Michigan Humanities Council :: Teachers' Resources

Your help is needed in identifying youth to start a Statewide Civic Education Youth Advisory Committee. The Michigan Coalition on Civic Education is poised to advance the civic knowledge and experiences of Michigan youth. The Coalition plans to effect state and local policy to improve civic education so that higher percentages of students experience rigorous civic education as defined by the Civic Mission of Schools six promising approaches and become more engaged in public policy.

The creation of the Statewide Civic Education Youth Advisory Committee will enable the involvement of students throughout the state in civic experiences. The Michigan Coalition on Civic Education has asked Michigan 4-H Youth Development to provide leadership to the organization, coordination, and support of this youth advisory Committee. Even though 4-H is coordinating the group, it is looking not only for youth involved in 4-H, but also those representing other youth organizations or colleges, or youth who choose to represent themselves as independent individuals. 4-H is looking for 12 to 15 youth in grades 6 through undergraduate school who have exhibited the potential to be leaders and who have an interest in representing Michigan youth. They must be willing to actively participate on the Civic Education Youth Advisory Committee to which they will provide a voice to the Coalition of Civic Mission of Schools project.

This will be a fantastic opportunity for any young person. Involvement with this committee will lead to so much more than three meetings over the next 18 months. They will have the opportunity to participate in 4-H Capitol Experience and 4-H Exploration Days, but setting the fun activities aside-the students will have the chance to experience personal growth through the strengthening of their leadership and social skills. Keeping all of this in mind, the students will also be able to place their involvement with this Civic Education Youth Advisory Committee on their college and scholarship resumes, which would show any college or organization the citizenship, leadership, and service skills that the student has developed throughout his or her high school career.

If you know of any outstanding young people that would like to join this committee, please contact Cyndi Mark at:

Cynthia B. Mark, Ph.D
4-H Youth Development
160 Agriculture Hall
East Lansing, MI 48824
Phone: (517) 432-7602
Email: markc@msu.edu

4-H is also looking for names and addresses of other people and/or organizations that may have young people who would be interested in this opportunity. If you have any names or addresses of anyone or organization, which you think, may have potential committee members; please let us know. Applications will be mailed upon receipt of names; applications and updated info on the committee will be available soon on the Statewide Civic Education Youth Advisory Committee's Web site.

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), under the auspices of its We the People initiative, has established the "We the People Bookshelf" to highlight a short list of classic books for young readers at different grade levels. Each year, NEH will select books that share a theme important to the nation's heritage.

A complete list of books included in Summertime Favorites and additional information about NEH and its We the People initiative can be found on the Internet at www.neh.gov and www.WethePeople.gov.

The National Endowment for the Humanities gratefully acknowledges support for its "We the People Bookshelf" provided by the National Trust for the Humanities and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. The NEH looks forward to working with the American Library Association to disseminate information and to encourage libraries to take part in the "We the People Bookshelf" grant program.
Contact: Lucy Cutrona or Noel Milan at (202) 606-8446

MI CASE, the Michigan Creative After School Experiences database, can help make it happen if you take a few minutes now to share some information.

Governor Jennifer Granholm has identified after school programs for children as one of her administration's goals. The Department of History, Arts and Libraries knows that cultural organizations all across the state are already providing lots of after school, pre-school, weekend and summer programs that enhance traditional education in our state. The missing link is literally a link that connects those seeking out-of-school-hours programs to those offering them.

To help solve this problem, we have the new MI CASE database. It will be Web accessible so that you can enter and update information promoting your programs at any time. (HAL staff will review the entries before they are available to the public.) We will work with the Michigan Department of Education and Michigan children's organizations to link their constituents to the database.

Right now, we need your help to populate the database for its announcement by the governor's office. If you have regular after-school, pre-school, weekend or summer programs available to either education partners, such as after school program providers, or to individuals, please submit your information.

The form is also available in three formats at www.michigan.gov/
hal/0,1607,7-160-18835_18893---,00.html .

Mail form to: Attn: Mark Hoffman, Department of History, Arts and Libraries,
702 W. Kalamazoo, PO Box 30738, Lansing, MI 48909-823, (517/373-2475) or e-mail as an attachment to ploorm@michigan.gov.

$50 Million History Education Grants

The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) is receiving 5-10 inquiries each day from history organizations, schools and colleges about the $50 million history education grant program that was authorized in last year's DOE budget. DOE has established a mailbox for inquiries concerning the teaching American history grants. The address is: TeachingAmericanHistory@ed.gov Requests for information should include the contact person's name, mailing address, phone number, fax number and e-mail address. A web site is presently under construction.

MEEMIC - Mini Grants for the Educational Community

The MEEMIC Foundation for the Future of Education offers grants of up to $2,500 for creative, original, innovative and/or imaginative projects in public, private, charter and parochial schools in Michigan. Those involving technology, science, writing, mentoring and alternative/creative dispute resolution are of particular interest. For information or an application, contact Mary Strolle, P.O. Box 1250, Okemos MI 48805-1250; phone, 517/381-9301; fax, 517/381-9349, or by e-mail.

"Promising Initiatives to Improve Education in Your Community"

A guide (link here) to selected funding opportunities that provides examples of exemplary projects, links to related resources and detailed information on 19 U.S. Department of Education programs:

Class Size Reduction
21st Century Community Learning Centers
Reading Excellence
Technology Literacy Challenge Fund
Safe & Drug Free Schools -- Middle School Coordinators Program
Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program
Public Charter Schools Program
Advanced Placement Incentive Program
College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) & High School Equivalency Program (HEP)
Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants
Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology Program
Bilingual Professional Development Program
GEAR UP for College Program
Learning Anytime, Anywhere Partnerships
New American High Schools
Smaller Learning Communities Initiative
Elementary School Counseling Demonstration Program
Safe & Drug Free Schools -- Alternative Education Programs for Suspended & Expelled Youth
American Indian Teacher Corps Professional Development Grants

Central Michigan University -- Master of Arts in Humanities

Interested in earning an advanced degree in the Humanities? If so, check out the Master of Arts in Humanities program through Central Michigan University's College of Extended Learning. This degree program is designed for teachers in all areas of the Humanities, for pre-professional students, and generalists.

Detroit Institute of Arts -- Teacher Guide to African Art

The Detroit Institute of Arts offers a teacher guide to African Art which is intended for use in classroom instruction and/or in preparation for field trips to the museum. Materials included are images of African art objects, information about their significance and use, cultural traditions and background related to their creation and description of materials used to create them. Also included are bibliographies for teachers and students, a list of study questions and an order form for slides or CD-ROM images of the artwork included in the guide. For more information, contact the DIA at 313/833-7977.

History Themes Project

The History Themes Project is an effort to create for Michigan teachers and students a reasonable and valid selection of important events, people and ideas for U.S. history. The Michigan Department of Education has created this website to assist teachers in preparing students for the MEAP and in identifying how historical events align with the Michigan Curriculum Framework. Teacher review and input is needed to finalize the project.

Visit http://www.michiganepic.org/history/themes to contribute your thoughts and ideas.

Choices for the 21st Century

Secondary school students and general audiences are encouraged to consider international issues and thereby strengthen the quality of civic life in the United States through Choices for the 21st Century educational programs. The scope of programs range from curriculum development by teachers and scholars, professional development for secondary educators, a youth-focused Capitol Forum on America's Future, a public policy discussion program in libraries and other community-based public policy forums. The Choices project is based in the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University. Link here for more.

"Frontiers to Factories: Detroiters at Work 1701-1901"

The Detroit Historical Museum offers free curriculum units on the history of Detroit, targeted to fourth graders and teachers but adaptable for teaching to any K-12 group. The units include a video, a teacher's guide and replicable teacher's notes, maps and diagrams. For a copy, contact Amy J. DeWys-VanHecke, Detroit Historical Museum, at 313/833-9720 or by email.

New Curricular Resources on History of Jazz

The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz has launched a new Internet-based jazz curriculum that is being made available to all 5th, 8th and 11th grade public school students in the U.S. This is the first jazz curriculum using state-of-the-art internet technology offered free of charge on a national basis. Eight 50-minute lessons present an historical overview, examine characteristics of various jazz styles, highlight contributions of important performers and composers and explore social, economic and political contexts within which jazz evolved. Visit www.jazzinamerica.org.

School-Home Links Reading Kits

Four-hundred learning activities for strengthening children's reading and writing skills are now available on the U.S. Department of Education's web site in an easy-to-use format.

The activities are presented in four "School-Home Links Reading Kits." Activities are organized around skills frameworks of the National Academy of Sciences' report, "Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children," and a reading framework developed by Edward Kame'enui and Deborah Simmons of the University of Oregon.

The kits are designed for use with the "Compact for Reading Guidebook," a handbook that walks family-school compact teams through steps of building and implementing a Compact for Reading. The guidebook provides information, strategies, examples and checklists to help parents, educators and community members develop effective, workable compacts that can improve schools, increase family involvement and increase student skills and achievement in reading. Link here for more.

Internet Content for the Classroom - MarcoPolo

Standards-based Internet content for classroom use on five discipline-specific web sites of top educational organizations -- including the National Endowment for the Humanities' EDSITEment -- are part of the MarcoPolo program. Also included are on-line professional development resources for teachers. Link here for more.

ArtsEdNet Arts Education Site

The Getty Education Institute for the Arts serves up arts education curriculum materials, lesson plans, web links, special on-line projects, a reading room and publications (including its newsletter, ArtsEdNet Offline) at this site. Link here for more.


		Michigan Culture Link Home Arts & Humanities ...adding balance to our lives! Arts & Humanities Month Arts & Humanities Radio Project Arts & Humanities Touring Directory Culture Link Events Calendar Great Outdoors Culture Tour Michigan Association of Community Arts Agencies (MACAA) MACAA Statewide Arts/Culture Directory Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs (MCACA) MCACA Regional Regrant Agencies Michigan Department of History, Arts & Libraries (HAL) Sponsors of Arts & Cultural Programs Teachers' Resources

Civic Education Youth Advisory Committee Your help is needed in identifying youth to start a Statewide Civic Education Youth Advisory Committee. The Michigan Coalition on Civic Education is poised to advance the civic knowledge and experiences of Michigan youth. The Coalition plans to effect state and local policy to improve civic education so that higher percentages of students experience rigorous civic education as defined by the Civic Mission of Schools six promising approaches and become more engaged in public policy. The creation of the Statewide Civic Education Youth Advisory Committee will enable the involvement of students throughout the state in civic experiences. The Michigan Coalition on Civic Education has asked Michigan 4-H Youth Development to provide leadership to the organization, coordination, and support of this youth advisory Committee. Even though 4-H is coordinating the group, it is looking not only for youth involved in 4-H, but also those representing other youth organizations or colleges, or youth who choose to represent themselves as independent individuals. 4-H is looking for 12 to 15 youth in grades 6 through undergraduate school who have exhibited the potential to be leaders and who have an interest in representing Michigan youth. They must be willing to actively participate on the Civic Education Youth Advisory Committee to which they will provide a voice to the Coalition of Civic Mission of Schools project. This will be a fantastic opportunity for any young person. Involvement with this committee will lead to so much more than three meetings over the next 18 months. They will have the opportunity to participate in 4-H Capitol Experience and 4-H Exploration Days, but setting the fun activities aside-the students will have the chance to experience personal growth through the strengthening of their leadership and social skills. Keeping all of this in mind, the students will also be able to place their involvement with this Civic Education Youth Advisory Committee on their college and scholarship resumes, which would show any college or organization the citizenship, leadership, and service skills that the student has developed throughout his or her high school career. If you know of any outstanding young people that would like to join this committee, please contact Cyndi Mark at: Cynthia B. Mark, Ph.D 4-H Youth Development 160 Agriculture Hall East Lansing, MI 48824 Phone: (517) 432-7602 Email: markc@msu.edu 4-H is also looking for names and addresses of other people and/or organizations that may have young people who would be interested in this opportunity. If you have any names or addresses of anyone or organization, which you think, may have potential committee members; please let us know. Applications will be mailed upon receipt of names; applications and updated info on the committee will be available soon on the Statewide Civic Education Youth Advisory Committee's Web site. We the People Bookshelf Grants to School & Public Libraries The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), under the auspices of its We the People initiative, has established the "We the People Bookshelf" to highlight a short list of classic books for young readers at different grade levels. Each year, NEH will select books that share a theme important to the nation's heritage. A complete list of books included in Summertime Favorites and additional information about NEH and its We the People initiative can be found on the Internet at www.neh.gov and www.WethePeople.gov. The National Endowment for the Humanities gratefully acknowledges support for its "We the People Bookshelf" provided by the National Trust for the Humanities and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. The NEH looks forward to working with the American Library Association to disseminate information and to encourage libraries to take part in the "We the People Bookshelf" grant program. Contact: Lucy Cutrona or Noel Milan at (202) 606-8446 MI CASE (Michigan Creative After School Experiences) visit: http://www.micase.org/ New HAL Database Will Promote After School Programs Act Now to Help Make It Happen Do you want a new way to promote your out-of-school-hours programs? Do you want to provide better service to Michigan's children? Do you want to help demonstrate the important contribution Michigan museums, theaters, zoos, arts agencies, nature centers and libraries are making to helping children expand their horizons, develop their talents and learn in new, exciting ways? MI CASE, the Michigan Creative After School Experiences database, can help make it happen if you take a few minutes now to share some information. Governor Jennifer Granholm has identified after school programs for children as one of her administration's goals. The Department of History, Arts and Libraries knows that cultural organizations all across the state are already providing lots of after school, pre-school, weekend and summer programs that enhance traditional education in our state. The missing link is literally a link that connects those seeking out-of-school-hours programs to those offering them. To help solve this problem, we have the new MI CASE database. It will be Web accessible so that you can enter and update information promoting your programs at any time. (HAL staff will review the entries before they are available to the public.) We will work with the Michigan Department of Education and Michigan children's organizations to link their constituents to the database. Right now, we need your help to populate the database for its announcement by the governor's office. If you have regular after-school, pre-school, weekend or summer programs available to either education partners, such as after school program providers, or to individuals, please submit your information. The form is also available in three formats at www.michigan.gov/ hal/0,1607,7-160-18835_18893---,00.html . Mail form to: Attn: Mark Hoffman, Department of History, Arts and Libraries, 702 W. Kalamazoo, PO Box 30738, Lansing, MI 48909-823, (517/373-2475) or e-mail as an attachment to ploorm@michigan.gov. $50 Million History Education Grants The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) is receiving 5-10 inquiries each day from history organizations, schools and colleges about the $50 million history education grant program that was authorized in last year's DOE budget. DOE has established a mailbox for inquiries concerning the teaching American history grants. The address is: TeachingAmericanHistory@ed.gov Requests for information should include the contact person's name, mailing address, phone number, fax number and e-mail address. A web site is presently under construction. MEEMIC - Mini Grants for the Educational Community The MEEMIC Foundation for the Future of Education offers grants of up to $2,500 for creative, original, innovative and/or imaginative projects in public, private, charter and parochial schools in Michigan. Those involving technology, science, writing, mentoring and alternative/creative dispute resolution are of particular interest. For information or an application, contact Mary Strolle, P.O. Box 1250, Okemos MI 48805-1250; phone, 517/381-9301; fax, 517/381-9349, or by e-mail. "Promising Initiatives to Improve Education in Your Community" A guide (link here) to selected funding opportunities that provides examples of exemplary projects, links to related resources and detailed information on 19 U.S. Department of Education programs: Class Size Reduction 21st Century Community Learning Centers Reading Excellence Technology Literacy Challenge Fund Safe & Drug Free Schools -- Middle School Coordinators Program Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program Public Charter Schools Program Advanced Placement Incentive Program College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) & High School Equivalency Program (HEP) Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology Program Bilingual Professional Development Program GEAR UP for College Program Learning Anytime, Anywhere Partnerships New American High Schools Smaller Learning Communities Initiative Elementary School Counseling Demonstration Program Safe & Drug Free Schools -- Alternative Education Programs for Suspended & Expelled Youth American Indian Teacher Corps Professional Development Grants Central Michigan University -- Master of Arts in Humanities Interested in earning an advanced degree in the Humanities? If so, check out the Master of Arts in Humanities program through Central Michigan University's College of Extended Learning. This degree program is designed for teachers in all areas of the Humanities, for pre-professional students, and generalists. Detroit Institute of Arts -- Teacher Guide to African Art The Detroit Institute of Arts offers a teacher guide to African Art which is intended for use in classroom instruction and/or in preparation for field trips to the museum. Materials included are images of African art objects, information about their significance and use, cultural traditions and background related to their creation and description of materials used to create them. Also included are bibliographies for teachers and students, a list of study questions and an order form for slides or CD-ROM images of the artwork included in the guide. For more information, contact the DIA at 313/833-7977. History Themes Project The History Themes Project is an effort to create for Michigan teachers and students a reasonable and valid selection of important events, people and ideas for U.S. history. The Michigan Department of Education has created this website to assist teachers in preparing students for the MEAP and in identifying how historical events align with the Michigan Curriculum Framework. Teacher review and input is needed to finalize the project. Visit http://www.michiganepic.org/history/themes to contribute your thoughts and ideas. Choices for the 21st Century Secondary school students and general audiences are encouraged to consider international issues and thereby strengthen the quality of civic life in the United States through Choices for the 21st Century educational programs. The scope of programs range from curriculum development by teachers and scholars, professional development for secondary educators, a youth-focused Capitol Forum on America's Future, a public policy discussion program in libraries and other community-based public policy forums. The Choices project is based in the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University. Link here for more. "Frontiers to Factories: Detroiters at Work 1701-1901" The Detroit Historical Museum offers free curriculum units on the history of Detroit, targeted to fourth graders and teachers but adaptable for teaching to any K-12 group. The units include a video, a teacher's guide and replicable teacher's notes, maps and diagrams. For a copy, contact Amy J. DeWys-VanHecke, Detroit Historical Museum, at 313/833-9720 or by email. New Curricular Resources on History of Jazz The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz has launched a new Internet-based jazz curriculum that is being made available to all 5th, 8th and 11th grade public school students in the U.S. This is the first jazz curriculum using state-of-the-art internet technology offered free of charge on a national basis. Eight 50-minute lessons present an historical overview, examine characteristics of various jazz styles, highlight contributions of important performers and composers and explore social, economic and political contexts within which jazz evolved. Visit www.jazzinamerica.org. School-Home Links Reading Kits Four-hundred learning activities for strengthening children's reading and writing skills are now available on the U.S. Department of Education's web site in an easy-to-use format. The activities are presented in four "School-Home Links Reading Kits." Activities are organized around skills frameworks of the National Academy of Sciences' report, "Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children," and a reading framework developed by Edward Kame'enui and Deborah Simmons of the University of Oregon. The kits are designed for use with the "Compact for Reading Guidebook," a handbook that walks family-school compact teams through steps of building and implementing a Compact for Reading. The guidebook provides information, strategies, examples and checklists to help parents, educators and community members develop effective, workable compacts that can improve schools, increase family involvement and increase student skills and achievement in reading. Link here for more. Internet Content for the Classroom - MarcoPolo Standards-based Internet content for classroom use on five discipline-specific web sites of top educational organizations -- including the National Endowment for the Humanities' EDSITEment -- are part of the MarcoPolo program. Also included are on-line professional development resources for teachers. Link here for more. ArtsEdNet Arts Education Site The Getty Education Institute for the Arts serves up arts education curriculum materials, lesson plans, web links, special on-line projects, a reading room and publications (including its newsletter, ArtsEdNet Offline) at this site. Link here for more.	Information on Teachers' Resources Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program We the People Bookshelf Grants MI CASE (Michigan Creative After School Experiences) $50 Million History Education Grants Mini Grants for Educational Community "Promising Initiatives to Improve Education in Your Community" Central Michigan University -- Master of Arts in Humanities Detroit Institute of Arts -- Teacher Guide to African Art History Themes Project Choices for the 21st Century "Frontiers to Factories: Detroiters at Work 1701-1901" New Curricular Resources on History of Jazz School-Home Links Reading Kits Internet Content for the Classroom - MarcoPolo ArtsEdNet Arts Education Site