Registration deadline – extended! Three spots still available.
Back by popular demand! Join us for this free professional development course for practicing teachers in grades 3-12. Teachers completing the course will receive a $400 stipend and 67.5 PDPs or 3 graduate credits available through MCLA (additional fees apply).
Spring 2012 Brochure and Registration form.
In this Berkshire County-based course, we will examine American History through the experiences of Berkshire County communities. We will work with scholars, local archives and historic sites to explore the history of the area from the Native American period through the late 19th Century. Participants will practice historical thinking skills as they develop lessons using local primary sources and work collaboratively to revise the plans.
Course Sessions:
Tuesday, March 20, 4:30 to 7:00pm – Berkshire Athenaeum, Pittsfield
Orientation with Ely Janis, Course Instructor and Suzanne Judson-Whitehouse, Assistant Program Director
- We will review course assignments and expectations, as well as introduce participants to primary source collections available throughout Berkshire County.
Saturday, March 24, 9am to 3pm – Stockbridge Public Library, Stockbridge, Massachusetts
Native Americans in Berkshire County with Alice Nash, Professor of History, UMass Amherst
-
In this session, we will examine the important role of Native Americans in Berkshire County history from the colonial period to the twentieth century. We will work with primary sources relating to the Stockbridge Indians from the Stockbridge Library collections.
Saturday, March 31, 9am to 3pm – The Mount, Lenox, Massachusetts
Edith Wharton and the Gilded Age in Berkshire County with Ely Janis and the staff of The Mount
- Several of the most wealthy and prominent families in America built mansions in Berkshire County during the Gilded Age. This session with staff from The Mount will explore Berkshire County’s link to the Gilded Age and the well-known writer Edith Wharton. It will also include a tour of Edith Wharton’s cottage, The Mount.
Tuesday, April 24th, 4:30 to 7pm – Herberg Middle School, Pittsfield, Massachusetts
African Americans and the 54th Massachusetts Regiment in the Civil War with David Levinson, Cultural Anthropologist and author of On the Other Side of Glory: The Berkshire Men of the 54th Infantry Regiment.
- This session will explore African American participation in the Civil War and Berkshire County’s connection with the famous African-American 54th Massachusetts Regiment.
Saturday, May 5th, 9am to 3pm – Murdock Hall, MCLA, North Adams
Immigration and its Impact on Berkshire County with Anthony Lee, Professor, Mt. Holyoke College
- In June 1870, seventy-five Chinese immigrants were brought to North Adams to break a shoemakers strike, marking a fascinating moment in American immigration history. Immigrants from all regions of the world played a large role in the development of Berkshire County and this session will focus on the region’s rich ethnic heritage. Special emphasis will be put on the use of photographs and other material culture sources to examine immigrant history in the Berkshires.
Wednesday, May 9th, 4:30pm to 7pm – Du Bois Center, Great Barrington
Teaching W.E.B. Du Bois’ The Souls of Black Folk with Frances Jones-Sneed , Professor of History, MCLA
- W.E.B. Du Bois, one of the most prominent and influential African American leaders of the 19th and 20th centuries, was born and raised in the Berkshire. In this session, we will explore his work, The Souls of Black Folk, a seminal work in American history.
You must attend at least 75% of scheduled events to earn stipends and graduate credit/PDPs.
In addition to the in-class work, participants must complete the following assignments:
- -Archival Research: Conduct at least 4 hours of on-site research in a local museum or archive.
-Project Lesson: Commit at least 8 hours to researching, writing, and revising a project lesson.
-Online Forums: Spend at least 4 hours participating in the course on-line. We’ll show you how!
-In-Class Presentation: Prepare a presentation to the class on a topic-related activity or useful historical resource.
All coursework must be completed by May 16, 2011.
What’s in it for teachers?
-Learn about the history of local Berkshire County communities.
-Discover local and national resources that can be used in the classroom.
-Work collaboratively with peers to develop lesson plans and projects.
Participants may choose to take this course for graduate credit through MCLA instead of PDPs. There is an additional cost for graduate credit – $190 for three credits if you take the course for Continuing Education credit, or $810 for three credits if you take the course for History credit.
