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Free Collection of World War II Classroom Resources to Support ‘The War,’ a Ken Burns and Lynn Novick Film, Available

April 2, 2011 By llfamily Leave a Comment

Free Collection of World War II Classroom Resources to Support ‘The War,’ a Ken Burns and Lynn Novick Film, Available












Santa Barbara, Calif. (PRWEB) September 20, 2007

Educators can bring the triumph and tragedy of World War II into the classroom with today’s launch of “History and the Headlines: Double Victory – Minorities and Women During World War II.” Designed to support the Ken Burns and Lynn Novick PBS/WETA World War II documentary, “The War,” this free collection of authoritative and engaging multimedia content will help students examine the role of minorities and women during World War II and place their stories within the larger context of the war. In partnership with Burns and Novick, PBS/WETA and National History Day, ABC-CLIO developed this collection as part of “History and the Headlines,” a series of free online history resources.

“History and the Headlines: Double Victory – Minorities and Women During World War II” includes video excerpts from the documentary, access to ABC-CLIO’s award-winning five-volume encyclopedia of World War II, thought-provoking essays on the tragedies and triumphs of the war and complementary lesson plans from National History Day. The free collection will be available until Dec. 31, 2007.

“By combining our high-quality history content with resources from prestigious history organizations and historians, ABC-CLIO is able to offer this rich collection of content, video, analysis, primary sources and curriculum materials that will allow educators to integrate the landmark documentary into history instruction,” said Becky Snyder, president, ABC-CLIO. “When historians use these resources in the classroom, they will help students to think critically about the events of World War II, place them in context and see how they are relevant to their own lives.”

The site’s four video excerpts from “The War” give students a unique firsthand glimpse into the lives of everyday Americans during this tumultuous time. “Connecting to World War II” gives students an overview of the production of “The War” and its mission of portraying both the triumph and tragedy of World War II. “Munitions Factories” shows how men and women on the home front in the United States helped in the war effort. “Mobile Shipyards” provides insight into the shipyards of Mobile, Ala., where African Americans found work opportunities that led to an increase in racial tensions, riots and segregation. “Made Into Any Enemy” highlights the tragedy of the internment of Japanese Americans.

In the “Need to Know” section, “History and the Headlines: World War II” takes students deeper into the global context of the war by giving them access to ABC-CLIO’s five-volume “Encyclopedia of World War II: A Political, Social and Military History.” Edited by Spencer C. Tucker, Ph.D., and Priscilla Mary Roberts, Ph.D., this comprehensive history includes an overview, detailed chronology, essays explaining the origins and legacy of the war and numerous primary sources for gaining insight into the people, places and events of World War II.

The site’s “Point of View” section includes three thought-provoking essays by leading historians on the experiences of minorities and women during World War II, both in the United States and overseas. The first essay offers an overview of life on the home front for women, African Americans and Japanese Americans. The second essay focuses on the Japanese American troops of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and includes testimony from the men that offers insight into their conflicting emotions over fighting for a country that was imprisoning their family members. The final essay focuses on the experiences of women in the military during World War II.

“The documentary, ‘The War,’ will serve as the catalyst for many discussions both in and out of the classroom,” said David Silbey, Ph.D., author of the essay of Japanese Americans in the military and an associate professor at Alvernia College in Reading, Pa. “The essays on what it was like to be a minority during that pivotal time in world history and the other resources available from ABC-CLIO’s ‘History and the Headlines’ will give teachers a way to guide students in those conversations so that they become meaningful examinations of historical context.”

All of the resources in “History and the Headlines: World War II” can be used to support its accompanying collection of five lesson plans developed by National History Day. Each lesson plan presents topics and activities for teachers to use with their students when studying World War II and asks students to make connections between the historical period and their own lives. Topics include researching family stories as oral histories, women in the workplace, women serving in the military, progress toward equal work opportunities for African Americans and legal battles of interned Japanese Americans. Each lesson plan includes a connection to a specific episode of “The War,” relevance to the 2008 National History Day theme, “Conflict and Compromise,” background information, primary sources and classroom activities.

To visit “History and the Headlines: World War II,” go to http://www.historyandtheheadlines.abc-clio.com/WWII

About ABC-CLIO Schools

ABC-CLIO Schools provides history teachers and students with authoritative reference information and teacher resources that help students hone the skills of history inquiry and inquiry-based discussion as they master historical content and develop a deeper understanding of history’s major themes and lessons. The ABC-CLIO Schools award-winning subscription Web sites provide a comprehensive collection of references, curriculum and current events that together simplify historical research and help students make sense of world events as they unfold. ABC-CLIO Schools is a division of ABC-CLIO, a premier history publisher for more than 50 years based in Santa Barbara, Calif. For more information or a list of available titles, visit http://www.abc-clio.com.

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Ethical Wills – A New Way to Preserve Family Values & Family History

April 2, 2011 By llfamily Leave a Comment

Ethical Wills – A New Way to Preserve Family Values & Family History












Plymouth, MI (PRWEB) August 31, 2004

If you are looking for gift to give your family that will live on for generations then consider giving an ethical will to your loved ones.

Because families spend less time talking and sharing stories than did earlier generations, oral histories are endangered and today’s children will know far less about their families than their parents do.

“We are all just one generation away from not knowing anything about our family history,” says Scott Lorenz, founder of Westwind Communications in Plymouth, Michigan, who is leading a new effort to encourage people to obtain first-person, family biographies of their parents through the writing of an ethical will. “It’s a great way for a family member to pass on their beliefs, values, lessons learned in life to future generations,” says Lorenz.

Because written history speaks to future generations, more and more people are having ethical wills and family biographies written about their parents and loved ones – to preserve the richness and uniqueness of their parents’ life for their children and grandchildren.

This is not genealogy but a written document of living history that will be enjoyed by your parents while they are still alive and will be passed on to future generations for both enlightenment and enjoyment, Lorenz stresses.

“If your parents are in their 70’s or 80’s,” says Lorenz, “they may never meet your grandchildren. What will you tell them? My experience is that tales obtained from personal interviews by professional writers are exceedingly more satisfactory than the stale, lifeless facts obtained from written documents obtained by genealogists, such as birth and death certificates or passenger manifests.”

Lorenz is offering a unique service of writing an ethical will through a first-person family biography narratives obtained by professional interviewers and trained journalists from personal phone conversations. Within 30 days from when the order is placed, the material is then presented in a written document to be edited for accuracy and satisfaction by the family member placing the order.

Lorenz perfected the technique when arranging for his mother’s and father’s family histories to be written. “I learned by trial and error that the best way to preserve family history is by having a third party, not related to the family, interview my parents.” explains Lorenz. “I found out much more about my loved ones because they were more open and honest with a stranger.”

In its November 22, 2002 edition TIME magazine noted that Lorenz was “in the forefront of what is a growing trend for families: gathering – or hiring someone else to gather – the history, anecdotes and reflections of an aging relative before it’s too late.”

After sharing copies of his parents’ family biographies, friends expressed an interest in the process and product and encouraged Lorenz to share his unique findings with other families. Lorenz put together a web site which makes it easy for people to hire his firm to write an ethical will. The site contains dozens of questions that can be selected to be asked by the writer. Says, Lorenz, “We even ask for the contact information and the best time to reach the loved one to be interviewed. We take the pain out of completing this project. It does not get any easier.”

Clients may choose from a variety of packages from one person (up to 12 pages) to two people (up to 40 pages.) and range in price from $ 750 and up which is often split between siblings as a collective gift to their parents.

“We believe in deadlines,” concluded Lorenz. “Want it for a birthday or anniversary? No problem. Turn your mother or dad over to us for a phone interview and within 30 days you will have in your hands a story of your parents that will be cherished by your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Could you think of a better Christmas gift than to tell Dad and Mom they’re going to be interviewed for an ethical will and family history?”

For more information visit http://www.westwindcos.com/familyhistory or call 734-667-2098.

About Scott Lorenz

Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm located in Plymouth, Michigan. Lorenz has handled public relations and marketing for numerous doctors, lawyers, authors, inventors and entrepreneurs and is an integral part of the marketing strategy for many firms.

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, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.







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Writing Family History is Now Just An Email Away with Family History Builder

April 2, 2011 By llfamily Leave a Comment

Writing Family History is Now Just An Email Away with Family History Builder










Provo, Utah (PRWEB) August 15, 2006

Family History Builder announced today their offering of a new service using email to help individuals and families in building a family history. Each week subscribers respond to an email containing a memory provoking question, such as “What do you remember about first learning to ride a bicycle?” and gradually start writing their own history.

“Many people struggle with knowing where to start writing their family history, as well as their own personal history”, said Michael Jensen, Managing Member with Family History Builder. “We have tried to make it easier to not only start writing your history, but to keep at it week after week, and year after year. We’ve also set the price to make if affordable for most.”

The FamilyHistoryBuilder.com service makes it easier to start writing, because the questions help people recall memories they might not have remembered through other mainstream journal writing activities. Handling the questions and responses by email makes it convenient to keep a family history. After subscribers respond to their weekly question by email, the entry is then saved securely in an online account. All entries can be updated online, and new entries can be created at any time on any topic, even a more standard journal entry or an important event can be easily recorded.

Family History Builder also delivers personalized questions based on the profile created during the sign up process. For example, questions may be specifically geared to ask about vacation destinations or educational experiences.

“We do more than just the weekly email too,” says Michael Jensen, “we also allow you to upload pictures, movies, sound files, and other documents along with an entry for maximum creativity and flexibility.” If desired, entries and other file types can also be shared online, whether to only family members or to the public.

Family History Builder offers several ways, including online, for sharing entries. Subscribers can download or print entries in a formatted PDF file. Entries can be published online, similar to the popular blog format. “We are also gearing up to announce our new book publishing feature, where you can order a hard bound book of your entries and photos, to preserve for generations to come,” explained Michael Jensen.

A recent subscriber, Esther O. from Meridian, Idaho wrote in about her experience in using Family History Builder: “It has given me the opportunity to enjoy learning about my family as I have had to consider ways that I am like them or what it is that I have gained from them.” Esther also wrote about who is benefiting from her subscription to Family History Builder: “I feel that what I am creating here is not only for the benefit of my posterity, but for me as well as I build it.”

About Family History Builder:

Family History Builder began in February 2006 and is an online service helping individuals and families to record and share their history, stories, and memories. By responding to weekly questions, subscribers gradually build a compilation of entries about themselves and their family to be preserved for generations to come.

Contact:

Michael Jensen, Managing Member

Family History Builder

573-219-7429

http://www.FamilyHistoryBuilder.com

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Vocus©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.







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