REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!
October 12 – 28, 2021
One-hour workshops daily (Mondays through Thursdays)
starting at 3:30 p.m. and 4:45 p.m. on ZOOM!
Master Schedule coming out shortly on the Massachusetts Council for the Social Studies website, www.masscouncil.org.
Registration to participate in all workshops are FREE for all K-12 educators.
Professional Development Points (PDPs) are available:
10 PDPs (include participation and submission of lesson unit plan)….. $30.00
(please note that payment by purchase order includes a $25.00 processing fee)
Click here to view our master schedule! All times are Eastern Standard.
Workshops: Tuesday, October 12, 2021
3:30 p.m. ‘Hands-on’ Projects With Civic Tools and Activities For Students To Learn and Use Now and/or When Students Register To Vote
Political and Civic Involvement Opportunities of Massachusetts, Inc. Presenter: Barbara Morris.
PACIO’s content displays/offers a variety of ways that citizens utilize the civic tools available to them, in Massachusetts, so that they are involved in having a voice in shaping of policies and laws that directly affects them at the local and state levels.
The basic civics learning requirements in the public schools, for each student, could include an understanding and/ or completing ‘hands-on” projects on these civic tools, so that upon high school graduation, the students are prepared to utilize these tools as they learn about local and state civic issues affecting them and give their input into the development of policies and laws that govern them.
Keywords: Lesson Planning, Civics, Citizenship, Voting
Grades: Middle (8th grade), High
Subjects/Categories: General Social Studies, Civics Action Project, American Government, Civics, Political Science
4:45 p.m. Teaching Indigenous Studies and Indigenous Students
Aquinnah Cultural Center/Wiscasset Middle High School. Presenter: Brad Lopes.
This workshop intends to share best practices regarding teaching about indigenous people.
Keywords: Indigenous, Best Practices, Decolonization, Native American, Wampanoag, Wabanaki
Grades: Elementary, Middle, High, College/University
Subjects/Categories: Administration, General Social Studies, American History, Local History, World History, Psychology, Current Issues, Teacher Training, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Multicultural Issues, Native Studies
Workshops: Wednesday, October 13, 2021
3:30 p.m. Learn How to Get Students Helping others using OpenStreetMap
Mashpee Middle High School & TeachOSM. Presenter: Celeste Reynolds, Steven Johnson.
Learn how to incorporate OSM work in your classroom empowering students to assist others globally.
Grades: High, College/University
Subjects/Categories: American Government, Civics, Political Science, Civics Action Project, Geography, AP/IB, Current Issues
4:45 p.m. Lessons from the Census: 1790-2020
Population Education. Presenter: Rafael Woldreab.
Data from the 2020 census is now public and helping to shape people’s understanding of our country’s changing trends in population, average family size, settlement patterns and more. This is just the latest chapter in such data collection and analysis that began 230 years ago. In this virtual session, participants will discover new ways to help students engage with this data to enhance their knowledge and skills in history, geography, economics and civics. Presented activities delve into the historic data sets with analysis of changing family structure in the U.S. and the construction of age/sex distribution graphs to create demographic data visualizations for different time periods.
Grades: Middle, High
Subjects/Categories: American Government, Civics, Political Science, American History, Geography, AP/IB
Workshops: Thursday, October 14, 2021
3:30 p.m. The Disagreement Project: Better conversations. Guaranteed.
ThinkerAnalytix. Presenters: Nathan Otey, Jenny Carlson
Preparing students to hold the “Office of Citizen” means helping them discuss current issues with evidence and empathy – elements that are sorely lacking in today’s public discourse.
Fortunately, you can help! The Disagreement Project is a simple, fun, and structured activity where students engage in a discussion about a topic of their choosing (or yours). This activity helps students develop the reasoning and social emotional skills needed to engage in productive disagreements.
The steps are simple: students choose a partner with whom they disagree, record a discussion with their partner, show that they understand their partner’s point of view, evaluate their partner’s argument, and then reflect on their experience. Battle-tested by hundreds of teachers and students, this project is designed to be used off-the-shelf to help students have better discussions about controversial issues.
This workshop is brought to you by ThinkerAnalytix, an education non-profit organization partnered with Harvard’s Department of Philosophy.
Keywords: Controversial issues, current events, Critical Race Theory, deliberative democracy, civic reasoning
Grades: Middle, High
Subjects/Categories: Administration, General Social Studies, American Government, Civics, Political Science, Civics Action Project, American History, Current Issues, Teacher Training
4:45 p.m. Civics Projects and Climate Change – Strategies and Examples for Real Student Engagement (90 minutes)
THIS SESSION IN 90 MINUTES – START 4:45PM and END 6:15PM
The Massachusetts Civic Learning Coalition, along with iCivics, Mass Audubon, and the Massachusetts Envirothon. Presenters: David Buchanan, Jennifer Feller, and Will Snyder.
Students recognize that climate change as an existential crisis. But the issue is so global and complex, how could it possibly be a good choice for a student-led civic engagement project in your community?
The Massachusetts Civic Learning Coalition, along with iCivics, Mass Audubon, and the Massachusetts Envirothon have learned some valuable strategies from our work with teachers and students. This session will offer participants time to probe successful project examples shared by experienced teachers, share questions and experiences, and clarify their own design ideas and methods for civics projects. Bring your successes and challenges and join the discussion!
Keywords: civics projects, civic engagement, environment, climate change, examples of civics projects
Grades: Middle, High
Subjects/Categories: Administration, American Government, Civics, Political Science, Civics Action Project, History and Social Science practice standards, American History, Current Issues
Workshops: Monday, October 18, 2021
3:30 p.m. “Indian Scalps for Money”: A Hidden History of Revolutionary Times
Upstander Project. Presenters: Mishy Lesser and Adam Mazo
In this workshop, Upstander Project’s co-founders will share their latest documentary, BOUNTY, about a scalp-bounty proclamation signed in November 1755 by Lieutenant Governor Spencer Phips in Boston’s Old State House. This was one of 69 scalp proclamations issued by colonial officials between 1675 and 1760 in Massachusetts for the express purpose of exterminating Indigenous people from targeted tribal nations, be they children, women, or men. The scalp of a male over 12 was worth the same as a soldier’s salary for two years of service, a significant incentive. Some scalpers went on to become officers in the Revolutionary Army.
Keywords: hidden history, pre-revolutionary history, post-revolutionary history, civics, bounty rewards, genocide, primary sources
Grades: Elementary, Middle, High
Subjects/Categories: American Government, Civics, Political Science, Civics Action Project, American History, Local History, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Multicultural Issues, Native American Studies
4:45 p.m. Responsible Government and Teaching Canada’s Constitutional Democracy
Center for the Study of Canada, SUNY Plattsburgh. Presenter: Amy Sotherden.
Compare and contrast the constitutional democracies of Canada and the U.S.A. Select examples to be highlighted include: the Canadian concepts of responsible government and the fusion of powers concept; as well as the Canadian promise of “peace, order, and good government” of the British North America Act 1867 in comparison to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” in the U.S. Declaration of Independence.
Develop your toolkit on teaching Canadian comparative government through 30+ K-12 teaching resources, and understand why Canada is ranked as the world’s 5th most democratic country in the Democracy Index.
Keywords: democracy, Canada, comparative government
Grades: Elementary, Middle, High
Subjects/Categories: American Government, Civics, Political Science
Workshops: Tuesday, October 19, 2021
3:30 p.m. Local to Global: Building Citizens in Our Social Studies Classrooms
Savvas Learning Company (Buda, TX). Presenter: Juan Cabrera.
We will present Professional Development, with elements of our Savvas K-12 Social Studies embedded in. We will provide free digital login access and ability to request free samples.
Grades: Elementary, Middle, High
Subjects/Categories: General Social Studies
4:45 p.m. Diverse History for Diverse Learners: Black people’s experience in Essex County
Landmark School. Presenter: Bruce Miller.
Explore resources from Essex National Heritage (Essex County, Massachusetts) and adapt these to the needs of students who struggle with reading and writing using proven language-based strategies. Using these sources to develop a thematic unit allows students to examine an underrepresented population given language support with vocabulary development, reading strategies and writing templates. When students engage with sources from local history, it helps them to identify with historical events and to place these events in the larger context of history.
Keywords: Massachusetts, Essex County, African-American, learning disabilities, special education, local history, enslaved
Grades: Middle
Subjects/Categories: General Social Studies, American History, Local History
Wednesday, October 20, 2021
3:30 p.m. Teaching Local Government Through Inquiry
Plymouth Public Schools. Presenters: Rob Powers, Kate Fitzgerald, Harrison Quinn.
Local government: sometimes boring, sometimes confusing, but incredibly important! In this session, learn how we used the Inquiry Design Model to engage 8th grade civics students in local government and civic action. The session will provide participants with a step-by-step understanding of how the presenters used the Inquiry Design Model to bring clarity and coherence to the topic of local government for students, with call-outs to where participants can adapt this process to their own.
Keywords: Civics, Local government, inquiry, History and Social Science Practice Standards
Grades: Middle, High
Subjects/Categories: American Government, Civics, Political Science, Current Issues
4:45 p.m. The History of a Modern Conflict: Exploring the Arab-Israeli Conflict Through Primary Sources
Institute for Curriculum Services (San Francisco, CA). Presenter: Dori Gerber.
Covers the historical foundation of the conflict to develop greater understanding for instruction.
Keywords: Arab-Israeli Conflict, Primary Sources, Historical Approach, Varied source analysis examples, free resources
Grades: Elementary, Middle, High
Subjects/Categories: General Social Studies, American History, World History, Geography, AP/IB
Workshops: Thursday, October 21, 2021
3:30 p.m. It has to be half: women are 50% of history
Plymouth State University and the Remedial Herstory Project (Campton, NH). Presenter: Prof. Kelsie Eckert. [THREE-PART WORKSHOP SERIES—Dates & Times for Sessions 2 & 3 to be announced shortly]
In this workshop participants will learn about the urgent need for women’s history in the classroom.
Keywords: herstory, women’s history, women’s rights
Grades: Elementary, Middle, High
Subjects/Categories: American History, World History, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Multicultural Issues, Women’s Studies
4:45 p.m. How Four Questions Can Create Engaged Citizens
THIS SESSION IN FULL – YOU MAY STILL REGISTER TO BE ON A WAIT LIST
4QM Teaching. Presenters: Jonathan Bassett, Gary Shiffman.
The workshop will provide an overview of the “Four Question Method” (4QM), a simple yet powerful way to engage students in history and social studies. Veteran classroom teachers and published authors Jon Bassett and Gary Shiffman have cracked the code that allows history teachers to teach required content and thinking skills simultaneously, by building every lesson around one of the essential questions that define our field. Applicable to all grades, the Four Question Method makes planning, teaching, and learning more clear and effective. You can learn more at 4qmteaching.net.
Keywords: Four Question Method, Inquiry, Citizenship
Grades: Elementary, Middle, High
Subjects/Categories: General Social Studies
Workshops: Monday, October 25, 2021
3:30 p.m. Finding Freedom
Museum of the American Revolution (Philadelphia, PA). Presenter: Linda Dean.
Presenting a well-rounded history of our nation requires teachers to present diverse perspectives and experiences. The Museum of the American Revolution’s new Finding Freedom online interactive resource explores the stories of five real people of African descent living in wartime Virginia as they contemplated their best opportunities for freedom, liberty, and self-determination. Discover the many helpful features this resource offers teachers and students and explore opportunities for using them in your classroom in this case study of two of those featured individuals, Deborah and Eve.
Keywords: American Revolution, museum
Grades: Elementary, Middle, High
Subjects/Categories: American History
4:45 p.m. Start with Story: Driving Inquiry Through Film with Retro Report
Retro Report. Presenter: David Olson
How do you engage students to examine the history of the Cold War, Voting Rights, 9/11, or the fight for Racial Justice? By hearing the varied perspectives of those who lived it! Explore Retro Report’s library of over 250 short-form documentaries and the free classroom resources that accompany them. Through interviews, archival video, and photos, the Retro Report filmmakers craft captivating stories that explore the hidden histories of yesterday and connect them to our world today. This interactive session focuses on having educators engage with Retro Report materials for U.S. and World History and Civics classes.
Keywords: History, civics, inquiry, film, primary sources, documentary, Cold War, Civil Rights
Grades: Middle, High, College/University
Subjects/Categories: General Social Studies, American Government, Civics, Political Science, American History, World History, AP/IB, Current Issues, Literacy Standards in History and Social Science
Workshops: Tuesday, October 26, 2021
3:30 p.m. History, Social Science, and Civics Updates from DESE
Presenters: Reuben Henriques, Kathryn Gabriele, Ann Marie Gleeson
This session is an opportunity to connect with the History, Social Science, and Civics team at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for updates, questions, and conversation about our statewide work. We will provide an overview of current projects and new resources focused on priorities such as the student-led civics projects, the development of DESE’s open-source Investigating History middle school curriculum, and the Grade 8 Civics assessment. There will be ample time for open questions and answers as well.
Grades: Elementary, Middle, High
Subjects/Categories: Administration, General Social Studies, American Government. Civics, Political Science, Civics Action Project, History and Social Science practice standards, American History, World History, Current Issues, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Multicultural Issues, Curriculum, Assessment
4:45 p.m. Teaching Hidden Histories
Essex National Heritage Commission. Presenters: Beth Beringer, Brian Sheehy.
Young people are asking school districts for help in preparing them to address topics of race, inequities, and prejudice. Many teachers would like to explore these issues, but lack the content and pedagogical tools to do this work. The “Teaching Hidden Histories” program combined content scholars, pedagogy experts, and local Essex County, MA sources to provide teachers with the resources to start these discussions with their students. In this session, we will share these resources, provide a blueprint to do work like this in teachers’ communities, and empower educators to address the issues their students want to learn about.
Keywords: underrepresented voices, multiple perspectives, inclusive history, student voice, local history
Grades: Elementary, Middle, High
Subjects/Categories: American Government, Civics, Political Science, History and Social Science Practice Standards, American History, Local History, Current Issues, Teacher Training, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Multicultural Issues
Workshops: Wednesday, October 27, 2021
3:30 p.m. From Concord to the Meuse-Argonne: Teaching About the Yankee Division in World War I
National Humanities Center. Presenters: Andy Mink, Brian Sheehy
WWI was a massive turning point in history. Like the New England Minutemen who rushed to action in Lexington and Concord during the Revolutionary War the 26th Division or Yankee Division were the first in France during WWI. Drawing from scholarly and instructional resources developed by the National Humanities Center, this presentation will focus on the importance of WWI in the classroom, ways to incorporate the Yankee Division in your classroom, and will highlight some of the national and local resources on the subject.
Keywords: Concord, Lexington, World War I, Open Education Resources, Yankee Division
Grades: Middle, High
Subjects/Categories: General Social Studies, American History
4:45 p.m. Diverse History for Diverse Learners: Mount Vernon’s Overlooked Population
Landmark School. Presenter: Bruce Miller.
Explore resources from George Washington’s Mount Vernon collection and adapt these to the needs of students who struggle with reading and writing using proven language-based strategies. Researching Washington’s enslaved workers allows students to examine an underrepresented population given language support with vocabulary development, reading strategies and writing templates.
Keywords: George Washington, enslaved, Mount Vernon, history, learning disabilities, special education, plantation
Grades: Middle
Subjects/Categories: General Social Studies, American History
Workshop: Thursday, October 28, 2021
3:30 p.m. Using Socratic Seminars to Discuss Issues on Race, Class, and Gender
Braintree Public Schools. Presenter: Gorman Lee.
The workshop focuses on how Socratic seminars are used to measure students’ knowledge and understanding on topics of race, class, and gender in education, employment, the military, the criminal justice system, films, news and the press, and social media.
Keywords: race, class, gender, sociology, politics, stereotypes, privilege, bias
Grades: High
Subjects/Categories: American Government, Civics, Political Science, Civics Action Project, American History, Local History, Economics, Sociology, Current Issues, Literacy Standards in History and Social Science, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Multicultural Issues
4:45 p.m. Students As Storytellers: A 4QM Question One Workshop
THIS SESSION IN FULL – YOU MAY STILL REGISTER TO BE ON A WAIT LIST
4QM Teaching. Presenters: Jonathan Bassett, Gary Shiffman.
This workshop is for teachers who have attended a Four Question Method (4QM) foundations workshop, either this year or previously. This workshop will demonstrate how teachers can engage students in the intellectual work of telling a true and significant historical story, by answering Question One, “What Happened?” We will use a seventh grade unit on the Roman Republic as an example, but the techniques we practice can be used in any grade and with any content. You can learn more about the Four Question Method and buy the 4QM teaching book at our website, www.4qmteaching.net.
Keywords: Four Question Method, Question One, Story, Inquiry, Citizenship
Grades: Elementary, Middle, High
Subjects/Categories: General Social Studies
Workshop: Wednesday, December 8, 2021
4:00 p.m. Teaching Disability History: From Reform to Equal Rights
Inclusion specialist Rich Cairn will trace 250 years of Disability History through analysis of primary sources. Participants will access primary sources and learn about the free K-12 Disability History curriculum that Cairn is creating with support from the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources program. Interested teachers may pilot draft mini-units in winter-spring 2022.
Keywords: Civics, Disability History, Students with Disabilities, People with Disabilities, Under-represented Voices
Grades: Elementary, Middle, High
Subjects/Categories: General Social Studies, American Government, Civics, Political Science, History and Social Science Practice Standards, American History, Local History, Current Issues, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Multicultural Issues, Disablity History
COMING SOON IN JANUARY 2022!
Racial Slavery in the Americas: Resistance, Freedom, and Legacies
The 15-day curriculum unit on Racial Slavery, provided digitally for free, fosters intercultural understanding and an appreciation for diversity while making connections to contemporary issues. It does so by telling a comprehensive history of racial slavery in the Americas, and asking students to examine the legacies of racial slavery today. I will start the session by providing an overview of the student readings, nine lessons, and 87 short videos that comprise the unit. Participants will then try out two (abbreviated) lessons. The unit is relevant for middle and high school world history, U.S. history, and current issues courses.
Keywords: Slavery, Unheard Voices, Atlantic world, Historical legacies
Grades: Middle, High, College/University
Subjects/Categories: American Government, Civics, Political Science, American History, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Multicultural Issues