German American Heritage Center Welcomes Three Summer Interns and offers Free Teacher Workshop on German Immigrant Experience

The German American Heritage Museum is providing a free teacher’s workshop presented by Mary Hogg on July 13th, July 20th, or July 27th at 1-3 PM or 6-8 PM. This workshop will provide teacher and educators with curriculum material to bring back to their classroom in the fall as well as a tour of the third floor exhibits. Refreshments will be provided.
Mary Hogg is a museum studies graduate student at Western Illinois University in the Quad Cities. She is currently working as an intern at the German American Heritage Center and completing her graduate practicum. Hog has been teaching for 22 years and is currently at Western Illinois University, Quad Cities as a Communications professor.

The German American Heritage Center is excited to have two interns joining Mary for the summer! Kathryn Seyfarth is a Public Relations intern, who is currently working on her undergraduate degree as a Communications and Psychology major at Augustana College. Sean Thompson is an exhibits intern, who is completing his graduate degree in museum studies at Western Illinois University, Quad Cities.

The objectives for the teacher’s workshop are to help teachers increase student understanding of German Immigrant Experience, to increase student ability to communicate written and orally, to help students make a connection between museum experience and classroom experience, and to take time to create things that teachers may or may not have time to create. The packet provided will feature activities ranging from oral presentations to researching their own story. Examples of assignments include: students will conduct research to put together a broadcast as if they were living as a German Immigrant in the 1800’s. Students may also interview a family member or friend who is a first generation immigrant and present their story.

The German American Heritage Museum includes elements to spark interest for every learning style. Hogg explains, “[the] displays are very balanced” the interactive displays stimulate the right brain, creative side and the Factual information stimulates the left side of the brain. Hogg continues, “the way we learn is one or another [left or right] or balanced and the museum does a wonderful job of [providing] balanced brain activities. You stop and read information but the next thing you know you are participating in an activity.”

The story of the German Immigrant family is a story any family can relate to. “[The German Immigrant story] makes real the fact that life can be a struggle and joy at the same time, through struggle [we] learn to become more joyous” Explains Hogg. LaVern Rippley and Eberhard Reichmann in the preface of The German-Americans: An Ethnic Experience comment on Paul Adams essay and argue the value of understanding ones ethnic background.
The motto of the United States, e pluribus unum (one out of many) reminds us that each generation is called up to work toward ethnic and racial harmony and to overcome tensions and violence born out of indifference, misunderstanding and distrust. It [Professor Adam’s essay] neither glorifies the importance of German roots, nor denies the fact that America has very strongly shaped by its German elements. . .this essay explores the meaning of German Immigration. . . it also shows that successful processes of assimilation or integration take time and a spirit of openness and mutual respect (Rippley & Reichmann 1993).

“if we can continue to build upon the German Immigrants and use their experience to remind us that each generation is called upon to work on ethnic and racial harmony, then we have achieved what we want to with the exhibit” says Hogg. You can visit the exhibit at The German American Heritage Center at the bottom of the Centennial Bridge on 2nd St. in Davenport Iowa. Museum hours are Monday through Saturday from 10-4 and Sunday from 12-4. Questions? Feel free to contact us at 563-322-8844.