Instructor:Dennis Lawrence, Ed.D.

Texts:Community resources on the Internet

An Ethnic History of Wyandotte County

What exactly is this course?

This course is designed to help us find and develop texts and projects that will improve student literacy. These texts will be part of larger projects that are available for students to finish; online at http://www.arthes.com/communityThe materials created in this course will be placed online for other teachers in our community to use.

What are these materials, and how many do I have to develop?

·All of you will prepare at least three texts for student using literacy strategies. (Examples and instructions are in the handouts I have given you and a texts is online)

·At least one of these must be from the Ethnic History of Wyandotte County. The other two can be from the Internet texts or other materials you find.

·At least one must be related to a community site as part of a field trip for your students.

I am aware we all teach different disciplines and levels, so while I will help you with preparing these texts, I look to and bow to your expertise in deciding exactly what these texts will be.

Can we work in groups?

Yes, as a mater of fact I will assign you to a group the first day.I will do so by grade level, and subject matter.You should sit together, car pool together and lunch together. Each of you is responsible for three literacy texts and the groups will support your work.

I hear we are going on some road trips!

We will visit field sites and archives to brainstorm for activities that will engage our students in community activities.We will have the opportunity to design field trips to these sites for your students.

Car-pool and wear suitable walking clothing. A can of Off is a good item for the day we visit Quindaro ruins.

What are we going to do in the classroom, listen to you talk?

I am not much of a lecturer, but I will “tell stories” that will prepare you for our trips into the field.When not in the field, you will use the classroom time to develop literacy materials related to the community

Somebody told me we have to keep a journal.

Keep it short and concise.Use it to jot down ideas while we are at the sites, during class discussions, and to download ideas at the end of the day.Make a copy of it before you turn it in (copier available at WHS).

Do I need a notebook?

Yes, you need a research notebook. There will be a large amount of paper handed out and printed from the Internet sites.A large three ring binder should work well in helping you collect and keep track of the materials.

So what do I turn in?

Friday afternoon we have a presentation where we discuss and distribute our documents.You will bring:

·A copy of each of the three literacy texts you have prepared.

·Ten names that you entered into the census data base

·A copy of your journal, and a look at your research notebook.

·A suitable picnic dish for Friday’s hot dog roast.

I am taking this course for PDP points; do I still have to do the assignments?

Yes.

I have some child care issues or other commitments this week.

See me. We have to be flexible in this course, but we also need to satisfy the requirement for contact hours.If you miss a large block of time, then we can make it up on Saturday with a trip to the Strawberry Hill Museum.The most important thing is to keep me informed.

Everyone told me this course features awesome lunches, do you pay or do we?

Lunch is on you, but I will buy the hot dogs and sodas for Friday’s lunch.Lunch is counted as part of the class since we eat at ethnic/regional/period spots and some of the best brainstorming occurs over pizza, enchiladas or Polish Sausage. The lunch schedule is attached. I included class activities for that day as well.

How do you grade us?

If you enroll for graduate credit or you will be graded as shown below:

A – Completion of journal, three literacy texts, and researcher notebook. Perfect attendance, high level of class participation.

B – Completion of journal, project preparation sheet, tthree literacy texts, and researcher notebook. Poor attendance, and or low level of class participation.There may be some inadequacies in the above that keeps the grade below the next level.

C – Completion of journal, project preparation sheet,three literacy texts, and researcher notebook.Poor attendance, low level of class participation. There may be some inadequacies in the above that keeps the grade below the next level.

D - Inadequacies in all or most of the above.

F – Failure to complete course.

 

Monday June 11	Introductions, etc White Church Power Point Lunch 11:30 – Pizza Stop Enrolment 1:00 Web site work Field Visit - White Church and BethelCemetery Assignment: Junius Groves article, Grinter House paper
Tuesday June 12	Literacy work Data Entry on Census Junius Groves Power Point Lunch: Wyandotte Bar-B-Q Field Visit- Grinter House and Groves grave site Assignment: Roy Martin , Quindaro and Strawberry Hill readings
Wednesday June 13	Literacy Work Data entry Lunch: Jennies  Field Visit: Old Quindaro, Sumner,Woodlawn cemetery, Strawberry Hill Assignment: Sauer Castle, Argentine Reading
Thursday June 14	Literacy Work Data Entry Lunch: La Fiesta Field Visit: Argentine, Sauer Castle Assignment: Work on literacy assignments
Friday	Literacy work in Morning Lunch: Dog roast at my house Afternoon, presentation, sharing of literacy texts
Saturday	Make-up as needed