News

Monday, January 19, 2009

Presidential inauguration tied to the curriculum in classrooms throughout the Santa Barbara School Districts

Numerous classroom televisions in the Santa Barbara School Districts will be tuned to the inauguration ceremony when President-elect Barack Obama is sworn in tomorrow morning. Teachers have been, or will be, tying the event to classroom studies. The inauguration is being studied and celebrated in different way at each campus, for example:

Adams Elementary students and staff have been encouraged to wear red, white, and blue tomorrow. Faculty and staff will meet the students on the playground at 8:30 a.m. for a short assembly. There will be a flag salute, words from the sixth-grade students about inauguration day, and patriotic songs.

Franklin Elementary is planning to have the inauguration projected onto the auditorium screen so that all classes can view the event.

Peabody Charter has been building activities around three themes: “Yes, We Can,” “Teamwork Makes the Dream Work,” and “The Day When History Meets Hope.” During the past several days, teachers prepared students for the inauguration in the following ways:

• Introduced students to the purpose of the inauguration, what will happen that day, and its historical significance
• Reviewed the Pledge of Allegiance
• Reviewed Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech
• Listened to patriotic music and introduced students to the music of singer Aretha Franklin, cellist Yo Yo Ma, and violinist Itzak Perlman, artists who will perform at the inauguration
• Discussed plans to wear red, white, and blue on January 20.
• Created individual “dream stars.” On the seven-sided stars students each wrote a dream statement that they have for themselves or America, put their name on it, decorated it, and then cut it out. Then, students at each grade level pasted their stars on the grade level’s respective poster, created from lengths of butcher paper. The seven posters will be displayed for all students to see on Tuesday morning and then the posters will be sent to President Obama.

Classes will watch the inauguration in the auditorium, in classrooms, and in the computer lab.

At lunchtime there will be a special inaugural feast in the school cafeteria. The menu will include Barack Obama chili and Michelle Obama’s apple cobbler, prepared as individual apple tarts.

As a remembrance of the day, at 2:00 p.m. each student will receive a small flag that notes the date, “Obama Inauguration,” their name, and the name of the school.

Roosevelt Elementary teachers will tie the event in with a social studies activity.

Santa Barbara Community Academy’s students in the afterschool program will write letters to the new president.

Goleta Valley Junior High’s social studies teachers have been holding discussions on the inauguration. A special schedule has been created for January 20 so that students and staff can watch the inauguration during first period (8:30-9:25 a.m.). Many classes will have an inauguration-related activity for students.

Santa Barbara Junior High’s History Department will be linking the inauguration into lessons at that site.

La Cuesta Continuation High School will be part of History Now’s inauguration celebration. The purpose of History Now is to capture the historical impact on the individual, the country, and world. Partnering with several youth, schools, and community groups, Life Chronicles and Teen Programs is sponsoring several viewings of the inauguration and capturing the impressions, hopes, and dreams of a new generation of American youth. Organizers will be asking students: “Has this new president changed the way you look at yourself? The country? The world?” and “Are there stories you would like to share that are relevant to how we view America?”

La Cuesta Continuation High School is located on multiple campuses in the Santa Barbara High School District. On Tuesday morning, from 8:45-11:30 a.m., about 40 San Marcos La Cuesta and Santa Barbara High School students will be viewing the event at the Twelve35 Teen Center, 1235 Chapala Street, on five television screens. From 8:30-11:30 a.m., approximately 80 students at La Cuesta’s downtown campus plan to walk next door to the school districts’ administration center Board Room to watch and talk about the event.

San Marcos High School’s social science classes will be tuned to the inauguration. Social studies teachers have been preparing students by holding discussions about the ceremony and conducting related activities.