Can You Name One

Years ago I attended military leadership training on Equal Employment Opportunities with my unit.  A gentleman from West Africa was providing the training.  Sadly I have forgotten his name but I still remember his message.  You see he started his training with the following quiz - he said our answers could be names of people either living or dead, male or female except for the first two questions.

Try answering the questions yourself.

1.  Can you name one influential American man?

2.  Can you name one influential American woman?

3.  Can you name one influential Irish-American?

4.  Can you name one influential Italian-American?

5.  Can you name one influential Native-American?

6.  Can you name one influential Jewish-American?

7.  Can you name on influential Japanese-American?

8.  Can you name one influential German-American?

9.  Can you name one influential African-American?

10.  Can you name one influential Polish-American?

11.  Can you name one influential Chinese-American?


He gave us about 10 minutes to complete the quiz,  then he called for a show of hands.  How many answered all eleven questions.  No hands.  Ten questions - no hands.   Nine questions - no hands.  On the count went.  Five questions - my hand went up.  The majority of the group had about 3 answers.

I was feeling pretty good about my accomplishment.

With great dignity he quietly stated, "Other than the first question how many women did you list?"

Women? None - well one, the question that specifically asked about an influential woman.

He went on to say that this list was more about our values as a society.  It was about how our education looked at half our population.  Until we consciously teach about women's accomplishments we will never achieve true equality for anyone.

I'm not sure what else he said, my mind was was still reeling from his bombshell.  I who had felt proud moments before - now felt clueless.

Today- I close my eyes - and remember this dignified man.  This man in his suit and baby blue shirt.  The cadence of his words, with their soft accent.  His twinkling eyes as he threw the curve ball, "How many of your names were that of women?"

In that moment I changed.  Today I look differently at history and how we teach it.

Playapalooza Learning to Play Vintage Games

Every year the Western Heritage Centers hosts "Playapalooza" as family entertainment and a fund raiser for their educational programs.  Every year I think that this year I will finally get there, and every year I miss it.

What is a Playapalooza?  An event where you and your children or grandchildren can go and learn and play vintage games.  Games like checkers, tiddlywinks,  jacks, hopscotch,  marbles,  pickup sticks.  

As a kid I played checkers, hopscotch, jacks, and a little marbles.  I never learned to play tiddlywinks - imagine my surprise when I learned there are still tournaments and associations.

I know that Western Heritage have many of these games in their gift shop year round.  As I sit her writing I'm thinking about complex text - yah right.  What I was actually thinking was how directions are often very complex and confusing.  I wonder what my kids would think about having a mini Playapalooza -  reading the directions to figure out how to play the game.  Then letting them try.  I wonder if YouTube has anything on these games?

You Know There is Snow When Schools Close in Montana

The railing was bare Thursday night when I went to bed.  This morning at 4:30 am there was about 4 inches.  It is now almost 9:30 pm and I am guessing there is at least 15 inches on the railing.  The snow is still falling.

Missoula is approximately 350 miles from Billings, MT.  Sunday Dan and I left for Missoula about 8:00 am for a conference on Monday and Tuesday.  It was snowing.  We were blessed we hit snow, the roads were wet but not bad.  We stopped in Butte - snow but not bad, got to Missoula wind was howling.  Cold bitter and cutting - it was getting bad.

At breakfast we learned that neighboring areas (45 miles away) received about 21 inches that night.  I watched out the window it was still snowing.  Tuesday it quit.  Tuesday night I knocked the snow from the pick-up and went into town and had supper.  Wednesday we traveled home - roads were clear and dry.

Thursday the clouds were looking ominous.  The photos are from the railing on my back porch Friday night.  Oh by the way it is still snowing.

The news said that schools were closed in Missoula and surrounding areas because of Blizzard conditions.  Several schools in the eastern part of the state were also closed.

This next picture is from KECI 13- Missoula  https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152235565954586&set=o.166203150057757&type=3&theater

This picture was taken at Lolo Pass about 30 miles from Missoula.

The news says we have two more waves on the way.  Yes I know it is still snowing.

Have You Ever Heard of Robert May?

As a teacher I believe that asking questions is a skill that all students need to be able to do. How many times have you said, “I didn’t know enough, to know what questions to ask”?  

One of the things I try to share with my students is the love of learning.  I love research, I am always learning things that surprise me.  I have been pairing pictures with the Question Formulation Technique developed by the Right Question Institute http://rightquestion.org/about/strategy/ .  I love the book “Make Just One Change”.

I have been featuring authors of children’s literature.  I decided I would feature Robert May - author of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer as my mystery photo.  As I began looking for pictures of the author, I came across the picture I wanted to use in a post by Nate Bloom.    

http://www.interfaithfamily.com/arts_and_entertainment/popular_culture/Shining_a_Light_on_the_Largely_Untold_Story_of_the_Origins_of_Rudolph_the_Red-Nosed_Reindeer.shtml

As I read his post I learned about the author of Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer and other Jewish writers who penned contemporary holiday music and stories.  The juxtaposition provides a tantalizing layer to these literary treasures.

I took the picture, put it in a powerpoint slide.  Broke it into quadrants - placed four text boxes filled with different colors over the picture.  Animated each square to reveal part of the picture each time I clicked.  The kids developed questions they wanted to know about the picture.  The rules are: write down every question as the person says it.  You can not judge the questions, or stop and discuss or answer them.  Each time I revealed part of the square the kids asked more questions.

I left the section with Rudolph’s head for the last piece to be uncovered.  My students are getting better at asking deeper questions.  This week we will explore May’s biographical information.  I wonder what questions they will have after reading about Robert May?

http://www.interfaithfamily.com/arts_and_entertainment/popular_culture/The_Jews_Who_Wrote_Christmas_Songs_2012.shtml

Like every good Paul Harvey fan - "And now you know the rest of the story."

No Relief

Our road trips take us down many isolated areas and back roads.   Rest stops are always high on my priority list.  Me - I am partial to rest stops with indoor plumbing and warm running water.  My husband is not so particular.

Out on the back roads a maintained rest stop can be a welcome luxury.  Today those were unavailable because the government was closed till further notice.

Each day I am made aware of how many ways my life is impacted by this shut down.  The first few days the Library of Congress website was closed.  Thus no research for me.  All the National Park websites are still closed.  The impact on me is annoying, frustrating.  I dislike that individuals who didn't get their way are able to hold this country hostage.  Yet I think about the many small businesses around Yellowstone that rely on the tourist trade - their livelihood has been sorely impacted.  I am sure this is true for all of our National Parks.

My photo was taken of a sign taped to a locked outhouse in the Shoshone National Park.  I think it is a great allegory for our current situation.  Each closed government function ripples out affecting so many people.  Some mildly impacted, others who may never recover.

To me the sign proclaims no relief today!

Looking Into Hell's Canyon from Hat Point Lookout

After we left Joseph Oregon, we went to a small community called Imnaha, Oregon.  From Imnaha we headed up the mountain to Hat Point Lookout.  From the top you can see the Snake River running through the bottom of Hell's Canyon.  You can gaze at the Seven Devils Mountains.

  

We traveled up a forest service road.  A narrow, steep and twisty dirt road.  With courtesy on-coming traffic can get by. There are no guard rails.  We traveled about 15-20 miles per hour sometimes less.

Looking through the windshield.

Shot from moving car.

This was taken at the first overlook.  It is an impressive view.

Then we started up the road again.  In the next picture look for the blue ribbon on the left side.  That is is Snake River.

At this point it is a vertical mile to the canyon floor. 

 The sign tells of a rock slide that created a dam in the canyon bottom over 400 feet high 10 - 15,000 years ago.  Today most of the rock dam is gone except for some boulders.  

The left over boulders from that landslide create the white water rapids that you see in this picture of the Snake River.  I am standing at the top of Hat Point taking this picture.  The rapids are a vertical mile from the top of Hat Point.

Hat Point Lookout fire tower is 82 feet to the top of the tower.  It is manned every summer.  Visitors are allowed to climb the stairs and have a look.  Yours truly did not climb those stairs!

Look at These Deer

Going through Joseph, Oregon I noticed a sign for a bed and breakfast.  It caught my eye because the name was the same as my maiden name.  So I took a photo.  Then I noticed the two young deer eating the front yard.

The little buck has forked antlers and is in velvet, both of them have fading spots.  So are they last years babies or early babies this year?  Does anyone have a guess?