Good Old Mafalda!

Good Old Mafalda!

These past two weeks I had the opportunity to visit home and my parents in Argentina. While perusing the family library, I came across one of my favorite childhood and adulthood comic books, Malfalda.

For those unfamiliar with this comic strip, Mafalda was written and drawn by the Argentinean cartoonist Juan Salvador Lavado, more popularly known as Quino. The strip features the 6-year-old Argentinean girl Mafalda who is deeply concerned about humanity and world peace, and plans to be an interpreter at the U.N. She rebels against the world for its social injustices. She is a strong patriot, wise and progressive. She also loves the Beatles, hates soup, and has a turtle named Bureaucracy.

The comic strip ran from 1964 to 1973 and was very popular in Latin America, Europe and Asia. It was so popular that it led to two animated cartoon series and a movie.

Currently translated into over 15 languages, Mafalda travels around the world and can be read in English, Finnish, Galician, Greek, Portuguese, Dutch, Taiwanese, Catalan, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, German and French. If anyone wants to give it a try in English, I think Mafalda and Friends 1 and 2 are available online. Also online, I found the Web site http://www.eslprintables.com/ where Mafalda comic strips are used to teach ESL (English as a Second Language.)

Although written and drawn mainly in the 60’s, Mafalda’s topics, stories, and sociopolitical satire are still relevant in today’s world. To give you a sample, I've included a comic strip (above) and a video (below) of the animated cartoon series. Hope you like it!

Antiquity Corner: Celebrating Winter Solstice

Antiquity Corner: Celebrating Winter Solstice

It was a frigid Saturday night in December on the last weekend before Christmas. The winter solstice had occured at 7:04 that morning, with the resultant loss of light and warmth in the northern hemisphere. Outside our living room window, a freezing wind howled through snow- and ice-bound streets. Inside, however, all was warm and cozy, for on our large-size TV screen burned the Yule log. As I settled on our couch for an after-dinner reading of a newly acquired mystery entitled Parliament of Blood, a thriller set in Victorian London, I stared at the Yule log, thinking again of the connection between antiquity and the present. Like the mistletoe, the holly wreath, and the decorated tree, the Yule log is associated with Christmas. However, it is so much more ancient. Among the ancient Celts and other peoples of northern Europe, the winter solstice was celebrated as the Birthday of the Sun, for after the longest night of the year, the sun would begin to grow in strength and increasing light would diminish the dark. To celebrate this, and to aid the coming of Spring with homeopathic practices, the ancients would kindle festive lights and fires. The old custom of the Yule log was widespread in Europe, but flourished especially in Britain and France. It was the winter counterpoint of the Midsummer Fire, kindled indoors because of the coldness of the season. This practice made it more of a private or family celebration. Many believed that the Yule log had magical powers. If kept carefully and relit at the right time, the embers could protect a house against fire or lightening. As the Yule log was frequently of oak, this might be a reflection of the old Aryan belief that associated the oak tree with the god of thunder. Belief that the log could cure illness and make people and animals more fertile may have the same origin. Many also believed that the log would promote the fruitfulness of the earth.

In the Jura Mountains of Switzerland, a blessing was sung over the burning Yule log:

May the log burn! May all good come in! May the women have children And the sheep lambs! While bread for everyone And the vat full of wine!

Beyond all of this, is the basic concept symbolized by the Yule log—the triumph of the light over the dark and of life over death. To the people of ancient Europe, this was the great struggle that was equated with survival. The forces of nature were all powerful and often inexplicable. To devise magical beliefs and practices designed to make sense and affect outcomes was the path of hope and life. The same is true of the Christmas tree and the holly wreath. The evergreen stands alive and bright even in the cold and dark of winter. The lights strung on the boughs of the tree by modern people are a continuation of the practice of burning sacrifices in wicker cages suspended from the branches by the ancients.

As for the mistletoe, it was believed to have had magical powers to cure because it grew highest on the tree and was, therefore, closest to the gods. Among the Celts, the Druids cut the mistletoe with a golden sickle and never let it touch the ground. Norse mythology tells of the death of the strong, handsome Baldur, the Shining One, who could be slain only by an arrow made of mistletoe. The god Loki tricks the blind god Horder into shooting such an arrow at Baldur, who is killed. At the end of the world, however, the Ragnarok, the World Tree, is consumed by flames and Baldur rises from the ashes to restore life to the world. The theme remains the same—life triumphs over death and the Shining One brings light.

Enjoy the Yule log when you can. And remember what it signifies. It will bring you a sense of warmth and peace. Happy New Year to all.

¿Dónde está "Santa Clos"?

¿Dónde está "Santa Clos"?

As a young kid growing up in mid-1960s Puerto Rico, I always had mixed feelings about Christmas. On one hand, I loved the “cold” 70-degrees weather, the school break that lasted from mid-December to mid-January, the traditional food, and the expectation of new toys. On the other hand, I never quite understood why I didn’t get anything from “Santa Clos.”

Like most children at that time, I always got my presents from the “Tres Reyes” (the Three Kings) on January 6 (the day of the Epiphany), so I had to wait almost two weeks to get my presents. Some kids, though, would get presents on December 25. Some others would even get presents from both Santa Clos and the Tres Reyes!

Later on, I understood: it all depended on ones’ parents. Mine were for the most part traditionalists, so only the Three Kings visited. Santa would only show up at homes with “hipper” parents. Even if I didn’t like that, I never questioned it. After all, I wasn’t brought up within any religion, and I was still getting presents; so why rock the boat?

As an adult, I realized that my parents didn’t always have the means to fulfill my gift expectations, but they always made sure there was something for me. Giving was really the important thing about Christmas.

It Really Was “A Wonderful Life”

It Really Was “A Wonderful Life”

Today's guest blogger is legendary Amsco author, Henry I. Christ, who shares the "story behind the story" of one of the greatest Christmas films of all time.

Years ago, while I was teaching at Fort Hamilton High School in Brooklyn, New York, friend and colleague Lillian Stern told me a story.

Her husband, Philip Van Doren Stern (author of the John Wilkes Booth biography, The Man Who Killed Lincoln), was shaving one morning when he got the idea for a fantasy about self-worth and the importance of our individual lives.

Stern told of an honorable man, overwhelmed by so many troubles that he wished he had never been born. Stern called his story, “The Greatest Gift,” and submitted it to publishers. When no one accepted it for publication, Stern decided to print it, himself, as a Christmas card to be sent to friends.

Lillian gave me one of these autographed booklets.

When Stern’s agent received it as a Christmas card, he felt it would make a good film. He shopped it around. Eventually, it was picked up by Liberty Films and RKO. For the film rights, Stern received $50,000, which was a lot of money back then (and still is, now!).

“The Greatest Gift” was retitled as It’s a Wonderful Life. The film was directed by Frank Capra. Jimmy Stewart, Lionel Barrymore, and Donna Reed, headed the cast.

On its first release in 1947, It’s a Wonderful Life did not break records. It was considered a box-office flop. Critics considered it too sentimental, and it was soon forgotten.

Ironically, the film’s initial failure may have guaranteed its immortality. The copyright was carelessly allowed to lapse. Someone in TV found the film in the vaults, discovered it was in the public domain, and decided to try it as a Christmas program.

The time was right. It’s a Wonderful Life has become a classic in the A Christmas Carol tradition. Critic Leonard Maltin has said, "The film seems to improve with age.”

The plot is well-known: a despairing businessman (“George Bailey” in the film version) reaches the end of his rope, and wishes he were never born. His guardian angel (Clarence) appears, and shows him what a miserable place the world would be, if that were the case.

In both the story and the film, the major plot line is the same, with the guardian angel at the heart of both versions. For the full-length movie, the part of the evil banker (“Mr. Potter” in the film) was expanded, contrasting villainous Lionel Barrymore with lovable hero Jimmy Stewart.

In the film, colorful details were included, such as the gash on the tree, when the hero’s car plows into it. Also, two major changes were made to the “Pottersville” segment of the story version.

In the film version of George Bailey’s “new” world (where he’s never been born), the hero’s “wife” is lonely and unmarried. In the print version, she had married—his hated rival! The children are unpleasant. With a chuckle, George notices this “wife” has bought the same sofa that he’d disliked but tolerated, in their past life. This marriage (to George’s rival) is unhappy. Since this George has never been born, he looks on helplessly.

One subtle touch does not appear in the film. To gain access to his former haunts, George has been given sample brushes and set up as a Fuller Brush man. To gain access to his “wife’s” noisy house, he has given her a brush.

In both the print and film versions, he rushes off to undo the magic that has been causing him so much anguish. He revisits and appreciates the sights and emotions that have been restored to him. When he gets back to his house, he madly embraces all members of the family.

In the print version, he sits on the sofa (the disliked but tolerated one) and feels some object beneath him: a Fuller Brush. This touch does not appear in the film.

“The Greatest Gift” stands on its own as a great fantasy.

Test Prep: Revenge of the Science Nerd!

Test Prep: Revenge of the Science Nerd!

When I was a teenager at summer camp, I became friends with some kids from other states. One good friend in particular was a girl from New Jersey. I remember finding out that she and her classmates did not have to take any New York Regents-type exams for any of their classes. I felt a strange mixture of great envy (oh, the test-prep terror they did not have to face each June) and of personal pride and academic superiority (they don’t get a valuable Regents diploma like we do in New York). As much as my high school friends and I dreaded taking the Regents exams, we always felt great when we passed with high marks. (Okay, I admit it: a 65 was always good enough for me on any math Regents.) Well, here it is, so many years later, and I get to exact Regents revenge on hapless teens across the country! And how has this happened? More and more states are administering tests to fulfill the NCLB Act, and that means end-of-course (EOC) tests that are a lot like the NYS Regents exams (ha, ha)!

As a science editor at Amsco, I help develop some of our test-prep books for New York and other states. Our department has already published review books for Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. And we have just published my latest project, Preparing for the New Jersey Biology EOC Test for—yup, you guessed it—those New Jersey biology students who used to get away with no exam!

This new book can be used for review of biology topics throughout the year, as well as for biology EOC test preparation. It covers such topics as scientific and laboratory procedures, cell structure and function, photosynthesis and respiration, disease, classification and evolution, reproduction and heredity, and environmental interactions. The units and chapters follow the sequence of the New Jersey Department of Education’s Biology Standards and Enduring Understandings. In addition, there are many diagrams, tables, and photographs in each chapter to help reinforce important concepts.As with most of our other test-prep books, there are diagnostic and practice tests, all of them organized into the same three-part format as seen on the NJ Biology EOC Test.

Each chapter has a Chapter Review section composed of dozens of multiple-choice, diagram-analysis, and open-ended questions, as well as a reading comprehension passage with questions. There is also a Teacher’s Guide With Answer Key that includes five Sample (Performance Assessment) Prompts.

Now that the NJ biology book has been published, I have moved on to yet another test-prep project. So, watch out Massachusetts biology students—I’m headed your way now! Happy reviewing! And Happy Holidays, too!

“Christmas Carol”

Strategies for Showing Movies in Class

Strategies for Showing Movies in Class

As the holidays approach, students start to tune out of their classes. Their minds become focused on vacation, presents, and visions of sugar plums. Many teachers give up on teaching “real” lessons during these last days of school, and instead decide to play a movie. But “just showing a movie” can be quite educational. Here are some ways that English teachers can give students a bit of a break by showing them a movie (fun!), and yet still make the experience quite mindful and meaningful. These ideas have been adapted from Reel Conversations: Reading Films with Young Adults by Alan B. Teasley and Ann Wilder. Present the movie version of a book or play you’ve read in class. Try one of these strategies:

1. Before you show the movie, ask students to predict how the director might have chosen to present the book or play. For example, before showing a modern version of Romeo and Juliet, ask what kinds of decisions the director, costume designer, set designer, et al. might have made about the setting, the characters’ clothing, etc. After showing the movie, have a discussion about whether the students’ predictions were correct, whether the movie met students’ expectations, and whether anything was surprising. Also ask students how they would have staged it. For example, whom would they have cast in the lead roles? Students love talking about celebrities! Just make sure they can justify their answers.

2. If the book or play has more than one movie version available, show clips of key scenes from two different versions. Have students discuss or write about the differences between the two versions. Students can write a full-paragraph response, or simply jot notes or even create a T-chart or Venn diagram.

3. Give students a viewing guide to use while they watch the movie. The viewing guide can be a simple table that lists key elements of movies, such as lighting, music, and costumes, and asks students to take notes on each area as they watch the film. Ask students how these aspects add meaning to the plot and the dialogue. If you wish, you can make the viewing guide more complex, by adding/explaining key film terms such as close-ups, long shots, fade outs, etc., and having students comment on those elements, too. Often, teachers ask students how a movie is different from the book, and students give very obvious answers, like “Character X doesn’t die in the movie.” If you give students a viewing guide, it will help them get more critical and notice more subtle changes that the director made. Students will learn to think more critically about what they watch, which will hopefully carry over into literature lessons later in the year about author’s craft and author decisions.

4. After showing the movie, have students write a summary and/or a review of it. (Tell students in advance that they're going to be asked to write a summary, so they know to take notes during the film.) Teach students the difference between summary writing and subjective review writing. Then after the winter break, you can apply this lesson to books that students read in class. Having students do this kind of writing with movies is a fun entryway into having them do it with literature. What if there’s no movie version available of a book or novel you’ve read a class?

1. Choose a film that’s set in the same setting (country and/or time period) as the novel you’ve read in class, but that perhaps has a different theme or plot. Conversely, you could do a novel that has the same theme or plot as a novel you’ve read, but a different setting. 2. Pick a film that’s from the same literary genre as a book you’ve read, such as epic, tragedy, fairy tale, satire, or myths and legends.

3. Look for a play/novel and a film adaptation of different play/novel by the same author. The book Reel Conversations that I mentioned earlier offers great suggestions of school-appropriate movies, sorted by themes.

Happy viewing!

--Lauren

Amsco’s Science Department at STANYS

Amsco’s Science Department at STANYS

Early in November, Madalyn and I attended the 113th Annual Conference and General Meeting of the Science Teacher’s Association of New York State (STANYS). The conference was held for the first time in Rochester, New York. The theme was Misconceptions in Science. Sessions were divided among the Riverside Convention Center, the Clarion Riverside Hotel, and the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Rochester. The exhibits were in the Convention Center. All the buildings were in close proximity; in fact, they were connected by indoor walkways, which made it easy for us to get to and from the various sessions. However, the weather was nice enough to walk outside, too. The conference featured more than 300 workshops and 90 exhibitors. Amsco’s booth was staffed by New York manager, Marc Diesing, and sales reps Marc Milewski and Ron Benson. It attracted a lot of customers. Madalyn and I also helped out at the booth and went through the exhibit hall gathering competitive information. Our main function, however, was to attend the workshops. In order to gather the most information, Madalyn and I each attended ten different workshops. I’ll tell you about some of the ones I found the most interesting. I attended a session called “Using POGIL in the Classroom.” POGIL stands for Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning. This program has been used for 13 years in colleges. Classes are divided into teams and each student has a specific role in the team: leader, recorder, spokesperson (the only one who can talk to the teacher), and technician. You can find out more about POGIL at http://www.pogil.org/. The purpose of POGIL is to make classes activity-oriented and to actively involve students in their own learning, instead of the typical lecture-centered, teacher-centered classroom. The session on “Science with a Social Conscience: Digging for Dinosaurs and Helping Children in Madagascar” illustrated how a scientist can have an impact on the real world. Invited speaker Dr. David Krause of Stony Brook University told us about how he coupled his fossil-hunting expeditions with humanitarian work building schools and clinics in remote areas of Madagascar. Donald Siegel presented “The Scientist in the Courtroom: Sex, Lies, and Videotape.” He discussed ethical and other difficulties scientists have moving back and forth between doing science in the real world of law and public policy. Lew Kowalsky, from Utica and Gary Vorwald, from Suffolk County presented “Brachiopods, Crinoids, Trilobites, Oh My!” They discussed fossils, one of my favorite topics, explaining how fossils are used to determine the age of rocks and some of the common misconceptions about fossils and how they form. And last but not least, the speaker at the Environmental Science Breakfast was Dr. Charles Hall of SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. His presentation was about peak oil and the biophysical approach to economics. According to Dr. Hall, we have reached peak oil production and we may not be able to grow enough plant material to replace fossil fuels. He feels that economists, as they plan for the future, do not consider the various ramifications laws of nature might have on the use biofuels, or the ripple effects their use might have on our planet. In the evening hours, the sales personnel, Madalyn, and I sampled some of the local cuisine. We went to a local hot spot—the Dinosaur Barbeque! I was relieved that they did not serve dinosaur burgers. (It was, actually, a microbrewery—and yes, I did sample some beers. And yes, I was able to walk back to my hotel just fine, thank you.) This was the first annual trip to Rochester for STANYS, and I look forward to returning there next year.

The Wright Brothers & The Wonder of Flight

The Wright Brothers & The Wonder of Flight

Wilbur and Orville Wright were two brothers from the heartland of America with a vision as sweeping as the sky and a practicality as down-to-earth as the Wright Cycle Co., the bicycle business they founded in Dayton, Ohio, in 1892. While there were countless bicycle shops in turn-of-the-century America, only in one were wings being built as well as wheels. When the Wright brothers finally realized their vision of powered human flight in 1903, they made the world a forever smaller place. I've been to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, and seen where the brothers imagined the future, and then literally flew across its high frontier. It was an inspiration to be there and to ponder the amazing perseverance and creativity of these two pioneers.

Tutamania!

Tutamania!

How many of you remember back to the 1970s when the country was gripped with excitement over King Tut? That was inspired by a major traveling show of items excavated from Tutankhamen’s tomb in Egypt. From 1976 to 1979, large crowds would line up to get into major museums across the United States. The lure was the gold objects and other items found in King Tut’s chambers.

The New Show I was lucky to be in Atlanta, Georgia, recently in time to see the latest traveling King Tut exhibition, which opened last month and will continue there until the late spring. A similar show also opened recently in Dallas, Texas. Both shows will move on to other U.S. cities over the next several years, including Indianapolis and San Francisco. This is not exactly the same show that was recently in Los Angeles, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Philadelphia, and London. The exhibit in Atlanta has more than 130 items connected with King Tut, from tiny jewelry pieces to a bed from the tomb. The show recreates the four rooms of Tut’s tomb, showing which objects were found where. One can view King Tut’s golden sandals, metal pieces that covered each of his toes and fingers, and bejeweled coffinettes that held the king’s internal organs. This show is much more technologically adept at presenting the objects than the touring one of the 1970s. One video loop shows how modern scientists opened King Tut’s coffin, only to discover another coffin inside, and then another, and so on until they discovered the wrapped mummy. Who’s Behind the Shows? The current show was organized by the Egyptian government, more specifically the Supreme Council of Antiquities led by its Secretary General, Zawi Hawass. Why did the Egyptian government want to lend all these valuable pieces from antiquity? To make money. Egypt needs many millions of dollars to build a new museum in Cairo. The Egyptians want to be able to present their historical treasures in the same way modern museums in the West do. The Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University is the show’s educational sponsor in Atlanta. Because of the size of the show, it is being housed at Atlanta’s Civic Center, not at the museum. The Carlos Museum currently has a fine exhibit of Harry Burton’s photographs of the excavation of King Tut’s chambers in 1922. Educational Aspects The Carlos Museum offers school tours, workshops for teachers, and public lectures Those who do not live near enough to Atlanta to visit can still download the Classroom TuTorials at http://www.carlos.emory.edu/ What’s New? While touring the show, I overheard some museum official say that the latest news from Egypt regarding King Tut is that scientists are doing DNA analysis of the two female fetuses found buried with the young king. The fetus mummies had been discovered in 1922, but scientists have not yet been able to determine if they are offspring of Tut and his wife.

Dorian Gray and Me

Dorian Gray and Me

Today’s guest blogger is actor and best-selling author, Shane Briant, who explains how playing the nefarious Dorian Gray led to success in a different creative medium. In my hallway hangs a portrait given to me by Dan Curtis in Hollywood. It’s me as Dorian Gray. I look at it each day expecting it to grow older. Sadly, it looks as fresh as ever—while I become old and wizened. But, hey, that’s life! But what’s the link between Dorian Gray and me, really? Well, by 1995, I’d been a film and television actor for 24 years, and had over thirty feature films under my belt. I’d had some great years, and some slow ones. I’d been rich, and I’d been poor. I’d played Dorian in Hollywood for ABC, and starred in films in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, France and Germany. And I’d met some fascinating people along the way. But one thing nagged at me—I wanted to write a novel! As luck would have it, in 1994 I was cast as the “Richest man in the World, Neville Savage, Arch Criminal.” Mission Top Secret was to be a six-country European mini-series. I would spend a month in Spain, France, Germany, England, South Africa, and Poland. What a wonderful opportunity to write a thriller set in all these countries! I could research as I went along; dine in all the hotels I wrote about, walk the very streets on which assassins lurked, visit the darker side of each city, experience the delights of all that fabulous European architecture! I made up a story as I went along, never knowing where it would lead me. It was a day-by-day experience, never knowing what chapter would follow. Hamburg? What happens there? Answer: the money originated there as funds for the East German secret service–the Stasi! The money? It’s in a Polish salt mine. Our heroine? She lives on a farm for stray hippos in Africa! I returned with a great tale and was lucky enough to be published by HarperCollins. It was called The Webber Agenda. Since then I have had four more books published, The Chasen Catalyst, Bite of the Lotus, Hitkids, and Graphic. So what has all this got to do with Dorian Gray? Well, as I said, I played this wonderful character in The Picture of Dorian Gray in the mid-seventies in Hollywood, and it was a thrilling experience. Even Hurd Hatfield—the original Dorian in the 1945 film version of The Picture of Dorian Gray—came to visit me on the set. Eventually, the producer gave me the portrait they’d painted of me. The night of the wrap party, I somehow left the portrait in a taxi. The following day, I advertised in Variety: “Lost! One portrait of Dorian Gray. Lost in a cab someplace.” That same day it was returned to me, so I put another ad in Variety: “Found! One portrait of Dorian Gray. But it has CHANGED! Horribly . . .” This Oscar Wilde novel has to be one of the most original and mind-blowing ever written. Several years ago, I started my sixth novel, Worst Nightmares. I thought I could bring a modern-day Dorian Gray to life once again, mixing his world with Hannibal Lector’s and cyber reality! Worst Nightmares was, like The Picture of Dorian Gray, a story of the fall from grace of a man of morals and ethics, a man who faces a world that is crumbling about him. He makes one moral error, and his life becomes the nightmare world of Dorian Gray. Without a doubt, it’s my best novel to date and will be published by The Vanguard Press in 2009. I am thrilled and can’t wait to visit New York and be a part of the launch.

What's So New About the New NY Core Curriculum for Algebra 2 and Trigonometry?

What's So New About the New NY Core Curriculum for Algebra 2 and Trigonometry?

Last week, I went to a meeting for AMAPS, or the Association of Mathematics Assistant Principals Supervision of New York City. I'm here to share some of the juicy tidbits, like one of our editors getting engaged :-) (No, not me.) Also discussed were common misconceptions about the New York Algebra 2 and Trigonometry curriculum and the new performance indicators. For teachers not familiar with the lingo: strands are general categorizations that define what students should know and be able to do. They are divided into two types: Process strands and Content strands. For example, Problem Solving is a Process strand and Number Sense and Operations is a Content strand. Process strands cover how the material should be taught. Content strands are the actual content. Performance indicators are specific: they show teachers what the outcomes of instruction should be.

Among the new performance indicators for Algebra 2 and Trigonometry:

• direct and indirect variation (A2.A.5)
• solve rational inequalities (A2.A.23)
• completing the square (A2.A.24)
• find the solution to polynomial equations of higher degree that can be solved using factoring and/or the quadratic formula (A2.A.26)
• represent the sum of a series, using sigma notation (A2.A.34)
• determine if a function is one-to-one, onto, or both (A2.A.43)
• determine the phase shift of a periodic function (A2.A.69)
• work with base e (A2.A.12, A2.A.18)

Note that this is just a short list. You can find more in the PowerPoint presentation given at the meeting. The official list can be found in the Crosswalk. Some of you may already teach these topics. Well, now they are officially part of the curriculum.

This wouldn't be an Amsco post unless I shamelessly plugged our new book! Our Algebra 2 and Trigonometry book covers the entire New York Core curriculum, including all the new performance indicators. The important point is that the new material is integrated into the text, not merely "sprinkled in" or added-on as an afterthought. Resources: http://www.amaps.org/ Algebra II/Trigonometry PowerPoint by Susan Sladowski, Sonia Buszwatiuk, Sharon Hoosak and Celia Foster Mathematics Toolkit Curriculum Guidance Materials & Resources

Amsco Ebooks & Online Tutorials

Amsco Ebooks & Online Tutorials

Today's guest blogger is Amsco production manager, Richard Ausburn.

You haven’t heard from me before, but I provide technical advice in the background. For years, I’ve been a production manager working to produce the printed texts for which Amsco is well known. Lately, my job has expanded to include bringing Amsco’s books into the digital world. We’ve partnered with Vital Source to publish 48 of our most popular titles as Ebooks. We’ve also partnered with Winpossible to produce interactive tutorials to accompany our textbooks Integrated Algebra 1 and Geometry. When you purchase one of our Ebooks on Vital Source, you download it to your computer. Students and teachers working with an Ebook can easily highlight text and post study notes. For ease of viewing, the text and illustrations can be enlarged. For those new to Ebooks, Amsco offers a 30-day free trial on 5 selected titles. To obtain a code, contact me directly at rausburn AT amscopub DOT com. The Integrated Algebra 1 and Geometry tutorials offered are interactive, with lessons explained in detail to the student with both voice and demonstrated problem solving on the screen. Each section contains practice questions that explain the correct answer. The teacher can track a students' progress, with scoring available on the practice questions. To see a sample of the tutorials, go to WinPossible and click on the link to Amsco titles. Here is where I need your help. If you have used one of our Ebooks or online tutorials, I’d like to know how your experience has been with these new formats. Also, I’d like suggestions on other electronic formats you would like Amsco to consider.

--Rich

Teaching a Pre-AP Course? Amsco Has the Program for You!

Teaching a Pre-AP Course? Amsco Has the Program for You!

At the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Convention in San Antonio, English teachers were on the lookout for Pre-AP materials. Amsco to the rescue! Our integrated English language arts series Currents in Literature teaches students the kinds of critical-thinking skills in literature, language, and writing that are essential for success on the AP Literature and Composition and the AP Language and Composition exams.

Currents in Literature contains four books—World Volume, British Volume, American Volume, Genre Volume; each book uses engaging classic and contemporary literature selections to teach reading, writing, vocabulary, grammar, and spelling.

Here are some of the features of the series that will help your students get AP-ready. · Literature. Reading Strategy Lessons guide students through various texts using techniques such as understanding literary devices, using paraphrasing and thinking aloud to understand difficult texts, and comparing and contrasting ideas in a text. Journal and essay prompts have students write responses to one or more texts. · Writing. Writing lessons teach students how to compose expository, persuasive, compare/contrast, and cause-and-effect essays, as well as personal narratives and poetry. Students learn how to analyze a prompt, form a position, use supporting evidence, write a strong thesis, and more. · Grammar lessons include topics such as sentence structures, eliminating fragments and run-ons, nouns, pronouns, verbs, modifiers, punctuation, and capitalization.

The series also contains works by amazing writers, such as...

Niccolò Machiavelli, Anchee Min, Victor Hugo, Anita Desai, Carl Jung, Friedrich Nietzsche, Naguib Mahfouz, Chinua Achebe, Antonio López Ortega, Laura Esquivel, bell hooks, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dorothy West, Barbara Kingsolver, N. Scott Momaday, William Shakespeare, Jane Jacobs, Ralph Ellison, James Baldwin, Rainer Maria Rilke, Primo Levi, Leonardo da Vinci, Penelope Lively, James Joyce, William Wordsworth, Kazuo Ishiguro, Edna O’Brien, Jonathan Swift, H.G. Wells, Daniel Defoe

Good luck!

Lauren

Buddy, Can You Spare a Teaching Job?

Buddy, Can You Spare a Teaching Job?

Today’s guest blogger is veteran Amsco author, Henry I. Christ, who shares his experiences as a New York City teacher during the Great Depression of the 1930s.

The current period of economic downturn reminds old-timers of the Great Depression and the discouraging job market. Teaching meant a steady job and a regular paycheck. Teaching in the New York City schools was especially desirable. Steady employment, security, and competitive salaries lured many graduates. Even many college instructors with lower pay sought to become New York City teachers. But the path was difficult and the challenges many.

Supply and demand: too many applicants, too few positions.

At every level, the powerful Board of Examiners controlled the steps to enter the profession and to be promoted through the ranks. For example, to become a high school teacher, you normally had to have a year's experience as a Teacher-in-Training (T-in-T). To become a T-in-T, you had to take a T-in-T test. During this difficult period, tests were given infrequently. To become eligible to take the T-in-T exam, you had to have student teaching experience. But to get the student teaching experience, you had to take a college student teaching class. These classes were limited.

In 1936, T-in-T tests were announced. Hundreds of applicants took a short-answer and a written examination. They were also interviewed by a member of the Board of Examiners. If you were lucky enough to pass, you were assigned to the department of a New York City high school as a Teacher-in-Training. You taught two classes the first semester, observed experienced teachers, and helped with departmental matters. The department chair was responsible for training you. Perhaps during your second semester, another T-in-T would be assigned to the department. You became the experienced teacher, always willing to help the rookie.

The experience was priceless, but the pay was minimal. The regular allotment of $4.50 (a DAY!) was cut to $4.23 when Depression needs cut salaries 6% across the board.

After serving as a T-in-T, with your newly acquired skills, you were ready to become a regular teacher.

Not so fast! There was another test ahead, more comprehensive than the T-in-T exam, with a teaching test as a major part. You might be ready, but you had to wait for a test in your subject. While you were waiting, you were given a substitute teaching license and became eligible for day-to-day work or longer assignments at a school where temporary vacancies occurred.

At last, if you passed the test you became a regular teacher. If you were a high school teacher, you earned substantially more than elementary or junior high school teachers. This discrepancy has disappeared, along with the much applauded Teacher-in-Training position.

You were assigned to a high school at last, but the challenges persisted. In the years ahead, until new schools could be built, schools were overcrowded A high school might have more than 5,000 students! It might be on triple session, and struggle with class size. Classes of 40 or more met in classrooms with 35 fixed seats, 5 rows of 7 seats. Some students had to double up.

Gradually, new schools were built. Class sizes were reduced. Teachers licensed during the Depression have long since retired.

It was a different world.

Hot Off the Press: MCAS Science & Technology/Engineering

Hot Off the Press: MCAS Science & Technology/Engineering

Today's guest blogger, Madalyn Stone, is the director of Amsco's Science Department. Our newest science title, MCAS Science and Technology/Engineering, Grade 8 by Paul S. Cohen and Jerry Deutsch, provides a complete review of all the topics Massachusetts students will be tested on when they take the MCAS exam in Science and Technology/Engineering in the eighth grade. The book can be used flexibly inside and outside the classroom as:

• A review book to prepare students for the MCAS Science and Technology/Engineering Grade 8 exam.
• A textbook for the topical review of science and technology/engineering concepts throughout the year.
• A source of additional questions for homework assignments and for skills building.

The book covers life science (biology), Earth and space science, physical sciences (chemistry and physics), and technology/engineering in a concise, readable style. Topics in the thirteen chapters include organisms, ecosystems, heredity, human systems, Earth’s structure, the atmosphere, forces that shape Earth, Earth in space, motion, mass, matter, and energy. Boxed Process and Laboratory Skills features teach skills such as taking measurements, predicting experimental results, and interpreting graphic representations of data. Two innovative technology chapters cover engineering design; communications technology; and manufacturing, construction, and bioengineering technology. They discuss everything from designing a dog house and using CAD technology to biofuels and integrated pest management. The assessment features of the book are designed to prepare students for success on the MCAS. By taking the Pretest and using the Pretest Checklist students can pinpoint topics they have not yet mastered. Teachers can administer the two Practice Tests to simulate the test day experience. All three of these tests follow the style and format of actual MCAS exams and feature multiple-choice and open-response questions. Since the grade 8 MCAS in Science and Technology/Engineering covers topics from grades 6, 7, and 8, it is a very challenging test to prepare students for. The science team at Amsco thinks that this book will be a big help.

Amsco Goes to San Antonio!

Amsco Goes to San Antonio!

How many Amscoites can you find in the video? Find more videos like this on NCTE 2008 On November 20 through 23, I attended the 98th Annual National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Convention in San Antonio, Texas. This year's theme was "Shift Happens: Teaching in the 21st Century" The common goal was to improve the ability of eductors to prepare students for the demands of the 21st century. Deciding which sessions to attend was not easy. For a given time slot, there were as many as 58 competing sessions. I focused on three topics: literacy, technology, and reading in the social studies content area. I'll share one thing I learned at the conference about each of these topics. Literacy Teachers who work with struggling readers tend to spend a lot of time withholding books. They let students read only books that they deem "just right" for the student's ability. This is a mistake. It is important for students to be able to learn from books that are not "just right" for them. Teachers can let students tackle any book they choose and then ask them to report back, categorizing the book as "too easy," "just right," or for "someday." Technology Whether they are digital natives or digital immigrants, English teachers are bringing technology into their classrooms in modest, but highly effective ways. Students are using digital cameras, audio recorders, and scanners to create multimedia products such as PowerPoint presentations and "identity texts" (think MySpace pages). An example of a 21st-century homework assignment: Make a MySpace page for Huckleberry Finn. Reading in the Content Areas Surprisingly, I observed that in discussions about reading in the content areas, teachers expressed reluctance to send students to the Internet to do research. Instead, they rely on biographies, newspapers, and magazines for nonfiction reading. Why is this? Teachers said that students don't know how to sort through the overabundance of information online. They don't know where to search for specific answers or which sources to trust. "This," I thought to myself, "is exactly why Amsco published the Information volume of Strategy Central for the Active Reader!" Teachers who want to teach their students how to conduct research on the Internet need this book! On a final note, now that I have seen the Alamo, I will remember it.