IDEAS for Primary Source lessons based on the life of John Dillinger

Economics/Math Lesson creating a cost analysis and study of product prices from the 1930's to present day.

John Dillinger associated with gangs who secured more than $300,000 through theft. How does that compare with today's monetary value? What were the costs of a new car, an average house, a loaf of bread, in 1934?

http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/30sfood.html 

http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1930s.html

Social Studies Lesson on the Great Depression

When John Dillinger began his thirteen-month crime spree, catapulting him to the top of America’s “most wanted” list, the country was enduring the Great Depression. Failed banks had deprived people of their life’s savings, and the mood of Americans was decidedly against financial institutions.

Unemployment was so high that husbands, forced to leave their homes to search for work elsewhere, lived in shacks. Entire families lived in make-do shelters, cars, tents or whatever else they could pull together. Many people traveled west, on bad roads, seeking a new life.

Americans, who had helped to supply the world with food during World War One, were hungry. Their problem wasn’t just a lack of money.

Dust bowls, throughout the fertile Midwest, had decimated crops. Once-productive farmland was eroding, farm houses were in foreclosure and farm workers (migrant or domestic) joined the legions of city workers without jobs. Many Americans had little hope.

In 1933, when Dillinger was released from the Indiana State Penitentiary (in Michigan City) - after serving nine years (of a ten-to-twenty-year sentence) for the botched robbery of a grocer - the U.S. economy was at its Depression-Era low. Dillinger, embittered by his long sentence, had a plan. He wanted to free his friends - bank robbers, like Harry Pierpont - who were still behind bars.

http://americanhistory.about.com/od/greatdepression/tp/greatdepression.htm

http://www.thegreatdepressioncauses.com/

Geography Lesson on Dillinger and the Dillinger gang's travels

Begin an internet scavenger hunt and list all the places John Dillinger traveled to, committed crimes in, or hid out at.  Create a timeline of all the recorded places and/or use a map of the United States to locate the various places. 

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/dillinger/timeline/index.html

Social Studies Lesson on Prohibition, the 18th Amendment

The 18th amendment prohibited the manufacture, sale or transportation of alcohol, have students look up the legal document that enforces this prohibition, it's enforcement and  eventual repeal in 1933.

http://history1900s.about.com/od/1920s/p/prohibition.htm

http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/volstead-act/

Psychology/Criminology Lesson-Are Criminals Born or Made?

Students will research the physiology and psychology behind criminology. Are criminal traits inherited or a result of a person's environment? After students research a point of view, have them prepare and debate the facts they have discovered.

http://criminologyassignments.blogspot.com/2007/11/nature-vs-nurture.html

Science and History Lesson on inventions that aided criminals or their pursuers.

Students will research  inventions of the 1930's that made criminal activity easier to get away with. Ideas can range from road atlases and paved roadways to building security to weaponry.

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/history/a-centennial-history/fbi_and_the_american_gangster_1924-1938

http://inventors.about.com/od/fstartinventions/a/forensic_4.htm

Media Links to Primary Sources/Videos to accompany readings

1)North Korean videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxLBywKrTf4&feature=related   National Geography "Inside North Korea" w/correspondent  LISA LING.

2)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUIVZBAKxII&feature=related  BBC  "Inside North Korea 2012"

3)John Dillinger you tube video "John Dillinger Wooden Gun Jailbreak! - Interview with Garage Attendant Edwin Saager."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQ7zlq-LzzY

4) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXxxGdMIFVE

John Dillinger's Father defending him Youtube.

5) Famous American Trials Richard Hauptmann
(Lindbergh Kidnapping) Trial 1935

http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/hauptmann/hauptmann.htm

Kim Jong Il Reading: From Wicked class

North Korean dictator, Kim Jong Il
            Kim Jong-Il was often said to be raving mad. He was eccentric and his government was extremely secretive and brutal to dissidents, but experts say Kim was bright, clear-headed, politically astute, and as sane as any leader with unchecked power. He drove trendy Mazdas, preferred Hennessey cognac, and wore elevator shoes to hide his short stature (without the shoes, he stood about 5'2").

            As a young man, "Dear Leader" Kim Jong-Il lived a playful lifestyle, and many Koreans assumed that he would never be disciplined enough to succeed his father, Kim Il Sung, and lead his nation. Kim Jong Il studied political science at a university which was named for his father. He majored in Marxist political economy and minored in philosophy and military science. He accompanied his father on tours of field guidance and rose rapidly through Communist Party ranks. He was designated his father's official successor in 1974, and took over power upon the elder Kim's death in 1994. Just as Kim Il Sung was known as the "Great Leader," Kim Jong Il was hailed in the North Korean media as the "fearless leader".
            Much of Kim Jong Il's persona is based on a cult of personality, meaning that legend and official North Korean government accounts describe his life, character, and actions in ways that promote and legitimize his leadership. Examples include claims that his birth was foretold by a swallow, the appearance of a double rainbow over Mount Paekdu, and a new star in the heavens. He is known to personally manage the country's affairs. He is said to be arrogant and self-centered in policy decisions, openly rejecting criticism or opinions that differ from his. He is suspicious of nearly all of those who surround him and volatile in his emotions. There are many stories of his eccentricities, the lifts in his shoes and pompadour hairstyle that make him appear taller, and his fear of flying. Some stories can be verified while others are most likely exaggerated.

            His early reign was marred by a three-year famine which killed perhaps two million citizens. Record-breaking floods in 1995 and 1996 followed by drought in 1997 crippled North Korea's food production. With only 18 percent of its land suitable for farming in the best of times, North Korea began experiencing a devastating famine. Worried about his position in power, Kim Jong Il instituted the Military First policy, which prioritized national resources to the military, so the military would be pacified and remain in his control.

            In 1994, the Clinton administration and North Korea agreed to a framework designed to freeze and eventually dismantle North Korea's nuclear weapons program. In exchange, the United States would provide assistance in producing two power-generating nuclear reactors and supplying fuel oil and other economic aid. In 2000, the presidents of North Korea and South Korea met for diplomatic talks and agreed to promote reconciliation and economic cooperation between the two countries. The agreement allowed families from both countries to reunite and signaled a move toward increased trade and investment. For a time, it appeared that North Korea was reentering the international community.

            Then in 2002, U.S. intelligence agencies suspected North Korea was enriching uranium or building the facilities to do so, presumably for making nuclear weapons. Finally, in 2003, Kim Jong Il's government admitted to having produced nuclear weapons for security purposes. In 2006, North Korea's Central News Agency announced North Korea had successfully conducted an underground nuclear bomb test. On April 13th, 2012, North Korea launched a rocket which failed less than two minutes into the flight. It said the launch was to put a satellite into orbit, but much of the international community saw it as a cover up for testing its ballistic missile technology. Reclusive North Korea is currently believed to be developing a long-range missile with a range of 6,700 km (4,160) miles) or more aimed at hitting the United States due to its dealings with South Korea.
            North Korea is staggeringly poor. Under Kim, internet access was forbidden and irrelevant, since computers and telephones, or even such modern amenities as refrigerators, stoves, and telephones were not available to ordinary citizens. Satellite imagery showed North Korea as utterly dark at night, as the nation's electrical grid remained nonexistent outside military command centers. Access to ordinary writing paper was severely restricted. Television was available only to well-connected insiders or in public community centers, and there was no need to change the channel, as North Korea's one broadcast network was all that was allowed, and it was all propaganda.
            According to North Korea's rigidly controlled media, the nation never experienced famine or poverty, and adoration for Kim Jong Il was virtually unanimous. In news accounts, the only mention of dissent was when disloyal citizens were arrested and never heard from again. In one well-known example of "news coverage", after a deadly explosion on a munitions train as it moved through a densely populated area, the official Korean Central News Agency reported that people dashed into their homes to rescue their portraits of the "Dear Leader" from their walls, even before looking for their own family members.
            In June 2009, Kim named his youngest son, Kim Jong-un, as his Great Successor. Virtually nothing is publicly known about him, except that he was reportedly educated in Switzerland. In September 2010, Kim Jong-un was appointed General Secretary of the ruling Workers' Party, and given the rank of four-star general in the North Korean Army, although he had no prior experience in the military.

            On December 18, 2011, the "Dear Leader" was reported to have died on a train from heart failure, the previous day (or perhaps one day before that). Unusual for the death of a head of state, foreign dignitaries would not be invited to the funeral of a man personally responsible for hundreds of thousands, if not millions of deaths.

http://www.nndb.com/people/261/000024189/

http://www.biography.com/people/kim-jong-il-201050?page=1

Other Interesting Facts

*Kijong-Dong is a propaganda city that was originally built in the 1950s by Kim Jong Il’s father right on the border, this was to display the North’s superiority to the South and also to encourage people to defect. It has no actual residents, but an extensive effort has been put forth to simulate a functioning city, including lights on set timers, and street sweepers to create an illusion of activity. The use of modern telescopes has revealed that the units lack window glass, and some buildings are just concrete shells that don’t even have interior rooms. The city also houses the world’s largest flagpole, complete with a 300lb. North Korean flag.
* In preparation for the World Festival of Youth and Students in 1989, Kim Jong Il had disabled residents removed from Pyongyang. Disabled and short people were deported from his capital. The government also distributed pamphlets advertising a wonder drug that would increase the height of short people. Those who responded to the pamphlets were sent away to different uninhabited islands, along with the disabled, in an attempt to rid the next generation of their supposedly substandard genes.
*Shin Sang-ok, a prominent South Korean filmmaker, was kidnapped by Kim Jong Il, sent to prison, and eventually forced to make a film called Pulgasari, a communist propaganda version of Godzilla. After Shin and his wife managed to escape North Korea while location scouting in Austria, Kim Jong Il shelved Pulgasari and all of Shin’s other work. Kim Jong Il has since given specific instruction to his Ministry of Culture and his communist filmmakers: “Make more cartoons.”

http://listverse.com/2010/05/30/top-10-crazy-facts-about-kim-jong-il/

Ideas for Blog Assignments featured in our WCTE presentation

Another Blog Assignment:

Reviewing real-world journalism

Source: Fast & Company Magazine; INC magazine

Assignment: review one of the articles on “the next big thing” – discuss its potential impact on the economy

Student examples:

Bridget: Scarves that didn't make it

Leslie Singer had an ambition to start her own designer accessory line, but despite her determination, something went wrong. Big companies and stores said since she was new, they couldn't take the risk of buying large quantities of scarves from her because they weren't sure they would sell. They also wanted her to redesign her collection to match that year's trends, for example, in green or leopard print, but she felt that compromised her vision. Singer was successful, however, with smaller boutiques. Simply getting small orders of no more than a couple dozen scarves at a time, though, wasn't enough. She did learn her lesson, however, by admitting that she failed to do her homework on large-volume fashion retail. She never looked at the retailer side, how they buy, how they decide, etc. Maybe if she tries a different approach, and gains the appropriate funds, she can try again and be more successful.

Jack: Subscription underwear?

Man Packs is a company that has a monthly subscription for underwear. This idea is catching the attention of entrepreneurs, investors, and mass media companies such as Maxim and The New York Times. The question everyone is asking about this company is, "Will it have a large effect on the economy of The United States?" The idea of a subscription for underwear is very refreshing and clever. However I do not believe this will turn around the American economy. I believe this due to Man Packs financial set-up. At the moment, Man Packs does not have enough money to get their brand out and set up attention grabbing ad campaigns. Without ads people will not have reclamation of Man Packs. I also believe this product will not succeed in the American Economy because Man Packs target is men who do not buy underwear regularly. Men paying every month for something they do not feel they need would not make sense from an economic stance. Even if Man Packs did impact the economy, it would surely tank. I make this prediction because after a few months the subscribers would feel they had too much underwear, causing them to cancel.
Man Packs is an original idea that could make a few people wealthy but will not work in the economy right now. Maybe if Man Packs started a diaper subscription they could make more money due to the greater need and demand with a baby. Typically men do not like to waste money on things they do not need, so until men feel they need new pairs of underwear per month, Man Packs will not make an effect on the American Economy.

And another:

CREATE real world journalism!

Create a blog post reviewing student’s month of tracking the stock market

How did your stocks perform? How did they gain or lose over time? Were your investments wise? And if you had $5000 of real money to invest, how would you invest it now, stocks or savings?

Student examples: 

Carolyn's NYSE worthy observations

My stock portfolio made a capital gain altogether. My stocks, consisting of Ebay, Verizon, Apple, Chipotle Mexican Grill, and Taco Bell all increased in value since the date they were purchased. The stocks made a total growth of $751.02 in four weeks and increased in value.

Two of my best performing stocks were Apple and Chipotle Mexican Grill. These two stocks increased in value the most. Apple showed a growth of $249.36 and Chipotle Mexican Grill increased in value by $141.50. These two stocks grew the most in four weeks and never decreased in value under my watch.

In my opinion, my $10,000 investment was a wise decision. All of my stocks increased in value and I made a total of $751.02. I think that the stocks that were invested in were a good choice because they seem to be stable companies worth investing in.
If I had $5,000 and I could either put the entire amount in my savings account, or invest it into the stock market, I would invest it into the stock market. The stock market can make you money and it usually takes money to make money, even though it involves risk. I think that if I invest my money well and wisely, in the end it will hopefully be worth it and a capital gain will occur.

History Repeats Itself: Another Trail of Tears?

GRADE LEVEL: Middle School

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Most students who study American History in middle school learn about the Jacksonian era “Trail of Tears,” the expulsion of the Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw and Chickasaw peoples from the Southeastern United States and their long, often fatal journey to Indian Territory, present day Oklahoma. Often, though, the plight of modern Native American tribal members in the U.S. does not make mainstream media. A recent story out of South Dakota brings to light just how much more there is to learn from the tenuous and often volatile relationship between this continents’ First Peoples and local, state, and national governments. Native familial structure is culturally different from the European model, and this has often been the source of conflict. This collection of articles focuses on a social justice issue—that of the plight of foster children, who are often placed in homes outside their culture. How important is this culture in a child’s upbringing, when weighed against his or her basic needs? This is a question that we continue to ask ourselves as we extend aid to nations all over the world—including those sovereign nations we often overlook within our own borders.

TIME REQUIRED

2–3 class periods (50 minutes)

OBJECTIVES

As a result of this lesson, students will be able to:

1.      Discerning author’s purpose (and bias) by considering each article and their relationship to one another

2.      Create a thesis statement based on their discernment

3.      Gain a deeper understanding of the social justice issues that arise when good meaning people try and effect change.

STANDARDS:

Common Core: Reading  Informational Text R.I. 8.9 Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

Analyze a case in which two or more texts provide conflicting information on the same topic and identify where the texts disagree on matters of fact or interpretation.

MATERIALS

Primary sources: (Digital access to :)

"The Trail of Tears Continues." Desmond Tutu Peace Foundation. Dr. Desmond Tutu, 3 Nov. 2011. Web. 9 Oct. 2012. http://www.tutufoundationusa.org/2011/11/the-trail-of-tears-continues/

Woster, Kevin. "Governor's Office Calls NPR Foster Care Report Flawed; Congressmen Seek Review." Rapid City Journal. Rapid City Journal, 1 Nov. 2011. Web. 9 Oct. 2012. <http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/governor-s-office-calls-npr-foster-care-report-flawed-congressmen/article_86743c68-0433-11e1-96d8-001cc4c002e0.html>.

Sullivan, Laura, and Amy Walters. "Incentives and Cultural Bias Fuel Foster System." NPR. NPR, 25 Oct. 2011. Web. 09 Oct. 2012. <http://www.npr.org/2011/10/25/141662357/incentives-and-cultural-bias-fuel-foster-system>.

SETTING THE STAGE

In Carpe Diem, the class for which this lesson is designed, we have a dialog about helping people in other cultures who are suffering social injustice. This usually comes in the investigation phase of websites for the causes that the students themselves are interested in. Some of the questions we ask when evaluating sites that claim to be helping others include:

o   Is the help provided sustainable?

o   Does the work involve the people being helped—are they involved in its development and implementation?

o   Is the presence of this third entity welcomed?

Students are often surprised to find that sometimes the answer to this last question is no, for myriad reasons. It is important to not deflate their enthusiasm for being pro-active and wanting to help, but to guide them into the idea that the most important first step is to intimately get to know what we see as the problem, and those who suffer from it, and to get their input.

Begin by asking students if they have ever received help with something that they really didn’t want, or was delivered in a manner that made them uncomfortable. This could be something like when an older sister or brother or parent “helps” with a school project and ends up doing it all, or when a classmate takes over a group endeavor with bossy behavior. Many times the help offered is seen as being in the student’s best interest.

STRATEGY

• o   Divide the class into three groups, and give copies of ONE article to each group.
• o   In their groups, ask the students to summarize the article, and identify the point of view of the person writing it if they can. Is there a bias in the article? Which “side” does the author seem to be on?
• o   Ask students to pull out a list of five or six words that they think represent the bias of the article. Have the students put these words on a central board for consideration by all.  (Alternatively, you could paste the articles into a WORDLE (wordle.net) to see which words become prominent… this sometimes helps them narrow it down.)
• o   Bring the group together and choose words from the master list randomly—be sure to choose a new group each time. Ask students from each group to react to those words based on the bias in their article. How do the definitions differ from one group to the next?
• o   Guide the discussion/debate back to the three questions initially posed:
• o   Is the help provided sustainable?
• o   Does the work involve the people being helped—are they involved in its development and implementation?
• o   Is the presence of this third entity welcomed?
•  
• o   Finally, ask them to evaluate this situation in terms of social justice. Does something more need to be done? Is justice served? And can we – or should we—interfere?

** For students with special needs: sorting the groups randomly can often be the most effective; make sure that you differentiate the groups as cooperatively as possible so that there are strong readers in each group. Students that struggle with reading comprehension or ESL will have an easier time working with the word cloud and possibly looking up the words in a dictionary than reading the source itself. The NPR sources usually include an audio link.

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

·         Collect the best examples of words from all sections of the class and for each document. If you can, use a bit of everyone’s examples.

·         Arrange the words and definitions on the board or in a digital graphic organizer with a blank space in the middle of the page.

·         Explain to students that creating a good thesis statement for an essay requires first gathering evidence. They have already done this in a way with their word lists.

·         Remind them that a thesis statement is a sentence that takes a position and can be proven with the evidence given.

·         Challenge students to create a thesis statement that answers the question: “What point does the author try to make? And what makes you believe this point?” (Students find a specific prompt helpful, such as “According to ________________ (author)…” Have students write that thesis at the center of the graphic organizer.

·         If you give them multiple examples, make them clear and easy to understand, but formal. Tell students to avoid language like “The Author says that...”

·         This could be done as a large group or small groups. **

** Many students struggle with the concept of a thesis statement; gauge your students’ abilities accordingly when deciding how to do this activity. If your students are struggling with the thesis concept, have them start with a summary of the document’s message based on the words. They often arrive at a thesis with this approach and a little coaching on wording. Most students, given an example and practice, can create their own thesis on the assessment from a completed graphic organizer.

EVALUATION/ASSESSMENT

Place one of the student-created graphic organizers on the exam for the unit and have the students create their own thesis statement. This is a great introduction to the idea of Document Based Question (DBQ) assessments that are increasingly popular on the high school level. Alternatively, if you have gifted students, you could have them create a graphic organizer from a similar document excerpt and write their own essay.