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Kate Harris

Social Studies teacher
Pittsburgh CAPA
Middle School (13 to 15 years old), High School (16 to 18 years old)
Teacher/Educator
Language Arts And English, Civics, Literature, Cultures, Economics, Social Studies, Geography, Writing, US History, Arts, Other

I'm a history-lover, art fan, and bookworm. I taught high school history (U.S. History and World Religions) for ten years in North Carolina, teach currently in Pittsburgh, PA,  and am working to help teachers make the most of this new resource!


Kate Harris's collections

 

Vikings--Myths and Mysteries

<p>The Vikings have inspired many artists, writers, and filmmakers with their bravery and unique way of life. However, many misconceptions have developed and many facts are still unknown. In this collection, students will explore the website for the Vikings exhibit while taking notes on the included worksheet. Then, they'll evaluate three works of art (and a team logo) based on the Vikings to gauge how accurately they represent Viking life. Finally, they will be asked to create their own 2-D or 3-D object representing Viking life.</p><p>Tags: Norse, inquiry, Viking, Norway, Greenland, Iceland</p>
Kate Harris
7
 

The 1960s--A Decade Collection

<p>This is a topical collection about American life and politics in the 1960s. Resources in this collection might be helpful to students and teachers working on projects about the decade. It is not meant to be completely comprehensive, but rather includes highlights of the Smithsonian's collection spanning art, popular culture, social trends, leadership, and technology.</p><p>Teachers and students might copy and adapt this collection to suit their needs; highlighting a specific aspect of life in the 1960s and adding annotations and additional resources.</p><p>tags: Sixties, Kennedy, Camelot, civil rights, Vietnam, politics, decade</p>
Kate Harris
97
 

Westinghouse: The Man and the Companies

This is a collection of teaching resources available on the topic of George Westinghouse as well as Westinghouse Electric Company (founded 1886) and its spinoffs (including the broadcasting company and nuclear energy company). Fun fact: During the 20th century, Westinghouse engineers and scientists were granted more than 28,000 US government patents, the third most of any company (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westinghouse_Electric_Company#cite_note-2009profile-14)
Kate Harris
15
 

Ancient Rome: Discover the Story

This collection includes objects and artifacts representing life in ancient Rome. Students are challenged to write a creative story or narrative based on the objects in the collection, illustrating Roman life. The last two resources in the collection are a worksheet that teachers may use to frame the assignment and a grading rubric for the assignment.
Kate Harris
12
 

Dogs in History

An ongoing, and mostly for fun, collection representing how our furry friends have been appreciated throughout history.
Kate Harris
23
 

The Remains at Pompeii

This is a collection of teaching resources that could be used to support a lesson on Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius as well as life in ancient Rome. Included are artworks picturing Pompeii, archaeological artifacts, and links to "street views" of the ruins as well as magazine articles on the topic. Some questions to consider are: -What can we learn about the life of ancient Romans from the ruins at Pompeii? -What are the strengths and weaknesses of learning from archaeological ruins? -Why have the ruins at Pompeii continued to fascinate people over time?
Kate Harris
12
 

Ancient Egypt: Shabtis

This is a collection of shabtis, which were small images of people that had been cast with a spell and buried with notable ancient Egyptians. The spells were meant to get the figure to carry out manual labor or specific tasks in the afterlife. You may notice some shabtis carry a whip, indicating that they are "overseers" of ten laborers. As you look through these images, think about what kinds of characteristics they all have in common. What differences do you see? Pay attention to materials used to make them, size, and images or depictions on the shabtis.
Kate Harris
9
 

How did the growth of railroads impact the economy, politics, and society in the period after the Civil War?

This assignment will help you respond to the question: How did the growth of railroads impact the economy, politics, and society in the period after the Civil War? As you work through the activity, you will want to complete the organizational chart with your analysis of each artifact or resource. When you are finished, write your essay response using information from your chart. You will submit the file to your teacher in the format they have requested.
Kate Harris
14
 

The Irish Experience in Pittsburgh

<p>Created for the AIU3 workshop on 3/17/17, this topical collection includes images from Historic Pittsburgh (<a href="http://digital.library.pitt.edu/images/pittsburgh/">http://digital.library.pitt.edu/images/pittsburgh/</a>), the Smithsonian Collection, the records of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in the Detre Library and Archives, Heinz History Center, and additional web resources. This large group of documents is intended to be shaped and whittled into useful collections for individual classrooms. Teachers might consider linking the documents to themes like:</p><p>•Immigration</p><p style="margin-left:32px;">•Push and Pull factors</p><p style="margin-left:32px;">•Growth of social networks</p><p style="margin-left:32px;">•Assimilation</p><p style="margin-left:32px;">•Nativism</p><p style="margin-left:32px;">•Contributions (Political, Cultural, Military, Philanthropy)</p><p>•Industry in Western PA</p><p>•Labor Movement</p><p><br /></p><p>To make this collection your own, copy it and then use the edit feature to add and remove documents as well as contribute any annotations that might help your students. </p>
Kate Harris
29
 

1950s Conformity and Counterculture

The 1950s were a period of post-war peace and prosperity. The growing economy and baby boom led to a culture of consumerism and growing Cold War tensions led to an embrace of all things American. This student activity includes a number of images reflecting the 1950s (most of them in postage stamp form). After investigating these images and evaluating how they support or challenge conformity, students are asked to research the counterculture that began to develop in the 1950s. The final assessment asks students to create a stamp image reflecting one of the people, events, or movements that pushed back against 1950s conformity. <br /><br /> Guiding questions:<br /> -What caused a sense of American conformity to develop in the 1950s? How was this feeling expressed?<br /> -What challenges to conformity existed in the 1950s?<br /> -Is it more "American" to conform or to rebel?
Kate Harris
19
 

Context for Weikers Family Collection: Life in Nazi Germany and Resettling in the United States

<p>This collection was created to align with with the Weikers Family collection and provides general context about life in Germany for a Jewish family in the 1930s and their eventual resettlement to the United States. The artifacts in the collection are not necessarily specific to the Weikers family, but give some idea of how others might have shared similar experiences. </p><p>Tags: Nazi Germany, Holocaust era, primary sources, Pittsburgh</p>
Kate Harris
19
 

Evolution of an Artist: William H. Johnson

<p>The clippings, paintings, and other items here will all help you develop an understanding of William H. Johnson's life and growth as an artist. First, read the biography in the first resource. Then, try to order the remaining collection items from earliest to latest, using clues from the informational text and the style and subject of each work. Once finished, review the progression you have created. How would you describe the evolution of Johnson's art? Can you connect changes in his art to world or personal events?</p><p>tags: Harlem, Federal Art Project, sorting, folk art, African-American, painter</p>
Kate Harris
31