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Philippa Rappoport

Lead, Education and Engagement
Smithsonian Office of Educational Technology
Smithsonian Staff

I work in education and engagement, teacher professional development, and outreach at the Smithsonian Office of Educational Technology (OET), and have a particular interest in developing and producing trainings, programs, teaching techniques, and platforms that foster deep learning and contribute knowledge to improve practices in museum and preK-16 education and engagement. At OET over the last decade+, I created digital assets for schools, families, and new immigrant English Language learners to complement teacher professional development and pan-Smithsonian programming, including Learning Lab teaching collections, YouTube videos with tradition bearers, a handmade family stories book-making website, and online heritage tours.

Philippa Rappoport's collections

 

Curating Digital Museum Resources for the Classroom (Texas ASCD Ignite 19 Conference Session)

<p>This collection includes digital museum resources and replicable activities that will serve as a springboard for discussion during the presentation. The collection models how digital museum resources can be leveraged to support critical thinking and deeper learning for high school Ethnic Studies curricula. The collection can be copied and adapted for use in your own classroom. </p><hr /><p><a href="https://ignite19.sched.com/event/Oscu/curating-digital-museum-resources-for-the-classroom" target="_blank">Curating Digital Museum Resources for the Classroom</a>  </p> <p>Texas Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Ignite 19 Conference: Transforming Curriculum with Technology (June 2019)</p><p><em>Smithsonian educators are initiating a collaborative education program with Texas curriculum developers and local museums to develop instructional materials relevant to K-12 Humanities and Ethnic Studies. The Smithsonian Learning Lab platform allows users to create and share locally relevant digital resources both in classrooms and with a growing network of educators across the country. Learn more about how you can leverage digital resources from the Smithsonian and your local museums for increased access and impact.</em></p><hr /><p>This collection was co-created with <a href="https://learninglab.si.edu/profile/8" target="_blank">Ashley Naranjo</a>.  This program received Federal support from the Latino and Asian Pacific American Initiatives Pools, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center and the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center.<br /></p><p>#EthnicStudies</p> <p><a href="https://ignite19.sched.com/event/Oscu/curating-digital-museum-resources-for-the-classroom" target="_blank"></a><br /></p> <p><a href="https://ignite19.sched.com/event/Oscu/curating-digital-museum-resources-for-the-classroom" target="_blank"></a></p>
Philippa Rappoport
18
 

Culture and Aesthetics Meet Physics: Why Soviet and American Spacesuits Look Different

<p>This collection serves as a preview for the fifth of six seminar sessions in the 2019 Smithsonian-Montgomery College Faculty Fellowship Program. This year's theme is “The Search for an American Identity: Building a Nation Together.”</p> <p>National Air and Space Museum curator Cathleen Lewis will discuss objects from the Space Race gallery, in particular how spacesuits from the USSR and the United States indicate differing cultural and aesthetic answers to similar engineering challenges. </p> <p>Resources included in this collection have been recommended by the presenter for participants to explore before the seminar itself.<br /></p> <p>#MCteach<br /></p>
Philippa Rappoport
16
 

Cuban Balseros: Using Art and Artifact to Explore an American Immigration Story

<p>This teaching collection helps students think critically and globally about migration,  using two objects from 1992: a screenprint, "Fragile Crossing," by Cuban American artist Luis Cruz Azaceta, and a small Cuban raft that was intercepted off the coast of Florida.</p> <p>Using Project Zero Visible Thinking and Global Thinking Routines, students will consider the personal, local and global contexts in which these objects were created, the larger story they tell, and why they matter. </p> <p>Included here are the screenprint from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, a video with Grant Czubinski (Anacostia Community Museum) and Ranald Woodaman (Smithsonian Latino Center), two suggested Thinking Routines - "See, Think, Wonder" and "The 3 Y's" - from Harvard's Project Zero Artful Thinking and Global Thinking materials, an article on Cuban <em>balseros</em> by Natalie Catasus, and a Learning Lab collection about the work of Luis Cruz Azaceta. <br /></p> <p>For use in Social Studies, Ethnic Studies, Spanish, English, American History, Art History classes<br /></p> <p>#LatinoHAC #EthnicStudies</p> <p><br /></p> <p><br /><br /></p>
Philippa Rappoport
6
 

Close Looking at Edward Reep's "Italian Shrine," and the Nazi Occupation of Bologna, Italy, during WWII

<p>This teaching collection guides  viewers through a close looking exercise to explore American artist Edward Reep's painting of a shrine in Bologna, Italy, based on photographs and notes from his time as a combat artist in Italy during World War II. The collection is set up for students to look closely at the painting using Harvard's Project Zero Thinking Routine "See, Think, Wonder," and then to consider the historical and political context of the time, as well as the artist's personal experiences in Italy during WWII, in order to better understand Reep's homage in painting to the thousands of Italian Resistance fighters and citizens who lost their lives fighting against the Nazi occupation during World War II. The activity concludes with another Project Zero Routine from the Global Thinking series, "The 3 Y's."</p> <p><br /></p>
Philippa Rappoport
5
 

Classroom Activity with "¡Pleibol!”: Close Looking to Explore One Family’s Story of Latino Baseball

<p>This teaching collection helps students to look closely and think critically by using three Thinking Routines to explore the cultural relevance of one family's baseball-related objects from an exhibition at the National Museum of American History, "¡Pleibol!: In the Barrios and the Big Leagues." The exhibition seeks to document the history of Latino culture through the lens of baseball, and explores baseball not only as a pastime close to the hearts of many people in many communities, but also for Latinos as a place to advocate for rights and social justice. <br></p> <p>Included here are the objects themselves, a bilingual video with curator Margaret Salazar-Porzio, three suggested Thinking Routines - "See, Think, Wonder," "The 3 Y's," and "Picture Writing" - from Harvard's Project Zero Artful Thinking and Global Thinking materials, and supporting digital content about the exhibition. At the close of the activity, students are guided to examine a personal object of their choice and tease out the story it tells.</p> <p>For an extensive teaching collection created by the Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition Services as a companion resource for the traveling exhibition, "¡Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues / En los barrios y las grandes ligas," see <a href="https://learninglab.si.edu/collections/pleibol-in-the-barrios-and-the-big-leagues-pleibol-en-los-barrios-y-las-grandes-ligas/bohbJm2MXuqjdHmY">https://learninglab.si.edu/collections/pleibol-in-the-barrios-and-the-big-leagues-pleibol-en-los-barrios-y-las-grandes-ligas/bohbJm2MXuqjdHmY</a>.</p> <p>For use in Social Studies, Spanish, English, and American History classes</p> <p>#LatinoHAC #EthnicStudies</p> <p><br></p> <p><br></p>
Philippa Rappoport
15
 

Classroom Activity Using Images of Immigration and Identity from the National Portrait Gallery, the New York Times, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum

<p>Students can use the "What makes you say that?" and the "3 Ys" thinking routines to explore two modern portraits about identity and immigration from the National Portrait Gallery. The first thinking strategy asks students to look at a work of art for several minutes before answering two questions: "What's going on?" and "What do you see that makes you say that?" (See <a href="https://learninglab.si.edu/resources/view/1056334/search">https://learninglab.si.edu/res...</a> for more information.)</p> <p>To further and deepen the discussion, I've included a link to a September 2016 New York Times Op-Doc entitled "4.1 Miles," about a coast guard captain on a small Greek island who is suddenly charged with saving thousands of refugees from drowning at sea. (If it doesn't show up easily, you can view the original video on Times Video at https://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000004674545/41-miles.html.) I've also included two sculptures from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, an interview with Lisa Sasaki, head of the Smithsonian's Asian Pacific American Center, and resources from the University of Minnesota  Libraries Publishing's Immigration Syllabus - Americans / Immigrants, Weeks 1-4.</p> <p>You may wish to use the "3 Y's" thinking routine here as well, which asks students to consider the following questions:<br /></p> <p>1. Why might this [topic, question] matter to me?</p> <p>2. Why might it matter to people around me [family, friends, city, nation]?</p> <p>3. Why might it matter to the world?<br /></p> <p>(See <a href="https://learninglab.si.edu/resources/view/1321155/search">https://learninglab.si.edu/res...</a> for more information.)</p> <p>#APA2018, #LatinoHAC, #EthnicStudies </p> <p>This collection supports Unit 1: Precious Knowledge - Exploring notions of identity and community, of the Austin ISD Ethnic Studies Part A course.</p> <p><em>This Smithsonian Learning Lab collection received Federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center. </em></p> <p><br /></p>
Philippa Rappoport
14
 

Capturing Visitor Voices in Teen-Made videos

<p>In 2011 the Smithsonian joined with the Pearson Foundation to train ARTLAB+ teens to document personal stories at Smithsonian Heritage Month family festivals. ARTLAB+ is a design studio based out of ArtLab space in the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. The teens captured visitor voices through several years, covering a variety of topics including views on race, culture, nature, belonging, music and food.</p>
Philippa Rappoport
12
 

"Becoming Dolores": A School/Museum Program to Engage Families through Art and Technology

<p>This collection details a photography and community engagement project produced in partnership by the Fairfax County Public Schools Family Literacy Program, the National Portrait Gallery, and the Smithsonian Office of Educational Technology. It includes assets and resources designed to help teachers (art, English, social studies, and media technology), museum educators, and community-based informal learning educators recreate the program as is, or design their own, based on the specific needs of their classroom or learning community. </p> <p>For our project, pairs of native Spanish-speaking immigrant moms and their middle school children did a five-day (15 hours in total) training session at their school and at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. They learned about Dolores Huerta, portraiture, and photojournalism through the exhibition "One Life: Dolores Huerta." Participants took portraits of themselves, critiqued each other's work, and created photo exhibitions about their communities and important issues, that were displayed at the Hispanic Heritage Month Family Day at the National Portrait Gallery.</p> <p>Dolores Huerta, the "co-architect" of the American Farm Workers Movement and mother to eleven children, proved to be a huge inspiration to the participants. Before the workshop, 33 percent of the parents and none of the children saw themselves as able to make change in their community; after the workshop, 100 percent of parents and children reported seeing themselves as able to make change in their community. In addition, 100 percent of the mothers and 80 percent of the children reported that they believed they had increased their artistic skills.</p> <p><em>#FamilyLit  #FamilyLiteracy  #FCPSFamilyLiteracy  #NPGTeach</em>  #LatinoHAC  #EthnicStudies </p> <p>This collection supports Units 2 (What is the History - Civil Rights Movements) and 3 (Critical Geography and Current Issues) of the Austin ISD Ethnic Studies Part A course, and Unit 3 (Local History and Current Issues) of the Austin ISD Ethnic Studies Part B course. "What would you advocate for to beneficially change your community? How can you advocate to create change within your community?" "How do you understand the concept of community advocacy? What is needed for an individual to cultivate personal change?"</p> <p><em>This Smithsonian Learning Lab collection received Federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center. </em></p> <p><em><br></em></p>
Philippa Rappoport
15
 

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Family Day: Performances, Demonstrations, Interviews

<p>This collection comes from an Asian Pacific American Heritage Month family day at the Kogod Courtyard of the National Portrait Gallery. Included here are music and dance performances by the Chinese Youth Club Lion Dancers, Dhroopad, Mokihana Scalph, Sushmita Mazumdar, MHC's Fil-Am Heritage Dance Ensemble, and an interview with the 2014 Asian Pacific Islander American Spoken Word and Poetry Summit artists.</p>
Philippa Rappoport
6
 

Art and Technology Projects for Museums and Classrooms: From "Today I Am Here" to "Discovering US/Descubriéndose"

<p>This collection contains assets and resources designed to help teachers (art, English, ESOL, social studies, and media technology), museum educators, and community-based informal learning educators recreate their own "Today I Am Here" project, based on the specific needs of their classroom or learning community. </p> <p>"Today I Am Here" is a project in which students make a handmade book from one piece of paper, that tells the story of how they got to where they are today. This project is wonderful in a classroom to show the breadth and diversity of the class, and to encourage cross-cultural understanding. </p> <p>Inside you will find instructions and images for the various components of the project, as well as samples of student work.  </p> <p>The "Today I Am Here" book design is one of many available in another collection: Fun for the Whole Family: Making "Family Memory" Storybooks: <a href="http://learninglab.si.edu/q/ll-c/1tozk88HXhnFBU6d">http://learninglab.si.edu/q/ll-c/1tozk88HXhnFBU6d</a>.</p> <p><em>#FamilyLit  #FamilyLiteracy  #FCPSFamilyLiteracy  #NPGTeach</em>  #LatinoHAC<br></p>
Philippa Rappoport
15
 

Are Parasites Always Bad? (Smithsonian Environmental Research Center)

<p>This collection complements Unit 4 of the EdX course, <em><a href="https://www.edx.org/course/teaching-with-the-smithsonian-addressing-21st-century-challenges-in-the-community-college-classroom">Teaching with the Smithsonian: Addressing 21st-Century Challenges in the College Classroom</a></em><em>. </em>It includes resources to support the session presentation by Katrina Lohan of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. </p> <p></p> <p>#MCTeach #EdXTeach</p>
Philippa Rappoport
19
 

Analyzing Primary Sources to Teach the Japanese American WWII Experience | Cultivating Learning

<p><span dir="auto">This collection serves as a digital companion to a <em>Cultivating Learning</em> professional development session with Lynn Yamasaki, Director of Education at the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) in Los Angeles, exploring the unjust, forced removal of Japanese Americans from the West Coast during World War II. Session participants practice techniques to examine primary source materials from JANM’s collection including government-issued documents, artwork, and personal histories to introduce this topic to students. This session focuses on close looking and critical thinking to consider the forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans and how it is that such a massive violation of rights happened within our democracy. Participants gain classroom-ready resources to share with students, as well as transferable strategies to use with primary source documents. </span></p> <p><em>Cultivating Learning</em> is an interactive webinar series focusing on techniques to use digital museum resources for learning. Check out <em>Cultivating Learning</em> and other Smithsonian Learning Lab webinars: <a spellcheck="false" href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbVlZcllscmVnWTFZQktxQ2tMWnJocldqVWtyUXxBQ3Jtc0tuR24tYUJHR2VpRFlrck9ieV9KZXQ3N3VHV0pBSzFLZzJVMVM3RVdaZGwzOG5DWGZrYU5TdWRucXpiNVRhS1dhUHNTQmN3dWJLZTgycjVWUHRReWJOZGRoX0FaVklsd2E4RTVnZWlMWlc3N0FDRjBWWQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Flearninglab.si.edu%2Fhelp&v=AFrSG98ihoI" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" dir="auto">https://learninglab.si.edu/help</a></p>
Philippa Rappoport
20