Old Curious One

"Agriculture Today"

Where would I go to find out current information about farming in Emporia?

I called Bryan Reece the Lyon County Ag Agent (Kansas State Extension Office) and John Leatherman (Associate Professor and Director Office of Local Government
Kansas State University Department of Agricultural Economics). Both gave me some great leads.
Area farm trends =
Grain elevators
Feed dealers
Fertilizer dealers
Implement dealers
Feed lots and suppliers

They also informed me of the USDA sites that can be of help:
http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Kansas/index.asp
County EstimatesKansas Agricultural OverviewCensus of Agriculture for KansasInteractive Statistical Map of Kansas


USDA's NASS Kansas Field Office is operated in cooperation with the
Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA).


Quick Stats (ag statistics by state and county)Provides the most up-to-date statistics including all revisions.
KS State Level DataState -
BroilersState -
Cattle & CalvesState -
CropsState -
DairyState -
Dairy ProductsState -
Dairy PricesState -
Farm NumbersState -
Fruits, Nuts, & BerriesState -
Hogs & PigsState -
Poultry SlaughterState -
PricesState -
Sheep & GoatsState -
SlaughterState -
TurkeysState -
Vegetables


KS County Level DataCounty -
CropsCounty -
Farm NumbersCounty -
Livestock


Another USDA site is http://www.nass.usda.gov/ks/ffsel.htm
Kansas Farm Facts
Description: These files contain state and county level data for Kansas.

2005 Farm Facts - Preliminary 2004 and Final 2003 (HTML) or (PDF)
2004 Farm Facts - Preliminary 2003 and Final 2002 (HTML) or (PDF)
2003 Farm Facts - Preliminary 2002 and Final 2001 (HTML) or (PDF)
2002 Farm Facts - Preliminary 2001 and Final 2000 (HTML) or (PDF)
2001 Farm Facts - Preliminary 2000 and Final 1999 (HTML) or (PDF)
2000 Farm Facts - Preliminary 1999 and Final 1998 (HTML) or (PDF)
1999 Farm Facts - Preliminary 1998 and Final 1997 (HTML) or (PDF)
1998 Farm Facts - Preliminary 1997 and Final 1996 (HTML) or (PDF)
1997 Farm Facts - Preliminary 1996 and Final 1995 (HTML)
Return to the Releases & Publications page



http://www.nass.usda.gov/Education_&_Outreach/index.asp
Agricultural Resource Management Survey which includes:

2005 Census of Aquaculture Survey

April Farm Labor Survey

March Agricultural Survey

Hogs and Pigs Survey

Floriculture Statistics Program

In 2003 Governor Sebelius put in place the Rural Life Task Force so that representative voices of rural communities could bring together a plan of action to keep rural Kansas going strong and become even stronger. Lisa Taylor can be contacted at the Kansas Department of Agriculture, (785) 296-2653 ltaylor@kda.state.ks.us to help get information from.


Have you noticed a change in land use (ie shopping centers or housing developments)?

I also talked to the County Executive Directory for the Conservation District here in Emporia, David McAfee. He is a wealth of knowledge. Through his program he has 14,500 farms that are signed up with this program and he deals with these farms/ers. There are 18,000 farms so only about 3,500 are not involved but he still knows there operations. The farms involved here are subsidized $3,000,000 and strict records are kept about the land and its usage. Even if a farmer is renting the land to produce crops (tilling) they can still be subsidized. Right now he does not see a trend to sell cropland in this area but the land that is being used for building homes is timber or pasture. The land on which the middle school and high school is now built was in a low area and not used for crops. [Chanute, on the other hand, has built its new football stadium on cropland and will be adding its new high school there also – their Wal-Mart was built on pasture land].

Emporia annexation is less than 5% a year. In 2005 there was less than 1.3 square miles annexed into the city. City Engineer Kevin Hamlin said that Emporia does not do hostile annexations and the City considers annexation by the landowners’ requests. After the landowner has made a request the City Commissioners go to the County Commissioners for their approval first. There are Kansas statutes about annexation and 12520 (b and c) help regulate how annexation can occur. If the land is productive it is harder to obtain for other purposes. Eminent domain was also discussed. Logan Avenue had home owners that were just outside of the city limits and were not able to be on rural water and there were sewer issues. After the county blessed the annexation the city limits were extended to include these homes and the owners were then able to tap into the city’s water and sewer lines. There has been a case involving Island Annexation where the city actually goes beyond its city limits. There is then a portion of land that lies between the main city limits and this new “island” of land that is surrounded by county land. When this is allowed to happen the city can then acquire the land between very easily at a later date. All of these annexations or additions to Emporia – the “sprawl”- can be found at the city engineers office. Becky Samuels works for both the city and the county and is called the GIS Tech. All of the information is at her disposal with easy. She could be one in which I could go to collect data on how much farm land is being eaten away by the city’s growth.


Decrease in the number of "farm kids" in your class…

Surrounding Emporia are many much smaller rural communities. Some of these communities are being faced with consolidation of schools because the number of students are not as great as they have been. They have had to cut the teaching positions and teachers are doubling up on their teaching assignments due to the reduction of class size. The Lyon County 4-H program has seen an increase in the last three years. The amount of farm related projects being taken by the youth members remains steady. They are seeing a slight increase in non-farm project participants and even an increase in non-farm members (City Slickers). Many new homes can be found in the country but have no ties to the land connecting them. They are simply homes in the country, not farms and the adults are not farmers and do not have farm related jobs.
In the past 20 years the Emporia schools has seen an increase of about 230 students. The biggest difference has been in the Caucasian enrollment has gone from 85% to 49.6%. The Hispanic population has gone from 7.7% to 43%. So, it seems we have lost over 30% of our Caucasian students with the slight increase of students (total now of 4,921). Many of the Hispanic students are considered migrant as their parents work for Tyson’s and they work directly with the meat there. This means a little more funding for the school but a much harder task of meeting the individual needs and a difference in teaching. After being here for 3 years they are no longer considered migrant but residents. Since they still work with the meat they are considered agricultural workers – even though they are not farmers. So, we are considered an agricultural community.
Here is some information that is in an Emporia School District brochure:

What is the Migrant Education Program?
The Migrant Education Program is a federally funded program designed to meet the unique needs of children of migratory agricultural workers by providing both supplemental educational and support services.

Who is eligible for the Migrant Education Program?
Families who have children under the age of 22 and is presently working in a seasonal or temporary agricultural job.

For how long do families qualify for services?
Families qualify for three years from the last qualifying move. The family re-qualifies every time they move across school district boundaries to work at an agricultural job.

What is agricultural work?
Temporary and seasonal positions may include:
Meat packing
Nurseries
Dairies
Animal farms
Any harvesting, picking, cutting, or planting in a field
Trucking/hauling of produce (fruits and vegetables)

What can the Migrant Education Program do for you and your family?
*The Migrant Education Program assists schools with English as a second language (ESL), bilingual education, reading and/or math programs for migrant students.
*Free breakfast and lunch at school for students for the 3 years.
*The bilingual home/school community liaison is available to assist parents and school staff with home communication and offers referrals for various services offered in the Emporia area including the following:
-Adult Education -Employment -Immigration
-Clothing -Food -Legal
-Counseling -Health and Dental -Medical
-Education -Housing -Preschool

It is very likely that these workers will move about every three years so that they can still qualify for free services for themselves and their children. This has made a huge impact on how teachers are able to teach in Emporia. It is wise to know some Spanish and know a little about the Mexican culture when teaching here. It is not at all like the majority of rural Kansas communities that are “typical” of farming or agriculture.

PBS has a video available called “Eyes on the Prize.” It is long but gives background of the civil rights movement during the 50’s and 60’s. It has lesson plans that incorporate primary source documents. It helps show the emotions along with court rulings to help give perspective from many angles – this tool has helped me keep things on track while encouraging thought and dialog. From the time of the Brown v Board of Education decision in 1954 to the Selma March 10 years later. http://pbsvideodb.pbs.org/resources/eyes/ This documentary has helped me teach about what equality is, diversity, tolerance, discrimination, reverse discrimination, rights, rights guaranteed, civil, civil rights, the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Constitution, 14th Amendment, and more. It may help others trying to meet the Kansas State Standards for:
Seventh Grade
Civics-Government
Benchmark 1: The student understands the rule of law as it applies to individuals; family; school; local, state and national governments.
Benchmark 2: The student understands the shared ideals and diversity of American society and political culture.
The student:
1.▲(K) defines the rights guaranteed, granted, and protected by the Kansas Constitution and its amendments.
· Using the Kansas Constitution as a primary source, create a listing of the rights mentioned in it with a short definition or meaning of each. (1)
Kansas, United States, and World History
Benchmark 2: The student understands individuals, groups, ideas, events, and developments during Kansas territory and the Civil War (1854-1865).
5. (A) analyzes the Wyandotte Constitution with respect to the civil rights of women and African Americans.
· Read the Wyandotte Constitution (which becomes the state constitution), identifying voting rights, property right, and militia eligibility. Develop a chart comparing the rights of African American men, white men over the age of 21, and women. (5) See also CGB2I1.
Benchmark 6: The student understands individuals, groups, ideas, events, and developments in contemporary Kansas (since 1950).
The student:
1. (K) analyzes the concept of “separate but equal is inherently unequal” in regards to the Supreme Court case Brown vs. Topeka Board of Education and how it continues to impact the nation.
Benchmark 7: The student engages in historical thinking skills.
The student:
1. (A) analyzes changes over time to make logical inferences concerning cause and effect by examining a topic in Kansas history.
2.▲(A) examines different types of primary sources in Kansas history and analyzes them in terms of credibility, purpose, and point of view (e.g., census records, diaries, photographs, letters, government documents).
3. (A) uses at least three primary sources to interpret the impact of a person or event from Kansas history to develop an historical narrative.
4. (A) compares contrasting descriptions of the same event in Kansas history to understand how people differ in their interpretations of historical events.

Students in 7th grade should start thinking about how laws, the 14th Amendment, and the Constitution will and do impact their lives. Throughout my Civil Rights Unit I might say, "In 5 years you will be finishing high school. How might the court cases of Bakke (and Gratz and Hamacher / Grutter) affect you as a college student? How might affirmative action affect you in the workplace? In what ways was does affirmative action affect you now?"

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In order for students to understand affirmative action they need to build background knowledge as I did.

My personal background knowledge through such entities as
The Bakke Case Race, Education, and Affirmative Action by Howard Ball
Allan Bakke wanted, more than anything, to be a doctor. A Marine during Vietnam he then worked at NASA but wanted more. His passion for medicine grew as he worked as a volunteer "candy striper." He had good credentials, recommendations, and was a dedicated 33 year old. He had higher grades and higher scores on the Medical College Admissions Test but was still not admitted, two years running. The California Supreme Court sided with Bakke and the University appealed. February 22 1977 the Supreme Court of the US agreed to hear the case.
Allan Bakke claimed he was a victim of reverse discrimination based on minority college applicants not having as high of grades and were admitted over him. At the time the University of California Medical School (Davis) set aside sixteen - out of one hundred spots - for minority student applicants. Bakke took University of California Medical School to court. Affirmative action was targeted as the crux of the problem. The school argued that the quotas were needed to guarantee minority admission to college under their affirmative action program. Howard Ball, the author of The Bakke Case, examines issues that relate to this case. This book shares in-depth information from all angles surrounding the case. In 1978 the U.S. Supreme Court case "regents of the University of California v. Bakke" was decided. This was an appeal from the California Supreme Court which had order using race for college admission banned. The sixteen spots were part of a "special admissions program." Out of the nine justices split of four upholding the school and its affirmative action, four seeing Bakke as a victim of reverse discrimination, and Justice Powell was sort of a fence rider. The California Supreme Court, On June 28, 1978, in a two-part ruling, ordered Bakke to be admitted to the University of California at Davis medical school. Bakke was admitted and the quota for minorities was defaulted and race could not be in the formula for application acceptance. The precedence was established but is still questioned today.
Ball helped me understand what really happened during this controversial case which will help me address this issue with my students. He shed light on both sides of the issue. By giving (accurately) all sides to my students I am enabling them think and formulate ideas that will affect them and allow them to draw their own conclusions without prejudicing them with my thoughts and beliefs - after all prejudice is what this issue of affirmative action is all about!

Other similar issues:
Washington Initiative 200
California Proposition 209
Texas v. Hopwood
Weber Case (a case that had to do with employment and race - occurred after the Bakke case and dealt with employment) A year after the Bakke case the Weber case was upheld United Steelworkers v. Weber. The legalitaffirmativeermative action policy was challenged on the argument that it had operated to exclude white applicants because of their race. The Weber case was concerned with an in-plant craft training program. 50% of the openings were reserved for black employees.

Affirmative action policies were originally developed to correct decades of discrimination and to give deprived minorities an upsurge to try to help level the playing field (sort of speak) after years/generations of oppression. Some say the diversity of the U.S. today suggest the programs have been successful so these policies are no longer needed. Students could find out the statistics and draw conclusions through their own research.

A recent case Supreme Court case that student could use as a spring board for discussion - again deals with admissions college - this time to the University of Michigan. Applicants were put on a point system. A potential student would earn more points (twice as many) being a minority student than points earned by achieving a perfect SAT score. Three white students sued because of racial discrimination. The school said that diversity is needed and believes that affirmative action is the only way to attain diversity. (Ask students why we are so driven to giving more to racial minorities - the historical reasons - why is it an issue, is this overcompensation or a true justification)


Students need to examine the governmental policy called "affirmative action," why it became a necessity, and then the idea of reverse discrimination. Seeing where we have been, why things happened, how things changed, and what should happen in the future will help students realize hind sight is much better than foresight but we can still learn from our mistakes and not allow negative history repeat itself while planning what should happen next. They are the next generation that will deal with previous issues and mistakes of Civil Rights and Affirmative Action. A starting point would be that I write the word "affirmative" on the chalkboard, ask for definition of, discuss responses, and then select a student to find the dictionary meaning. Then I would write the word "action" on the chalkboard and have students discuss and define it. Having students review the Fourteenth Amendment (document) - equal protection clause, which is often cited in the debate over affirmative action. (has the 14th Amendment always be viewed as it is today) Using graphic organizers students could compare/contrast how the 14th Amendment had been interpreted early on in contrast to today's interpretation. Students could then discuss why the ideals have changed. I would include questions like:

Why did affirmative action develop and what justifications were used to put it into place?

Would you have been a supporter of affirmative action? - give reasons.

Does the government's affirmative action policy promote fairness in the United States?

Should the affirmative action policies carry on? Why or why not?

Do you think our governments policies regarding affirmative action will remain the same throughout the next 5o years? Explain


Students could also research to help support/defend - finding of documents relating to affirmative action or lack of it through court cases and grievances filed - locating them in the digital archives of NARA.

I found background information and documents relating to affirmative action at the National Archives website - http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/civil-rights-act/
Teaching With Documents:The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

I also found useful information and documentation at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_04/29cfr1608_04.html Title 29--Labor
CHAPTER XIV--EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION
PART 1608--AFFIRMATIVE ACTION APPROPRIATE UNDER TITLE VII OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964, AS AMENDED

AND http://clinton2.nara.gov/WH/EOP/OP/html/aa/aa02.html

The June 4, 1965 speech by Lyndon Johnson at Howard University, in Washington D.C.started the idea of the federal governments affirmative action. This order began the first of the federal government's affirmative action programs. Students could us NARA for location of documents.
Historian Roger Wilkins has stated, "blacks have a 375-year history on this continent: 245 involving slavery, 100 involving legalized discrimination, and only 30 involving anything else." http://www.infoplease.com/spot/affirmative1.html
Former President Ford on August 8, 1999 stated “And yet. In the last speech of his life, Lyndon, Johnson reminded us of how much unfinished work remained. ‘To be black in a white society is not to stand on level and equal ground,’ he said. ‘While the races may stand side by side, whites stand on history's mountain and blacks stand in history's hollow. Until we overcome unequal history, we cannot overcome unequal opportunity.’” http://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/speeches/990808.asp
“Should affirmative action policies, which give preferential treatment based on minority status, be eliminated? In a Nutshell” – lists yes and no reasoning – good site to help spur discussion in classes with reluctant students. http://www.balancedpolitics.org/affirmative_action.htm
Timeline of Affirmative Action Milestones
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/affirmativetimeline1.html

Vietnam - National Archives


I use have used several LIFE magazines to help show what times were like in the 1950 through the 1970’s, one in particular is dated July 2, 1965. Deeper into the Vietnam War, New Fury in Vietnam, and Back from a Vietcong Hellhole in the Jungle are the three articles in this specific magazine, Vol. 59 No. 1, Jul 2, 1965. I have used the graphics and text for background information and as a spring board of discussion about the Vietnam War.


While selecting a “teachable” document for Dr. Woestman’s class I decided to look for information that would correlate to the Life magazine from above and expand on it.

In my search I went to http://www.archives.gov/ clicked on the yellow “search” icon and typed in Vietnam, checked digital, and put the dates 07-1965 to 09-1965. This narrowed my search to the time frame I was wanting. As I scanned through the items I found a letter from Robert F. Kennedy to President Johnson that actually mentioned the Life magazine above! I would like to share with you just a bit of what it entails:
To President Johnson from Robert F. Kennedy discussing difficulties of the Viet Nam War:
Kennedy says he gave a speech to the International Police Academy stating the situation in Vietnam is an open military conflict and more than military is needed to “deal with it.” On page 2 of this letter Kennedy brings up an article in Life Magazine. He talks about the article citing recent engagement on South Viet Nam which guerillas had moved in with villagers and the killing villagers. Kennedy tells the President that the roll of the U.S. should be to assist the Government of Viet Nam.
He tells that we need to remember that this is a Vietnamese war and we need to be fighting alongside the South Vietnamese for the South Vietnamese. He states that if this should become our war we will lose it as “surely as the French lost it in 1954.” He quotes a Star article to say that, “It is very hard to go in after the Viet Cong without harming civilians.” He inflicts that Vietnam is not part of the U.S. and their government should “offer them what they need.”

In my magazine one of the articles, New Fury in Viet Nam, does a show and tell of how Vietcong overran the town of Dong Zoai, the battle, and the gruesome aftermath. It brings up a Vietcong terrorist being shot publicly in Saigon and in retaliation they executed a U.S. Army sergeant and set off a bomb in a Saigon restaurant that was frequented by Americans. The article tells about President Johnson ordering 21,000 more troops into South Vietnam to bring the total to 75,000. The U.S. making a deeper commitment. Students would be asked to show the tie between the Life magazine and the letter from Kennedy to Johnson.


2 of 5
ARC Identifier: 194047
Title: Robert F. Kennedy Senate Speech Vietnam War July 9, 1965, 07/09/1965
Creator: Kennedy, Robert F. (Robert Francis), 1925-1968 (Most Recent)
Type of Archival Materials:
Textual Records
Level of Description: Item from Collection JFK-RFK: Robert F. Kennedy Papers, 1937 - 06/06/1968



I could not pass up this Pamphlet of Statement by President Johnson at his press conference July 28, 1966, at the White House. It seems to flow from my Life magazine to Kennedy’s letter to President Johnson, into this document where Johnson addresses the U.S. involvement to the war. I have shown just the cover and the last page of this pamphlet, there are 13 copied pages to this document. It begins by telling of a letter from a mother of a son serving in Viet Nam and asking why we are there. He says he has tried to answer this many time many places and will attempt to again. He gives us his “Lesson of History.” He states North Vietnam and Communist China have a goal to “conquer the South Vietnamese, defeat American power, and extend the Asiatic dominion of communism.” On the 11th page he states, “as long as there are men who hate and destroy we must have the courage to resist or we will see …all of our dreams for freedom – all – all – swept away on the flood of conquest. So, too, this shall not happen. We will stand in Viet-Nam.” This would be a good document for students to read, analyze, and discuss – does it hold water, has he persuaded the reader, what questions would students ask this President?

2 of 13
ARC Identifier: 306727
Title: We Will Stand in Viet-Nam, 08/1965
Creator: Government Printing Office. (1861 - ) (Most Recent)
Type of Archival Materials:
Textual Records
Level of Description:
Item from Record Group 287: Publications of the U.S. Government, 1790 - 2005


My Life magazine’s article The Hard Realities of Power Demand that We must Fight On supports President Johnson’s move in Vietnam as a way to control world stability and peace. It says he cut the “Lilliputian cords” repudiating the double standard in international affairs which has restrained us but not our Cold War opponents.


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The following document is dated September 14, 1963 – two years before the above information. To help fulfill Kansas History Standards and the “global” aspects I could use the following document that shows how the world views the U.S. intervention in the Vietnam conflict. Students could compare this to what is real to them right now - the intervention of the U.S. in Iraq.

1 of 2
ARC Identifier: 193399
Title: World Reaction to Developments in Vietnam, 09/14/1963
Creator: President (1961-1963: Kennedy). Office of the Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. (01/20/1961 - 11/22/1963) (Most Recent)
Type of Archival Materials: Textual Records
Level of Description: Item from Collection JFK-NSF: Papers of President Kennedy: National Security Files, 01/20/1961 - 11/22/1963

I would also turn students loose to find information on this site by specific dates and that way they could see how things progress. Students would give responses to the items/information they have found.

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As a 10 year old I remember Vietnam being an intense issue discussed by adults and broadcasted over the television. As the war went on so did the graphic depictions of it. I loved the new found technology of color television (Technicolor) but hated hated hated the news. It was all too graphic and when I saw the blood shed of the time I would lay awake at night and wonder why people had to kill. The Beatles (HELP), the Beachboys, my Barbie Doll, TV – TV – TV -Green Acres, I Dream of Jeannie, Get Smart, Lost in Space, and one of my parents favorite – Lawrence Welk show – I have to admit I really liked the bubbles and the Lennon Sisters and there was Sonny and Char singing I Got You Babe to each other! As a 10 year old I wanted all the bad to go away but it didn’t and times did not seem to get better as far as unrest and the war as I went through Junior High and High School. It was a time of turbulence, questioning, and rebellion. I find myself a little passionate about teaching this era.

After spending hours on the Truman Presidential Library site I found layers of information that are applicable to the middle school students I teach. Fortunately, all of my students have computers sitting in front of them to facilitate easy access to the Internet and the Truman Presidential Library.

While logging onto the home page, I felt a patriotic welcome by the cameo of Truman upon the flag. This image will help me set the stage for my culturally and academically diverse group. They will instantly be able to put a face with the name, a face that will follow them throughout the site.

The pages are welcoming and easy to follow which will help my students feel at ease. Many informational sites are not this user friendly, so middle school students become frustrated and turned off quickly. Not so here. There have been over 62,522,170 hits on this site in the last year, so others must find it inviting, too.

NARA has been the essential key in the 12 Presidential Libraries along with their websites. I compared the Truman Presidential Library website with that of Dwight Eisenhower and Franklin Roosevelt. Each offers students, teachers, and scholars chances to investigate our presidents’ leadership. Truman’s site seems much more engaging for my middle school students.

The PowerPoint was informative and would help build background knowledge and provide a review of terminology. It was clean and informative, and the fly-ins added enough pizzazz to keep it from being boring for students. I can see how it helps set the stage for a spectrum of grade levels. The choice to have it available at the top of the “Kids Page” was wise. The “Biographical Sketch” also helps build background.

One of the simulations I found that got me really excited was the “Spy’s Dilemma.” It was great! (And oh, so politically correct as students get to select the gender they prefer.) I have to differentiate my lessons from extremely gifted to 2nd grade level. The “Spy’s Dilemma" will help challenge my gifted students with its 17 primary resource documents from 1945 through the emergence of the Cold war by having them analyze their importance. Students earn points by reflecting on their ability of being a spy/historian. This lesson would take about 1 ½ hours and is teacher and student friendly.

For my extremely low students, “Mo the Mule” would really pull them into the topic. This is so cleverly done. I also appreciate the book lists, too, as they delineate from the “Young Reader” to the “Basic Books” for adults; this hits my middle school dilemma as to what is available in books for my array of students.

Cross-curricular comes into play for much of the information provided. The “Buck Stops Here” sign caught my attention. 7th Grade students have been studying for the state reading test which tests for identification of idioms. The story behind the sign that sat on President Truman’s desk would tie figurative language to history, and students could discuss what this idiom means and the kinds of thins that might have stopped at Truman’s desk. I found it intriguing that this sign was made in the Federal Reformatory at El Reno, Oklahoma.

I have several students that are trivia fanatics, and there is actually a highlight from “Truman Trivia;” I can’t wait to turn them loose. The site also holds about 6000 photos. I found some are copyrighted and therefore not displayed via the Internet, but after searching for all noncopyrighted photos I found there are 4757 on file. Wow! Photos are such a great learning tool for students of all ages and abilities, and teachers can use them to reinforce learning with their students.

I liked Truman’s “Appointment Calendar” site that show a typical day for the President from 1945-53. This would help my students learn how to toggle through and locate specific dates and what the President did on those days and the days to follow. Great stuff! As a research lesson, I would send them to the Appointment Calendar and have them search on United Nations. After finding the days that Truman dealt with issues involving the UN they could create a report.

This site even has worksheets and primary source analysis worksheets. Middle school students and teachers can use these sheets to analyze:
· Artifacts
· Document analysis
· Maps
· Multi-Media
· Museum Exhibits
· Photographs
· Political Cartoons
· Posters/Advertisements
· War Posters

The only trouble I encountered was in the audio files. When I clicked on them, I got an error message and then it would throw me off the site completely. It is probably a glitch with my computer and not the site. I will have to experiment elsewhere, but my students will not be able to listen to these until the problem is solved.

With all the online documents, visuals, audios, lesson plans, etc, this is a site teachers can rely on to help teach many of the State standards, Middle school teachers have an array of student abilities and background knowledge, this site meets those needs. I emailed this site to my list of social studies teacher friends; if they take the time to really look at it, I think they will be as impressed as I am. They should win an award for this site. Thanks, Dr. Woestman, for alerting us to this site and having us go deeper than the surface.

Websites: at one time free white aliens could become citizens after being in this country for 2 years. This included, after 1865, African Americans but Asians did not get this privilege until 1952. I was unaware that Japanese immigration did not begin until 1869 or that we had so many controlling laws, protests, and riots against them. The Immigration Exclusion Act seemed so unfair as others were coming to our shores. I found that all the previous prejudices that had taken place before Pearl Harbor made it easy for Caucasian Americans to turn on Japanese Americans and send them to internment camps.
War Without Mercy illustrate why both sides felt and did what they did during WWII. Dower shows the two-sides-to-every-coin aspect through political songs, cartoons, and propaganda. I learned the Japanese felt they were pure and Americans felt intellectually superior. The depiction of Japanese by Americans as monkeys before Pearl Harbor and as huge apes after was showed that prejudices were hard to give up but could change quickly. The crimes against humanity and human rights is brutally told as is they way it should be. Prejudice against skin color, beliefs, size, and values are all an entangled mess that were facets through the entire war. Unfortunately the American Japanese felt the weight of this and still showed their support for America in many ways, such as the American Japanese Soldiers who arose to the call of duty.
Students would be able to use the global propaganda of the Pacific War to help them evaluate both sides, comparison/contrast of the prejudices, and discuss how we are handling immigrants, prejudice, and war issues today. (propaganda, how the captured are treated, how do we treat Middle East people, and how others react to Americans globally)