WMEP CULTURE BOX Operator's Manual West Metro Education Program Greatest Places Project 1996-97 WMEP Culture Box OPERATOR'S MANUAL February 1997 West Metro Education Program Hosted by Minneapolis Public Schools WMEP BACKGROUND AND HISTORY WEST METRO EDUCATION PROGRAM SCIENCE MUSEUM OF MINNESOTA HAMLINE UNIVERSITY AUGSBURG COLLEGE FULBRIGHT-FUNDED GROUP TRAVEL GRANT PRINTED MATERIALS 1 ANTLER, BEAR, CANOE A NORTHWOODS ALPHABET YEAR 2 HOLY BIBLE 3 EXPLORE MINNESOTA FISHING 4 GOOSEBUMPS 5 J-CREW CLOTHING CATALOG 6 JET MAGAZINE 7 MATTHEW MALLARD'S HOMECOMING & MATTHEW MALLARD'S TREASURE 8 SOCIAL STUDIES TEXT BOOK 9 NEWSPAPER 10 YEARBOOK US AND MINNESOTA STATE SYMBOLS 11 BIRCH BARK CANOE 12 COMMON LOON, MINNESOTA STATE BIRD 13 THE EAGLE 14 FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES 15 FLAG OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA 16 HISTORY WHERE IT'S HAPPENING BROCHURE 17 LICENSE PLATE 18 MINNESOTA STATE MAP 19 POLISHED LAKE SUPERIOR AGATES 20 ST. PAUL WELCOMES YOU PICTURE 21 TIMBER WOLF PICTURE 22 WALLEYE PICTURE MINNESOTA INDUSTRY 23 KEMPS DAIRY MILK CARTON 24 POST-IT NOTE PADS AND TRANSPARENT TAPE 25 ULTRA-FINE NEEDLE WRAPPER FOR INSULIN SYRINGE MUSIC 26 COMPACT DISC 27 COLLECTION OF ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ON AUDIO CASSETTE TIME AND SEASONAL CHANGES 28 MINNESOTA WEATHERGUIDE CALENDAR 29 WRISTWATCH WITH "SNOW"INSIDE SET AT MINNESOTA TIME. SPORTS AND GAMES 30 BASEBALL CARDS 31 CONSTRUX 32 DECK OF CARDS 33 HOCKEY PUCK 34 SIMPLE OBJECT BINGO 35 TIP UP FISHING POLE 36 VIKINGS FOOTBALL OTHER 37 BUS TRANSFER 38 HOUSE PICTURE 39 HUMAN RIGHTS 40 ICE SCRAPER 41 JEANS 42 JET DRY SPARKLE 43 MONEY SAMPLES 44 PRESENT 45 TELEPHONE TEACHER/STAFF BIOGRAPHIES 46 KATHY BEAMAN--WEBSTER OPEN SCHOOL 47 GREG BLODGETT--BROOKLYN CENTER HIGH SCHOOL 48 MARIA JOHNSON--WEBSTER OPEN SCHOOL 49 ANNE LALONDE-LAUX--ST. LOUIS PARK JUNIOR HIGH 50 GINNY PEASE--WMEP PROJECT DIRECTOR 51 PAULA SCRABECK--WMEP SUPPORT STAFF PROFESSIONAL LESSONS 52 PHYSICAL EDUCATION LESSONS 53 COLOR AND LIGHT STUDENT INTRODUCTIONS 54 ST. LOUIS PARK JUNIOR HIGH IN ST. LOUIS PARK, MN 55 L. C. WEBSTER SCHOOL IN ST. PAUL, MN 56 PILLSBURY MATH, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SCHOOL IN MINNEAPOLIS, MN 57 BROOKLYN CENTER HIGH SCHOOL IN BROOKLYN CENTER, MN 58 WEBSTER OPEN SCHOOL IN MINNEAPOLIS, MN 59 WEST CENTRAL ACADEMY IN MINNEAPOLIS, MN WMEP BACKGROUND AND HISTORY WEST METRO EDUCATION PROGRAM The West Metro Education Program (WMEP) is a special school district formed in 1994 by Minneapolis and eight surrounding school districts. (A school district in the United States is a local area, sometimes only part of a city, which runs its own schools.) The districts which are part of WMEP are: Brooklyn Center, Columbia Heights, Edina, Hopkins, Minneapolis, Richfield, Robbinsdale, St. Anthony/New Brighton, and St. Louis Park. WMEP was formed by these districts for the purpose of working together beyond the boundaries of each district to encourage: voluntary integration among the districts, improved student achievement, especially for disadvantaged students, professional development opportunities for staff, and efficient use of state resources for education. One of our major projects is to develop a school for students from all of our communities which will encourage sharing cultures among our students and with those from other countries such as Namibia. SCIENCE MUSEUM OF MINNESOTA The Science Museum is the number one school field trip destination for Minnesota! Each year more than 160,000 students visit the museum. The Science Museum of Minnesota, along with additional support, is creating a 40-minute Imax film called "The Greatest Places"which is an educational journey to seven of the most geographically dynamic locations on earth. These locations are Madagascar, the Amazon, the Okavango Delta, the Tibetan Plateau, Iguazu Falls, Greenland, and the Namib Desert. This film will be fully integrated with most of our 18 national geography educational standards, especially: Standard 4 The physical and human characteristics of places. Standard 15 How physical systems affect human systems. Standard 17 How to apply geography to interpret the past. Five major themes will be developed in the film: integrated processes and elements, spatial perspective, systems, environmental unity and diversity. One of the project goals is to develop ideas of education activities and materials that will support the Imax film at the time of its release in 1998. WMEP is working with the Science Museum to develop educational activities and materials which help students understand the places shown in the Imax film. HAMLINE UNIVERSITY St. Paul's Hamline University Center for Global Education sponsors and partners with a variety of adventure learning and experiential inquiry projects including MayaQuest, Journey North, and the River of Life. Walter Enloe, Associate Professor is a partner with the WMEP project; his active learning books include Birds of Peace Project, Linking Through Diversity and Creating Context. AUGSBURG COLLEGE FULBRIGHT-FUNDED GROUP TRAVEL GRANT The WMEP Greatest Places project draws upon curriculum units that were prepared by twelve Minnesota educators who traveled to Namibia between June 26 - August 1, 1995 on a Fulbright-funded group travel grant. Participants teach at various education levels, ranging from primary school through university levels. One former teacher is currently an elementary school principal. Each person was selected to participate by Augsburg College's Center for Global Education based on their outstanding teaching and/or curriculum development work. These educators were asked to study and compare Namibia's democratic process, environmental concerns and experiences of family life with similar concerns in the United States, in general, and Minnesota, in particular. As educators, they struggled to understand how Namibian history informed Namibians' current experiences, in an effort to better understand our personal, state and global connections. Description of WMEP Culture Box items Prepared by the students of the WMEP Greatest Places project. PRINTED MATERIALS ANTLER, BEAR, CANOE A NORTHWOODS ALPHABET YEAR by Betsy Bowen This ABC book shows the seasonal changes as well as items used in Minnesota to fish, hunt, get around or just relax. HOLY Bible A Bible is used to study the word of God in many of the religions in the United States. The most common religions in our area are Christian. The Bible can be found in homes, churches, hotels, schools, and many other places. We chose this item to show how religion and faith is important to many people. EXPLORE MINNESOTA FISHING This booklet explains the importance of fishing to a state with over 10,000 lakes. Minnesota is also the source of the mighty Mississippi River which runs to the Gulf of Mexico. There are strict rules that fishermen need to follow in order to maintain enough fish in all our lakes. There are also a lot of fishing stories. GOOSEBUMPS by R. L. Stine Goosebumps is a very popular set of books among young people across the United States right now. They are books that have scary stories and do not really reflect our culture, but many students enjoy reading them. J-CREW CLOTHING CATALOG The J-Crew catalog shows examples of how some people in our culture dress. It gives a more wild image than how most people really do dress. It also gives prices of clothing in dollars. JET MAGAZINE This is a magazine about African Americans called Jet Magazine. We sent this to you so you can see what African Americans are like in the US. The people on the cover of this issue are television stars. They are in a show called "Martin." Martin is a show about this guy who makes people laugh. You can read this and see different African Americans. This magazine comes out weekly. We hope you enjoy this magazine. MATTHEW MALLARD'S HOMECOMING & MATTHEW MALLARD'S TREASURE by Jack Pearson This children's book is written by a Minnesota author and storyteller, Jack Pearson. It is about a wilderness area in our state called Boundary Waters Canoe Area which we share with our neighbor to the north, Canada. SOCIAL STUDIES TEXT BOOK This book helps to illustrate the American way of life. The focus of this text is the history of the exploration and development of America. Our democratic way of life is examined in terms of the people and events that shaped it. Our country is formed by people and cultures from all around the globe which has resulted in a unique and diverse national character. The character of the American people has also been shaped and molded by our history and institutions. (L.C. Webster students are concerned that they are understood as a people. They hope the text will help explain who they are.) NEWSPAPER The newspaper includes important information about our culture. It describes cultural events, entertainment, housing costs, grocery items, opinions to the editor, comics and the television guide. YEARBOOK This is a yearbook. We have highlighted our pictures in it. Each year we take our pictures so that we can have a yearbook. We have a contest to see who could draw the best yearbook cover. Then we put the whole yearbook together. All of us at Pillsbury School room 204 and 203 hope you enjoy our yearbook from last year. (Later in life you can look back at your book and remember who your teacher was and what class room you were in.) US AND MINNESOTA STATE SYMBOLS BIRCH BARK CANOE The papery bark of birch trees has been used for centuries by the Ojibwe, the native Americans of Minnesota, to make canoes for traveling on the thousands of lakes and rivers in our state. Baskets and other household items for storage were also made from birch bark. COMMON LOON, MINNESOTA STATE BIRD Dating back 60 million years, the common loon is one of the earth's oldest living bird species. Its name come from a Norwegian word that means "wild, sad cry." Loons are large black and white birds with long black bills and red eyes. They live on the lakes of Northern Minnesota. The mother loons carry the babies on her back. The loon hat was worn by people at a special event connected to the opening of a shopping center. The name of the shopping center is Gaviidae Common. Gaviidae is the Latin name for loon. THE EAGLE The eagle represents our country. It is the bird of the United States of America. It represents freedom and nobility. It is on of many of the nations coins, seals and medals. Eagles are majestic birds. They may be three feet long and their wings may measure more than six feet from tip to tip. (1 meter equals about 3 feet). FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES We chose this because it represents our country. The 50 stars represent our 50 states. The stripes represent the first 13 colonies. The color red represents blood, the color blue represents water and the color white represents courage. Many people hang flags outside of schools, office buildings and homes. If somebody important dies, we lower the flag half way down the flag pole. FLAG OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA Minnesota's state flag is royal blue bordered with gold fringe. Around the state seal in the center is a wreath of Lady Slippers (our state flower). Nineteen stars ring the wreath. The largest star represents Minnesota, the nineteenth state to join the union after the original 13, in 1858. HISTORY WHERE IT'S HAPPENING BROCHURE This is a travel guide to popular historic sites in Minnesota. LICENSE PLATE We are going to tell you about a license plate. The license plate is attached on the front and back of your car and says the car can be driven on the road. Each state has their own design for their license plate. Minnesota's plate says "Land of 10,000 lakes" MINNESOTA STATE MAP This is a road map of the state which shows distances, lakes, and cities. We have also included a smaller map of Minnesota which shows Minnesota's relation to other states around us. POLISHED LAKE SUPERIOR AGATES Lake Superior agates are the state gemstone. These were taken from the North Shore of Lake Superior. They were tumbled in sand and water to make them smooth and shiny. These quartz stones are banded with read and orange, which comes from the iron ore in the soil. ST. PAUL WELCOMES YOU PICTURE This is a photograph of our Minnesota State Capitol Buildingwhere our state government takes place. TIMBER WOLF PICTURE The timber wolf represents the Minnesota wolf population as well as the importance of environmental issues for many Minnesotans. Minnesota has some of the world's few remaining populations of timberwolves. Throughout the world the wolf has been a source of fear and controversy. Loved by some and hated by others it is well known as a symbol of the untamed parts of our world. Even in Minnesota, some view the timber wolf as a vicious predator. Many of our farmers in northern Minnesota don't like it when wolves eat their cattle. However, other Minnesotans are concerned about the future of the timber wolf as the forests they live in are being continually destroyed. WALLEYE PICTURE This picture represents fishing, boating, and lake activity in general in the land of 10,000 lakes. Tourism is a key industry in Minnesota. Tourists come to enjoy fishing and boating in our lakes and seeing animals in the forests. Water, the gold of tomorrow, is abundant in Minnesota. The mighty Mississippi River has its source in Minnesota. Minnesota's vast lake resources, including the largest fresh water lake in the world, are critical resources. Our water serves the needs of Minnesota communities and is considered essential for industry and agriculture. MINNESOTA INDUSTRY KEMPS DAIRY MILK CARTON The milk carton represents dairy farming, a major industry in Minnesota. Milk is our official state drink. Minnesota produces 9.7 billion pounds of milk per year and ranks fifth in dairy production among the United States. (1 kg equals 2.2 pounds). POST-IT NOTE PADS AND TRANSPARENT TAPE Post-it note pads and transparent tape are made by 3M "Minnesota, Mining and Manufacturing" These note pads and tape represent Minnesota's technology businesses such as 3M, IBM, and Honeywell. They are used in offices all over the world, by the same Minnesota company that manufactures Scotch video and audio tapes, Scotch Guard (stain protection), and abrasives. Minnesota is a world recognized leader in the development and production of computers, machinery and agricultural products. ULTRA-FINE NEEDLE WRAPPER FOR INSULIN SYRINGE This wrapper represents the medical care as well as inventions that are the result of medical research conducted in Minnesota. Minnesota is the home of some of the finest medical treatment and research centers in the world. We are the home of the world famous Mayo Clinic, the Hazelden Treatment Center and the University of Minnesota (which has pioneered organ transplant procedures.) MUSIC COMPACT DISC A compact disc is also known as a CD. This one has music on it. There are many different styles and kinds of music. There is pop, rock, jazz, rap, gospel, alternative, country and many other types. All over the US we listen to music and sometimes it teaches us about our ethnic background styles and traditions. A CD costs approximately 15 dollars. COLLECTION OF ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ON AUDIO CASSETTE The music on this cassette represents a style that was created in America and is widely enjoyed by young Americans. TIME AND SEASONAL CHANGES MINNESOTA WEATHERGUIDE CALENDAR This calendar shows the seasonal changes that we experience during the year in Minnesota. WRISTWATCH WITH "SNOW"INSIDE SET AT MINNESOTA TIME. We are sending this wristwatch for several reasons. First, it shows falling snow, which we get a lot of in winter, and a snowman, which we make by rolling the snow into balls and stacking them as tall as a man. We add rocks, twigs and a hat to complete our "man"of snow. Children love to put on warm clothes, mittens, boots and a hat to go outside to play in the snow. Playing in the snow is a big part of our Minnesota culture. The second reason is to represent the American emphasis on time and to represent the seasonal changes in Minnesota. America seems to be racing into the twenty first century. Many Americans feel that we need to slow down and reassess where we are heading. Here in Minnesota our lives are governed by the changing of the seasons. Our time clock is regulated by the panoramic view of Mother Nature's ever changing face. Deep in our awareness is the concept of birth and rebirth, and the regeneration of life. SPORTS AND GAMES BASEBALL CARDS Baseball cards have been around for many years. Collecting or trading them is a hobby for many people. In the future some cards may be worth a lot of money. You can buy them in stores, shops, and even at trading shows. We have a lot of hobbies in our country. Today in the US, sports are a big part of our society and many people enjoy playing them. CONSTRUX These are blocks that can be used to construct toys and model buildings. Instructions are included in the bag. DECK OF CARDS These are a regular deck of playing cards. Some games we play are "go fish,""hearts," "gin,"and "cribbage." You can buy them just about anywhere. Kids and adults play card games. Some people play for fun and some people play for money. Cards are very fun to play with. HOCKEY PUCK This hockey puck represents the importance of winter sports in Minnesota. Minnesota has long been acknowledged as one of the leading high school hockey states in the nation. Youth hockey programs can be found in both urban and rural communities throughout Minnesota. SIMPLE OBJECT BINGO This is an example of games we use, both as a learning tool and a fun activity. TIP UP FISHING POLE This item is very unusual even for us in Minnesota. During the winter the weather is very cold. The lakes freeze and the ice is 15-20 inches thick. People who like to fish in the winter will drill a hole in the ice to catch fish. This item is used to fish over a hole in the ice. (Sometimes they even build a small house to keep warm while they fish.) VIKINGS FOOTBALL The Vikings represent the state of Minnesota professional football team. Football is a full contact sport. In the game of football you try to get the ball behind your goal line by running with the ball or passing it to another player. The other players tackle the player with the ball to stop him. Men and boys play football professionally and in their schools. Some girls play football for fun. We sent this football because most people in America play or watch football. In special games players pour water or Gatorade on the coaches to say thank you in another way. OTHER BUS TRANSFER This item is used to get transportation. You will need this item when you get on a city bus. Before you get a bus transfer you must put one American dollar in a money box. Then this ticket allows you to transfer from bus to bus to get to your destination. This helps you see how some people travel around the city. HOUSE PICTURE This shows the homes many of us live in. It shows a yard and neighboring homes. HUMAN RIGHTS Everybody has rights. There are 42 rights that kids have. Americans fought for these rights in the revolutionary war against England for freedom. Adults also have rights of their own. Some rights are for peace or justice. Some rights could lead you through being kidnapped or in danger. Why are human rights important? Because that's what you have to live through in everyday life. Some children's rights include: you have a right to privacy and you have a right to a good name. Human rights are very important. They symbolize what we as humans can do legally. ICE SCRAPER This item is used during the winter to scrape ice off the windshields of our cars. JEANS We wear jeans because our winters are very cold. We sent jeans to show you that our jeans are different than yours. There are many kinds of jeans. Some are: Levis, Lee, Chic, Arizona, Guess, Wrangler, Bugle Boy, Greatland and more. There are a lot of different sizes of jeans too. Jeans were an American invention. They were invented in the 1800's by a man named Levi Strauss. A long time ago clothes got torn, so Levi Strauss invented some pants made of a material called denim, and dyed them with indigo, which is a dark blue. Denim is a much thicker, sturdier material that won't rip easily. Since then, jeans have been identified as American clothing. JET DRY SPARKLE Jet Dry Sparkle is a liquid rinse for automatic dishwashers. A dishwasher is a machine that helps us clean the dishes we eat on. Not only does it clean our dishes, but it saves us the time of washing them by hand. This is the soap that you must put in the dishwasher before you turn it on. Today, most homes in the United States have dishwashers. MONEY SAMPLES This is our money, which is used to buy things in the United States. People go to work to make this so they can survive by buying food, clothing, and necessities. It will be found in banks, wallets, store cash registers, and anywhere people are. We chose this so you can see an example of our currency. Penny: This is our lowest form of money. It is one hundredth of a dollar. The one cent piece is made out of copper. You can't buy anything with a penny. Nickel: The nickel is worth one twentieth of a dollar. It is made of nickel and tin. You could buy a small piece of candy with it. Dime: The dime is worth twice as much as a nickel. It is made out of copper, tin and nickel. You could buy 2 pieces of candy with it. Quarter: This is worth 25 pennies. It is made of the same things as a dime. You could make a phone call with it. Half dollar: The half dollar is the same as 2 quarters. Half dollars are made of the same thing a dime is made of. Silver dollar: The silver dollar is a coin made of silver and is the same as 2 half dollars or 1 dollar bill. You could buy a candy bar with it. Dollar: The dollar is worth 100 pennies. It is made of special kinds of paper that turns colors with special markers. You can buy everything above with a dollar. PRESENT This wrapped present represents the charitable and generous spirit shown by people in Minnesota. Minnesota is home to large populations of second generation immigrants. Rich in our heritage and tradition is a fierce independence coupled with a generosity of spirit. Minnesotans give money to support the arts as well as provide for needy citizens. The work ethic of our people is second to none. Minnesotans are a deservedly proud people. TELEPHONE This telephone is included to show how much we depend on the telephone for communication between friends and for business use. TEACHER/STAFF BIOGRAPHIES Kathy Beaman--Webster Open School Greg Blodgett--Brooklyn Center High School Maria Johnson--Webster Open School ANNE LALONDE-LAUX--ST. LOUIS PARK JUNIOR HIGH GINNY PEASE--WMEP PROJECT DIRECTOR PAULA SCRABECK--WMEP SUPPORT STAFF PROFESSIONAL LESSONS Physical Education Lessons Includes a series of lessons, a 10 foot jump rope and the book Anna Banana by Joanna Cole. Also, a series of ball activities and two active games. Color and Light Includes instructions, color filter cards, colored word sheets and blank word sheets for copying. STUDENT INTRODUCTIONS St. Louis Park Junior High in St. Louis Park, MN Video introduction of school activities. L. C. Webster School in St. Paul, MN American Games script that goes along with a section of the video. Pillsbury Math, Science and Technology School in Minneapolis, MN Pen pal letters and video introductions of students and school activities. Brooklyn Center High School in Brooklyn Center, MN Video introduction of students in classes, hallways, and lunch room. Webster Open School in Minneapolis, MN Video introduction of school activities. West Central Academy in Minneapolis, MN Student artwork with writing, pictures and video introduction of school programs and classes.