Educational screen & audio-visual guide (c1956-1971])

general pattern for these lan be seen from this one: Unit No. 6 LIFE IN COLONIAL AMERICA: Kilnisliip previewed and lesson prepared Filmstrip shown to (lass Class discussion Oiieslions raised: " How are these pictures related lo our l)(K)ks "Pageant of America"? What source of materials do we find in our library dealing with this unit? What is the value of souice materials in the study of United States history? Community sources from which we can learn moie about Colonial America: 1. New Haven Historical Association — candle molds 2. Peabody Museum — New England In dians 3. Yale Art Gallery — Trumbull collec tion 4. The Old Morris House — fireplaces 5. Town Meeting— Orange and Wo<k1 bridge 6. Old Homes in New Haven 7. Early Industries in New Haven Colonial Life in America (topics for study and discussion): 1. Dame Schools 2. Punishments 5. Women's Work 4. Sources of Light T). Tanning of Hides 6. Ship Building With the showing of the filmstrips and the ensuing discussion, the study was launched. Student committees working in the school library on the projects refreshed their memories from time to time by referring back to the filmstrips — to specified frames and sequences. Inasmuch as New Haven is one of the old colonial towns, the students found many direct relationships between historic places and sources in the city and the information contained in the filmstrips. They visited some of these same places for firsthand information. The students' final reports were very complete and there was a general feeling of satisfaction about the work. In giving an opinion as to values. Miss Leonie Brandon, the Director of Visual Instruction for New Haven, looked at the matter this way: "The value of the filmstrips in the high school history classes has been the opportunity afforded to acquaint our students with source materials. One of the major criticisms made of our higli schools by colleges is that our students have had no training in the use of historic source materials. We have also been criticized for the lack of ability on the part of our students to do research with historical materials. "We used the stories depicted in the filmstrips to emphasize, visualize and clarify the work done with the basic history textbooks. Going back to each filmstrip and carefully studying each picture has given us an opportunity to set our students to work on research projects in our own library and in the conuuunity. Some students have traced the relationship of the pictures in books to the pictures in the filmstrips. Other students have selected one area and have gone into a study of that area in order to report to the class further information gained by using sources. The interest aroused by the strips and the visualization of historic situations has done much to make our students realize that history is a story of the past witli meaning for tcxlay." In Buffalo, Alan H. Nicol, Director of Visual Education, made the filmstrips available to teachers in four different schools. Teachers and pupils both made comments and the things which impressed one group were not always the things which impressed the other. The teachers had this to say: "This filmstrip (Spain Establishes a Great Empire) provided an excellent introduction to our seventh-grade study of Spain in .America." "The stories of Menendez and of the Armada were especially good because our texts do not give very full accounts of these events." "I was pleased with the emphasis on the work of the Spanish missionaries in the Southwest. Heretofore most of our texts have rather neglected the importance and lasting influence of such men as Father Serra and his companions in California." Buffalo pupils (seventh and eighth grades) had this to say: "I got a kick out of seeing the name 'Cadillac' applied to a person." "I liked Champlain's own drawing of the encounter with the Iroquois." "I know now why French is spoken along the St. Lawrence River." "I didn't know the explorers went as far west as the Rocky mountains." Pupil comments reveal to what extent pupils are actually seeing the pictures as representations of reality, and not mere statements. Mrs. Marguerite Ansell, teacher of Health Class 1-6 in School No. 80. went further afield tha,n the history class, and she gives us a clue to the possible coordination of this type of material with other areas: "The filmstrips Life in Colonial America and Story of tlie American Indian were used in the classroom many times. Tliey encouraged discussion as each picture was shown and were particularly adaptable to the wide range of reading abilities in the class. Thlfe poor reader profited by getting clearer concepts through pictures; the superior reader read the texts and was challenged to do more extensive reading about the topic. The final showing of the filmstrips. witli oral reports by the children, formed an excellent summary to the units." The way in which Mrs. Ansell coordinated use of the filmstrips followed this general pattern: \. Reading 1. lii«>ks froiM Buffalo l'ul)lic Librarv lor research and pleasure reading 2. Oral readings :!. Reading suitable stories from readers used in classroom B. Spelling 1 . Words of each filmstrip story correctly spelled (wampum, ceremonial, stockade, etc.) 2. I'se of dictionary — for word definitions C. Knglish 1. Business letters written to l'. S. Bureau of Ethnology. Washington, D. C, for information about local Indian tribes 2. Friendiv letters written to those who might be able to give information or lend articles 3. Thank-vou notes to guides at Buffalo Historical Buildings 4. Oral and written reports I), (ieography 1. Made a map showing Indian cultural areas of United States 2. Compared life, crops, and ways of living at the time of the Indians' settlement with that of today in New York State E. .Science 1. Cultivation and fertilization of soil 2. Use of berries, roots, etc. 3. Ways of drying meat 4. Preparation of skins for many uses I'. .Arithmetic 1. Checking distances from one area to another 2. Making a tepee — make signs, circles, etc. O. Health — Care of sick in olden days 1 . Rattles made from gourds 2. Medicine masks H. Music 1 . Use of tom-toms 2. Learned Indian dances L. Art 1 . Made maps and drawings for a frieze 2. Carved totem poles 3. Tooled leather articles 4. Made dolls from leather and corn husks 5. Illustrated pages from an Indian book which contained stories about the .American Indian. This same class participated in an extensive program of activities dealing with colonial home life. The seventh and eighth grades social studies classes in the same school, under the direction of Edward Hein, also carried out an extensive program of activities and exhibits which included everything they could possibly gather, from candle molds to dioramas of pioneer homes. In general the filmstrips encouraged both teachers and pupils to find and use many other types of materials and sources. .And most important of all, the teachers speak of using the filmstrips. Filmstrips and other instructional materials will have true value only to the extent that we refuse merely to show them to classes and insist that they be used to fill a pupil need at some particular time in his learning experience. It will be interesting to see if the units still to be produced will provide equal opportunities for good classroom use. 150 Educational Screen