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WINTER 2009 UPDATE
In This Issue
HOWARD ZINN AT NCSS
RECORD NUMBER OF SURVEY RESPONSES
ZINN IN D.C.
THE PEOPLE SPEAK
NEW PEOPLE'S HISTORY RESOURCES
Your Comments from the Survey 
 
Thank you for helping to keep all of us literate on the truth of our history.
 

Thank you so very much for sharing Zinn's materials with us. We badly need to get a message of advocacy and action out into our communities and into our hearts. Your support makes this easier, in a fight that feels overwhelming...


I love all the materials I received in the packet and have so far seen an amazing effect with my students.


The materials are great and I am thankful that I have been given the opportunity to try them out. They certainly encourage and push my creativity.
 
 
Thank you for developing these outstanding and engaging resources. They are truly priceless and have already been very useful in my classrooms and planning. 
 
 
I have been raving about the book and materials to my colleagues.  
 
 
Today a student told me that out of all her classes, mine was the most "relevant."  This was from an 8th grade student in a U.S. history class!  80% of the reading materials have come from the Zinn Project and Bill Bigelow's Rethinking Columbus book.  
 
 
Please keep it up. I love the book, and the free resources are amazing. Thank you!
 
 
I was deeply inpired by recently viewing the DVD on the "Voices of the People's History..." I am amazed with Howard Zinn's brilliance in this area and he helps me to formulate my own thinking and beliefs about our history.
 
 
The Zinn materials are an outstanding work of art.
 
 
Thank you so much for providing such wonderful materials. As a beginning teacher and someone committed to engaging students in the history classroom, the resources were greatly appreciated and will be put to great use!
 
 
What a GIFT!!  Thank you Howard Zinn and thank you all who organized this project!!
 
 
The history teachers in my school were very grateful to have supplementary resources to use; they were already using the book as a textbook. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!
 
 
The basic materials are important for students to hear, and many are shocked to learn the truth. But that only engages them even more, and makes teaching history and social studies more interesting.
 
 
Knowing that resources like the Zinn Education Project exist make me feel so hopeful about the network of people who are engaged in this kind of dialogue with their students.
 
February 2009
Greetings!

Warm winter greetings from the Zinn Education Project (ZEP). With the new year upon us, we are sending a quick update about our activities from this last fall, and a glimpse of what is in store for 2009.
HOWARD ZINN SPEAKS AT NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE SOCIAL STUDIES CONFERENCE
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In November, Howard Zinn delivered the closing keynote address to more than 800 teachers/educators at the annual conference of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Houston, TX. Dr. Zinn's appearance was organized and supported by the Zinn Education Project and HarperCollins, publisher of A People's History of the United States. Dr. Zinn answered questions, signed books, and each attendee was given a free copy of our teaching guide -- A People's History for the Classroom.

Thanks to NCSS, you can watch Zinn's keynote address. View.. (Photo by Steve Puppe.)
ZINN IN WASHINGTON, D.C. ON FEB. 2
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On February 2, Howard Zinn spoke to a full house at Busboys and Poets in Washington, D.C. He provided a powerful analysis of the current political/economic situation and issued a call to action.
 
To see other upcoming engagements,
THE PEOPLE SPEAK - NATIONAL BROADCAST

peoplespeakUsing dramatic and musical performances of the letters, diaries and speeches of everyday Americans, the documentary feature film, The People Speak, gives voice to those who spoke up for social change throughout U.S. history.

The film is based on Howard Zinn's books A People's History of the United States and Voices of a People's History. It features dramatic readings by Matt Damon, Danny Glover, Viggo Mortensen, Sandra Oh, Sean Penn, Rosario Dawson, Don Cheadle, and John Legend, and musical performances by Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Eddie Vedder, and many other great artists. See a preview and get more information at Voice of a People's History (www.peopleshistory.us). The People Speak will air on Sunday, December 13, at 8 PM Eastern and Pacific / 7 PM Central, on History. Details at http://www.history.com/peoplespeak
RECORD NUMBER OF SURVEY RESPONSES
Winners of drawing mailed their prizes in late-Dec/Jan

We were delighted with the thousands of responses to the follow-up survey we sent in September. The survey asked how people were using the packet of free materials we sent at the end of last school year: Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States, Bill Bigelow's A People's History for the Classroom, and the DVD, Howard Zinn: You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train.

The data and comments demonstrated that educators across the country have been inspired by Howard Zinn's work and are eager for classroom resources to bring a people's history to elementary, middle and high school classrooms. In fact, one of the most common responses when we asked for recommendations for Phase II was "more, more, more." The data and ideas in the survey shaped our plans for Phase II, as is described in the section below.
 
On the left, we have included a few of the comments from the survey to share with you.
 
Survey respondents were entered in a raffle for one of hundreds of free books, CDs and calendars. All prizes should have been received by the end of January. Our appreciation to Seven Stories Press, The New Press, Syracuse Cultural WorkersParadigm Publishers and AK Press for donating these to the Zinn Education Project.
 
       voices       founding        peace09
     
 
         teachedition        democratic education        Stories
New from Rethinking Schools
Unlearning "Indian" Stereotypes is a digitized 1977 filmstrip narrated by Native American children. Complete with original teaching guide, reading list, resources and websites. DVD, 12 min.
 

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New from Common Courage Press
Lessons from Freedom Summer is a well-organized collection of readings and suggested questions on Freedom Schools and some of the historical events that preceded them. Forward by Howard Zinn. Paperback, 446 pp.

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The Zinn Education Project is a collaboration between Rethinking Schools and Teaching for Change. We appreciate your involvement to bring a people's history to the classroom.
 
Sincerely,
 
Lauren Cooper for the
Zinn Education Project