The Federal Art Project

To me, one of the most interesting periods of American history is the Great Depression. Though one of the darkest times in American history, there is so much triumph in the time period. From the presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who helped put a nation back to work, to the emergence of the active First Lady in Eleanor Roosevelt, to the stories of migration, and back again. I am most fascinated by the Federal Art Project. The Works Progress Administration didn't just send people to build schools and bridges, it also put thousands of artists and writers back to work. According to the linked site, History Matters, "New Deal arts projects were guided by two novel assumptions: artists were workers and art was cultural labor worthy of government support."

So instead of going without work or being sent to do work that artists weren't skilled in or capable of doing, the government commissioned thousands of artists to do what they did best. Several notable artists, including Jackson Pollock were supported by this program.

I've included a few of my favorite paintings from the time in this post. I love seeing how differently they were used. Some were public service announcements, others were even about tourism. Several were about public health concerns, which seems particularly ideal. What I love about the individual pieces is how different they are. While the subject was pre-prescribed for them, the artists are allowed to let their own style shine through. I would absolutely love to see these in an exhibit some day.

Synthesis 1 - In the year 2025

In the year 2025, content knowledge will be extremely important. In a time when knowledge will be continuously available to students, there will be no excuse not to know it. Students should be able to easily master the subject content knowledge and be able to move onto higher order thinking that uses that content knowledge. The content knowledge I will be teaching (social studies) is extremely important to make well-rounded citizens. One cannot understand the modern world without a background in history. A democratic society would not be possible without history. Some of the United States' greatest influences came from Ancient Greece. Without history providing a record of them and their contributions, the United States would have had a more difficult time forging ahead. History is the seed from which the rest of the social studies grow. And society is built of social studies. Without a proper content knowledge, the students of 2025 will be incapable of being effective citizens. In 2025, as in all times, content knowledge will be one of the most important things for students to learn.

As teachers, we must be masters of the content knowledge. First of all, we cannot ask our students to do anything that we ourselves wouldn't do. Second, we must serve as a resource and guide for our students at all times. We must be close to walking encyclopedias of knowledge for our students. It will quickly become obvious to our students if we are not experts.

In order to be productive, students will need to master technology. They will need to understand how to access information via the Internet, and how to evaluate information. They will also really need to know how to write. As more companies and offices do an increasing amount of business over e-mail, we will need our adults of tomorrow to be as well versed in the written word as possible. The book Nine Shift also acknowledges this coming phenomenon. No longer can a social studies teacher claim, "I'm not an English teacher. I don't grade on grammar." Not teaching and not demanding quality writing will do our students a disservice.

As teachers, we must be aware of the new technological advances all the time. We must keep up with it almost like a hobby, so that we are aware of what our students use for fun and for school. We need to command the language of both technology and English for our students. We need to employ proper writing, diction, grammar, spelling and punctuation. We need to lead by example and be aware that students are always watching us.

In some ways, the year 2025 will not be that different from the year 2011. The role of content knowledge should not change, nor should the importance of proper language. However, as technology advances so will the way our students access and interact with information. We will need to learn to keep up with a fast-paced and changing world together.

Thinking about Billy Joel's history classic

I've loved the song "We Didn't Start the Fire" since I was in high school. I memorized the words of my own accord (no teacher made me) and looked up the significance of the terms I didn't know. As a teenager, it made me curious. It made me want to study more about modern history.

As an adult, I've often wondered why some things were covered, and in what order. Is it just to fill music? For instance, why did Joel choose to include "Peyton Place?" Sure, it was a popular novel and subsequently a tv show, but is it really important? What about the fact that he ended the song with "Cola Wars." Was the rivalry between Coke and Pepsi really the straw that broke the camel's back, forcing Billy Joel to declare, "I can't take it anymore?"

In any case, it's a great song, and there are lots of interesting factoids in it. What do you think about what was and wasn't included?