Meet The Mets

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My contribution to poetry month was built on a school outing to the Mets game of 4/23/07. I showed this slide show prior to the visit to build up some excitement and knowledge for the kids.

Then I changed it using photos that the Mets' photographers took of the group and had posted up on the Mets' site for people to purchase

Immigrant History Week 2007

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Monday-Sunday, April 16 – 22, 2007
Immigrant History Week is a city-wide celebration that honors the experiences and contributions of immigrants in NYC. Established by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2004 and coordinated by the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, Immigrant History Week is a rich collection of free or low-cost programs that build cross-cultural understanding between diverse New Yorkers.

I made this taking images from Byron's old Ellis Island collection and combined it with a powerful song from Ragtime, "The Wheels Of A Dream." You can fahgettaboutit in regard to the schools doing any of those wonderful old fashioned topical units to coincide, because April is Poetry Month on the TC Reading/Writing Workshop schedule

The lyrics:

I see his face.
I hear his heartbeat. I look in those eyes.
How wise they seem.
Well, when he is old enough
I will show him America
And he will ride
on the wheels of a dream.

[COALHOUSE]
We'll go down South

[SARAH]
Go down South,

[COALHOUSE]
And see your people

[SARAH]
See my folks.

[COALHOUSE]
Won't they take to him

[SARAH]
They'll take to him

[COALHOUSE]
Like cats to cream!

[COALHOUSE]
Then we'll travel on from there.

[SARAH]
California or who knows where!

[BOTH]
And we will ride
On the wheels of a dream.

[COALHOUSE]
Yes, the wheels are turning for us, girl.
And the times are starting to roll.
Any man can get where he wants to
If he's got some fire in his soul.
We'll see justice, Sarah,
And plenty of men
Who will stand up
And give us our due.
Oh, Sarah, it's more than promises.
Sarah, it must be true.
A country that let's a man like me
Own a car, raise a child, build a life with you...

[COALHOUSE]
With you...

[SARAH]
With you...

[BOTH]
Beyond that road,
Beyond this lifetime
That care full of hope
Will always gleam!
With the promise of happiness
And the freedom he'll live to know.
He'll travel with head held high,
Just as far as his heart can go
And he will ride-
Our son will ride-
On the wheels of a dream.

No Pasaran

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There is a new Lincoln Brigade exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York and a new book out about the Brigade
"No men ever entered the earth more honorably than those who died in Spain," wrote Ernest Hemingway in 1939. Between the years of 1936-1939, an estimated 1,000 Americans, many from New York, died fighting to protect the elected government of the Spanish Republic against a rebellion led by General Francisco Franco and backed by Hitler and Mussolini. Facing Fascism: New York and the Spanish Civil War examines the role that New Yorkers played in the conflict, as well as the political and social ideologies that motivated them to participate in activities ranging from rallying support, fundraising, and relief aid, to fighting--and sometimes dying--on the front lines in Spain. The stories of these New Yorkers will be told through photographs, letters, uniforms, weapons, and an array of personal and historical memorabilia.

the soundtrack, by John McCutcheon
From the farms, from the cities, from every land
Came the Abe Lincoln Brigade
With a dream in their hearts, with a gun in their hands
The Abraham Lincoln Brigade
No pasaran, no pasaran
So sang the Abe Lincoln Brigade
Across the years and the oceans
We still sing the song
Of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade
Cries from the cities, shouts from the hills
The Abraham Lincoln Brigade
The fire in the hearts that is warming us still
The Abraham Lincoln Brigade
No pasaran, no pasaran
So sang the Abe Lincoln Brigade
Across the years and the oceans
We still sing the song
Of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade
All the teachers, the artists
The workers who died
Oh the Abe Lincoln Brigade
Their stories still thrill me
We work side by side
With the Abraham Lincoln Brigade
No pasaran, no pasaran
So sang the Abe Lincoln Brigade
Across the years and the oceans
We still sing the song
The Abraham Lincoln Brigade
So raise glasses and voices
Give them a toast
Of the Abe Lincoln Brigade
Those who die best are the ones who live most
Like the Abraham Lincoln Brigade
No pasaran, no pasaran
So sang the Abe Lincoln Brigade
Across the years and the oceans
We still sing the song
Of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade
No pasaran, no pasaran
So sang the the Abe Lincoln Brigade
Across the years and the oceans
We still sing the song
Of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade

Gilberto Gil

Take Me Riding In Your Car Car

How's this for a wacky politically incorrect juxtaposition: A police car slide show mixed with Woody Guthrie's song. I'll try it out on first graders

Riding In My Car
Brrrm brm brm brm brm brm brm, brrrm b’ brrrm,
Brrrm brm brm brm brm brm brrrm b’ brrrm,
Brrrm brm brm brm brm brm brrrm b’ brrrm.
Brrrm brm brm brm brm brm brrrm.

Take me riding in the car, car;
Take me riding in the car, car;
Take you riding in the car, car;
I'll take you riding in my car.

Click clack, open up the door, girls;
Click clack, open up the door, boys;
Front door, back door, clickety clack,
Take you riding in my car.

Climb, climb, rattle on the front seat;
Spree I spraddle on the backseat;
Turn my key, step on my starter,
Take you riding in my car.

Engine it goes boom, boom;
Engine it goes boom, boom;
Front seat, backseat, boys and girls,
Take you riding in my car.

Trees and the houses walk along;
Trees and the houses walk along;
Truck and a car and a garbage can,
Take you riding in my car.

Ships and the little boats chug along;
Ships and the little boats chug along;
Boom buhbuh boom boom boom buh boom,
Take you riding in my car.

I'm a gonna send you home again;
I'm a gonna send you home again;
Boom, boom, buhbuh boom, rolling home,
Take you riding in my car.

I'm a gonna let You blow the horn;
I'm a gonna let you blow the horn;
A oorah, a oorah, a oogah, oogah,
I'll take you riding in my car.

Sugartime 2

Here I put together images I found ( source: www.antekprizering.com/robinson.html) of Sugar Ray with an interview he did with BBC
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Sugartime

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There was a great documentary on HBO last month on Sugar Ray Robinson. It was made about 7 years ago (2000). People seem to have forgotten how greay Sugar Ray was. The movie mentioned that Sugar Ray (a Harlem resident) at one time owned many of the businesses between 123rd and 124th on 7th Avenue on the western side of the block. He also maintained a couple of suites at the nearby Theresa Hotel supposedly for his lady friends. I was wondering whether any remnants of those businesses remain (especially Sugar Ray's Bar where a lot of celebrities like Lena Horne, Jackie Gleason, Sammy Davis Jr, Nat King Cole and Sinatra would hang out). I went to check and they're gone and a new ugly building takes up the entire block. The picture shows that block along with an image of Sugar Ray's vehicle registration which has him residing at 2074 7th Avenue (now Adam Clayton Powwell Blvd) Here's a clip of Sugar Ray in action I found on youtube

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Performance Is Sweeter, Nothing Can Beat Her

I got a Dinah Shore CD recently for my Aunt Lili ("Nunnie") and I recalled how much I enjoyed Dinah's show as a kid, especially that Chevy jingle. So I found a recording of it and "karaokied" it with some archival Chevy images I "mined". I figured I'd use it with the first graders on that transportation unit. It even could be used for the upcoming poetry strand. GM could do no worse in sales if they brought back that tune. Too bad they can't bring back Dinah, she was sweet onstage and off and a "sister" to boot.

See the USA in your Chevrolet
America is asking you to call
Drive your Chevrolet through the USA
America's the greatest land of all
On a highway, or a road along the levy
Performance is sweeter, nothing can beat her
Life is completer in a Chevy
So make a date today to see the USA
And see it in your Chevrolet
Traveling east, traveling west
Wherever you go Chevy service is best
Southward or north, near place or far
There's a Chevrolet dealer for your Chevrolet car
See the USA in your Chevrolet
The Rockies way out west are calling you
Drive your Chevrolet through the USA
Where fields of gold and wheat pass In review
Whether traveling light or with a load that's heavy
Performance is sweeter, nothing can beat her
Life is completer in a Chevy
So make a date today to see the USA
And see it in your Chevrolet.

Black History Month Feature: Black Inventors

Yes, I know it's March. Ms. Womack, Sojourner Truth's excellent art teacher put together a display of art created by a 3/4 class. A very imaginative use of cardboard and paper was put in place to display the inventions of Black Scientists. I took pictures of sections of the display at the Carver Federal Savings Bank on 117th and Malcolm X Boulevard. The folks there are extremely nice. The branch manager is Frederica Clark. I should have used a better resolution setting in order to more accurately capture the titling. In many cases I re-typed them. They are fully visible in a regular slide show size, but for youtube's compression and size setting you may not see them all. I also added to the slides images of some of the inventors that I found online. For filler I used a portion of scholastic's site on black inventors. For music. It was a toss up between "We Can Work It Out" by the Beatles and "Imagination" by Ella. I went with Ella. Words and Music by Burke and Van Heusen

Imagination is funny
It makes a cloudy day sunny
It makes a bee think of honey
Just like I think of you
Imagination is crazy
Your whole perspective gets hazy
It starts you asking a daisy what to do
What to do
Have you ever felt a gentle touch
And then a kiss, then and then
You find its only your imagination again
Oh well
Imagination is silly
You go around willy-nilly
For example I go around wanting you
Yet I cant imagine that you want me too

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Women's History Month 4: The Unsinkable Molly Brown

I put this together a few years ago as part of an overall transportation theme that would include women's history. Maybe Sonia Diaz (Salcedo) is a descendant of the old broad, because no matter what she does she keeps getting hired as a superintendent

March Literary Madness

There's no end to the inspirational source for satire that TC's monthly menu of workshop topics provide, especially with the invented language that's used to describe it. They actually want you to say to first graders, "This month we are going to capture the tone of the text of the characters..." I decided to go with a wacky soundtrack from one of my childhood's most wacky sources, Zacherle

Here's more on Zacherle from Wikipedia
John Zacherle (born September 27, 1918, he is sometimes credited as John Zacherley) is a U.S. television host and voice actor known for his long career as a television horror host broadcasting horror movies in Philadelphia and New York City in the 1950s and 1960s. Best known for his character "Roland/Zacherley", he also did voice work for movies, and recorded the top ten song novelty rock and roll song "Dinner With Drac" in 1958. He also edited two collections of horror stories, Zacherley's Vulture Stew and Zacherley's Midnight Snacks. Zacherle was born in Philadelphia and grew up in the Germantown neighborhood, where he went to high school. He received a bachelors degree in English literature from the University of Pennsylvania. In World War II he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in North Africa and Europe. After World War II, he returned to Philadelphia and joined a local repertory theatre company.
In 1954 he gained his first television role at WCAU-TV in Philadelphia, where he was hired as an actor playing several roles (one was an undertaker) in Action in the Afternoon, a Western produced by the station and aired in the New York City market. Three years later, he was hired as the host of WCAU's Shock Theater, which debuted on October 7, 1957. As the host, Zacherle appeared wearing a long black undertaker's coat as the character "Roland", who lived in a crypt with his wife "My Dear" and his lab assistant Igor. The hosting of the black-and-white show involved numerous stylized horror-comedy gags that have become standard on television. In the opening sequence, Zacherle as Roland would descend a long round staircase to the crypt. The producers erred on the side of goriness, showing fake severed heads with blood simulated with Hershey's chocolate syrup. The show sometimes featured live "cut-ins" during the movie in which the soundtrack continued to play on the air, while the visual feed switched briefly to a shot of Zacherle as Roland in the middle of a humorous stunt, such as riding a tombstone. The show ran for 92 broadcasts through 1958.
He was a close colleague of Philadelphia broadcaster Dick Clark, and sometimes filled in for Clark on road touring shows of Clark's American Bandstand in the 1960s. Clark reportedly gave Zacherle his nickname of "The Cool Ghoul". In 1958, partly with the assistance and backing of Clark, Zacherle cut "Dinner with Drac" for Cameo Records, backed by Dave Appell. At first, Clark thought the recording was too gory to play on Bandstand and made Zacherle return to the studio to cut a second tamer version. Eventually both versions were released simultaneously as backsides on the same 45, and the record broke the top ten nationally. Zacherle later related several LPs mixing horror sound effects with novelty songs.

Women's History Month 3: Harriet Tubman, Using A Powerpoint Template

This is an example of how I used a powerpoint template to make it easier for kids to concentrate on the content rather than on wacky ppoint procedures. I had set up the ppoint layout and had inserted the music and timing. For the titles I used the lyrics of the song. The students then had to insert the appropriate text. The text came from the themes that were elicited as we watched the movie together. I used inspiration for that (a sample of one for Eleanor Roosevelt above). The students also inserted whatever picture they wanted. For ease and control (and not have to be internet based) they copied and pasted images from the quicktime converted version of the movie that I had made. Here I converted the ppoint to a slide show so as to make use of youtube.(forget about trying to get ppoint to convert to a movie itself!) This ppoint was done a few years ago by Cree Mitchell, a really great kid. Depending on your connection and traffic on youtube's server the timing for the movie is inconsistent but I think onercan get the general idea

Harriet Tubman (Walter Robinson) sung by Holly Near
One night I dreamed I was in slavery, 'bout 1850 was the time 
Sorrow was the only sign, there's nothing about to ease my mind 
out of the night appeared a lady leading a distant pilgrim band 
First mate, she cried point her hand, make room aboard for this young woman 
 Come on up, I've got a lifeline 
Come on up to this train of mine 
Come on up, I've got a lifeline 
Come on up to this train of mine 
They said her name was Harriet Tubman 
And she drove for the Underground Railroad 
 Hundreds of miles, we traveled onward gathering slaves from town to town 
Seeking all the lost and found and setting those free that once were bound 
Somehow my heart was growing weaker, I fell by the wayside sinking sand 
Firmly did this lady stand, she lifted me up and took my hand

The Year Of The Boar

and wouldn't it be a great idea to use the Betty Lao book on Jackie Robinson this spring to coordinate with a Boar year.
There are tons of great websites with ideas about how to use the book, but its "verboten" here in nyc to use one book for a whole class project. And even if a teacher wanted to use it in a small group, it probably wouldn't fit in with the tc strand of the month.
In any case I used one of the buster DVD's I scored for $3 at Academy last week to enlighten the 1rst graders on the Chinese New Year. I just revisited the PBS site for Buster. It's terrific. It has downloadable video clips with read along transcripts as well as read along songs
Here's a short clip from the DVD
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Nail Em Up

I just bought the Dvd of "All the King's Men." This was some powerful scene. (although I'm wondering about whether "nail em up" refers to crucifixtion) Looks like the nyc "hics" are starting to rise against the powers that be in the education department just like in the Kingfish's time in Louisiana. There are so many things you can do with QuickTime Pro, I'm just learning the possibilities.

Women's History Month: Ain't That Just like A Woman

from the Dover "Book of African American Women Dolls"

music courtesy of the great Louis Jordan
Ain't That Just Like A Woman
There was Adam, happy as a man could be,
Till Eve got him messin' with that old apple tree
Ain't that just like a woman?
Ain't that just like a woman?
Ain't that just like a woman?
They'll do it every time

Lot took his wife down to the corner for a malted,
She wouldn't mind her business, boy, did she get salted
Ain't that just like a woman?
Ain't that just like a woman?
Ain't that just like a woman?
They'll do it every time

Samson thought Delilah was on the square,
Till one night she clipped him all his hair
Ain't that just like a woman?
Ain't that just like a woman?
Ain't that just like a woman?
They'll do it every time

From our history books we all learned,
Nero fiddled while Rome was burned
Ain't that just like a woman?
Ain't that just like a woman?
Ain't that just like a woman?
They'll do it every time

Marie Antoinette met some hungry cats at the gate,
They was crying for bread, she said, "Let them eat cake"
Ain't that just like a woman?
Ain't that just like a woman?
Ain't that just like a woman?
They'll do it every time

You can buy a woman clothes,
And give her money on the side,
No matter what you do,
She ain't never satisfied
Ain't that just like a woman?
Ain't that just like a woman?
Ain't that just like a woman?
They'll do it every time

I Didn't Have The Horse Right Here 2

That's the famous Ira Brustein above: A man with that elusive ability of being able to listen to a woman (and therefore reap the awards), a graduate of Tilden HS, Brooklyn College and The School of Hard Knocks, former proprietor in the 1970's-early 80's of the Rosey Tomatoe in Park Slope, and now a limo driver. I hadn't seen him for a few years and then bumped into him at the OTB on 5th Avenue and 12th Street in Brooklyn while placing a losing bet on Keen Spirit (I still love you Max). I tried to make one of my cinema verite podcasts, but my recorder (strung around my neck) was flopping around causing static. Still, I think you get the spirit of being among the lumpen proletariat (or sub-lumpen or semi-proletariat-but still preferrable to the likes of Bloom/Klein

How Little We Know, How Much To Discover

Melissa made a really great book to culminate the unit on non-fiction. She called it "Did You Know." "Did you get the idea from the Teacher's College Staff Developer?" I asked. "Of course not," was the reply. Over the last three years and being in many schools I can count on one finger the number of TC people that have gotten favorable reviews from teachers in the trenches.
Here's Meliss'a class book youtubed. I was looking around for an appropriate accompaniment. Now T.I's "What You Know About That" would have fit, but forget about the lyrics. I chose Sinatra's "How Little We Know"

How little we know
How much to discover
What chemical forces flow
From lover to lover
How little we understand - what touches of that tingle
That sudden explosion - when two tingles intermingle
Who cares to define
What chemistry this is
Who cares with your lips on mine
How ignorant bliss is
So long as you kiss me - (and) the world around us shatters
How little it matters - how little we know
(How little we know, how little we know,...)
Here's a closer look at one of the entries

I Love The Way You Move 2

My "Way You Move Video" inspires Melissa's first graders to move. Also visible (partially) is the writing for a transportation unit that it inspired.

here's a closer look at some of their writing

and to my former tech colleagues at Anna Silver School doing Read Naturally
"kuschn mein tuchas"

Black History Month Feature: Artists Of The Harlem Renaissance

To the tune of Jimmy Lunceford's "Tain't What You Do, It's The Way That You Do It." Sy Oliver arrangement with trombonist Trummy Young on vocal
"Trummy Young became a star while with Jimmy Lunceford. He was spotlighted as both a singer and trombonist, and his presentation was undoubtedly aided by the excellence of Sy Oliver's arrangements. Tain't What You Do It's The Way That You Do It is an example of a singing style that jazz critic Leonard Feather called “intimate and breathless.” Even today, Young's vocals sound refreshingly cooler and lighter than the barrel-toned delivery of most male band singers of the 30s and 40s."

When I was a kid about half past three
My daddy said "Son, come here to me"
Said things may come, and things may go
But this is one thing you ought to know...
'T ain't what you do it's the way hots you do it
'T ain't what you do it's the way hots you do it
'T ain't what you do it's the way that you do it
That's what gets results
Ma Ma Ma Ma
'T ain't what you do it's the time that you do it
'T ain't what you do it's the time that you do it
'T ain't what you do it's the time that you do it
That's what gets results
You can try hard
Don't mean a thing
Don't mean a thing
Take it easy, greasy
Then your jive will swing
Oh 't ain't what you do it's the place that you do it
'T ain't what you do it's the place that you do it
'T ain't what you do it's the place that you do it
That's what gets results

The N Word And Gil Scott Heron

I read a piece on counterpunch.org that takes the opposing side to Mo Beasely's view on the use of the N word. It mentioned the great Gill Scott Heron and his inspiration to rappers. How true. I think I'll compile a CD and lyrics for Mo's bunch. A lot of the kids liked the Calloway stuff.
Here's a great slide show someone did on youtube of his "Winter In America" (not really a rap piece, though), similar to the kinds of ones I make and the kinds I believe kids could be inspired to do in a Web 2.0 easy way. It sort of answers my question (to Jim Garst) as to why the public is just laying down and taking the crap that Bush is handing to us nationally and what Klein/Bloomberg are doing to us locally.
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Uh from the Indians who welcomed the pilgrims
And to the buffalos who once ruled the plains
Like the vultures circling beneath the dark clouds looking for the rain
Looking for the rain
Just like the cities stagger on the coastline
In a nation that just can’t stand much more
Like the forest buried beneath the highway, never had a chance to grow
Never had a chance to grow
And now it’s winter, winter in America
Yes now that all of the killers have been killed, sent away, Yeah
But the people know, the people know, it’s winter
Winter in America
And ain’t nobody fighting cause
Nobody knows what to say
Save your soul, lord knows from
Winter in America
The constitution, a noble piece of paper
With free society, a struggle but they died in vain
And now democracy is a ragtime on the corner
Hoping for some rain
It looks like he’s hoping, hoping for some rain
And I see the robins perched in baron treetops
Watching lasting racists marching across the floor
Just like the peace sign that vanished in our dreams
Never had a chance to grow
Never had a chance to grow
And now it’s winter
Winter in America
Yes now that all of the killers have been killed, or betrayed, Yeah
But the people know, the people know, it’s winter
Lord knows it’s winter in America
And ain’t nobody fighting cause nobody knows what to say
Save your soul
From a winter in America
Stick
And now it’s winter
Winter in America
And now that all of the killers done been killed, sent away
The people know, the people know, it’s winter
Winter in America
And ain’t nobody fighting cause nobody knows what to say
And ain’t nobody fighting cause nobody knows nobody knows
And ain’t nobody fighting cause nobody knows what to say