveyed.  We tied this lesson to the young Washington rather than make it a separate topic.  This really helped us paint the picture for students and get them to better buy into the task.
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The Road to Independence

9/25/2018

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The first president of the United States met the 33rd president of the United States, this week, in a marvelous little ceremony, joining the Washington Library in Virginia with the Truman Library Missouri.  Because of my participation, this summer, in the Teacher Institute at Mount Vernon, I was privileged to be invited to the Truman Presidential Library, on Monday, to take part in a special fifth anniversary celebration for the National Library for the Study of George Washington.
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The invitation for the celebration went out to teachers in the area, as well as other interested parties:
Five years ago the Washington Library opened as the research and outreach arm of George Washington's Mount Vernon. To celebrate their 5th year anniversary, they are coming to the heartland to host happy hour at the Truman Library. 

On September 24, from 4 to 6 p.m., join us for trivia, prizes, drinks, heavy appetizers, and presidential precedents. 

The new Washington Library Director, Dr. Kevin Butterfield, will lead the celebratory toast at 5:00 p.m. (CST) via video conference.
The Road to Independence took on a double meaning for me.  As I traveled in the northbound lane toward Kansas City, I had two and a half hours to contemplate what that phrase really means.  The highway became a timeline as I wondered what the road to American independence must have felt like.  While I could easily envision the completion of my journey, I wondered what thoughts ran through the minds of our founding fathers. 

As Benjamin Franklin set his type, as Thomas Jefferson took pen in hand, as John Adams fought for justice, as Paul Revere reined his horse, as George Washington braved the frozen floes, as all Patriots considered the paths upon which they had set their lives, I wonder if they could as easily envision the completion of their collective journey. Surely they must have wondered where the next potholes would appear.  They must have been on the constant alert to obstructions, wondering where the next warning would appear, thinking about the consequences of a missed turn.

Our founders faced the consistent threat that they would be captured and held in contempt of the crown.  They could be made examples to other Patriots, spat upon by Loyalists, and tortured and killed by the authorities for their treasonous defiance of the king.  This was their road to independence.  Their journey was so much more treacherous than a four-lane asphalt highway.
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Then, of course, there is the connection that must be made from POTUS1 to POTUS33.  How did we ever move from fighting with muzzle-loading Brown Bess muskets and bayonets to a war in which the United States dropped atomic bombs from the sky in the name of peace?  At every turn, history is absolutely ugly, but one must wonder how George Washington would have led troops in World War II.  One must wonder at Harry Truman's leadership had he faced British troops during the Revolution.  In either case, I don't think the result would have been favorable. Each commander-in-chief seems to have been built for the time period in which he led, and each made tremendous sacrifices and wearisome decisions in the interest of national security and liberty.

Naturally, these two leaders, commanders-in-chief, and presidents are also connected by the Capitol City known as Washington, DC.  George Washington is the only president never to have lived in the White House, but Harry Truman was displaced from the president's house for a period of time, choosing instead to have the entire interior rebuilt during his presidency.  Pieces of the original house, burned by the British during the War of 1812 (our second war for independence) are on display at the museum in Independence, and colonial bricks from the rebuild of 1949-1951 have been used in the exterior of the greenhouse in Washington's Upper Garden.

Throughout history, we are reminded that the road to Independence is more than a highway across the state, and the road to independence involves more than a single declaration and surrender.
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George Washington and an Introduction to Speleology

9/24/2018

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Finally!  With all of our instruction about George Washington's early life, we have arrived at a mystery - whether or not a 16-year-old George, while doing some early surveying, explored and defaced the wall of a cave in what is now West Virginia.

There is some evidence that suggests that he was nearby during this time, and a letter from a friend, along with George's response - discusses a particular cave.  Some believe this to be the cave that is now known as George Washington's Masonic Cave.

The class studied the primary source of Washington's letter to Andrew Burnaby in 1761 before delving into the depths of karst topography and speleology.
The class is very excited to dig deeper into caves, including the rediscovery of our own Hoggatt Cave and an upcoming field trip to Bluff Dwellers Cavern in Noel, Missouri.
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Let Freedom Ring

9/23/2018

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Today, we pause to consider the Liberty Bell.  This symbol of our nation is located in Philadelphia and has been celebrated throughout its years of existence.

Centennial

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Sesquicentennial

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Bicentennial

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What do the words above have in common?  What do the words mean when their different prefixes are added?
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Mood Music

This tune, by one of America's most famous composer and band leaders should make you imagine a pretty vibrant scene.  Draw the scene as you listen.  Then write, using all the visual imagery you can muster.

Fascinating Facts

Explore 10 Fascinating Facts about the Liberty Bell and take a gander at the Infographic below.  Create your own infographic using the information on the link.
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Ring that Bell

Reportedly, this is video footage of the last time the Liberty Bell was rung.

How It's Made

Cracked

Discussion Quote

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American elm

The yoke of the Liberty Bell is made of wood from the American Elm.  This tree is one of 21 candidates to be the National Tree for the United States of America. Explore some of the candidates to see why each is in the running.  Choose one and plan a "campaign" speech to convince others to vote for your selection.

Inscription

The inscription around the upper portion of the Liberty Bell is as follows:
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LEV. XXV. v X" is a reference to the Old Testament in the Bible.  Leviticus 25:10 says this:
And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.
This brings up Roman Numerals.  First, from the above, we now can figure out that XXV is 25 and X alone is 10.

But how about MDCCLIII?  What might those letters in that sequence represent?

​Now let's have some fun figuring out some other Roman Numerals.

Music Appreciation

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Bell Curve

The curve of a bell is an interesting shape.  Here is your chance to get creative.

Draw the shape of a bell on your paper.  Now add other lines and shapes to make an object, a character, or an entire scene out of the basic bell curve.

​Perhaps this can become a poem or a story.
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While We're on the Subject

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Here is another article to explain things:
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Why Is the Liberty Bell Cracked?
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Music Appreciation:  Lost Boy

9/22/2018

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Students are often called upon to read "chorally".
That is, they read together simultaneously as a group.


Repeating this practice assists young readers
​with reading fluency -
the speed, accuracy, and inflection of  oral reading.


Why not, since it's called "choral" reading anyway,
​actually read the chorus of a song?
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JPM:  Regarding a Cat

9/21/2018

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When Joseph Plumb Martin was writing his memoirs, he was not interested in recanting the same old historically-significant war accounts that make up our national story.  Instead, the reader learns about the daily life of a Revolutionary soldier.  These are the little details that make history full of little treasures.  Finding these "side" stories is akin to using a metal detector to find dropped coins on the beach.

If you know me, you realize that I am not a fan of domestic cats (Don't get me started.), so the little story in Chapter III caught my attention.  Martin and some others were "put into the houses for quarters during the night".  A dozen of so men were placed in a particular house Martin remembered as having a fireplace, a chair frame, and a quill wheel.  They located firewood for the fireplace and a thick board to lie across the chair and wheel to make a bench to sit on when a cat entered and walked under the bench "to partake of the bounty.  Martin relates that the board bent from the weight upon it.

[B]oth ends slipped off at once and brought us all slap to the floor; upon taking up the board to replace it again we found the poor cat, pressed as flat as a pancake, with her eyes started out two inches from her head.  We did not eat her although my appetite was sharp enough to have eaten almost any thing that could be eaten.
I realize Martin did not record that to make me laugh, but I nearly L'd OL when I read it.  There is a kind of cartoony feel to the story - akin to a Tom and Jerry episode - though I'm quite certain it was grittier than the manner in which it comes across.  Don't get me wrong:  I don't take any joy from the suffering of a living creature, but the story took me by surprise and gave me a chuckle.

I've already written that Joseph Plumb Martin reminds me of my grandfather (Popo), but in this paragraph of an event that occurred in 1777, I hear my other grandfather (Grandpa) telling the story.  Grandpa had a low-key demeanor and once let something slip in conversation.  He was trying to remember the name of a small town where he grew up.  Turning to my grandmother, his wife, he asked her, "Honey, what was the name of that school I burned down?"  She told him the name, and he went on with what he was saying.  When he was finished with his unrelated story, we had to back him up to hear his not-a-big-deal story about burning down a little one-room schoolhouse where he was a student.  That's kind of the way JPM slipped in this story about a pancaked cat.
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George Washington:  Trustworthy

9/20/2018

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He was often frustrated with red tape and bureaucracy, but he always seems to have complied with it.  General Washington was not a fan of Congress' decisions regarding the recruitment of soldiers for the cause.  The delegates would only sign men for short, temporary stints, making discipline a constant problem.

Washington expressed his discontent many times.  He was constantly training new recruits in military etiquette and responsibility, and in December of 1776, he had finally had enough.  The commander-in-chief requested unprecedented authority.  He wanted to circumvent all political oversight; wrote Edward Lengel, "displacing Congress as the supreme arbiter of both military and civilian affairs within his army's zone of operations.  This man, who led and fought to be out from under the oppressive tyranny of England's crown, asked for unlimited power.  And on December 12, Congress gave him "full power to order and direct all things relative to the department, and to the operations of war" until such authority was revoked.

He insisted that he was not power hungry.  He was only backed up by acquaintances and friends because Washington had established such a high reputation for trustworthiness.  One such wrote to John Hancock, president of the Second Continental Congress, "...I can assure you that the General will not exceed his Powers altho' he may sacrifice the Cause.  There never was a man who might be more safely trusted nor a Time when there was a louder Call."

The general also wanted jurisdiction to prosecute and punish anyone who appeared "especially dangerous". Opines, Lengel in General George Washington, "Loosely interpreted, it could give Washington dominion over every man in America."  Just as in every generation, we often worry about our leaders piling up too much authority and power, turning into a dictator state.  It was exactly what the united colonies were trying to escape.

If wouldn't work with anyone lacking time-proven trust.  Oft times, leaders lust for power to the point that they will run over people to get it.  Once in hand, they abuse it.  That makes Washington's request and Congress' permission a dangerous precedence.  If Washington could have such authority, what keeps others from citing such as a reason to do the same?

This, too, has application in the fourth grade.  I don't normally assign roles for students when they work in their groups (We don't have time keepers, notetakers, etc.); I like to see natural leadership take shape instead. Sometimes that's a double-edged sword, but it's interesting to watch students test the waters of leadership and figure out how to bring others along with them, rather than leave others on the side of the river to perish.  There are these things to consider:
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  • How much can a person assert himself without pushing other people over the edge?  In other words, how does one "lead the sheep" without "driving the herd"?
  • Does one person require a different leadership strategy from another person?  How does the leader manage such?
  • A teacher must consider the same types of questions.  How much authority can a teacher give to a student without showing favoritism?
  • A teacher must be cognizant of the authority granted to her in the classroom.  How much autonomy is a principal of other administrator willing to grant?
  • Trust is something that must be earned over time.  True trust is not given until one is worthy of it.  Now do you get the meaning of the word?

May we all see to be accepted as being worthy of the trust of our peers, those in authority over us, and those who see us as adversaries!

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Returnin' from Vernon

9/19/2018

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Just when I thought I was through to the next level,
After making it to the DCI Airport safely with all of my luggage,
After successfully navigating through security,
After finding the correct terminal and gate a couple of hours early,
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After taking some time to take pictures of the Washington and Jefferson Monuments,
and Capitol Building and Library of Congress through the airport windows,
After sitting to relax and read,
Suddenly, I received a phone alert that my flight would depart a different gate in a different terminal.

After looking at the latest information on the electronic board,
After discovering the message I received was old and had already been changed again,
After rushing to catch a bus to the new gate,
After watching the door to the airplane close,
I discovered I had missed my first flight.
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But then, after being number 16 on a list of almost 40 standby passengers,
An hour later, my name was called.
Finally, I was on my way to Dallas...
Where I would arrive after my connecting flight took off.
After arriving late and collecting my luggage (that I was forced to check),
I found myself outside of TSA after hours,
Stuck outside of security, in a cold, international ticketing area until the next morning,
With a view of the parking garage,
With a scarce amount of multicultural passengers,
All awaiting the opening of TSA at 4am,
​I refused to sleep.

​After charging my dead phone in an out-of-the-way outlet,

Pacing the floor to finish a book about George Washington,
And then pacing the length of the lobby,
Finally following a new "buddy" from Puerto Rico outside to find warmth,
Listening to his stories about the aftermath of a hurricane, an emergency landing in Miami, and a popped tire,
The clock finally approached four.
After TSA agents started arriving for business,
After finally getting in line to be scanned back
into the airport,

After finally locating my terminal
for another standby flight,

After seeing my waiting area taped off
for carpet cleaning,

After stumbling around from a lack of sleep,
After waiting for McDonald's to open for breakfast,
After eating a McMuffin
​and scarfing down a hash brown,

My name was called for the flight,
I was finally on my way to Oklahoma City.
After landing early in the morning in OKC,
After being picked up and taken to my parents' house,
After a much needed and deserved shower,
I finally slept for two hours before driving four more hours to home.

The entire Mount Vernon experience officially came to a close,
With memories quite fresh and ideas flooding my mind,
With so much to talk about and so many photographs to look at,
With four professional development sessions to present, twice, over the next two days,
And just a few days before the beginning of a new school year,
Where Mount Vernon would play a central role.

What a return adventure!
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Fall NWEA Results

9/18/2018

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The first round of 2018/9 NWEA testing is complete (for all but three students), and the results are in.  For the most part, the results for our class are positive.

The NWEA test class is expected to be a predictor of our state standardized test (Of course, this is difficult to say with any accuracy, this year, since we still have NO results from last year's state testing.)

In general, we will be looking for as many students as possible to score above 200 in Language and Reading and above 210 for Math.  With a little effort, perseverance, and desire, most of our class will succeed in scoring proficient in this year's Missouri Assessment Program (MAP).

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The Struggle Is Real

9/17/2018

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Every teacher has had students who enjoy leaving the classroom regularly to take an added restroom break.

Every teacher has student who repeatedly request to see the school nurse.

Every teacher has faced the dilemma of establishing a restroom policy or trying to stave the issue of students leaving class during the school day.

After all, our job is to teach...and we can't do that as well when the student is not in the room.

I understand.

We take regular restroom breaks throughout the day, and when students take advantage of those times, it certainly helps with the problem.

But as they say, "When ya gotta go, ya gotta go."  I know what you mean, kid.  I try to hold it in, too, but sometimes we just need to use the restroom.

The teacher's note in the picture above certainly reflects the frustration that all teachers have with these chronic needs, excuses, and plots, but this teacher's approach is unnecessary.  Many of us find it hard to believe that Mrs. White couldn't rectify the situation with a policy that would be more tolerant and compassionate.  How could she not predict that this would cause a moral and legal problem for her and her school.  It is outrageous.

At the beginning of my career, I tried to limit students to using the restroom only during those regular break times - every hour to 90 minutes during the school day.  It seemed reasonable to me that if a child, by fourth grade, can sleep through the night without the need to empty a bladder, then he should also be able to go about his day in similar fashion.  But as adults, we know there are other factors at play.  Sometimes, the need comes more sporadically and visits to the restroom simply do not stay on schedule.

A teacher must understand, especially since we are expected to stay on a restroom schedule, as well, not being allowed to leave students unattended for hours at a time, which means sometimes we have to suffer.  There's almost a whole chapter about this in the teacher manual.  Well, not really, but it sounds like there could be.

So the dilemma is this:  is there ever a time when children should be made to wait a reasonable time to visit the restroom during the academic process (I think other departures muddy the conversation.)?  Is there room for balance or compromise on the restroom issue?

We try to use our regular breaks to deter other needs, but they don't always work.  When I am in a lesson, directly teaching the class, I have to ask myself several questions:
  • Is this child trying to avoid working?
  • Has this child been paying attention to the lesson?
  • Has this child been actively disrupting the lesson?
  • Does this child ask to leave on a regular basis?
  • Does this child ask to leave at the same time every day?
  • How long must this child wait until the direct lesson is complete and students are working independently?

I would suggest that there should a reasonable amount of time that I can ask a child to wait without an accident occurring.  Ten minutes seems a reasonable wait.  If she can't wait ten minutes, she should learn to feel the need sooner.  We've all been there - for me, more times than I care to remember - when we wondered if we were going to make it, and those ten minutes can be agonizing.  I understand.  But I must weigh the disruption with the need.

And oh how I despise making that judgment.  I don't know how the child feels.  He's just come off of summer vacation, where he had ultimate bathroom freedoms.  He could go in that little room any time he wanted, day of night.  But now, he's in my class, placed on a tight schedule, and expected to sit there in the room without messing his pants.  How can I possibly make a judgment call of whether he is being honest with me or not.

So if a kid can't wait ten minutes, she needs to let me know it's urgent.  And basically, I just have to take her word for it.  But it can't happen a lot.  And it can't always be an emergency.  I shouldn't enable the child without attempting to train her to go when she can, and then - just maybe - she won't have to go when she shouldn't.

As an educator working under the rules of a school board, I understand the reasons for not being allowed to leave students unattended, but that's exactly what I do every time I allow a child in the hallway without my supervision.  Although it's probably not an extreme danger, there is always the possibility that child will get into something or someone will get to them while I am not watching.  So I attempt to discourage unscheduled breaks.  That doesn't mean I won't let them go.

I don't know Mrs. White, the teacher who made the note above, but she must have had enough.  She limited her students to two unscheduled breaks a month, but did she have to approach it in this way?  The bottom of her note even acknowledges that "Mrs. White is petty."  To that we must agree.


Side note:  Mrs. White has included a glaring grammar error in the second sentence:  "...it indicates how many times I have went thus far..."  When the helping verb was introduced to the sentence, clearly went should have changed to gone in compliance with grammar rules.
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Prologue to the Revolution

9/16/2018

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(Liberty) Bell Work

Sentence Surgery
Read the sentence below.  Do you see any problems?  Do not rewrite the sentence.  In fact, don't even fix the sentence.  Instead, on your paper, tell the writer three things that need to be corrected.

captain washington leaped into the river?
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Sentence Augmentation*
Augment the sentence below to greatly improve it.  Record your improved sentence on your paper.

He was cold.
​
​
*Augment:  make (something) greater by adding to it

Word Work
Using the parts in Christopher Gist's name, create a list of words to fit in the categories below.  Pay particular attention to spelling patterns.
Christopher
(words that rhyme with Chris)
Gist
​
(words with -ist)

Word Wise
Define the ​following words:
capitulation

history
​
impulsive

impetuous

​massacre

​
patience

surrender

​​sash
On Target
Write the target number in the "bull's eye".
In the 20 other open sections of the target,
write equations to equal the target number.

Today's number is 1,754.
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​For example, if the target number is 36, the student may write expressions like the examples here (right).
6 squared
2 x 18
3 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8
72/2

3 x 3 x 4

Quick Write:  Describe the adult you hope to become when you grow older.
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Art Appreciation

Observe the two unique paintings here (left).
  • What do you notice?
  • What do you wonder?
  • What is happening?
  • Write your thoughts.

Music Appreciation

Geronimo
Granted
​
I Just Can't Wait to Be King
​​
I'll Make a Man Out of You
​
Live Like We're Dying
​
Unstoppable
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Mood Music

Allow the music of the British Empire to transport you into a scene that has yet to be written.  Draw the scene as you listen.  Then write, using all the visual imagery you can muster.
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George Washington Was a British Soldier

While I was at George Washington's Mount Vernon, I was privileged to visit the library.  There I gazed upon an actual letter from George Washington to Lieutenant Robert Dinwiddie on March 7, 1754, signed in his own hand.
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The text of the letter can be found on the Mount Vernon website.  Can you tell what Washington was concerned about?  Specifically, what did he request for his upcoming mission?  Why?

Is it strange to think of George Washington fought in the British military?  How do you think he performed as he rose in the ranks?  What do you think his duties were?  The truth is, Washington was often impatient and impulsive.  He made some major mistakes...and learned from them!
Washington received his marching orders from Governor Robert Dinwiddie:
You are to use all Expedition in proceeding to the Fork of Ohio with the Men under Com’d and there you are to finish and compleat in the best Manner and as soon as You possibly can, the fort w’ch I expect is there already begun by the Ohio Comp’a. You are to act on the Defensive, but in Case any Attempts are made to obstruct the Works or interrupt our Settlem’ts by any persons whatsoever You are to restrain all such Offenders, and in Case of resistance to make Prisoners of or kill and destroy them.
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George Washington Started a World War

As a leader in the British army, George Washington, as mentioned above, was impetuous.  Sometimes, the young soldier and leader jumped in with both feet, without considering the consequences.  How often do we do the same thing, not thinking about our choices, but assuming that the first thoughts that came into our minds are the right ones?
Washington is known to jump into icy rivers to swim his horse across instead of waiting for a ferry and without waiting for daylight.  In the wilderness, he had the soldiers in his charge build a little round fort.  They named it Fort Necessity, and it was the scene of terrible consequences for the British in their fight against the French.

​Pictured below is a diorama on display in the interactive education center at Mount Vernon (Washington's famous property).  In the diorama it's pretty easy to see how the fort is downhill from the surrounding countryside.  The soldiers are packed into the stockade and spilling out behind earthen embankments, while the French and their native allies lie hidden and camouflaged in the trees.

​The diorama is quite revealing as to which side has the advantage, and yet George Washington chose Fort Necessity to be the headquarters for his wilderness campaigns.  Washington must have learned a lot about how not to wage warfare through the events at Fort Necessity.
​History Has Its Eyes on You
Do you wonder if these events haunted George Washington for the rest of his life?  Lyn-Manuel Miranda wrote the following for his Washington character to perform in the hit show, Hamilton.  In the show, which takes place later, during the Revolutionary War, Washington still remembers the mistakes he made so many years earlier.
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Read the following, graphic account from Military History Now:
Who pulled the trigger first is unknown, but the consequence of the brief clash would have global ramifications. While the opposing forces exchanged musket volleys, the wounded French  commander, Ensign Joseph Coulon de Villiers de Jumonville, called for a ceasefire. With the aid of an interpreter, the enemy officer tried to convince Washington that his mission was a peaceful one: To deliver a letter asking the Virginians to leave the Ohio, which was considered to be the domain of the King of France. As Washington examined the document, the Half King seized the initiative. “Thou art not yet dead, my father,” he said as he advanced on the wounded officer. With a mighty blow from his tomahawk, the Half King dashed Jumonville’s skull open, and washed his hands with the Frenchman’s brains. His accompanying warriors followed suit and began killing and scalping the enemy wounded, with the exception of one soldier who was saved by Washington. Tanaghrisson hoped the shocking display would salvage his reputation among local tribes; it horrified the Virginian colonel.
At this point, you may not know much about George Washington, but how do you think he would have reacted to the Half King's actions?  The same article goes on to explain that "The massacre would return to haunt Washington."
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George Washington Surrendered

In fact, his frustration and disgust with that event, coupled with his impatience and impulsivity, may have led him into a French trap.  It was shortly after the event at Fort Necessity, that George Washington was tricked into signing a complete surrender to the French.  He should have paused.  Not only did he not understand the French language, but his poor interpreter was no help to him.

As a result, on July 3, 1754, George Washington signed the Articles of Capitulation.  In so doing, he unknowingly confessed to the assassination of Jumonville.  The entire series of events is said to have "set the world on fire".
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The French sent that signed document back to their homeland where it was used as propaganda against the British cause.
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George Washington Became a Celebrity

Very quickly, The Journal of Major George Washington was published in newspapers and in book form.  Says the Mount Vernon commentary concerning it, "The Journal provides a first-hand glimpse of frontier diplomacy, the beginnings of the French and Indian War, as well as early indications of Washington's well-documented physical vigor and leadership." Washington was heralded as a hero and thrust into the public eye, paving the way for his future roles as a leader in America.
A copy of the Journal can be browsed on the Mount Vernon website.  I myself breathed on the title page, of the rare copy displayed in the pictures (right).  This is a special part of the document collection at Mount Vernon.
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While We're on the Subject

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To round our our science diet, we should also study some of earth's landforms.  Also:
​
​How Does the Earth's Surface Affect Culture?
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