Synergy: Investigating History

HISTORY studies the past including all aspects of human society. Historians use oral accounts, written documents, artifacts, and other primary sources to tell the story of people, places, and events.

To understand a concept, it’s useful to read a cluster of books related to a theme. Explore these recently published books for young people:

MORE THAN A DREAM: THE RADICAL MARCH ON WASHINGTON FOR JOBS AND FREEDOM by Yohuru Williams and Michael G. Long is a compelling middle-grade history exploring the 1963 March on Washington. Featuring numerous photos from the time period, this engrossing work of nonfiction weaving in primary source materials to explore the broader impact of this event on racial justice and the civil rights movement. This is an important work for the school library collection. ARC courtesy of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, imprint of Macmillan

HEAR OUR VOICES by Radhika Natarajan and Chao Tayiana retells the story of the British Empire through 20 fascinating true stories. Exploring perspectives often overlooked, this beautifully illustrated picture book uses two-page spreads and small blocks of text to feature key figures and events from across five continents. ARC courtesy of Wide Eyes Editions, Quarto Group.

ATTACKED: PEARL HARBOR AND THE DAY WAR CAME TO AMERICA by Marc Favreau is a fast-paced work of narrative nonfiction balancing the broad world view with inspiring, individual accounts of this momentous event. Middle grade and young adult readers will enjoy the focus on the unique perspectives of everyday people along with soldiers and sailors.

ARC courtesy of Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Hachette Books.

THE LIGHT THAT SHINES written and illustrated by David T. Warner is a stunning picture book exploring the rescue of 669 children at the onset of World War II. Along with beautiful illustrations, the book also incorporates photographs and primary source documents to bring the rescue to life. ARC courtesy of Shadow Mountain Publishing.

FACING THE MOUNTAIN by Daniel James Brown is an adaption of the acclaimed work of adult nonfiction. This engaging true story explores the Japanese American heroes of World War II. Facing discrimination at home, this riveting narrative nonfiction follows three soldiers deployed to Europe and the challenges faced by their families back home. ARC courtesy of Viking Books for Young Readers and Penguin Random House.

RISING ABOVE written by Hayley Diep and illustrated by Naomi Giddings is a picture book telling the story of Wataru “Wat” Misaka who became the first non-white athlete to play in the NBA. Born to immigrant parents, Wat overcame discrimination, lived in a Japanese-American incarceration camp, served in the U.S. Army and ultimately played in the NBA. The engaging text combined with the simple illustrations will appeal to young readers. ARC courtesy of Triumph Books.

Synergy: Exploring Lore

LORE is a collection of knowledge, traditions, beliefs, and stories held by a group of people and passed from through generations. Lore may be related to a specific subject, group, or location.

To understand a concept, it’s useful to read a cluster of books related to a theme. Explore these recently published books for young people:

LEGENDS OF NORSE MYTHOLOGY: ENTER A WORLD OF GODS, GIANTS, MONSTER AND HEROES written by Tom Birkett and illustrated by Isabella Mazzanti is a highly illustrated anthology of mythological characters and stories from Norse tradition. This fascinating reference includes over thirty profiles of key figures and retellings of their stories.

AN ATLAS OF AFTERLIVES: DISCOVER UNDERWORLDS, OTHERWORLDS AND HEAVENLY REALMS written by Emily Hawkins and illustrated by Manasawee Rojanaphan features dozens of myths connected with life after death. Organized by continent, the book includes both well-known and lesser-known places examining both the fact and fiction of each location.

A MISCELLANY OF MISCHIEF AND MAGIC: DISCOVER HISTORY’S BEST HOAXES, HIJINKS, TRICKS, AND ILLUSIONS written by Tom Adams and illustrated by Jasmine Floyd explores the world of deception. From pranksters and magicians to con-artists, this beautifully illustrated picture book features a wide range of fascinating people. Along with learning the secrets of magic and famous hoaxes, readers also explore a wide range of themes such as disguises and conspiracies.

LORE OF THE STARS: FOLKLORE AND WISDOM FROM THE SKIES ABOVE written by Claire Cock-Starkey and illustrated by Hannah Bess Ross examines folklore from around the world. Six chapters explore lore connected with the sky, sun, moon, stars, planets, comets and shooting stars, and cosmos.

ARC courtesy of Wide Eyed Editions, Quarto Group.

Synergy: World War I

World War I (1914-1918) was one of the most deadly global conflicts in human history. In addition to the estimated 9 million people killed in combat, another 5 million civilians died as a result of the conflict. 

Read the recently published nonfiction book for young adults, then learn more at the websites:

WORLD WAR I: THE GREAT WAR TO END ALL WARS by Julie Knutson is part of the Inquire & Investigate series. This interdisciplinary text explores the events that led to the war along with key battles. Using photographs, graphic novel-style illustrations, and primary source documents, readers learn about both the home-front and global aspects of the war. Useful fact boxes, sidebars, and questions are likely to engage reluctant learners. ARC courtesy of Nomad Press.

1914-1918 ONLINE is an international encyclopedia focusing on the First World War. Readers can explore the website through a timeline, themes, regions, or article topics.

To visit the website, go to https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/.

Synergy: City

A city is a large, densely populated human settlement. These places generally have a central authority that facilitates operations such as sanitation and transportation. Some cities are part of a larger, continuous urban landscape called a metropolis. In some cases, large cities are divided into neighborhoods or boroughs. For instance, Manhattan is the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City.

Read the recently published nonfiction book for youth then learn more at the website.

FOUR STREETS AND A SQUARE: A History of Manhattan and the New York Idea by Marc Aronson is a work of nonfiction for middle grades and young adults. Using photos, drawings, and other primary source materials, along with an engaging narrative, Aronson provides a fascinating examination of the evolution of four streets and a square within Manhattan. Of particular note are the many ways the author addresses common legends and challenges traditional thinking about the long history of the city. He takes care in providing multiple viewpoints and lesser known examples. Throughout the book, he includes snapshots that provide a timeline of key events.

RESOURCES from Marc Aronson provides useful online materials to immerse readers in each chapter. From maps and video clips to photo collections and entire websites, this useful supplement will bring the book alive for readers.

To explore the links, go to https://bit.ly/3Ku4Ssz.

ARC courtesy of Candlewick Press.

Synergy: John Lewis

John Lewis (1940-2020) was a Georgia congressman and civil rights leader. From 1963-1966, he was the chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). In addition, he was one of the key organizers for the 1963 March on Washington and led the first of three Selma marches.

Read the recently published graphic memoir then learn more at the website.

RUN: BOOK ONE by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin is a companion to the MARCH graphic memoir series. Set after the 1965 Selma marches, this graphic history focuses on John Lewis’ continuing role leading grassroots Civil Right and social justice efforts. The gray-scale comic-style illustrations by L. Fury with Nate Powell combined with hand-drawn reproductions of primary sources such as letters and newspapers add to the reading and learning experience. The book concludes with biographical sketches of key individuals involved with the movement and fascinating notes about specific events connected with the narrative.

The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) Digital Gateway explores the history and work of this group. From leading voter registration efforts to building grassroots movements, the SNCC documentary website features the work of young activists in empowering the Black community.

To learn more, go to https://snccdigital.org/.

ARC courtesy of First Second.

Synergy: Massacre

A massacre is the deliberate and brutal slaughter of multiple individuals. Often perpetrated against defenseless victims by those seeking political or social gain, these mass killings are often aimed at minority, racial, or ethnic groups. The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre is an example.

Read the recently published works of nonfiction for youth, then learn more at the website.

BLACK BIRDS IN THE SKY by Brandy Colbert shares the story and legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Emphasis is placed on the larger history of violence against African Americans as well as the Native Peoples who came before them. Of particularly note is the focus on active suppression of information about the event and how it connects to broader discussions of systemic racism.

THE BURNING by Tim Madigan was recently adapted for young people by Hilary Beard. In addition to an account of the Tulsa Race Massacre, the book explores the larger historical context along with a discussion of the need for social justice.

The TULSA RACE MASSACRE is an interactive article from The New York Times. Using maps, historical photos, and the stories of individuals, the project explores the prosperous Black community known as America’s Black Wall Street and the tremendous loss of life and property street-by-street. By telling the story of the individual people and places, readers become immersed in the time and place of the massacre.

To explore the interactive, go to https://nyti.ms/3k8l1J4.

ARC courtesy of Henry Holt and Harper Collins.

Synergy: Indigenous Peoples’ Day

Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a celebration commemorating the histories and cultures of Native American peoples. In the United States, it is celebrated the second Monday in October.

Read the informational picture book for children, then learn more at the website:

WE ARE STILL HERE! NATIVE AMERICAN TRUTHS EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW written by Traci Sorell and illustrated by Frané Lessac uses the context of classroom presentations for Indigenous Peoples’ Day to share key concepts related to the history of indigenous people in the United States. Topics such as assimilation, allotment, termination, activism, self-determination, and sovereign resurgence are shared in easy-to-understand text and colorful illustrations. The book concludes with additional information, a timeline, glossary, sources, and an author’s note.

The Smithsonian’s NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN website provides access to online resources and the Native Knowledge 360° project. To explore the resources, go to https://americanindian.si.edu/.

ARC courtesy of Charlesbridge.

Synergy: Tulsa Race Massacre

On May 31 and June 1 1921, a mob of armed, white people attacked homes, looted businesses, and burned the African American community of Greenwood Oklahoma. As many as three hundred black people were killed and thousands were left homeless. The police did nothing to protect the community and the incident was suppressed until recently.

Read the recently published picture book for youth, then learn more at the website:

UNSPEAKABLE written by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Floyd Cooper retells the true story of the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921. Using easy to understand text and engaging illustrations, the story takes readers on a journey before, during, and after the tragic event. An author’s note provides additional information and historical photos.

The CENTER FOR RECONCILIATION website provides a virtual tour including text, images, and videos telling the story of the people, place, and massacre. A Curriculum Resource section provides survivor portraits, stories, historical photos, and learning resources.

To learn more, go to https://www.jhfcenter.org/.

To view photos from the Tulsa Historical Society and Museum, go to https://bit.ly/39x68L8

ARC courtesy of Learner Publishing Group.

Synergy: Black Lives Matter

Black Lives Matter is an international group advocating against violence, oppression, and racism toward Black people. Originating in the African-American community, this movement has sparked demonstration around the world.

Read the recently published picture book for youth, then learn more at the website:

ALL BECAUSE YOU MATTER by Tami Charles with illustrations by Bryan Collier is a visually stunning picture book celebrating the life of a black child. The timely and powerful message focuses on struggle, hope, and love.

HELPING KIDS UNDERSTAND THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT is a project of the popular educational group BrainPOP. In addition to providing access to an animated, educational video that explains the movement, the page provides suggestions for educators and links to additional resources.

To learn more, go to https://bit.ly/2Ys2w6N.

To hear from the author and illustrator, go to https://youtu.be/zWQhFhunqh0.

ARC courtesy of Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic.

Synergy: Woodstock

Woodstock was a three-day music festival held in the summer of 1969. The counterculture generation event is considered a key moment in rock music and 60s culture.

Read the recently published young adult nonfiction book, then learn more at the website:

WOODSTOCK: 50 YEARS OF PEACE AND MUSIC by Daniel Bukszpan explores the people and groups that made this festival such as memorable event. The highly illustrated book is divided into chapters that explore festival planning, the performers, and the aftermath.

The Museum at Bethel Woods website tells the story of Woodstock. Of particular note is the online photoarchive that includes images and archives of the event.

Bethel Woods Collection Online Archive https://photoarchive.museumatbethelwoods.org

ARC courtesy of Charlesbridge.

Website Review: Teaching Tolerance

TEACHING TOLERANCE is a website dedicated to educating youth about diversity, equity, and justice.

Sponsored by the Southern Poverty Law Center, the website contains classroom resources, professional development materials, and publications including their free magazine and other documents. The “Build a Learning Plan” area helps educators apply the four domains of social justice: identity, diversity, justice, and action to learning outcomes across grade levels. Users can explore the online resources by topic and examine social justice standards by grade level. Opportunities for grants and campaign participation are also offered.

Librarians will find this website provides a wealth of resources for the social justice curriculum along with more general suggestions for establishing an anti-bias education program. Connect the suggested activities with picture books, novels, and other literature focusing on importance issues related to tolerance.

To visit the website, go to https://www.tolerance.org/.

Technology Review: Ask Smithsonian

ASK SMITHSONIAN is a weekly video series exploring a wide range of topics.

From ancient history to contemporary science topics, this video series answers questions through very short videos. Around a minute in length, each video addresses a different question. Viewers can extend the experience by reading interesting articles.

Librarians will find that these question and answer videos will inspire young people to create their own inquiry-based projects. Rather than a traditional written assignment, ask students to explore a question of interest and create their own video project.

To visit the website, go tohttp://www.smithsonianmag.com/vid…/category/ask-smithsonian/.

Website Review: Cancer

CANCER: THE EMPEROR OF ALL MALADIES is a three-part PBS series and website with lots of online content.

The About the Film section explores the information about the film and it’s producers.

The Our Story Wall section shares stories from people’s whose lives have been impacted by cancer.

The Media Gallery section provides access to digital shorts, full episodes, and film clips.

The History of Cancer Timeline section visualizes key events before 1940, 1940-1970, 1970-today, and tomorrow.

The Producers’ Blog shares information about updates related to the program and the second screen option provides supplemental information to go with the film.

The Classroom section features video, trivia, infographics, discussions, and other resources to supplement the films.

Librarians will find that this amazing three-part series provides high-quality information useful for health, science, and social studies classrooms.

To visit the website, go to http://cancerfilms.org/.

Website Review: Cagle

CAGLE is a comprehensive political cartoon website.

The Cartoon’s page features the latest political cartoons by a wide range of popular columnists.

The Blogs page traces the latest postings of popular cartoonists. These blog postings generally including cartoons.

The Featured Topics page explores issues currently in the news such as world conflicts, political candidates, natural disasters, and social issues related to politics around the world.

The Cartoonists page provides quick access to dozens of political cartoonists.

Librarians will find this website to be useful for a variety of classroom activities. Involve youth in comparing the cartoons on a particular topic or trace changes over time. Use the cartoons to kick off writing activities in government, history, and language arts classrooms.

To visit the website, go to http://www.cagle.com/.

App Review: Congress Creates the Bill of Rights

CONGRESS CREATES THE BILL OF RIGHTS app from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) provides resources to explore this foundational document.

Designed specifically for classroom use, this easy-to-use app helps students explore the proposals, debates, and revisions that shaped the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

The app contains three menus: Get the Background, Go Inside the First Congress, and Join the Debate.

The Get the Background section explores the creation of the document, events leading to the document, and a chronology.

The Go Inside the First Congress area explores the compromises, debate, issues, edits, and amendments.

The Join the Debate contains information about the vote itself and a time for reflection.

Librarians will find this app to be popular with social studies and particularly government teachers. To extend the experience, go to the NARA’s web-based materials on the Bill of Rights.

Keep in mind that this app requires a secondary download of content. The first time the app is opened, the app requires a download of over 300MBs.

To explore NARA’s web-based resources, go to http://www.archives.gov/legis…/resources/bill-of-rights.html

To download from iTunes, go to https://itunes.apple.com/…/congress-creates-bil…/id917839792.

To download from Google Play, go to https://play.google.com/store/apps/details….

App Review: Spies of Mississippi

SPIES OF MISSISSIPPI: AN APPUMENTARY brings the well-known book and documentary film by Rick Bowers alive for students.

Focusing on the activities of the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission from 1956 to 1997, the app explores important stories of democracy, racial segregation, and even murder. The app actively engages users through text, audio, video, maps, photographs, and other historical, primary source materials. After a video introduction, users can watch a summary of the file, listen to a song, examine a visual timeline with photographs and other primary source documents, explore an interactive map featuring key locations, and view excerpts from the film.

In addition, lesson plans and resources for teachers are provided along with discussion questions.

Librarians will find this fascinating app to be an excellent resource for students and teachers exploring the Civil Rights movement in their social studies or history classes.

To download the app, go to https://itunes.apple.com/…/spies-mississippi-ap…/id853903402.

Technology Review: Images of Change

IMAGES OF CHANGE is an visually-rich science website and app from NASA.

Both the website and app contain similar features.

From natural disasters to growing cities, users take a close-up look at pairs of images that show before and after scenes. Students can see glaciers that have melted, the devastation from floods and wildfires, and the impact of humans in different settings.

Each photo pair contains background information and a map showing its location. Photo pairs are shown side-by-side. With the app version, images can also be viewed individually or overlaid with a curtain slider to make comparisons easier.

Users can browse through the images or select categories including cites, extreme events, ice, human impact, water, land cover, top picks, and most recent. Images can also be viewed on a map.

Librarians will find uses for the images across the curriculum including both science and social science topics and issues. Use the image pairs to jumpstart discussions or as the basis for an exploration of topics related to climate change.

Because the project is from NASA which is a government agency, students can use their images in their projects. The website contains an option to download the image and also shows how to credit the source.

To explore the website, go to http://climate.nasa.gov/state_of_flux.

To download the app, go to https://itunes.apple.com/…/app/images-of-change/id710564941….

Website Review: The Great War Archaeology

THE GREAT WAR ARCHAEOLOGY website explores the work archaeologists are doing to learn more about World War I in France (1914-1918).

This amazing website is divided into five sections titled Called Up to the Front, Archaeological Remains, Day-to-Day Life, Day-to-Day Death, and Underground War and Technical Innovations. Each section provides short text segments, historical photos, maps, video, and other interesting materials.

In addition to the core materials, the chronology section provides an interactive timeline of events along with useful primary source documents and information. The links area provides websites where users can find out more about World War I. Finally, the glossary defines key terms and locations.

Librarians will find the archaeology focus a unique way to explore World War I topics and primary sources. This approach may also attract students who are drawn to the scientific and technical aspects of studying history. Foreign language teachers should note that the website is available in French and German in addition English.

To explore the website, go to http://archeologie1418.culture.fr/en/.

Technology Review: The Smithsonian Channel

The SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL app and website provides access to full-episodes of original series and documentaries as well as a large video library.

The app connects to over a thousand short videos as well as full programs. Users can select from favorite topics or browse the possibilities. The attractive interface is easy to use. Users can create their own channels of content based on favorite topics. Or, let the system select videos based on interests. Favorite videos can be identified.

The website features links to video clips as well as full episodes. Playlists are provided on popular topics such as bees, history, baby animals, and the civil rights movements.

Librarians will find videos across the curriculum including science and social science topics.

To download the app, go to https://itunes.apple.com/…/…/smithsonian-channel/id482096908.

To visit the website, go to http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/.