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2010-12 Social Studies Newsletter
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The Rochester ReviewThe Rochester Review Social Studies Department Newsletter Rochester City School District
National SS StandardsNational SS Standards Can the new NCSS standards help keep you warm Can the new NCSS standards help keep you warm
this winter? this winter?
December 2010
Model United NationsModel United Nations Bring some international flair to your school!Bring some international flair to your school!
2
From the Director... The great Mohandas Gandhi stated: “Peace is its own reward.” I hope that the upcoming school
break provides our community an opportunity to reflect on the attainment of the goal of teaching
for a peaceful community. Social Studies education provides a place for schools to focus on
developing in the whole community a place where every parent, child, and community member
have a voice and are meaningful co-participants in the education of our youth. Our team of
Social Studies leaders in the Department of Teaching and Learning are working daily to provide
schools with the tools to engage in this most challenging and worthy goal. Our students, families,
and greater community deserve a curriculum that teaches students how to be agents of change for
a more peaceful world. As we examine the curriculum and work monthly on creating the guidance document for
teaching Social Studies, we look to the National Social Studies Standards. These 10 standards re-conceptualize the
role of the student and the curriculum and are replete with experiences in which students rehearse and act for
community based change.
These 10 standards serve as a guide for not only what we teach, but also cause teams to consider the processes and
products that are most likely to result in creating students that view themselves as powerful individual and collective
agents of change. The standards serve as a guidance tool for the curriculum teams in grades K-9 as they work to
assure that all children are called upon to create and present meaningful projects that demonstrate their ability to
reason, question, and jury policies that impact them and their community. The ten standards
provide guidance for teaching children at the elementary, intermediate, and commencement
levels.
1. Culture 6. Power Authority and Governance
2. Time Continuity and Change 7. Production Distribution and Consumption
3. People Places Environments 8. Science Technology and Society
4. Individual Development and Identity 9. Global Connections
5. Individuals Groups and Institutions 10. Civic Ideals and Practices
As you plan your spring learning experiences, consult the NCSS standards for inspiration and
guidance. Civically engaged youth will be the reward for Rochester. Who will be called to
serve this community? How are we preparing these future leaders? Educating for Peace will
certainly be the reward for Rochester. Examining the standards and questioning our practices
must be the first step. For more information about the National Social Studies Standards, visit:
http://www.socialstudies.org/standards
Jennifer Gkourlias, Ed.D.
I N S I D E T H I S
I S S U E :
From the Director 2
News & Notes 3
Opportunities 4-5
Teaching American
History Grants 6
Rochestrivia 7
Who’s Who and
What’ What in SS 7
December 2010 Volume 3, Issue 4
THE ROCHESTER REVIEW SOCIAL STUDIES NEWSLETTER
R O C H E S T E R C I T Y S C H O O L D I S T R I C T
Don’t hesitate to contact one of the Department’s Lead Teachers if you have any question, needs, or concerns...
Mark Ferraro, Intermediate
Elementary Lead: 262-8107
Kitty Palumbo, Intermediate
Elementary Lead: 262-8269
Stefan Cohen, Secondary
Lead: 262-8162
Steve LaMorte, Secondary
Lead: 262-8169
Mariella Diaz, Primary
Elementary Lead: 262-8367
Khieta Davis, Primary
Elementary Lead: 262-8372
3
News & Notes The Power of Relevance The Social Studies Department will be holding it’s first annual
conference on Saturday, February 12th, 2011. The conference,
entitled, The Power of Relevance: Connecting Our Students to
the World aims to provide RCSD teachers with a program
tailored for their unique needs and interests. Targeting
teachers in all grade levels, the conference will kick-off with a
movie-screening on Thursday, February 11 at the Little
Theater.
We are still accepting proposals from district staff. A proposal
form is attached to this newsletter; contact Steve LaMorte with
questions.
Model United Nations Model United Nations is an organization that raises awareness of
international issues and their solutions. In November, students
from 40 school representing over 80 countries gathered at the 31st
Annual Model United Nations Conference. Students from six
Rochester High Schools attended this inspiring conference in Hil-
ton, New York where they worked to simulate and advocate for
human rights, economic development, political cooperation, and
global change. Model United Nations provides students with a
platform to test out their diplomatic relations skills and interact
with youth from all over the region who share their interest and
passion for making our world a more peaceful and humane envi-
ronment. Students from Rochester represented a variety of na-
tions, including Cuba and Vietnam.
Scholar and Model UN President, Dexter Scott, represented Wil-
son Commencement High School as a delegate from the country
of Somalia. In preparation for the conference, Dexter was re-
sponsible for immersing himself in Somalia’s history, current events, and citizenry. This required him to think criti-
cally and reflectively about the chosen country and how to propose solutions and resolutions in response to the Gen-
eral Assembly.
In keeping with the mission and tradition of Model UN, Mr. Arun Gandhi, the fifth grandson of Mohandas K. Gan-
dhi, presented the conference’s keynote address. Gandhi’s message spoke of how we must all be willing to be change
agents in the world. We can all meet this call to action as we actively seek to create internationally minded scholars.
Special thanks to contributions from Ms. Tara Wade, Wilson Model UN Club Advisor and Mr. Tillotson, SOTA
Model UN Club Advisor. Also, special thanks to Mr. Koneckny, Edison Applied Technology; Mr. Krug, Marshall
High School, Ms. Stacey Conde, Early College High School, and Mr. VanOrnum of Monroe High School, and Mr.
Paul Hetland, SOTA, for their leadership and advisory support. If you are interested in starting a Model UN Club
at your school, please contact Dr. Jennifer Gkourlias for more information. Leadership support meetings are
planned for new and returning advisors. The meetings will be on January 18, and February 15, 2011 in room
175 at School of the Arts.
Precious Harris listening to a hot debate at the Fall Model UN Conference.
Wilso
n’s M
od
el UN
Presid
ent D
exter S
cott w
ith M
r. Aru
n
Gan
dhi, th
e fifth g
rand
son o
f Mo
han
das K
. Gand
hi.
4
Gilder Lehrman Summer
Institutes
K-12 history, social studies and English teachers are
invited to apply to the Gilder Lehrman Institute of
American History 2011 Summer Seminars. Taught
by renowned historians on college campuses in the
US and the UK, these one-week seminars give
educators the opportunity to deepen their knowledge
of topics in American history—while gaining
practical resources and strategies to take back to
their classrooms. This year’s deadline is February 1,
2011 - go to http://www.gilderlehrman.org for more
information
___________________
Youth & Government Program
The Youth & Government program
empowers teens to make a difference
in their communities, thus making a
difference in their State. Teens are
provided with opportunities to use
their thoughts, voices, and actions to
grow and contribute as productive
members of society. New York State YMCA Youth
& Government provides the education, the problem-
solving experience, and the social arena for New
York's future leaders to develop and strengthen their
skills and confidence to better serve their
communities. See the attached flier for more details.
___________________
Project Citizen
The 2011 Project Citizen Summer Institute
application is now available online at http://
www.civiced.org/index.php?
page=project_citizen_regional_institutes. These
institutes serve as a wonderful introduction to—and
immersion in—the Project Citizen program, offering
an opportunity to learn implementation strategies
and deepen public policy knowledge. Participants
chosen to attend will receive, at no cost, round-trip
airfare or equivalent mileage reimbursement,
lodging, meals, and textbooks. The Northeast
Institute is held in beautiful Newport, Rhode Island,
July 22-28, 2011.
___________________
World of 7 Billion Video Contest
The world’s population will hit seven billion in
2011. How will this impact our environment? How
will this effect our global community? Your
students’ voices can make a difference in this video
contest. Two winning videos will win $1,000 each.
Visit www.WorldOf7Billion.org for details.
___________________
China’s Terracotta Army
The Rochester Area Council for the Social Studies is
sponsoring a trip to the Royal Ontario Museum in
Toronto to experience The Warrior Emperor and
China’s Terracotta Army Exhibit. The day trip,
including bus transportation, will take place on
Monday, December 27. A flier is attached; contact
Tom Witmer ([email protected]) with any
questions.
___________________
Walk the Walk
The Social Studies Department is collaborating with
the Rochester Landmark Society to provide 30
teachers the opportunity to attend professional
development about Rochester’s African American
Heritage. Teachers that attend the session will be
given the opportunity to attend a performance of
Walk the Walk with their students free of charge.
Classes are responsible for providing transportation
to the event. Performances will take place February
10th and 11th 2011 at the Hochstein School of Music
Performance Hall. You can register to attend this
session on AVATAR under SS Walk the Walk 2011
(3358).
___________________
Opportunities
5
Opportunities
Upcoming Dates: December 16: Global History
TLC
December 16: Elementary
Historians (Late)
December 20-31: Winter
Recess!
January 3: Suffragist Book
Circle
January 3: Grade 4 TLC
January 4: Children’s Literature Circle
January 6: Elementary Historians (Early)
January 6: TLC New Teachers
January 10: Content Area Literacy Circle
January 11: Grade 5 TLC
January 13: TLC American History
January 13: Wampum : Beads, Belts, and
Bartering
January 17: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
January 18: Growing Up in America
Grade 4 and 5 Collegial Circles
Teaching and Learning Communities
are continuing for the 4th and 5th
grades. In December we will be
looking at ideas for teaching the
American Revolution and other
revolutions that have taken place in
the hemisphere. It is possible to
show up to any single session and receive credit. For
more information please contact Kitty or Mark. We
look forward to sharing this time with you and learning
and growing together.
___________________
Junior Achievement Titan of
Business
Your students are invited to
compete in the 2011 Junior
Achievement Titan of
Business Challenge. This on
-line interactive simulation is
uniquely designed to teach young entrepreneurs and
leaders, in an engaging way, the nuances of running a
global business in a competitive, high-tech
marketplace. The success or failure of their companies
depend on how well the student CEO's manage real-
time key decisions. Contact Cati Pulver at the Junior
Achievement Office for more information at (585) 327-
7406 or [email protected] ___________________
NYSED ALERT
Beginning in January 2011, New York State WILL
NOT be sending printed copies of scoring keys and
rating guides for Regents Examinations. Instead,
scoring keys and rating guides will be posted on the
Department’s web site at: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/
osa/scoring/home.html at approximately 11:00 a.m. for
morning examinations and approximately 3:00 p.m. for
afternoon examinations. Schools must print
sufficient copies to supply one to each rater.
Geography of Human
Movement
On December 2nd the Social Studies Department
worked with the New York Geographic Alliance to
present a professional development on Geography
and Human Movement. Attendees were treated to
hands on activities for showing migration patterns to
students including the use of manipulatives and
cartograms. These activities integrated Social
Studies, Literacy, and Math. Teachers also received
2 books that can be used to integrate the lesson into
the literacy block. We had a rich discussion on the
importance of maps and how they can be used to
promote student inquiry and illustrate historic
events. We look forward to continuing this
partnership and providing more Geography and
Literacy PDs in the future.
6
The Rochester City School District is currently implementing
three separate federal Teaching American History grant
programs for teachers:
Teachers as Historians: targeting Middle and High
School teachers
Elementary Historians: geared toward teachers of
Fourth and Fifth Grades
Growing Up in America: designed for teachers of
Kindergarten through Grade 2.
Roc
hes
ter’
s T
each
ing
Am
eric
an
His
tory
Gra
nts
Growing Up in America
The second K-2 Growing Up in
America professional development
session convened on Tuesday,
November 30, 2010, at the Rochester
Museum and Science Center.
Participants appreciated the content
provided by Perry Ground, the director
of the Native American Resource
Center. "Wonderful," "great", and "amazing" were
some of the adjectives used to describe Mr. Ground's
hands-on approach and content rich delivery. Some
misconceptions about Native American life were
dispelled and a deeper understanding of the
Haudenosaunee family structure and norms was
gained. New knowledge is predicted to enhance
classroom practice according to many of the
teachers’ comments. Teachers learned it is
problematic for us to refer to this indigenous group
as "Iroquois" (which means "rattlesnake people"), a
name given by their enemies, the Adirondack. Mr.
Ground shared that the Resource Center has
hundreds of books on Native American culture
available for teachers to borrow. Very soon, he said,
the books will be accessible through Destiny, the
Rochester City School District's library website for
accessing resources. Teacher participants verbally
expressed appreciation for Mr. Ground's critique of
books to be cautious about using with young
children with regard to Native American culture.
Teachers with questions about the materials and
services provided may contact Mr. Ground at the
Native American Resource Center at Dr. Charles T.
Lunsdford School No. 19, 465 Seward Street,
14608, 324-9305, email: [email protected].
Mr. Ground also invites teachers to collaborate with
him on lesson planning; he'll assist with content and
invites your brilliant ideas and help with framing the
lessons!
Elementary Historians
The Elementary Historians TAH program is well
underway. In November, participants learned
about the Declaration of Independence and its
role in the African American experience.
Teachers examined Frederick Douglass’ famous
4th of July Oration, heard a lecture by Dr. Tim
Kneeland of Nazareth College, and spent time
working with colleagues to design ways that the
presented material could be incorporated into the
classroom.
Coming up in December, grant participants will
be visiting the Memorial Art Gallery to view
several pieces of art that depict events and people
in early American History. Teachers will use
these works to examine the concept of point of
view in art.
In January we will be studying the American
Revolution. We will also be bring a providing
the opportunity for cohort members to bring their
students to see “Our Revolution”, a production
about an African American in the Revolutionary
War, presented by Living Voices.
Perry Ground, coaxes K-2 GUA participants into creating a
Haudenosaunee longhouse using masking tape.
7
Favorite Social Studies Topics: US Constitution; the Cold War Years in District: 6 Years
Why is Social Studies awesome?
Social Studies is the BEST because it helps students to develop their critical
thinking and literacy skills. It provides historical insight that our future leaders
will need to solve tomorrow’s problems.
About JoEllen...
I was a student teacher at East High School in 2004 and I never left. I currently
teach the US Regents course and the AVID Elective class.
Professionally… This past summer I was a part of the Teacher as Historians (TAH)
cohort. I had a wonderful experience learning and developing a unit on Native
American history and culture. I am currently a part of the 2010-2011 TAH cohort.
My professional goal this year is to increase my knowledge and use of technology
in the classroom.
Personally… I love teaching, dancing, bowling, and spending time with my family My New Year’s resolution is to
try to save money, so that I can buy my first home.
JoEllen was nominated by Patrick Rausch for always going above and beyond the call of duty!
in Social Studies JoEllen Vasallo
East High School
Contact Steve Lamorte and Make a nomination for Who’s Who and
What’s What in Social Studies!
Every month, a trivia question dealing with local
Rochester history will be posted on the RCSD SS
Facebook page. Log on and post a comment with
your guess and you’ll have a chance at winning an
awesome SS prize.
From the book Rochestrivia by Pete Dobrovitz
Wade Boggs and Cal Ripken Jr. played against each other in the
longest game in pro baseball history when the Red Wings took on this
Triple-A team.
facebook.com/rcsdsocialstudies
