What's In A Name?

Harvey's Leaving A Legacy --What will yours' be? 

As we sit warmly in the Northeast watching devastating winds and water tumble homes and communities into a path of destruction, our compassion rises and we get frustrated that there's little we can do but contribute.  We applaud the schools all across America who are rising to the fundraising challenges. This shows Americans are truly generous and kind.  

As we daily view new Harvey devastation, and fear the impending Irma, I am reminded that these real life experiences should become a teachable moments. After the waters recede and communities are being restored, we can continue to weave these real-life connections into other assignments thereby elevating relevancy--all because our students know about them. The human brain puts more priority on material which is "real"or "connected to experience. 

Pulling on a previous blog posting, I'd like to share an example of how to weave Harvey and Irma into Ivan, Mitch, Sandy, Dean, and Katrina (who's remnants still cry out). These infamous names resonate destruction and fierce strength. 

In light of the recent Hurricanes, wouldn't it be nice Seize the Day! 

• We could build a biography unit challenging students to leave behind a living legacy of good--not evil. 
• We could Uncover and Discover who the wonderful aid workers are. 
• We could research and vet a list of recommended Disaster Relief Organizations.  Find out what they are all about and how much of their contributions really go directly to help--rather than administration. Communicate this list of "approved" organizations and how they help victims, communities, and recovery efforts. This is real-life.  

When a horribly huge storm leaves marks on a community, its' reputation is not good. We can turn right around and ask our students:  What's your legacy? What are you known for?
Essential Question: Why should we care about what legacy we are leaving behind?  

This essential question is a figurative way to examine a life (biography) in an introspective manner.  All too often, when school "cover" biography units, the focus is meaningless.   Kids have to report meaningless details of the Bio's life without any introspection or application.   The facts are easily recovered on a simple Google search for a website which enables the students to avoid reading the book. The Common Core calls for "relevance" and this simple re-wording of biography units can help mold character in our students. 

If biographies are repackaged we could find more meaningful constructivist assignments that ask the students to find the meaning in a life, rather than the birth-date and date of death. I don't know when Nelson Mandela's birthday is, and it doesn't matter.  I can tell you however, that he was imprisoned for principles that we all should embrace.  I can tell you that he stood for peace and equality in a sea of inequality and injustice.   I can tell you that Irene Gut Opdyke helped resist the Nazi's in Germany even though she risked her own life when she helped and hid the innocent, spied on the enemy, warned of Ghetto cleansings, and saw relatives die.  I can tell you that Condoleezza Rice arose from a humble home to a level of international ambassador. Now, those people have left footprints on the world that will never be forgotten.  


A biography unit like this could accompany any history unit where remarkable people are studied.  A research reaction to Martin Luther King could send kids out to find remarkable people with remarkable footprints. A reader and the task, reaction to Cesar Chavez study on migrant workers could lead to a footprint examination of others who have fought for a worthy cause.  This could also parallel a SS unit on a decade of change where students search for impactors (i.e. those making an impact).    They would need to persuade me as to why their choice was nominated for our "Hall of Fame Footprints!" 

When a horribly huge storm leaves marks on a community, its' reputation is not good. We can turn right around and ask our students:  What's your legacy? What are you known for?
Essential Question: Why should we care about what legacy we are leaving behind?  

Photo: http://www.state.gov/cms_images/newer2_8x10_500e.jpg