1. Introduction
2. Sponsor's Spot: The Jubilee Academy
3. Weekly Topic: U.S. Constitution
4. What You are Missing This Week
5. Related Games
6. Quote of the Week
7. Subscription Management
#1. September 3, 2008
Dear Reader,
I just returned from a trip with the kids to New York. We had a great time. I wish I knew how many miles we walked. Highlights were Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn Heights, "Hair" in Central Park, "In the Heights" on Broadway, Sahadi's Middle Eastern market, Louise Bourgeois at the Guggenheim, and the Statue of Liberty seen from the Staten Island Ferry.
If you want to follow along on my next trip (or my day-to-day musings) you join me on Twitter: BarbaraFeldman.
The story of Lin-Manuel Miranda is quite inspirational. Here it is in a nutshell. Raised in a Latino neighborhood near Washington Heights in Manhattan, Miranda wrote the first draft of "In the Heights" while a sophomore at Wesleyan University. Ten years later, his show is on Broadway and the recipient of four 2008 Tony Awards. We had the privilege of seeing Miranda in the lead role of Usnavi.
The show is the story of immigrant life in a New York neighborhood as it starts to change. The music is a blend of rap, hip hop, with a Latin beat. If you are going to New York, I highly recommend it. But even if you can't make it, you can download the music from eMusic with a free trial account.
"We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." This famous sentence is known as the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution. Learn more at the following sites.
Congress for Kids: Constitution
Published for grades four through twelve by The Dirksen Congressional Center, Congress for Kids tells the story of the Constitution starting with the Constitutional Convention of 1787. "It includes information about the writing the Constitution, the Great Compromise, the Constitution's signers, the Bill of Rights, the Amendments to the Constitution and what they mean to Americans, and much more." In addition to the illustrated lessons, each section includes a related quiz or a game.
National Constitution Center: Interactive Constitution
Based on Linda R. Monk's book "The Words We Live By: Your Annotated Guide to the Constitution", the Interactive Constitution offers four unique views of the iconic document. First, an annotated Constitution is organized into articles and amendments. Next is three search functions: keyword search, topic search and court case search. For example, in court case search, "Brown v. Board of Education" returns Article III, Amendment X, and Amendment XIV. Fascinating stuff.
NARA: Constitution of the United States: A History
This illustrated history of the Constitution by Roger A. Bruns is available in web and print versions. "May 25, 1787. Freshly spread dirt covered the cobblestone street in front of the Pennsylvania State House, protecting the men inside from the sound of passing carriages and carts. Guards stood at the entrances to ensure that the curious were kept at a distance. Robert Morris of Pennsylvania, the financier' of the Revolution, opened the proceedings with a nomination -- Gen. George Washington for the presidency of the Constitutional Convention."
"It's not so much where my motivation comes from but rather how it manages to survive." ~~ Louise Bourgeois (born December 25, 1911) French artist and sculptor.
Dear Reader,
