This podcast can be extremely useful as I can incorporate a link to it into my class website. it would definitely serve its purpose and future episodes would be very easy to come by as there are thousands of key words and concepts in history to cover. This podcast would be attributed to AECT Standard 2.4: Integrated Technologies – Integrated technologies are ways to produce and deliver materials which encompass several forms of media under the control of a computer. Audacity was the technology used to manipulate and create this podcast. Link to Dropbox file and transcript below.
History Teacher Words of the Day Podcast
PODCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Hello history fans and welcome to History Teacher Words of the Day where we examine words and concepts you might encounter in history class. I’m Mr. Freeman and here I’ll teach you to use real-life examples and word associations to help burn words and concepts into your memory and improve your vocabulary.
You know, as a history teacher I have encountered a lot of students who seem to have a real problem with recalling information when it comes to tests. One factor is the lack of basic vocabulary and another would be the inability to link the vocabulary with the concepts being taught in class. Simply writing the words and definitions and studying like I had done years ago was not cutting it for many of my students. I noticed a couple of years ago my students had really taken to word associations and mnemonic tools very well and really helped them in remembering key concepts our history class. So today I am here to teach some words from history and provide some easy ways to remember them for your next history test or trivia game at your weekend hangout.
Our topic today is immigration. In the mid-1800s to the early 1900s, the United States experienced a boom in immigrants coming from Europe and Asia. This immigration boom created the conditions that made the United States gain its reputation as a “melting pot.” Two words you might encounter in history class during this timeframe are immigration, with an “I” and emigration with an “e.” What is the difference you ask? It is actually quite easy and easier still with a little word clue. Immigration with and “i” means to enter and settle in a new country whereas emigration with an “e” means to leave or exit a country of origin. The easy word associations to make here would be to write down immigration with an “i”, and then in a downward direction off the first letter make the word “in” as in coming in, or entering a country. You should now have two words, immigration and in, joined at the first “i” in the words. Now write down emigration with an “e” and in a downward direction off the first letter make the word exit, as in to exit or leave a country. Ok, now look at your words. You should have immigration with an “i” and emigration with an “e” with their supporting words “in” and “exit” to help you differentiate the meanings between the two. This is an example of using word association to see the differences between words. In other words, immigration with an “i,” coming in; and emigration with an “e,” exit, or to leave.
I’d like to share a couple more key terms from history with you today as they are also encountered during the period of immigration into the United States. These would be Ellis Island and Angel Island. Created in 1892, Ellis Island, a small island in New York Harbor, was the first federal immigration processing station in the United States. Its purpose was to facilitate better recordkeeping and less corruption in the system. Ellis would process millions of immigrants, mostly Europeans, and operated until 1954 when it was officially closed. In 1910, another processing station was created at Angel Island in San Francisco Bay, California. Created for the same purpose as Ellis, Angel would process millions of immigrants as well, but mostly of Asian origins. The word associations here are very simple and my students have had great success with them. Ellis is identified with Europeans so Europeans would be the association used off of the “E” in Ellis. Another word association you could use with Ellis Island would be to write the word “east” under Ellis to remind you that Ellis is located on the East coast of the United States. As Angel Island was associated with mainly Asians, Asians is the association so write down Asian off of the “A” in Angel. Now through using word associations we should be able to differentiate between Ellis and Angel island and the types of immigrants that were processed into each station, Europeans and Asians. We should also be able to differentiate the locations of the two stations since we know Ellis, starting with an “e,” was located on the East coast of the United States.
I hope today’s lesson has helped you understand our words of the day and given you a better way to remember key words and concepts in history. Word associations can be very helpful for you to use as a study tool. Please use them whenever you can, not just in history class. If you have any questions or suggestions, please email historyteacherwordsoftheday@gmail.com. Until next time, this is Mr. Freeman, your history teacher, signing off.
