O Say Can You See?

Dear Mr. Weingarten

Editor's note: In this guest post, middle school teacher Suzanne Hadidi describes how she used portraits by artist Robert Weingarten to help students express themselves and better understand each other.

 

Portrait of Colin Powell by Robert Weingarten

In June of 2012, I had the opportunity to participate in the National Museum of American History's first Teach-it-Forward seminar for teachers in the Washington, D.C., metro area. During the seminar, we visited a new exhibit, Pushing Boundaries: Portraits by Robert Weingarten, which was enhanced by a discussion with the curator of the exhibit, Shannon Perich. As soon as I entered the gallery, I could see a variety of teaching opportunities. The portraits themselves held personal information about the subjects without the names of the subjects being revealed. The images of the subjects' life, achievements, interests, and special moments provide a range of emotions which lead to insightful thinking, reflection, and introspection on one’s own life.

I could see the faces of my students in each portrait. I could see their world open up to possibilities "unknown." In addition to the portraits, a personal letter from each subject was sent to the artist, Robert Weingarten. The letters were as diverse in writing style as in content. Knowing I needed to spend more time to create lessons which would fully reflect the meaning of the exhibition, at a later date I went back to the exhibit and took photographs of the letters. The letters became an important part of my Weingarten lessons. The exhibit opened up a whole new canvas to differentiate instruction and creatively incorporate the Common Core Standards for English/Language Arts.

 

Letter from Powell describing his selected objects for the portrait

Our Weingarten lessons began with a visual literacy strategy—See Think Wonder—where students recorded objects that they saw, what the portrait made them think about, and further questions or associations with the images. Our next lesson incorporated a lesson learned at the Teach-it-Forward seminar, using adjective cards to describe a portrait, in which students identified items in the portraits that they thought were valuable, accidental, sentimental, or held other similar qualities.

 

Describing the objects in the object portrait

Our third Weingarten lesson involved students listening to a podcast by Shannon Perich, discussing the Colin Powell portrait as well as a photograph of a Native American woman. Students were asked to listen and write what they learned from each image.

Example student response from the Powell portrait: 
What can you learn about him or her from the photographs?
Colin Powell wanted to change the world.
Is there anything that stands out to you about the way the portraits are framed?
He looks like he was busy and his life means something.

As the lessons continued, students became more involved with Robert Weingarten. They wanted to know more about his art as well as who he was. I became more involved as a teacher myself. I could feel the emotional and educational impact of this lesson journey I had taken. I couldn't wait to see my students come through the door. Incorporating parts of the Common Core Standards to the lessons, "They habitually perform the critical reading necessary to pick carefully through the staggering amount of information available today in print and digitally. They actively seek the wide, deep, and thoughtful engagement with high-quality literary and informational texts that builds knowledge, enlarges experience, and broadens worldviews." It became more and more clear—my students were "hooked."

Our next lesson was the clincher. I had students observe letters and portraits of eight additional Weingarten subjects. My sixth graders' minds were now open to expose themselves in their own "personal portrait." For the final project, each student wrote his or her own "Dear Mr. Weingarten" letter. Each letter to Mr. Weingarten included at least five items which represented who they are.

 

A student's letter to Weingarten

 

 

Letter to Weingarten by a student. In the letter, the student asks Weingarten to include an image of Howard University, "because that is where I want to go to college." 

They were also responsible for drawing a personal portrait that connected to their letter. The thought, quality, and the range of information each student shared went beyond anything I could have imagined. I learned so much about each individual student. That information still guides me today. I think about their connections to their family, religion, music, sports. I believe each child is their own portrait. Their letters and portraits serve as a constant reminder of how important personal connections are as a teacher.

 

Student object portrait

As a sixth grade teacher I plan on using and further developing the Weingarten lessons to learn about each and every student as they transition to middle school. I'm looking forward to knowing what makes each of my future students unique in his or her own right. I am also planning on sharing this lesson with other middle school teachers in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Dear Mr. Weingarten,
Thank you so much for "pushing my educational boundaries." Your personal portraits have brought inspiration, additional dedication, and personal rejuvenation to a teacher. I look forward to sharing your artwork with my students every school year.
Best regards,
Suzanne Hadidi
Grade 6 Reading Teacher
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School
Montgomery County, MD

For additional resources on these unique portraits, see the Weingarten Portrait blog series and for ideas for integrating this activity into a beginning- or end-of-year activity, see the post Who Are You? In Five Objects.

We love our volunteers

Whether they give tours, process artifacts, or bring the museum to visitors online, museum volunteers do important work. In honor of Volunteer Appreciation Week, meet five of our volunteers.

Daniela Resh has been a highlights docent at the museum for over two years, giving tours to visitors.

"I decided to become a volunteer because I love the city of Washington, DC, so much that I wanted to do something that was true to Washington, but not politics," says Resh. "The Smithsonian is such an incredible organization and a true staple of Washington that I knew I wanted to be a part of it."

Docent Daniela Resh shares the "American Stories" exhibition with a tour group

Her most rewarding moments? "Watching the faces of our visitors as they absorb the history behind the artifacts they're looking at is a truly unique and humbling experience," she says. "At the end of my tours, when the visitors thank me and tell me how much they enjoyed the tour, it always reminds me why I love spending my Sunday afternoons at the museum!"

What does she aim to achieve on her tours? "To give them a take away, to leave them with an impression, to engage them, to grow their curiosity, and share an education of this great nation—it's a very incredible thing to do!"

But not all volunteers interact with the public.

 

Martha Smith volunteers in the Objects Processing Facility

Martha Smith is a behind-the-scenes volunteer with the Object Processing Facility, where all museum objects (new acquisitions, loans, movements to offsite storage, etc.) are processed. Volunteering at the museum since July 2010, Smith previously worked as a museum conservator specializing in paper materials.

Smith was seeking some structure to her retired life when a museum staff member "crept up on me in the Tai Chi class and said, 'If you ever want to work with three-dimensional objects, why don't you come work with me?'" After her career specializing in paper conservation, this was an intriguing offer.

The best part of the job? "Seeing the objects. For some people, it would be seeing the people. Well, I like the people here... but the objects are just gripping. There are all kinds of things, a huge variety of objects. I get to examine them, which means looking close, and photograph them."

 

Volunteer Virginia Eisemon with one of the quilts in the National Quilt Collection

Virginia Eisemon is a behind-the-scenes volunteer with the Division of Home and Community Life. Working with the National Quilt Collection, she pays particular attention to "the many inscriptions on the quilts that initially intrigued me to research and write about the collection," says Eisemon.

"The stories they reveal provide insight into many periods of American history and it's nice to be able to share them on the website."

Her favorite quilt inscription?

"There is so much good in the worst of us
And so much bad in the best of us
That is scarcely behooves any of us
To talk about the rest of us."

Michelle Martz doesn't even come to the museum to complete her volunteer duties—she works online. Online engagement is important as many people experience the museum through the web. As a graduate student at The George Washington University's Museum Studies Program, Martz pins images and text to the museum's Pinterest boards.

"Pinterest is a social media site that helps users collect and organize things they find on the Interent," explains Martz. "Every day, millions of people use Pinterest. The museum uses Pinterest to share their collections, programs, and information with current and potential visitors," such as in the Cool Jazz board she recently created for Jazz Appreciation Month.

"'Pinning' or sharing artifacts, like, Dizzy Gillespie's bent trumpet or lesson plans for teachers, I help the museum educate people on American history," she says. It's a job that requires an eye for visual harmony as well as keen writing skills, both obvious in this board in which museum artifacts give Valentine's date advice.

Mary Kate du Laney is another online volunteer, in charge of keeping our Facebook and Twitter fans connected to our collections through daily "This Day in History" posts. 

"I love helping to research and write posts, as well as comb through our collections to find relevant and intriguing items to share with our ever-growing audiences," says du Laney. "I also love to be able to analyze and report on our social media endeavors through our various data collection and aggregation."

Du Laney's favorite experience as a volunteer was blogging about the Wicked object donation and performance. "It is a personal favorite show and was a wonderful experience working with my supervisor from start to finish of a project that was so important to so many of our blog/podcast followers," she says.

Manager of visitor programs Andrea Lowther, curator Tim Winkle, and education specialist Erin Blasco contributed to this post. Interested in volunteering? Opportunities abound.

Talking back to the museum

Love debating about historical topics? This post by three of the museum's educators is for you.

We're always looking for ways to make history real and personal to our visitors both in the museum and online. Our TalkBack History program gets visitors at the museum as well as our online guests to do just that: connect to American history and to one another using very different media. The results can be surprisingly inspirational.

On February 22, we asked the following question on our TalkBack History Board: "Today in 1980, the U.S. Olympic Hockey Team defeats the Soviet Union at Lake Placid, 4-3. After this 'Miracle on Ice,' the U.S. team went on to win the gold medal. What is your favorite Olympic memory?" We posted the same on Facebook and Twitter.

 

An outpouring of responses on the Talk Back Board

The response was wonderful and meaningful. One of our Facebook fans, Tiffany, posted, "That was an amazing game to watch—thanks for bringing back the memories!" Since the museum just opened a feature case about Olympian Gabrielle Douglas, we were thrilled to see so many people respond with excitement about her victory as their favorite Olympic moment.

 

A visitor's favorite Olympic memory? Watching Olympian Gabrielle Douglas!

Sharing Olympic memories on Facebook

Many other famous wins and individuals were mentioned as well, such as Michael Phelps, Nastia Liukin, Michelle Kwan, and the original "Dream Team." While you might expect most people to answer with outstanding Olympians, many recalled memories of the tradition of the games themselves. Scott and Stephanie's most poignant Olympic memory was goalie Jim Craig, a member of the "Miracle" team, hoisting the U.S. flag after winning the gold and then scanning the crowd for his father's face.

 

A visitor's comment about meaningful Olympic moments

Another visitor mentioned the intensity of watching gymnast Mary Lou Retton score a perfect "10" in her last two events, floor exercise and vault, to barely win the gold and become the first woman outside of Eastern Europe to win a gold medal in gymnastics. Some remember the coaches, like women's basketball coach Anne Donovan, a former Olympian, leading her team to gold at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. For one, it was the wonder of the opening ceremonies and the parade of nations.

 

Skates were worn by Phil Verchota (number 27) in the "miracle on ice" game. While it was the win against the Finns that cinched the Gold, the defeat of the Soviet team in the semifinals captured the hearts and imaginations of Americans during a time of cold war tensions.

Overall, the Olympic Games inspire hope, community, and peace in a coming together of brotherhood and sportsmanship. As one person described the event on Facebook, it was, "a moment the World was One, and cheered." What could be more miraculous than that?

Other questions that have inspired discussion, sometimes harmonious and positive, other times a bit more contentious:

• What is the legacy of the Japanese-American internment during World War II?
• What lessons have you learned from Charlie Brown?
• What methods would you use to prevent assassinations of top political leaders?
• Who is America's greatest author?
• What songs taught you about American history? 
• Where you grew up, did you learn about the California gold rush and, if not, what regional history do you remember learning?
• On Valentine’s Day: Who is your historical crush?

Many of these questions were inspired by an event that happened on that day's date in history, such as the day President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the executive order leading to the internment of Japanese-Americans or the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in California. Typically, the museum's collections include an artifact related to the historical content, such as one of the pieces of gold discovered in California in January 1848 or, in the case of the Japanese-American internment, and entire online exhibition dedicated to the topic.

 

This small piece of yellow metal, weighing just .09 g, is believed to be the first piece of gold discovered in 1848 at Sutter’s Mill in California, launching the gold rush. By August of 1848, as evidence of the find, this piece and other samples of California gold had arrived in Washington, D.C., for delivery to President James K. Polk and for preservation at the National Institute. Within weeks, President Polk formally declared to Congress that gold had been discovered in California.

Discussion of regional history learned in school on the museum's Facebook page

Our hope is that our collection informs the discussion and inspires deeper reflection or inspiration. We’ve noticed that asking about your favorite historical figure, song, movie, or book often triggers a high volume of responses while questions about the legacy or critical meaning of a historic event can sometimes be harder to respond to. Whether written in 140 characters on Twitter, a quickly-typed response on Facebook, or scrawled on a post-it note during a busy museum visit, we love hearing from you and are frequently amazed by the thoughtfulness of the comments you share.

But we're curious about one more thing: do you expect to "talk back" to the museum? How important to you is it to share your own opinions with the museum or read those others have left? As social media tools change the museum's relationship with the outside world, we want to hear from you, so share your answer with us! 

MK Macko is the museum's daily programs floor manager and a graduate student at The George Washington University Museum Studies program. Ellen Roth is an intern who works on daily programs such as the Talk Back Board. Erin Blasco is an education specialist in the museum's New Media Department. 

Teaching with drama: The Time Trial of Andrew Jackson

Jason Fox, an AP U.S. history and psychology teacher, explains why he came to class dressed as Andrew Jackson and let his students put him on trial. 

My entire teaching career, I've followed the premise that attention equals retention. So, when the opportunity to learn new ways to engage my students through the Teach-it-Forward program was brought to my attention, I jumped at the chance. While I went through the summer seminar, I had an opportunity to learn new ways of integrating drama in my classroom activities and it was exhilarating to see history taught through the affective domain instead of simply dead worksheets and other people's interpretation of events.

The single most powerful event for me at the seminar was The Time Trial of John Brown. For a fleeting 30 minutes, 150+ years of history faded away and I felt as if the real John Brown was transported into the room. 

 

Actor Terry Averill portrays John Brown during the Teach-it-Forward Institute. Brown was a radical abolitionist in the mid-19th century. He advocated violence to combat slavery and led armed insurrections that would lead to his execution.

The individual playing John Brown absolutely mastered the character and I found myself frantically analyzing his motives based on the events of the time. The individual portraying Brown carried a great amount of intensity with him and this naturally piqued my attention. I knew immediately that this lesson was one that was easily adaptable, interesting, and potentially memorable for my students.

I started off by dividing the class into groups based on topics related to Andrew Jackson including national unity and sectionalism, economic ideas including the Bank war, Indian Removal Act, and the changing the role of the presidency. After viewing and discussing some primary sources to encourage conversation, students then drafted questions to ask Jackson on their specific topics.

My students are used to seeing me as relaxed and proper. When I came in the class energized, in costume, and using Jackson's quotes in context, they were every bit as awake as I was when I heard the John Brown time trial. Ultimately, this lesson forced my students to analyze Jackson as a real human being with all of the faults and qualities that he possessed.

 

In this video clip, teacher Jason Fox portrays Andrew Jackson and defends himself against his students' tough questions. 

Even weeks later, students would come to me and ask how Jackson would have felt about the bevy of caretaker presidents who followed him, or what he would have done if he were president in 1860 instead of James Buchanan.

In my AP class, students often focus on simply getting a grade and moving on while missing the real goal of education for its own sake. This lesson forced my students to apply historical knowledge and rewarded them intrinsically. Teachers often portray caricatures of people in history in order to simplify it to their students. This lesson, on the other hand, forced my students to see an extremely polarizing historic individual in a truly human light.

 

Andrew Jackson carried this sword and scabbard while commanding the American forces, which included Tennessee militia, U.S. regulars, and Cherokee, Choctaw, and Southern Creek Indians during the Creek War in the War of 1812.

I plan on doing a similar presentation of a legacy trial of either President Lyndon Johnson or President Richard Nixon in a couple of months. If you know about a figure from history as an individual, you'll know how carefully I have to be to pick out quotes for school appropriateness… Nevertheless, I'm really excited about them and grateful to the museum for the opportunity to learn and share.

Jason Fox is an AP US history and Psychology teacher at CD Hylton High School in Prince William County, Virginia. He is a National Board Certified Teacher and was a participant in the museum's Teach-it-Forward Institute, a training program for local educators. In our "time trials," the public is invited to explore and debate a historical figure’s legacy with a historical interpreter, such as this trial of Benedict Arnold's legacy. Check out our post Teaching with Drama for more ideas for using theater in the classroom. 

A pin, a bracelet, and 5 of our online resources on women's right to vote

Ever talk to a kid in your life about women's history? Educator Jenny Wei shares a few hand-picked resources for getting the conversation started. 

With a specialty in working with young people, I love looking at museum objects that seem recognizable right away. In your mind, walking through a museum full of objects, you may look into a case and say to yourself, "Ok, that's a bracelet," and move on. It's tempting to say, "We have bracelets today. I know what bracelets are for." But when you pause to ask yourself why is THIS bracelet in a museum, you find a new way to look at a challenging story about American politics.

 

Alice Paul's "Jailed for Freedom" pin

More than 150 women were sentenced to prison in 1917 as a result of their picketing the White House for the right to vote. The charge of obstructing the sidewalk led to sentences from two to six months at the Occoquan Workhouse in Lorton, Virginia. The women demanded to be treated as political prisoners, objecting to poor conditions. With a few of their members placed in solitary confinement, some of the women embarked upon a hunger strike, which resulted in them being force fed by prison officials.

The National Women’s Party recognized the efforts and heroism of the prisoners. In December, 1917, at a meeting in their honor, the picketers who had been jailed were presented with small silver pins in the shape of prison doors with heart-shaped locks. The women wore their pins to commemorate their imprisonment and call attention to the injustice of being "jailed for freedom."

What do you think of the door symbol? Would you have picked a different symbol?

 

This bracelet, representing eleven of the thirty-five states that ratified the ERA, was worn by Alice Paul, who drafted the original amendment in 1923.

In 1972, Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which would guarantee men and women equal rights under state and federal law, and sent it to the states for ratification. From 1972 to 1982, supporters campaigned to get the required 38 states to ratify the amendment. But the effort was opposed and ultimately defeated by those who feared the ERA's moral and legal impact on American society.

This bracelet, representing 11 of the 35 states that ratified the ERA, was worn by Alice Paul, who drafted the original amendment in 1923. What happened in the nearly 50 years in between Alice Paul's first amendment and state ratification? Almost every session of Congress introduced some variation of the ERA, but most variations stalled in committees until 1970 when Representative Martha Griffiths successfully petitioned to move the amendment to debate before the full Congress.

Take a close look at the states on this bracelet. Is your state there? Did it ratify the ERA or not? What do you think about that?

I also adore this pair of objects because of the contrast they present. On one hand, there is a promise fulfilled: for more than 90 years, women have had the vote. On the other hand, the Equal Rights Amendment was never passed, despite the work of so many petitioners. The bracelet is closely associated with one woman, who was a prominent leader of her movement, but many Jailed for Freedom pins were presented, which reminds me of how history was also made by people whose names we have forgotten.

I hope you will take a moment to explore these two objects with a young person in your life. Talk about the stories together. And if you are in the mood to learn more about the woman suffrage movement, take a look at a few of these online resources:

• Take less than one minute to explore the story of Susan B. Anthony and woman suffrage through the video and short exploration that is part of Preparing for the Oath: U.S. History and Civics for Citizenship
• Speaking of Susan B. Anthony, check out this gift she received in honor of her 80th birthday
• Alice Paul's story is told in much greater detail on our blog as Alice Paul: Champion of Woman Suffrage
• For more information on the "Jailed for Freedom" pin, visit its online collection record
• For book recommendations and activity guides for young children, download materials from Winning the Vote for Women

Jenny Wei is an education specialist at the National Museum of American History.