Final Thoughts

“It’s not how much power the establishment has, but how much power you think it has”

Saul Alinsky

These pithy words (or something he said that was very close to it) from one of the great organizers of the struggling working class of Chicago–who was alluded to by our guest lecturer on the the Haymarket Square bombing and trial–in many ways sum up the historical sites and circumstances we have seen over the past ten days.  Lincoln, thought by some his closest associates in his own cabinet not be up to the job, issues The Emancipation Proclamation (again, advised against by members of his staff) in order to make a statement as to where he stands on the emotional issue of slavery.  Jane Addams, who went against the prevailing wisdom that certain ethnic lower classes–those especially vilified in their time–were not capable of expressing themselves through art, gaining through education, or simply being clean and respectable, helps them all by sheer personal force of will and tireless fundraising.  August Spies and Albert Parsons, men of the working class, railed against the unfair captains of business, and time and again rallied the workers towards the idea of fair pay for services rendered, as well as reasonable hours on the job;  The unyielding power of their beliefs made them, in the end, pay for it with their lives, due to rulings from a heavily-orchestrated sham of a jury trial.  And, a writer named Upton Sinclair, who recounted ghastly tales of brutality and carelessness in a cavernous site of food processing, along with heart-rending tales of the struggles of desparate wage-earners on the outside, allof it showing the inhumanity of the industry.  There were countless others, acolytes to all of these causes, who quietly risked their livelihoods for the idea of something better in their future, knowing full well the personal price they might need to pay.  This IS what the Progressive Era is about.

Throughout this course, I gained great knowledge through visits to places of famous events recognized in the striving for justice for more than the privileged few.  I also gleaned it from the readings we did, the lecturers we heard, and conversations (spoken AND blogged!) with other class participants.  Sometimes my opinions were validated; But other times I heard opposing views which led me to a healthy re-examination and reassessment of what I had thought to be previously unshakeably true.

What it really means is this: Each time we see disadvantaged people given assistance through a program of some kind it is important to remember that the seed of that idea came from someone seeing a need, having a strategy for carrying it out, and acting on it.  It also means that each time we leave our jobs in the late afternoon and have time for our families or some other leisure activity, we remember that someone saw a need for it and pushed very hard for that possibility.  Someone, as well, made it possible to buy food that we generally know must be checked for standards of cleanliness and safety in processing.  And, someone has worked with others in order that we all have equal rights under our constitution (though, needless to say, sometimes this continues to be an evolving process).

The people who made the “Gilded Age” an actual era of progressive thought and action can be best honored if we continue to carry on the efforts of those who made it so.

“See a man who is diligent in his business.  He will stand before kings”.

Proverbs 22: 29

Chicago–Day 9

I’m sure a number of people are happy this trip is coming to an end, if only because they won’t  have to put up with my relentless gushing about what a great city Chicago is (but it is!).  I was surprised at how many things I had never gotten to see. 

As I was taking in all the Pullman stuff, I kept thinking about that great Jim Carrey movie “The Truman Show”, about a guy who realizes he is living a false existence in a fake town where everything is staged as a television show about his made-up life.  The movie itself is a brilliant concept.  There is some of that in the Pullman town, only these people had it even worse than Carrey’s character, because they could see what was out there and may have realized that it was safer for them to stay in their imaginary bubble.  Further questions emerge.  What if the father grows sick of his job due to not being able to advance within the company?  What if the children begin to chafe within their planned existence–particularly the teenagers–and create problems for their parents by misbehaving?  How do families take their financial gains out this planned community if they wish to go someplace else?  An excellent writing assignment for students–even as young as mine–would be to have them imagine themselves in a place like Pullman, and after setting up the parameters of their daily lives, ask what might cause them to go against their pre-planned days?  You know, this should spark some interesting replies.  You could also point out that the Disney people are already in the business of pre-planned communities down in Florida, and apparently they are very popular.  Would the students enjoy this?  And, if not, why?

What stood out most to me about the great Haymarket tour (and excellent Haymarket specialist), were the continuing lengths public officials have gone and apparently will continue to go to control dissent–especially the example our lecturer shared with us about Mayor Daley(Jr.) making sure the land around the Picasso Statue would not be used for future protests; It has been turned into private land, allowing the police greater legal reason to intervene (boy, the apple sure doesn’t fall far from the political tree, does it?).  This might be a rather weighty topic for a third-grader, but the idea can be put in a more “local” format, in that you can ask a student to describe a disagreement they may have had with one of the supervising adults at home and how it was worked out; And if it was not, tell why, and if they felt there was ever a chance of the problem ever getting fixed.

Finally, the noon lunch was great.  It really took me back to eating in the kitchen at my aunt’s in Cicero (a suburb  closely southwest of Chicago).  The food was very similar my aunt’s, as were the ladies serving it.  In fact, when I told one of the waitresses what this meal made me think of, I found out that she actually LIVED NEAR my aunt’s neighborhood, and knew exactly what I was talking about!

Chicago–Day 8

Into the People’s Republic of  Madison.  The visit to the Wisconsin History Museum was especially useful because it presented many ideas using Wisconsin history that can be transposed into a Colorado history format–particularly with archeology activities and the frontier home and general store.  The afternoon archival activity allowed me, through realizing what resources were available, to solidify my ideas about lesson planning and speak to Eileen about it.  Plus, the last speaker, Dr. Schultz, took some time to speak to me after his time was up to help formulate a way of discussing–in simplest terms to my third-graders–some of the important points of the Progressive Era.  We agreed that there were three main points: First, that food was made safer to eat; A discussion about this can be led with such questions as: When is food unsafe to eat?  How does it get that way?  How do you make sure it is safe to eat?  Second, for the first time in our country, many people got organized to help homeless and hungry people; points to talk about here might be: What is a homeless person?  A hungry or starving person? How do you help them?  Finally, a third idea to explore could be: For the first time, the United States was going to other countries to offer them help and share the idea of democracy; Students would be asked to respond to: Why might these other countries need help? What things could the United States do to help them? What is democracy? (3rd grade has a curriculum component to introduce our system of government).  This last point–helping other countries–should be explained in such a way that does not necessarily cause the country in question to be viewed in a wholely negative light, as this strategy might cause one student’s family to be upset about a place they are closely tied to.  I would hope to be as even-handed as possible when looking to explain the motives of the United States in these circumstances.

In the Wisconsin History Museum, the object that might give the most pause, as well as become an item that would generate the most discussion, would be the shirt worn by a person in a concentration camp.  The shirt itself had a red X on the back and was worn by a prisoner who apparently cared for some of the small animals in the camp.  An item like this is useful because there may be a piece historical literature read together by the class about this situation in WWII that would tie in to it.

Finally, I wonder, in sort of a convoluted way, if we as a nation have shown some semblence of acceptance and enlightenment of different racial and ethnic groups by the fact that the questions over enacting new immigration rules do not seem to come down to the types of people coming in, but are more concerned with the number of people coming into the United States, regardless of their background.  I think people are more concerned with the stress these new arrivals are putting on the social services available to them without contributing to the financial resources needed.  Many people step lightly around this question, because they don’t want an unkind label applied to them, and they do realize that a society is often judged by how it cares for its least fortunate.

The Great Dane was awesome.  These meals are filling and taste great.  What a precipitous fall it will be when I am back to cooking for myself….

Chicago–Day 7

Water Station

Would Hull House be as effective today as it was 100 years ago?  Unfortunately, I doubt it.  One hundred years ago, families were more likely to take on the burden of acculturating themselves to the environment they were living in, through learning their new country’s language, looking within themselves to improve their station, and working hard to maintain their family unit.  There are no guarrantees of that now.  Many adults and children have such an incredible sense of entitlement that they often EXPECT to be taken care of.  There seems to be a prevailing belief that “Someone else is to blame for the problems I face or the predicament I find myself in.  I AM A VICTIM!”

Now, of course, I know that some people that truly are legitimate victims–especially young children–and should be given as much help as possible.  However, overall, I think Jane Addams would find her job immeasurably harder due to the demands of the people she was trying to assist.  She may previously have had a challenge dealing with a defeatist attitude or a feeling of helplessness.  Nowadays, her biggest challenge would be accomodating everyone’s immediate needs IMMEDIATELY.  And, she could forget about any respect for her private life as well, which, should it not fall within the acceptable parameters of the media who publicize her efforts, well, she can forget it.  Frankly, I consider the Addams-like trailblazers of today to be just as tough and smart as she was (if not more so), due to the moral and ethical climate of the times.  End of sermon…

Each year, on the first day of school, I write the words PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY on the board and we, as a class, discuss them at length.  It is the key to the whole school year.  Everything survives or fails contingent on each individual exercising those two words properly.

I had a great meal tonight.

On to The People’s Republic of Madison.

A house

Chicago–Day 6

I have yet to decide my feelings about Frank Lloyd Wright.  He was unquestionably brilliant at what he did, but at what price? There are those who will summarily dismiss him for his treatment of his wife and children (who, in particular, had no say regarding the situation they were put into).  Even his dealings with students could be thrown into the mix.  All of this is true and any defense of his actions is not likely to hold water.  However, a trait of our society (and more to the point, a capitalist society) would be to judge him on what he accomplished.  Wright’s ideas about design were , in many ways, groundbreaking, and somewhat avant garde for his time.  His theories about buildings being in union with the environment around them are probably even more popular now.   He would be someone who, if you were to ask him to “make up ” a house for you, it would be best advised to agree to financial terms on a timetable–and then stay the heck out of the way until he was finished.  As a student to him, you would need to take a deep breath before entering his classroom, and then pause for a minute to remind yourself of all you have already learned from him (I KNOW I have already have already had this experience in the past).  It goes back to the old saying–”Trust the art, not the artist”.

And, if you really want to know more about Wright, don’t buy some stodgy biography….read The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, which (and our tour guide at the Wright house in Oak Park was in agreement) is a not-so-subtle fictional recounting of his life.

At the elementary level, we are–and rightly so, for many reasons–very much involved with helping mold the character of students, so Mr. Wright’s approach is definitely not a hands-on option, though the results of his designing efforts are to be noted, and some of beliefs about the harmony of the structure to its surroundings are well worth referring to.

I was most taken by the immensity of the World’s Fair of 1893 in the amount of things that actually were built to accomodate visitors (who the the planners greatly underestimated).  Could it be done today?  We may have a chance to find out, if Chicago gets the 2016 Olympics in a couple of months!  Also–As I have read to my class every year from one of the Harry Potter books (a great way to enhance their creativity, reading to them), the special exhibit was very enjoyable, and something many of my future students are likely to see.  And as I did not buy any of the Harry Potter action figures on sale, I was able to avoid geekdom (at least I keep telling myself).

The ballgame. Great pitching matchup–Danks is really coming around.  Verlander was tremendous. Great atmosphere, at least where we were sitting.  Only the wrong team won.

Detroit will go far this year, as they do not have the burden of heightened expectations like in 2008.  And, Leyland is a good manager.  Hang in there, Ozzie, your time will come again!

Chicago–Day 5

This day entailed listening to a lecturer discuss the DBQ project, which is a series of activities on a variety of interesting history topics that can be explored at length with your class through various operations.  While certainly well-researched and very worthwhile, I would need to pick and choose what would be most apropo for my third-graders; There were things I could have used, though, unfortunately, we were not apparently able to look into them (i.e. the Battle of Gettysburg, for example).  I did like the myriad of options available, however, for each area of study, and might be able to use more of them.  I did feel, frankly, that the topic the lecturer chose to focus on–prohibition– might end up being more trouble than it was worth–particularly when involving high-schoolers–because much of the data offered, as well as the stories presented, might pose a parallel to the situations now with the current marijuana laws and might end up with students asking why it is not decriminalized, and I doubt–in to today’s climate–a teacher would get much support from parents, the school board, or their principal. Frankly, I would probably tread on this area very carefully.  I enjoyed the walking tour of Old Town, though in hindsight , it might have been better to go on the Chicago Fire tour for educational value (I realized this after talking to people on both tours).

After a GREAT roast beef sandwich at Al’s (Ontario and Wells), it was off to Second City.  There were moments of great comedy, but was very uneven for me, as I either did not understand what they were talking about, or the jokes just weren’t humorous.  To be honest, it was surprising to me how much I didn’t laugh, as I was really looking forward to being entertained.  The one truly standout moment, I thought, was the lone black member of the ensemble singing a hilarious song to a white woman in the front row called “Interracial Love” (You’ll have to catch it on cable for any number of reasons!).  He seemed the most multi-talented and a good bet to be grabbed by some smart network TV type looking for new comedic talent.

Today, a bunch of us will be going to the White Sox game, so it’s time to tell a story that is known with baseball circles, though not so much to the general public–for good reason. It seems that whenever a team came into town to play a series with the Cubs, their newest members were obligated to perform a task, which was clearly one of the traditions of hazing the rookies.  The new guys had to buy some bright paint, sneak out in the middle of the night to the statue of General Grant on his horse (somewhere near the Belmont exit off of Lake Shore Drive, I believe), and paint the horse’s balls.  I last heard Will Clark, first baseman of the San Francisco Giants, tell that story.  Just thought you’d like to know….

Finally, I think the after-show improvisation routine by the Second City players (the audience shouts out ideas or topics the troupe must act out immediately with other cast members) would be an excellent exercise for new teaching candidates, as we are constantly thinking on our feet, and often altering our lesson plans in mid-presentation to our students if we think something will work better….

Chicago–Day 4

Well, let’s get the main stuff discussed first.  The Chicago Stories option will be a guarranteed use in my classroom, as either an additional resource to complement our language arts curriculum (as well as our social studies unit focused on community or new arrivals adjusting to United States), or, in some cases, a very viable replacement to some of our regular fictional work.  I already could pick out stories and topics the students are going to enjoy.  Also, activities where the students can use visual depictions of what a character is thinking when they speak will invite added participation.  A lot of good stuff.

The morning lecturer at Chicago History Museum knew her topic thoroughly and handled any additional queries with detailed replies.  It was particularly interesting to me to find out about the connection of Westinghouse to Western Electric in Cicero, a nearby Chicago suburb, as this was a good bit of one side of my family were employed and live near.  I’m pretty sure they came down from Wisconsin and moved right into a Bohemian enclave, which in those days, was what people did to ensure a level of personal comfort and safety.  Make no mistake about it–a person almost always stayed with their own ethnic group.  Cities in those days (the late 1800’s) were a melting pot that never really melted.  But these were the people who built this city.

Who were these people?  They were tough.  Life was very hard, and to climb above your prescribed station took a monumental effort.  I always adhere to the belief that what built this country was not some grand vision, but, at its heart, it was cheap energy and cheap labor.  That’s where my relatives come in.  They took lousy jobs for even worse pay in often miserable working conditions, and had no recourse to question anybody about it.  And STILL, it was better than where they were coming from–so they kept their mouths shut rather than complain, because it was a JOB, and not everybody had one.  This story is so cliche, but it remains the truth. One of my aunts used to tell me about how–during the Depression–how she would cook cabbage rolls and hand them out the back door of her apartment so that nobody would know how bad your neighbors were struggling.  There was also a time of violent crime in Cicero and everybody also kept their mouths shut about that too–if you planned on seeing the next sunrise, anyway….

I will also maintain that the greatest cause of the widening chasm between various societal groups in Chicago was the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.  In its aftermath, untold numbers of middle and working class had lost everything and were unable to hold onto their property or businesses, which were likely bought up at rock bottom prices by speculators or people of great wealth.  This fueled further centralization of money and power in fewer hands, and–who knows– may have accelerated the clashes between labor and businessmen that culminated in the Haymarket incident.  Just a theory…..

Chicago–Day 3

“Let’s play two!”–Ernie Banks, Hall of Fame Chicago Cubs First Baseman

“The police aren’t here to prevent disorder, they’re here to preserve disorder!”–Mayor Richard J. Daley, Sr.

“#%@*&#^%*>?<@#!”–Dennis Rodman, Forward, Chicago Bulls (and former Madonna boyfriend)

Tremendous art museum day.  The best part for me was when our tour guide lady took a few moments after the tour to talk about “Nighthawks”, The Edward Hopper masterpiece.  She reflected on how this painting may have mirrored the mood of the country when it was painted in 1942, just months after the Pearl Harbor attack.  The emptiness of the diner in the painting may have been because of all the men who had been called up for service, OR the dark tone might have been reminescent (sp?) the film noir movies becoming popular at the time (also, the detachment of the diners from each other may have been a commentary on the randomness or relative loneliness of big cities).  And–how does all this relate to MY classroom?  Well, our media specialist ordered a collection of poster-size laminated reprints of a variety of types art by various artists.  Then, my students and I would discuss what we saw in the painting, what various things might stand for, and how they would structure (in a written explanation) what they saw.  Anyhow, one of the paintings we used was another Hopper that featured a large abandoned old house in the middle of the prairie with an equally abandoned old railway running right past right next to it.  After discussing the obvious literal objects in the artwork (which allowed even my most committed non-participants to actually participate), I asked a deeper question–what do you think Hopper was trying to say?  And, one of my kids said,”A changing of technology?”  These are the kind of moments you really work for as a teacher–when they really use their thinking skills (I need to mention here that Hopper’s stark, realistic depictions in scenes–I was told this by the tour guide–were often used by director Alfred Hitchcock as ideas for his movies; In fact, the painting I used in my classroom–whose name still escapes me–was the inspiration for the Bates Motel in “Psycho”).  We also looked at paintings by Thomas Hart Benton, famous historical works featuring George Washington and Paul Revere, and depictions of Native Americans by N.C. Wyeth, as well as Depression Era photos by Margaret Bourke-White and one of  the march to Montgomery.  Visual images work well with young students. 

I don’t know if anybody else made it down to the lower level of the Art Institute today but there was a photographic exhibit of many well-known pictures, and one of them was the famous Iwo Jima flag planting ceremony taken by Joe Rosenthal (who didn’t even realize what he had taken at the time!).  This photo was signed by at least 30 Iwo Jima participants (a single battle which, by the way, generated at least 20 Medals of Honor).

Today I was also able to view my favorite piece of architecture in the city, on the corner of Jackson and Dearborn–the Monadnock Building.  It is a simple, dark red brick structure of somewhat average height, with Chicago-style bay windows, that stands out in its functional design.  I think Howard Roark would have been proud.

Day2-Chicago

I didn’t do New Salem justice, as it paled in comparison to the Lincoln House and “the room of representatives” in the old state capital.  To know that heads of state from other governments made pronouncements from that room (in the old capital) as well as our own future President AND that Lincoln and Douglas both served in that room (albeit at different times),  makes it a very important place in my eyes.  I will also be using the “Lincoln’s good-bye to Herndon” story for my class, and the photo I have of a chair in Lincoln’s front room WILL BE the place he was sitting when the heavy hitters in the Republican Party came calling to inform him that he was the nominee to run for President–whether it is true or not!

But enough about the travelogue.  My Lesson Plan proposal is to present Lincoln’s life and the Civil War through art and photographs.  I believe that using visual resources with younger students is an effective way to stimulate participatory responses and interesting questions about topics that might seem overwhelming or (sadly) boring to children in the grade levels I am working with.  This school year, I have already had some very successful experiences with introducing my students to a number of diverse works of art, and then asking them to point out things they see in the painting or photo, and possibility elicit a basic interpretation.  Artwork and photographs also offer  a student innumerable opportunities for writing about the picture, telling a story about objects in it, or placing themselves in the event itself –as well as other possibilities.  Anyhow, that’s my proposal.

I won’t likely say much about  New Salem to my class.  I mean, what did Lincoln do there, except fail as store owner?  This is to be celebrated?  You know, George McGovern ran a hotel into the ground as a private businessman, and I seriously doubt we’ll see a fabricated village built up around that.  People JUST might be a LITTLE more interested in the fact that he was a decorated fighter pilot during WWII. 

I would also like to know more about how Lincoln and Douglas actually dealt with one another on a day-to-day basis in their jobs.  Did Douglas look down on Lincoln?  Did ol’ Abe drop the self-deprecating country bumpkin routine for a few moments and tell his short adversary what he really thought of him?  There has to be some more believeable responses from these guys–both were very capable of playing real hardball politics in their striving for the big prize, especially in Lincoln’s case, as he knew he couldn’t compete with Douglas’ financial resources.

Finally, it is constantly trumpeted that Lincoln is the greatest example of a self-made man becoming President.   It has been pointed out to me that Andrew Jackson–an orphan at 10–faced even greater odds of becoming ANYTHING!  Apparently, Lincoln’s” handlers” were quite adept at their jobs when he was alive–and even more proficient when he was dead….

Day 1–Springfield

This morning’s discussion about primary sources was interesting, though I really think the litmus test on whether something is a legitimate primary source would hinge on it being admissable in a court of law.  Then there would be no question of its truth.  And, using that as a yardstick, an article from a rather dubious publication such as The National Enquirer would likely not meet that standard, according to judge or a jury.

Also, the generational conflict idea touched on by Ms. Bishop (about great men needing to carve a better existence than their fathers) might not always apply to some of our presidents.  John Kennedy, for one, comes to mind. While I’m not in any way a Kennedy scholar, it appears to me that he held his dad in high regard, even though Joe Kennedy was unfaithful to his wife and engaged in extra-legal activities.  I don’t remember reading of any sort of conflict between them, though Kennedy’s election to high office did, certainly, confer on his dad a more legit status.

Finally, I was truly moved when standing in front of the recreated scene of Lincoln’s coffin lying in state.  If that’s what the museum’s creators were looking for, they got it right.  Whatever side you take in a conflict that leads to casualties and death, it is only proper to quietly reflect on and have respect for a cause that they gave their lives for.