250 to 250:150. Molly Ivins, Narrated by Andy Borowitz

I will updated this post later today.

 

 

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Molly Ivins, Narrated by Andy Borowitz

Andy Borowitz is an acclaimed American humorist, New York Times bestselling author, and creator of the popular satire site The Borowitz Report. Borowitz celebrates Molly Ivins, the razor-tongued Texas columnist who skewered politicians and made a career of speaking uncomfortable truths.

Molly Ivins was a famous newspaper writer from Texas.

• She wrote about politics and government leaders.
• She used jokes to criticize politicians.
• In 1991, one of her jokes about a Texas congressman made many people angry.
• A billboard asked, “Molly Ivins can't say that, can she?”

Molly believed people should question their government leaders.

• In 2001, George W. Bush, a former Texas governor, became president.
• Molly criticized President Bush and his decisions.
• She believed people should speak freely about their government.
• She used humor and newspapers to encourage Americans to think about politics.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 11:03. What is your email addess?
• USCIS 100:93. Name one state that borders Mexico.
• USCIS 128:65. What are three rights of everyone living in the United States? 
• Read: Who has freedom of speech?
• Write: People who live in America have freedom of speech.

Family Fun: 

• Berkeley Rep: Kathleen Turner Behind the Scenes of Red Hot Patriot
• Coloring Book Fun: Texas coloring pages
• Don Giller: Molly Ivins and Ann Richards on Letterman, 1991 & 1992
• Factual America Podcast: The Political Wit and Persona of Molly Ivins
• Magnolia Pictures: Raise Hell: The Life And Times Of Molly Ivins | trailer
• Molly Ivins: RH Molly's Civics 101 Vote
• PBS Scout Dialogue: Molly Ivins
• Progressive Forum: Molly Ivins: 'Have fun while you try to fix the world!'
• Smithsonian Magazine: Academy Award Nominee Kathleen Turner Discusses Political Journalist Molly Ivins
• Texas Monthly: Molly Ivins archive
• Todd Jagger: Molly Ivins - 3 Minute Civics Lesson (Painless)
• UCTV: The State of the Union: Molly Ivins

250 to 250:149. Trail of Broken Treaties, Narrated by Nick Estes

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Trail of Broken Treaties, Narrated by Nick Estes

Nick Estes is an enrolled member of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe and Associate Professor in American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota. He co-hosts the Red Nation podcast and is the lead editor of Red Media. He recounts the cross-country caravan that indigenous activists organized in October 1972.

Native Americans fought to protect their land and rights for many years.

• In 1972, Native Americans traveled to Washington, D.C. to protest.
• Their protest was called the Trail of Broken Treaties.
• They wanted the U.S. government to keep its promises to Native American tribes.
• Protesters stayed in the Bureau of Indian Affairs building for one week.
• Their protest helped change some government policies.
• It helped Native American tribes work together for their rights.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• USCIS N-400 Part 9:02. Have you EVER registered to vote or voted in any Federal, state, or local election in the United States?
• USCIS 100:06. One is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?
• USCIS 128:65. What are three rights of everyone living in the United States? 
• Read: What do American Indians have?
• Write: American Indians have freedom of speech and the right to vote.

Family Fun:

• AIM: Trail of Broken Treaties 20-Point Position Paper | summary
• B Marshall: Trail of Broken Treaties
• Crash Course: The Native Civil Rights Movement: Ep 15 of Crash Course Native American History | full course playlist
• John Trudell Archives: trailer | full documentary | AIM | album playlist | Red Nation episode
• Muscarelle Museum: The Trail of Broken Treaties: A March on Washington, DC 1972 | Rising exhibition overview
• NPS: The Trail of Broken Treaties, 1972 | Series: The Struggle for Sovereignty: American Indian Activism in the Nation’s Capital, 1968-1978
• OAH: “Let’s Raise Some Hell”: Clyde Warrior and the Red Power Movement
• PBS Orgins: Native American Reservations, Explained.
• Penn Museum: Rebuilding Indigenous Nations: Native American Activism and the Long Red Power Movement
• Soundings Mindful Media: American Indian Movement (AIM) - Occupation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs - 1972, Washington, DC playlist
• Washington Area Spark: Native Americans Take Over Bureau of Indian Affairs: 1972
• Unsung History Podcast: The 1972 Occupation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs
• The Uptake by Bridgemakers: We Are Still Here: 40 Years of AIM in Photographs
• uscitizenpod: Red Power coloring page

250 to 250:148. Soo Locks, Narrated by Lauren Westphal

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Soo Locks, Narrated by Lauren Westphal

Lauren Westphal is a proud Yooper born and raised in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. She is a producer and an independent media strategist. Here, Westphal tells how the Soo Locks unlocked Michigan's iron riches, becoming the "Linchpin of the Great Lakes" that fed America's steel mills and westward expansion.

In 1844, William Burt found a lot of iron in Michigan.

• Iron is used to make steel.
• Ships could not carry the iron because the St. Marys River had dangerous rapids.
• In 1855, the Soo Locks opened.
• Soo Locks are called "Linchpin of the Great Lakes."
• The locks helped ships travel between Lake Superior and Lake Huron.
• Ships carried iron to steel factories.
• The iron helped build railroads and buildings.
• During World War II, most American iron ore traveled through the locks.
• Today, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers takes care of the Soo Locks.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 4. Where do you live?
• USCIS 100:92. Name one state that borders Canada.
• USCIS 128:118. Name one example of an American innovation.
• Read: Where is Canada? 
• Write: Canada is north of the United States. 

Family Fun:

• A Traveling Orchid: Michigan’s Upper Peninsula ~ Sault Ste’ Marie ~ Soo Locks
• Adventures in Northern Michigan: 20 Things about the Soo Locks
• eek! Environmental Education for Kids: Cargo in the Great Lakes: Iron ore and more (plus many activities)
• Land & Line: Why Michigan Holds America’s Steel Industry Together
• Michiganology: Michigan Iron Ore
• National Museum of the Great Lakes: Illustrated History of the Soo Locks
• Sault St Marie: Soo Locks
• PBS World Greatest Cruises: Exploring the Great Lakes on a Expedition Cruise (Soo Locks minute 15:43)
• USACE: US Army Corps of Engineers | Soo Locks | Water Safety coloring book
• USACE Detroit: New Lock at the Soo: Unlocking the Great Lake | History of the Soo Locks (Vintage Version)
• USACE Learning Center: Brief History of Sault Ste. Marie and the Soo Canal
• Upper Pennisula: The Soo Locks: Connecting Lake Superior to the World for Over 150 Years
• uscitizenpod: Soo Locks Centennial single issue coloring page

250 to 250:147. Ellen Ochoa, Narrated by Hope Delgado

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Ellen Ochoa, Narrated by Hope Delgado

Hope Delgado is the Program and Content Associate at Made By Us, a national network of more than 750 museums, historic sites, libraries, and archives working to connect young people with history and civic participation. Delgado profiles Ellen Ochoa, the engineer who became the first Hispanic woman in space in 1993, and later the first Hispanic director of NASA's Johnson Space Center.

Ellen Ochoa was an American astronaut and engineer.

• In 1993, she became the first Hispanic woman in space.
• She traveled on the space shuttle Discovery.
• She studied the Sun and Earth's atmosphere.
• She traveled into space four times.
• She worked on the International Space Station.
• In 2013, she became the first Hispanic director of NASA's Johnson Space Center.
• She inspired women and Hispanic students to study science  and technology.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 3:01. Are you Hispanic or Latino?
• USCIS 100:53. / 128:67.  What is one promise (two promises) you make when you become a United States citizen?
• USCIS 128:68.   How can people become United States citizens?
• USCIS 128:118. Name one example of an American innovation.
• Read: What is the largest state? 
• Write: California is the largest state and has the most people. 

Family Fun:

• Air and Space Museum: Making History Aboard Discovery
• Discovery West Bend: A Conversation with Dr. Ellen Ochoa, NASA Astronaut and Former Director of the Johnson Space Center
• Florida's Space Coast: Ellen Ochoa | U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame
• NASA: Hispanic American Month Profile: Dr. Ellen Ochoa
• NMAH: Ellen Ochoa: Beyond the Barrier | Emily Key
• National Archives DocTeach: Mission Specialist Ellen Ochoa Playing Flute Aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery 4/17/1993 | video
• New Mexico Museum of Space History: First Latina Astronaut - Ellen Ochoa
• PBS News Hour: Story of Ellen Ochoa
• Untold History: Ellen Ochoa: The First Female Hispanic Astronaut
• USPTOvideo: Women in Innovation: NASA’s Dr. Ellen Ochoa
• uscitizenpod: Ellen Ochoa 1 | 2 coloring pages
• Weather Channel: Hispanic Heritage Month: Dr. Ellen Ochoa Profile

250 to 250:146. Wilma Mankiller, Narrated by Julie Reed

updated

 

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Wilma Mankiller, Narrated by Julie Reed

Julie Reed is a citizen of the Cherokee nation, Native American historian, author, and professor whose reflective essays include a widely syndicated piece about Wilma Mankiller, the first female principal chief of Cherokee Nation. 

those who get up every morning and stand for something larger than themselves."

In Cherokee society, women had important roles in families and communities.

• Wilma Mankiller was born in 1945 in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.
• In the 1950s, the U.S. government moved her family to San Francisco.
• She became active in the American Indian Movement.
• She supported the Native American occupation of Alcatraz Island.
• In the late 1970s, she returned to Oklahoma.
• She worked to help the Cherokee Nation.
• In 1985, she became the first woman elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.
• She worked to improve schools, health care, and water.
• She helped make the Cherokee government stronger.
• Mankiller believed people should work together to help others.
• She said, "The most fulfilled people are those who get up every morning and stand for something larger than themselves."

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 2:05: Are you male or female?
• USCIS 100:43. / 128:61. Who is the Governor of your state now?
• USCIS 100:87. / 128:117. Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.
• Read: What right do American Indians have?
• Write: American Indians have the right to live in freedom.

Family Fun

• CW4W: The Cherokee Word for Water trailer | channel | Charlie Soap's background video (Wilma Mankiller's husband) | presentation | wiki page | Mankiller-Soap Water Act (2022)
• Cherokee: Cherokee Nation government | Cherokee History | Cherokee Language
• Cherokee Nation: History Presentations playlist  | Children Stories playlist
• Cherokee Phoenix: CN officially opens Mankiller Capitol Park with ceremony | video
• Cynthia M. Ruiz- Cherokee Name:Lion Mother: Keep Our Stories Alive is an Award-winning documentary about Cherokees in Los Angeles (20 minutes)
• The Conversation: Wilma Mankiller, first female principal chief of Cherokee Nation, led with compassion and continues to inspire today
• Everyday Heroes: Wilma Mankiller: Trailblazer of the Cherokee Nation
• KQED Arts: Native American Occupation of Alcatraz Captured in Rare Footage
• Katie Couric Media: Wilma Mankiller | First Female Chief of the Cherokee Nation | #SeeHer Story
• NPS: Native American Occupations of Alcatraz | Alcatraz Island Junior Ranger Activity Book
• New York Historical Society / Untold Hisory: Wilma Mankiller (WAMS E41)
• Osiyo TV: Gina Olaya, A Living Legacy (Wilma Mankiller's daughter) 
• Ou : GaDuGi: Coming Together For All (English)
• uscitizenpod: Wilma Mankiller 1 | 2 coloring pages
• National Congress of American Indians: The Wilma Mankiller Fellowship Program
• Vision Maker Media: Mankiller (trailer) | full documentary
• Writing Out Loud: Wilma Mankiller

250 to 250:145. Mayo Clinic, Narrated by Dr. Stephen Ray Mitchell

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Mayo Clinic, Narrated by Dr. Stephen Ray Mitchell

Dr. Stephen Ray Mitchell is an award-winning medical expert who currently serves as the Joseph Butenas Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics and Dean Emeritus for Medical Education at Georgetown University School of Medicine. Dr. Mitchell has chaired the North American Liaison Committee for Medical Education (LCME) and has led accreditation visits to over 20 other Medical Schools. He tells the story of the founding of the Mayo Clinic, which pioneered many hallmarks of modern health care.

In 1883, a tornado hit Rochester, Minnesota.

• The Mayo family were doctors who helped injured people.
• They opened a small hospital in a dance hall.
• The Mayo doctors worked with Mother Alfred Moes and the Sisters of St. Francis to open a permanent hospital.
• This hospital became the famous Mayo Clinic.
• Mayo Clinic doctors worked together to help patients.
• They used X-rays and patient records.
• Today, the Mayo Clinic is famous for medical care and research.
• Dr. William Mayo believed patients must always come first.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 2:11. Do you have any physical or mental impairment that prevents you from demonstrating your knowledge of the English language or civics requirements for naturalization? 
• N-400 Part 9:33. Are you unable to take the Oath of Allegiance because of a physical or developmental disability or mental impairment?
• USCIS 100:55. What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?
• USCIS 128:69. What are two examples of civic participation in the United States?
• Read: Name one right in the Bill of Rights. 
• Write: Freedom of speech is a right. 

Family Fun:

• ABC 6 News - KAAL TV: Women's History Month: The women of Mayo Clinic
• Andrew Tyberg: Mayo Clinic’s history (History Day 2014-15)
• Augustine Langford: The Patient Comes First: The Mayo Clinic And Its Unified Medical Record
• Mayo Clinic: website | History and Heritage | Contributions to Medicine | Peregrine Falcon Activity Pages | Heritage Films (all): Born in a Storm |  Leap of Faith | Healing Hands | playlist of previews 
• Minnesota PBS: Minnesota's Deadliest Tornadoes
• Minnesota Digital Library: Origins of the Mayo Clinic
• National Library of Medicine: The Origins and Evolution of the Mayo Clinic from 1864 to 1939
• National Postal Museum: 5c Doctors Mayo single | more
• PBS and Ken Burns: The Mayo Clinic: Faith - Hope - Science (stream or borrow video from your local library)
• PBS Learning Media: Mayo Clinic (several clips and lessons)
• Your Very Favorite: Health Matters! Coloring and Activity Book (80-pages) 

250 to 250:144. Woodlot Revolt, Narrated by Paula Peters

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Woodlot Revolt, Narrated by Paula Peters

Paula Peters is a journalist, educator and activist. A citizen of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, she travels internationally to speak and educate on the true Wampanoag story. Here she tells the story of the 1833 Woodlot Revolt, in which Wampanoag activists were arrested but the Wampanoag achieved a period of self-rule until 1870.

The Wampanoag are Native Americans from Massachusetts.

• In 1621, they welcomed the Pilgrims.
• Over time, white settlers took much of their land.
• In 1663, the Wampanoag received land in Mashpee.

In 1833, white settlers cut down trees on Wampanoag land without permission.

• The Wampanoag stopped settlers from taking wood. 
• Their protest was called the Woodlot Revolt.
• The Wampanoag won the right to govern themselves for a time.

In 2007, the U.S. government officially recognized the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 4. What county do you live in?
• USCIS 100:59. / 128:74.   Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
• USCIS 100:61. Why did the colonists [Wampanoag] fight the British [colonists]?
• USCIS 100:87. / 128:117. Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.
• Read: Who lived here first?  |  What country is north of the United States?
• Write: American Indians lived here first.  |  Canada is north of the United States. 

Family Fun:

• Colonial Society of Massachusetts: “We, as a tribe, will rule ourselves”:
• Mashpee’s Struggle for Autonomy, 1746–1840
• GBH and Mass Humanities: 250 Years of Fighting for Freedom: The Mashpee Wampanoag Story | Promises of the Revolution Pt. I
• Mashpee TV: Thanksgiving from Wampanoag Youth
• Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe: Government Departments | Timeline | Understanding the Mashpee Sovereignty Struggle
• Mass Moments: May 21, 1833 Indians in Mashpee Demand Self-Government
• NMAI: Wampanoag Perspectives: First Thanksgiving: How has the story been told and why does it need to change?
• Teach US History: A Description of the Mashpee Revolt by William Apess
• USCIS: Thanksgiving 1 - Pilgrims and American Indians - Beginning Level Lesson Plan | Handouts | Answers
• uscitzenpod: Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe coloring page
• WBNERR: Mashpee Wampanoag Cultural Resources

250 to 250:143. Mount St. Helens Eruption, Narrated by John Ebel

 

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Mount St. Helens Eruption, Narrated by John Ebel

Professor John Ebel is a highly regarded senior scientist at the Weston Observatory at Boston College whose expertise has made him the go-to source for media reporting on earthquakes in New England and around the world. He explains what happened in 1980, when Mount St. Helens erupted in the most destructive volcanic event in American history.

On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted in Washington State.

• It was the most destructive volcanic eruption in U.S. history.
• Part of the mountain fell, causing a huge explosion.
• Hot ash and rocks covered forests and nearby land.
• Volcanic ash rose more than 11 miles into the sky.

57 people died, including scientist David Johnston.

• Scientists learned more about volcanoes and how forests grow again after eruptions.
• Harry Truman, a man who lived near the mountain, refused to leave.
• He said, “If the mountain goes, I'm going with it.”
• Truman died in the eruption and became a local legend.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 09:37. If the law requires it, are you willing to do work of national importance under civilian direction?
• USCIS 100:53. What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen?
• USCIS 128:70. What is one way Americans can serve their country?
• Read: When is Memorial Day? 
• Write: Memorial Day is in May. 

Family Fun:

• High Country News: Life After Lava
• History: The Largest Eruption in American History | How the Earth Was Made (S2, E10)
• King 5 Seattle: Scientist killed in Mount St. Helens eruption remembered 40 years after deadly blast | Mount St. Helens environment recovering 45 years after eruption
• Mount St Helens Institute: LIVE Volcano Cam
• National Postal Museum: Mount St. Helens Postage Stamp
• Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture: Behind the scenes: Mt St Helens and the story of David A. Johnston
• PBS News Hour: What scientists have learned from Mount St. Helens’ devastating eruption, 45 years later
• Smithsonian: Footage of the 1980 Mount St. Helens Eruption
• USDA Forest Service: Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument
• USGS: Mount St Helens | Science Career Activity Books 1, 2 | I Am A...Volcanologist | Volcanologist coloring page
• Video from Space: Mt. Saint Helens from space! Before and after eruption - 1973 to 2019