There is a brand-new exhibit at National Geographic that I had to share with everyone!
Coming to us from Canada, Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology is now open at the National Geographic Museum in Washington, DC.
This exhibit has a dual purpose: to take the visitor in-depth into the trilogy of Indiana Jones movies, while at the same time educating the public about the real-time work that archaeologists do and the science behind them. I am happy to say that this exhibit succeeded wonderfully at both!
Now on through January 3, 2016. Come on down and explore the roots of the Living Museum!
http://www.indianajonestheexhibition.com
Friday, May 29, 2015
Friday, May 1, 2015
Back to the Field
Happy Spring, fellow wayfarers!
I apologize for the long delay! April is the beginning of testing season for the public school system, and while I don't have to take the tests, administering them in accordance with each child's IEP and 504 really takes it out of you!
I attended a fascinating lecture at the National Museum of Natural History the other day and I want to share it with you all. The lecture was offered as part of the Castle Lecture series and was entitled "Ethics in the Anthropocene". [www.si.edu/consortia/castlelectureseries]
Here is a basic definition of terms to get you started;
Anthropocene: The age of humans, wherein humanity is seen as a geological force. It is being proposed that this term be used to describe the age that we are living in now, at the end of the Holocene. Characterized by collective human domination of nature fed by a large population and correspondingly large levels of consumption, as well as power of and reliance on technology which make action at spatial and temporal distance possible. [as proposed by Dale Jamieson, Reason in a Dark Time]
Ethics: a code or series of codes of behavior and/or conduct by which one lives one's life.
Ethics of the Anthropocene: now that it has been proven that humans are/have altered the planet, what are the new responsibilities we have as the dominant species on the planet to preserve and protect it?
Dale Jamieson proposed a new code of ethics for this epoch which he named the "Green Ethics" consisting of:
- Preservation, couched in Humility
- Rehabilitation, couched in Temperance
- Creation, couched in Mindfulness, Cooperativeness, and Respect for Nature.
He proposed these ethics in light of his belief that Morality needs to be revised in order to catch up with the times, such as in the areas of civil rights, animal rights, and the rise of capitalism.
This latest lecture was given by Dale Jamieson and had a panel response consisting of Dr. Rick Potts, Connie Bertka, Elliott Dorff, Fred Edwords, David Haberman, Betty Holley, and Nancy Howell.
In the Classroom: This information dovetails with current public school lessons in a number of ways. I've listed a few below and would be very interested to hear your thoughts and reactions. (I don't mention private schools simply because I have no experience teaching at them. I'm sure that similar lesson plans could be made to accommodate these needs.)
School-wide
- the importance of recycling programs, and the recent rise in popularity of school gardens and composting
- the importance of being global citizens, and what that means
- taking responsibility for your actions
- careful consideration of what job you will have one day, and how that job will affect the stability of our world
Science
- studying the changing chemistry of our world to see how it has been affected
- studying the changing chemistry of our world to see how we can repair the damage
- examining the adaptations of plants and animals to this new environment
Mathematics
- calculating the rate at which the planet's atmosphere is changing
- calculating the rate at which the population is growing and the amount of resources we consume
- calculating the rate at which we would need to replace those resources and the probability of doing so
Biology
- examining the changing morphology in human beings over the ages
- can we predict what changes will occur next?
- what animal species have we already lost?
History
- has this phenomenon happened at any other time in history?
- is there a historical precedent?
- what can we learn from the past to impact the future?
Language Arts
- how do we talk to each other about what has happened?
- do we need to create new terminology?
- we need to learn how to calmly and rationally approach this issue and look for solutions.
The question I would like to leave you with is this: In light of our new information on the effect humanity is having on the planet, do our ethics and moral codes need revision? Or are there already moral codes in place that account for these changes?
The lines are open - let discussion abound!
I apologize for the long delay! April is the beginning of testing season for the public school system, and while I don't have to take the tests, administering them in accordance with each child's IEP and 504 really takes it out of you!
I attended a fascinating lecture at the National Museum of Natural History the other day and I want to share it with you all. The lecture was offered as part of the Castle Lecture series and was entitled "Ethics in the Anthropocene". [www.si.edu/consortia/castlelectureseries]
Here is a basic definition of terms to get you started;
Anthropocene: The age of humans, wherein humanity is seen as a geological force. It is being proposed that this term be used to describe the age that we are living in now, at the end of the Holocene. Characterized by collective human domination of nature fed by a large population and correspondingly large levels of consumption, as well as power of and reliance on technology which make action at spatial and temporal distance possible. [as proposed by Dale Jamieson, Reason in a Dark Time]
Ethics: a code or series of codes of behavior and/or conduct by which one lives one's life.
Ethics of the Anthropocene: now that it has been proven that humans are/have altered the planet, what are the new responsibilities we have as the dominant species on the planet to preserve and protect it?
Dale Jamieson proposed a new code of ethics for this epoch which he named the "Green Ethics" consisting of:
- Preservation, couched in Humility
- Rehabilitation, couched in Temperance
- Creation, couched in Mindfulness, Cooperativeness, and Respect for Nature.
He proposed these ethics in light of his belief that Morality needs to be revised in order to catch up with the times, such as in the areas of civil rights, animal rights, and the rise of capitalism.
This latest lecture was given by Dale Jamieson and had a panel response consisting of Dr. Rick Potts, Connie Bertka, Elliott Dorff, Fred Edwords, David Haberman, Betty Holley, and Nancy Howell.
In the Classroom: This information dovetails with current public school lessons in a number of ways. I've listed a few below and would be very interested to hear your thoughts and reactions. (I don't mention private schools simply because I have no experience teaching at them. I'm sure that similar lesson plans could be made to accommodate these needs.)
School-wide
- the importance of recycling programs, and the recent rise in popularity of school gardens and composting
- the importance of being global citizens, and what that means
- taking responsibility for your actions
- careful consideration of what job you will have one day, and how that job will affect the stability of our world
Science
- studying the changing chemistry of our world to see how it has been affected
- studying the changing chemistry of our world to see how we can repair the damage
- examining the adaptations of plants and animals to this new environment
Mathematics
- calculating the rate at which the planet's atmosphere is changing
- calculating the rate at which the population is growing and the amount of resources we consume
- calculating the rate at which we would need to replace those resources and the probability of doing so
Biology
- examining the changing morphology in human beings over the ages
- can we predict what changes will occur next?
- what animal species have we already lost?
History
- has this phenomenon happened at any other time in history?
- is there a historical precedent?
- what can we learn from the past to impact the future?
Language Arts
- how do we talk to each other about what has happened?
- do we need to create new terminology?
- we need to learn how to calmly and rationally approach this issue and look for solutions.
The question I would like to leave you with is this: In light of our new information on the effect humanity is having on the planet, do our ethics and moral codes need revision? Or are there already moral codes in place that account for these changes?
The lines are open - let discussion abound!
Friday, March 13, 2015
Dovetailing Discoveries!
Greetings, Fellow Wayfarers!
There have been some fantastic developments in Archaeology this week!
Thousands of Bodies from Bedlam
While digging for a new rail line, archaeologists in England uncovered a large gravesite with around 3,000 bodies, all interred during the 16th and 17th centuries AD, putting them directly in the swath of the bubonic plague. The worst of its kind to ever be seen, the bubonic plague (more commonly referred to as The Black Death, owing to the color of the pustules it left on human bodies in its wake) ultimately killed 1/3 of the population of Europe at that time.
This latest discovery coincidentally comes on the heels of a recent joint study done by Cornell University and Columbia University that found that it may not have been the rats that spread the bubonic plague, as was common belief, but in fact the fleas on rats who are responsible. Fleas on Rats are to Blame. These same fleas have also been found to carry typhus and Barontella germs, as well as a host of other fun little friends. These fleas can be linked back to the Oriental fleas which were responsible for bringing the bubonic plague to Europe from Asia, using the Silk Road trading routes as a pipeline.
Bedlam Cemetary opened in 1569 to take in the overflow from the city's other cemetaries. So far this dig has been Christmas for archaeologists: included among the bones are bison and mammoth bones, Roman horseshoes, medieval ice skates as well as the remains of a Tudor manor house. This cemetary is also the origin of the word 'bedlam' referring to insanity or chaos.
About 60 archaeologists, working 16-hour days in shifts, spent a month excavating the bones to a laboratory. After analysis the bones will be reburied on Canvey Island in the Thames Estuary. The Crosslink railway station to be built on the site is scheduled to open in 2018.
As an archaeologist, you tend to form a connection with the land and the artifacts that you are spending so much time in such close proximity with. When excavating in Vindolanda on Hadrian's Wall in 2013, one of my finds included a finely wrought gold bracelet. I started immediately wondering about the woman who had worn it. Was it a gift from her husband? An engagement present that was returned? The part of the fort we were excavating included the barracks of the Roman soldiers stationed there. Why would someone leave something so valuable behind?
Bones have an even more powerful pull on you. As these archaeologists start cleaning and running tests, they won't just be tracing a historical plague bacteria. They will be witness to the lives that these people lived. Our bones serve as a catalog of everything that has ever happened to us - what we ate, where we traveled, what we did for work, etc. Examining bones like these almost feels like the corpse is trusting you to write an accurate account of what their life was like. All this and as scientists, archaeologists still need to be able to add verifiable data from our discoveries. Whew!
The Smithsonian Institution has produced two excellent exhibitions in the last few years on modern archaeology and what we can learn from bone analysis. I can tell you from personal experience that both exhibits are tremendous. They cover the depth and scope of the materials while simultaneously presenting it at a relatable level to the general public. I would encourage everyone to read and/or make sure you see both. The Hall of Human Origins is a permanent exhibit at the National Museum of Natural History.
Hall of Human Origins Traveling Exhibition
Written in Bone: Forensic Files of the 17th Century Chesapeake
Written in Bone
There have been some fantastic developments in Archaeology this week!
Thousands of Bodies from Bedlam
While digging for a new rail line, archaeologists in England uncovered a large gravesite with around 3,000 bodies, all interred during the 16th and 17th centuries AD, putting them directly in the swath of the bubonic plague. The worst of its kind to ever be seen, the bubonic plague (more commonly referred to as The Black Death, owing to the color of the pustules it left on human bodies in its wake) ultimately killed 1/3 of the population of Europe at that time.
This latest discovery coincidentally comes on the heels of a recent joint study done by Cornell University and Columbia University that found that it may not have been the rats that spread the bubonic plague, as was common belief, but in fact the fleas on rats who are responsible. Fleas on Rats are to Blame. These same fleas have also been found to carry typhus and Barontella germs, as well as a host of other fun little friends. These fleas can be linked back to the Oriental fleas which were responsible for bringing the bubonic plague to Europe from Asia, using the Silk Road trading routes as a pipeline.
Bedlam Cemetary opened in 1569 to take in the overflow from the city's other cemetaries. So far this dig has been Christmas for archaeologists: included among the bones are bison and mammoth bones, Roman horseshoes, medieval ice skates as well as the remains of a Tudor manor house. This cemetary is also the origin of the word 'bedlam' referring to insanity or chaos.
About 60 archaeologists, working 16-hour days in shifts, spent a month excavating the bones to a laboratory. After analysis the bones will be reburied on Canvey Island in the Thames Estuary. The Crosslink railway station to be built on the site is scheduled to open in 2018.
As an archaeologist, you tend to form a connection with the land and the artifacts that you are spending so much time in such close proximity with. When excavating in Vindolanda on Hadrian's Wall in 2013, one of my finds included a finely wrought gold bracelet. I started immediately wondering about the woman who had worn it. Was it a gift from her husband? An engagement present that was returned? The part of the fort we were excavating included the barracks of the Roman soldiers stationed there. Why would someone leave something so valuable behind?
Bones have an even more powerful pull on you. As these archaeologists start cleaning and running tests, they won't just be tracing a historical plague bacteria. They will be witness to the lives that these people lived. Our bones serve as a catalog of everything that has ever happened to us - what we ate, where we traveled, what we did for work, etc. Examining bones like these almost feels like the corpse is trusting you to write an accurate account of what their life was like. All this and as scientists, archaeologists still need to be able to add verifiable data from our discoveries. Whew!
The Smithsonian Institution has produced two excellent exhibitions in the last few years on modern archaeology and what we can learn from bone analysis. I can tell you from personal experience that both exhibits are tremendous. They cover the depth and scope of the materials while simultaneously presenting it at a relatable level to the general public. I would encourage everyone to read and/or make sure you see both. The Hall of Human Origins is a permanent exhibit at the National Museum of Natural History.
Hall of Human Origins Traveling Exhibition
Written in Bone: Forensic Files of the 17th Century Chesapeake
Written in Bone
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Religious Understanding for Cultural Property
There are a lot of hard questions that we need to ask in the wake of this tragedy:
http://newsfeed.gawker.com/isis-smashes-3-000-years-of-history-in-iraqi-museum-att-1688184667
The Islamic religion teaches that making statues of religious figures or famous people is a form of idolatry. Therefore, all such artistic mediums must be destroyed. There are other current examples of believers scratching out the face of the prophet Muhammed from illustrations in the Qu'ran and other examples.
But is it logical to destroy works of art that existed thousands of years before the religious beliefs in question existed? These are works of art that existed back during the Assyrian empire and various other times; they have nothing to do with Islam or the beliefs of that religion.
In many cases, when works of art are in dispute, every reasonable effort will be made to find the decendents of the original owners, or failing that, attempt to return the work of art in question to the country of origin. In cases like this, the artifacts are so old that their empires technically do not exist anymore; or are buried under tons of sand. The inhabitants of these civilizations are likewise dispersed among multiple different cultures and countries. Obviously, nothing is wrong with any of this. But is does make the original owners nearly impossible to track down.
In such cases, the artifact is understood to be property of the country in which they were found. It is then that country's responsibility and perogative to preserve the artifact and share its knowledge, as that knowledge is the cultural property of the world's population.
These men have stolen from the world. They have acted against the strictures of their own religion. They have deprived future generations of irreplaceable knowledge of a lost culture.
How will the world respond?
They are historical treasures that belong to the entire world.
http://newsfeed.gawker.com/isis-smashes-3-000-years-of-history-in-iraqi-museum-att-1688184667
The Islamic religion teaches that making statues of religious figures or famous people is a form of idolatry. Therefore, all such artistic mediums must be destroyed. There are other current examples of believers scratching out the face of the prophet Muhammed from illustrations in the Qu'ran and other examples.
But is it logical to destroy works of art that existed thousands of years before the religious beliefs in question existed? These are works of art that existed back during the Assyrian empire and various other times; they have nothing to do with Islam or the beliefs of that religion.
In many cases, when works of art are in dispute, every reasonable effort will be made to find the decendents of the original owners, or failing that, attempt to return the work of art in question to the country of origin. In cases like this, the artifacts are so old that their empires technically do not exist anymore; or are buried under tons of sand. The inhabitants of these civilizations are likewise dispersed among multiple different cultures and countries. Obviously, nothing is wrong with any of this. But is does make the original owners nearly impossible to track down.
In such cases, the artifact is understood to be property of the country in which they were found. It is then that country's responsibility and perogative to preserve the artifact and share its knowledge, as that knowledge is the cultural property of the world's population.
These men have stolen from the world. They have acted against the strictures of their own religion. They have deprived future generations of irreplaceable knowledge of a lost culture.
How will the world respond?
They are historical treasures that belong to the entire world.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Lesson Plans for Mali - Post #2
As promised, here are the lesson plans for the 2nd Grade unit on Mali.
The objective of this lesson is to introduce students to different forms of bullying that they otherwise might not be aware of. This lesson can be applied to nearly any period of history at any grade level. For the purposes of my project with the Teach-It-Forward Program at the Smithsonian, I chose to focus it around the American public school system's 2nd Grade Social Studies unit on Mali.
Feedback and questions are more than welcome!
The objective of this lesson is to introduce students to different forms of bullying that they otherwise might not be aware of. This lesson can be applied to nearly any period of history at any grade level. For the purposes of my project with the Teach-It-Forward Program at the Smithsonian, I chose to focus it around the American public school system's 2nd Grade Social Studies unit on Mali.
Feedback and questions are more than welcome!
Lesson Plan - Bullying in Ancient Empires
Subject: Mali
Sub-Topic: Village Council Meeting - Effects of bullying on community decisions
- Introduction: Where is Mali?
- What is the country of Mali like? (temperature, landscape, etc.)
- Why is Mali important?
- Ancient trades routes
- ancient empires
- important sources of salt, gold, economic effects
- Empire Characteristics
- Mali lay between trade routes focused on the movement of salt and gold. Why are these important? What can you do with them?
- Why is salt important? Isn’t it common?
- Village Decisions
- What is a village? Is it like a town or a city?
- Who makes up the government of a village?
- How do they make decisions?
- ** See handout on Members of a Malian Community
- Activity
- Assign the roles of the Members of a Malian Community to the boys. Explain why the girls are left out.
- Introduce topic for discussion - Should laundry day be moved from Wednesday to Thursday to make accommodations for the herdsman at the watering hole? Or should the herdsman wait an extra day for water?
- Let the students discuss and come to their own conclusion.
- Wrap-up
- Students return to their spots on the carpet.
- The class works together to make a Fair/ Unfair list of the consequences of the Village Chief’s decision.
Lesson Plan Elaboration
The focus of this exercise of a Village town meeting is to introduce students to the way that decisions made by a few people can have far-reaching effects. Another focus is to emphasize why every member’s opinion should be taken into account, since they have an angle that others may not have thought of.
The problem to be presented is the moving of the village Laundry Day from Wednesday to Thursday. This situation is under discussion because this particular village is one of the stops situated along a trade route, and travelers will pay money to be able to water their camels at the town’s well.
Pros:
This could bring some much-needed income into the town. News of this would also serve to increase the town’s reputation, thereby hopefully leading to more travelers stopping on their way through, more money and a better profile.
Cons:
The women of the village wash the laundry on Wednesday. Moving their day would delay clean laundry, leading to a dirty appearance and smell in front of visitors. Depending on how quickly the well refills, there might not be enough water left for all the laundry to be done. Also, this community is Muslim, which means that Friday is a holy day. Therefore, all other chores would also have to get done by Thursday evening. Would the women have time to get everything done and take care of the children?
Organization of the Village Council - Roles and Responsibilities
Members of a Malian Community
1. Village Chief: Similar to the role of the king. Responsibilities include decision making and the final word on topics of discussion.
2. Drummer: Calls people to the meeting. If the villagers fail to show up on first drum call, they must pay the village chief cola nuts (show pictures of cola nuts). If villagers fail to show up on second drum call, they must pay money to the village chief. If the villagers fail to show up by the third and final call, they must suffer a punishment.
3. Treasurer: Collects dues at the meetings if the village is in need of something. Collects penalty fees and cola nuts for village chief.
4. Griot: Records information from the meeting in his head, and repeats it to the group sometimes in the form of a poem, song, or theatrical production.
5. Elderly Men: Sit with the village chief and act as his advisors. The village chief shares his cola nuts with these men.
6. Young Men: Sit around the outskirts of the meeting to listen only. They have not yet earned the right to speak.
7. Group of people with problems or concerns
who seek advice and counsel from the village chief.
8. Women: Stay at home and do not attend village meetings unless they are involved with a group of people with problems or concerns who seek advice and counsel from the village chief.
Discussion:
The students portraying the village council members allowed everyone to speak. In the end, they decided to move wash day to Thursday to allow the travelers to use their well on Wednesday.
Girls’ Opinion:
When we came back together as a group, the girls were upset that their feelings weren’t included in the decision-making process. They understood that exclusion did not give them a fair result. They also voted to make all the boys sleep outside the ‘huts’ that night.
Wrap-Up:
The students held a good discussion, allowing all village members that were able to speak to have a say. They seemed to have a good grasp of the fact that the decision of a few would affect many, and that exclusion was unfair. Overall, they seemed to have a good time with this lesson while efficiently learning the objectives.
Done Differently?
I would have taken a quick brain-break about half-way through this hour long lesson. The second graders did very well but one hour is too long for them to be sitting without taking a break to move their bodies.
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Teach-It-Forward at the Smithsonian!
Greetings, Fellow Wayfarers!
Welcome back and Happy New Year!
Some exciting things have been happening in the Living Museum and I'm excited to share them with you.
This past semester, I was fortunate enough to be chosen to participate in the Smithsonian's Teach-It-Forward Program, out of the National Museum of American History. The program is offered to area teachers based on resume and experience and introduces new and innovative ways to incorporate the resources of the Smithsonian Institution into an existing classroom lesson plan.
After 2 days of intensive training at multiple Smithsonian museums, each teacher was sent back to their schools to formulate a detailed lesson plan incorporating our new tools. Along the way we submitted the plans for feedback and collaboration with Smithsonian personnel. At the end of the process, we submitted a video recording of our class session!
I'm pleased and proud to present my lesson plans here! As a Special Education professional, I chose to focus my lesson on bullying. Learning about Great Empires is part of the 2nd Grade Social Studies curriculum. With this in mind, my 2nd grade class explored the ways that a local village government functions in the country of Mali. They learned about the differences in our two governments, the economic differences, and varying perceptions in social status. At the end of the lesson, I chose students to act as various members of the tribal council and then had them decide the answer to a basic social question.
In the following blog posts, I'll be talking more about the process I used to build this lesson, how I introduced it to the class and what their feedback was. I welcome your comments and questions and I'm excited to share this new Living Museum experience with you!
Welcome back and Happy New Year!
Some exciting things have been happening in the Living Museum and I'm excited to share them with you.
This past semester, I was fortunate enough to be chosen to participate in the Smithsonian's Teach-It-Forward Program, out of the National Museum of American History. The program is offered to area teachers based on resume and experience and introduces new and innovative ways to incorporate the resources of the Smithsonian Institution into an existing classroom lesson plan.
After 2 days of intensive training at multiple Smithsonian museums, each teacher was sent back to their schools to formulate a detailed lesson plan incorporating our new tools. Along the way we submitted the plans for feedback and collaboration with Smithsonian personnel. At the end of the process, we submitted a video recording of our class session!
I'm pleased and proud to present my lesson plans here! As a Special Education professional, I chose to focus my lesson on bullying. Learning about Great Empires is part of the 2nd Grade Social Studies curriculum. With this in mind, my 2nd grade class explored the ways that a local village government functions in the country of Mali. They learned about the differences in our two governments, the economic differences, and varying perceptions in social status. At the end of the lesson, I chose students to act as various members of the tribal council and then had them decide the answer to a basic social question.
In the following blog posts, I'll be talking more about the process I used to build this lesson, how I introduced it to the class and what their feedback was. I welcome your comments and questions and I'm excited to share this new Living Museum experience with you!
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