Year Two Statewide Professional Development
This document includes the dates that each Area Education Agency (AEA) and the Iowa Department of Education are delivering statewide professional development to support the second year of implementation of Iowa’s social studies standards. It includes the dates interested instructional coaches and curriculum personnel can attend to be trained to deliver the professional development.
The professional development is a two-day workshop that builds upon year one professional development. This year focuses on how to put the standards together to create coherent inquiry-based units. Participants will learn how to bundle and unpack standards, build more in-depth knowledge on the use of compelling and supporting questions and creating coherence throughout the unit to implement the standards. Questions? Contact Stefanie Wager at stefanie.wager@iowa.gov.
Virtual Q & A Sessions
In order to support implementation of Iowa’s new social studies standards, I will be offering virtual Q & A sessions four times during the 2018-2019 school year. This is an opportunity to ask questions related to the standards or implementation of those standards. There is no agenda or presentation during these sessions. During the indicated time click on the Zoom link provided or call the number listed to join the meeting and ask any questions you might have. View the session dates and connection information here. Questions? Contact me at stefanie.wager@iowa.gov.
United States Senate Youth Program
Students are urged to apply for the United States Senate Youth Program, which is a unique educational experience for outstanding high school students interested in pursuing careers in public service. Established in 1962, annual program will be held in Washington, D.C., from March 2-9, 2019. Two student leaders from each state, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Education Activity will gather for an intensive week-long study of government and those who lead it. In addition, each selected delegate receives a $10,000 scholarship. The overall mission of the program is to help instill knowledge of the American political process and a lifelong commitment to public service.
There are numerous deadlines in applying for the program, the first of which is Oct. 2. The United States Senate Youth Program coordinator for Iowa is Stefanie Wager. Contact her at stefanie.wager@iowa.gov or 515-725-7842. Additional program information, including the student application, is available here.
Iowa Council for the Social Studies Conference
The Iowa Council for the Social Studies conference takes place September 30 and October 1 at the Prairie Meadows Events Center in Altoona. You can view a draft of the October 1st conference schedule here. This year's conference theme is the Journey Continues: Your Place in the Standards. Sessions will focus on supporting implementation of Iowa's new social studies standards. The keynote speaker is James Percoco. Mr. Percoco is the author of Take the Journey: Teaching American History through Place-Based Learning. In addition to Mr. Percoco, ICSS will hear from India Meissel, President of the National Council for the Social Studies. License renewal credit will be available. For more information about the conference or to register go here.
On September 30th, participants can participate in one of two pre-conference workshops for FREE. These include
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Teaching American History Seminar on Supreme Court Cases that Changed America: This pre-conference clinic is being offered through Teaching American History.org and the Ashbrook Center. While many Supreme Court cases have shaped American policies and history, this seminar explores cases that focus on the Constitution and Federalism, the Constitution and the Commerce Clause and Civil Rights Cases. Eric Sands Professor of Political Science at Berry College will serve as the content expert for this seminar. The clinic will run from 8:30 am - 3:00 pm on September 30th at the Prairie Meadows Events Center in the Skinner C room. Pre-registration is required, but the workshop is free and lunch is provided. Register here. Please note that in order to qualify for license renewal credit, you must attend one of the pre-conference clinics and the ICSS conference. Questions? Contact Michelle Hubenschmidt at mhubenschmidt@tah.org.
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Social Studies and Agriculture: There’s no doubt that agriculture has a large impact on Iowa’s economy. But agriculture’s role in society is much broader. This session will explore agriculture as it relates to Iowa’s history, the development of societies around the world, and contemporary global issues. We will discuss geography (What do farmers grow where and why? How does this impact a society’s cuisine, clothing, and shelter?) and economics (How does supply and demand change the prices we pay at the grocery store? Can consumer preference, technology, and even weather impact the global economy?). You will leave this session with ideas and resources to help students explore food, fuel, and fiber production as it relates to history, geography, and economics. This fast-paced professional development will give teachers, extension personnel, and others who educate youth the skills they need to implement many of the new Iowa Core social studies standards. Using agriculture as the context to teach social studies standards, course participants will integrate agriculture to make learning real and relevant for students. Participants will leave the workshop with instructional strategies, lessons, and activities that can be immediately implemented into their classroom with little or no additional effort. This unique professional development opportunity is free to attend with lunch, refreshments, and classroom resources provided, but pre-registration is required. The content is appropriate for K-12 educators and will include time to collaborate and explore grade-specific content. This workshop is being offered by the Iowa Ag Literacy Foundation and will take place from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm on September 30th at the Prairie Meadows Events Center in the Grandquist room. Register here. Please note that in order to qualify for license renewal credit, you must attend one of the pre-conference clinics and the ICSS conference. Questions? Contact Cindy Hall at chall@iowaagliteracy.org or 515-331-4183.
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Constitution Day Field Trip Opportunity
The Iowa Department of Education is again partnering with the Iowa Bar Association and the Iowa Supreme Court to offer schools the opportunity to come to the Iowa Supreme Court on September 18th to celebrate Constitution Day. Schools will have the opportunity to visit with a Supreme Court justice, hear a live oral argument and then process the case with an appellate justice. Schools have the opportunity to hear the morning or afternoon oral argument. You can view an overview of the cases below. If you are interested in participating by bringing students email stefanie.wager@iowa.gov. You can also view the oral arguments live on that date and time by going here.
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2018 History Teacher of the Year Announced
Kimberly Meller-Angus, a teacher at Northview Middle School in Ankeny, has been named the 2018 Iowa History Teacher of the Year, an award presented annually by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to K-12 American history education.
Inaugurated in 2004, the History Teacher of the Year Award highlights the crucial importance of history education by honoring exceptional American history teachers from elementary school through high school. The award honors one K-12 teacher from each state, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense schools and US Territories. In fall 2018, the National History Teacher of the Year will be selected from the pool of state winners.You can see a list of all state winners here.
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National History Club Seeks New Chapter Members
Since 2002 the National History Club has promoted the reading, writing, discussion, and enjoyment of history at the middle and high school level by encouraging schools to form history club chapters. Clubs are entirely free to participate in activities of interest to their members such as historic site visits, documenting the stories of veterans of war, watching history movies, and many more. By empowering students and advisors to take charge of the direction of their clubs, the NHC has created a bottom-up approach, and we help to inspire other chapters through our tri-annual Newsletter and many award programs. The NHC now has chapters in 45 states and over 17,000 student members! For more information, including how to join the NHC, please visit us at www.nationalhistoryclub.org.
Free Digital Learning from The Durham Museum
The Durham Museum in Omaha, Nebraska is proud to offer a variety of free digital learning opportunities for learners of all ages. Taught by museum educators, these engaging and interactive programs include a one-on-one connection with your class (larger groups can also be accommodated), bringing regional, standards-based history to life through artifacts, photos, and videos, in the setting of our immersive exhibits. Imagine starting your Native American Life virtual field trip inside of an earth lodge or your Pioneer Life class in a log cabin! Each program includes pre-visit and post-visit classroom activities to help you make the most of your virtual field trip. To request a connection, visit the link below where you will find a complete list of classes and descriptions. We look forward to connecting with you soon! https://www.cilc.org/ContentProvider/CPProgramList.aspx?ID=313
Save the Date- Social Studies TIC (Technology Integration and Collaboration)
Heartland AEA is hosting the Social Studies TIC on September 13th. Go here to see more information and sign up to attend. All TICs are also recorded if you are unable to attend.
White House Historical Association Launches New App
The White House Experience is a new app launched by the White House Historical Association. The app gives users a virtual tour of the White House and the surrounding neighborhood. Check it out here.
Jewish Partisan Foundation Launches E-Courses
Nine online courses are now being offered by the Jewish Partisan Foundation. You can access the courses here. Each course comes with printable lesson plans and a detailed study guide.
25 Live Cams to Bring You the World
This blog post from National Geographic provides links to 25 links to live cams around the world. These include Brazil, Japan, Hawaii, Canada, Scotland, Abu Dhabi, and more.
Iowa Ideas Field Trip Opportunity
If you want to have a voice in shaping the future of Iowa, Iowa Ideas is for you. We'll convene to explore key issues, discover solutions and connect Iowans to state leaders. During a day and a half of learning together, attendees will hear a variety of perspectives from Iowa and beyond, take in a keynote luncheon and have plenty of opportunities to network. The Thursday sessions will be available for high-school field social studies field trip groups and teachers are able to return for Friday sessions at no added cost! Allow your students to engage with concepts related to taking informed action and applying civic virtues and democratic principles. You can view a flyer about the event here and more information about how the conference will help address Iowa's new social studies standards here.
Details:
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When- Sept. 20-21, 2018: Thursday morning through midday Friday
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Where- Downtown Cedar Rapids: The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cedar Rapids Convention Complex
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High School Field Trip Opportunity- Thursday Sessions ($8.00 per person, transportation is not provided byThe Gazette)
Check out some of the ideas they will be exploring here.
A Book by Me- An Opportunity for Free Books
A BOOK by ME [abookbyme.com] is a book series created in the Quad Cities. The true stories, primarily of WWII subjects, are written and illustrated by children for children and include curriculum. There are dozens of titles available at the bookstore link on the top right hand side of the home page. You can view a video of the project at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNshhf2jIio&rel=0. Donors will provide book sets of 20 titles to educators who request them on a first come, first serve basis. Please fill out the request form and you will be considered for this free gift. Donor Link: https://goo.gl/forms/C1bt35O7mnUMsynt1.
Contemporary Global Studies Google Community
Grant Wood AEA has put together a Google community focused on resources for teaching the 7th grade contemporary global studies standards. You can view the community at https://plus.google.com/communities/114576059379927925510.
Elections 101
As we enter the General Election season, many resources are available to teach the process. Elections 101, accessed through the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office, provides lessons that can be used as is or edited to meet individual teaching needs.
Fall 2018 Iowa Youth Straw Poll October 30
Sign up your school for the Fall 2018 Iowa Youth Straw Poll onTuesday, October 30. Instructors are encouraged to participate with an all-school effort to show democracy in action. This free event gives students a chance to voice their opinion on the U.S. House of Representatives and Iowa Governor's races. Students are encouraged to use the hashtag #BeAVoter on any posts or photos they upload, experiencing the voting process. The Secretary of State’s office may feature your posts on their social media platforms and media releases. To register, just click Fall 2018 Iowa Youth Straw Poll To learn more, contact Sherill.Whisenand@sos.iowa.gov or call (515) 725-0427.
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September 11th
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9/11 Memorial Museum: The 9/11 Memorial Museum invites teachers and students to participate inAnniversary in the Schools, a FREE webinar commemorating the 17th anniversary of 9/11. The webinar, filmed inside the 9/11 Memorial Museum, connects students and teachers from around the world with Museum staff and guest speakers to learn about the attacks and the importance of commemoration. Participate in an exclusive, educator-only preview beginning September 4, 2018 at 8:00 a.m. EST at 911memorial.org/webinar.
- PBS
- New York Times
Hispanic Heritage Month
Constitution Day
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National Constitution Center: The National Constitution Center is piloting a new online program on Constitution Day, September 17, 2018. The Lauder Exchange provides students the opportunity to engage in a Constitutional conversation with their peers from around the country by answering fundamental questions about the United States Constitution. Teachers who are selected to participate will receive supporting materials, including videos and lesson plans, as well as appropriate scholarly content, to prepare for their virtual exchange on September 17. Complete this survey to indicate an interest in participating.
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National Archives: September 17th is Constitution Day! On September 17, 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention met for the last time to sign the document that they had spent weeks creating: the Constitution of the United States. However, the Constitution is only one of our founding documents. The Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights – collectively known as the Charters of Freedom – lay the foundation for our nation and government. These programs for grades 3-12 are free of charge. A National Archives facilitator will connect with your class for a fun and interactive experience via traditional videoconferencing equipment or through a web-based platform. Each program has been designed to enhance content knowledge of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights, and to strengthen critical thinking skills by analyzing primary sources from the holdings of the National Archives. Programs are available Tuesday-Thursday and must be scheduled at least two weeks in advance. For more information, email distancelearning@nara.gov or visit our distance learning page.
- Additional resources can be found on the Iowa Department of Education here.
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Teaching with Primary Sources
Looking for a great way to teach Iowa history? A treasure trove of primary sources from the State Historical Society of Iowa and Library of Congress is available online. There are now 40 Primary Source Sets of photos, videos, maps and documents ranging from the Iowa Territory to the Civil War to 20th century achievements in women's suffrage and civil rights. Teaching toolkits and discussion questions accompany all of the K-12 resources, which are searchable by subject, time period and -- new this year -- Iowa Core social studies standards. You can also check out a larger article about this project here.
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Resources from the Council on Foreign Relations
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Model Diplomacy: CFR’s classroom-based National Security Council simulation uses role-play to demonstrate the challenges of shaping U.S. foreign policy in an interconnected world. Case studies feature hypothetical situations based on real world events that help students gain knowledge, build skills, and broaden perspectives.
- Academic Conference Call series: Calls take place throughout the academic year, providing a forum for educators and students to interact with CFR experts and scholars and join the debate on foreign policy.
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Teaching Notes: CFR Teaching Notes provide discussion questions, classroom activities, essay prompts, and supplemental readings for CFR books and InfoGuides.
Resources for Teaching Psychology
Humanities in Class Book
Reflecting emerging directions in humanities scholarship and the curricular needs of humanities educators, this guide features work in ten fields of study and is designed to meet the needs of educators and classrooms at all levels. You can view the ibook here.
Documents and Debates from TeachingAmericanHistory.org
TAH.org is proud to launch a two-volume set of the Core Documents Collection - "Documents and Debates." The two volumes are structured around a series of topics, each based on a debatable question. For each topic there is a collection of documents that, together, form the basis of argument over that topic – from those who debated it at a given point in American history. Volume One covers 1493-1865 and Volume Two covers 1865-2009. Go here to download each volume.
New Resources from Religious Freedom Center
The Religious Freedom Center recently launched new professional development website, Constitution2Classroom.org. C2C includes over forty hours of free, online PD on issues related to religious liberty, religious literacy, and civil dialogue. Each module is designed to take one hour and includes a reading, a video, an interactive game, and reflection questions. We invite you to share this resource with colleagues who are interested in teaching about religion in private or public primary and secondary schools.
My Casemaker
My Casemaker is a new resource from Bean Creative. The resource is geared for 6th-8th graders and features 20 pre-made civics challenges using primary sources from the Library of Congress.
Tools for Teaching about the Middle East
The Middle East Studies Center at Portland State University has a wealth of resources for teaching about countries in the Middle East. Check it out here.
Article: How Social Studies Can Help Young Kids Make Sense of the World
This article describes the importance of social studies for young children and how social studies should be used to help kids make sense of their world.
New Issue of History Now
Gilder Lehrman released a summer issue of History Now. This issue is on the Evolution of Voting Rights. You can check it out here.
10 Tools for Gathering Real Time Feedback from Students
Check out this blog post from Free Tech 4 Teachers which outlines ten tools to gather real-time feedback from students. This includes Mentimeter, Backchannel Chat, Plickers, and more.
Teaching Central America
TeachingCentralAmerica.org is a website which has several resources for teaching about Central America. This includes lessons, books, poetry, quizzes, and more. Check it out here.
Photo Roulette
This resource from the Library of Congress provides a random photo from the collection. You then get 10 guesses to try to figure out the year of the photo. This could be a great resource to teach historical thinking and using clues from images.
Blog on Iowa History
Check out this series of blog posts from the State Historical Museum on a variety of Iowa history topics.
Veterans National Education Program
V-NEP seeks to enlighten people by providing historically accurate, media-rich, educational resources with a focus on events “as seen through the eyes of veterans”. They have hundreds of resources on veterans issues and wars, but also have the Global Awareness Map. The map includes links to information about every country in the world as well as short videos to explain the government, economy, culture, etc. of that country. Check it out here.
Socrates Questions
Socrates Questions is a blog created by Illinois teacher, Dan Fouts. Dan blogs about big questions in social studies and oftentimes includes classroom ready resources for students to explore and unpack those questions. Check out one of the blogs on FDR and sign up here.
Teaching Respect about Religious Difference
This resource was recently released from Tanenbaum. The book provides an overview of major world religions and discusses how to promote tolerance and respect with religious differences.
Dictionary of Psychology
The APA recently released a dictionary of psychology terms. The dictionary includes more than 25,000 terms, including a word of the day. You can access the dictionary here.
Carlisle Indian School Resource Center
The Carlisle Indian School Resource Center at Dickinson College has recently put together a kit about the school. You can go here to request a kit, see the digital contents of the kit or access additional resources.
Resources for Teaching Ruth Bader Ginsburg Documentary
Check out these resources to access a documentary on Ruth Bader Ginsburg and several resources for teaching about Justice Ginsburg.
Nine Fun and Challenging Geography Games
Free Tech 4 Teachers recently put out a blog post outlining nine geography games. These include GeoGuessr, WikiWhere, and more. Check out the full blog post here.
New Resource for Teens from Medal of Honor Foundation
Live Up is a new resource launched by the Medal of Honor Foundation. It is specifically targeted to teens. The six value categories and three levels of difficulty are independent and interchangeable. Everyone can progress at their own speed on any topic or any level at any time. Benefits for those who complete activities are points that can be redeemed for T-shirts, backpacks and much more. Meanwhile, Lifetime Points accumulate, which can be used to apply for a $5,000 college scholarship or other opportunities.
Upcoming National Archives Webinars
Check out this listing of webinars being offered throughout the fall by the National Archives. Topics include women in Congress, Native American stories about the Lewis and Clark expedition and more.
National Humanities Center Course on Digital Literacy in the Classroom
The National Humanities Center will be launching an online course titled Humanities in Class: Digital Literacy in the Classroom in September. This five-module course will explore ways in which the humanities can serve as a powerful tool in developing critical analytics skills in the 21st century information age. In this virtual course, educators explore digital literacy and citizenship using investigation, analysis, discussion, and reflection based on materials developed by leading humanities scholars. Participants will also develop a classroom resource that is customized to their own educational environment based on the NHC curriculum model. Sign up at https://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/education-programs/courses/.
Save the Date- History Camp Iowa
Register today for this once-a-year event! In recognition of the 100th anniversary of the armistice ending The Great War, History Camp Iowa 2018 will feature a track of WWI sessions, a keynote speaker, and a performance of military music to end the day. All of this is on top of dozens of fascinating presentations on historical topics. History Camp Iowa takes place November 10th at the State Historical Museum in Des Moines.
2018 Iowa Map Contest Winners Announced
Oskaloosa and Cedar Rapids students and teachers participated in the second annual Iowa Map Contest, creating story maps of their favorite places in Iowa. Using ESRI’s ArcGIS Online Mapping platform, students collected data for their projects, then incorporated their data into interactive story maps which included images and information to provide context, supplemental information, and their methodology to viewers.
Teachers and students in the Middle School division (grades 4-8) and High School division (grades 9-12) were eligible to participate, with support from ESRI to schools through their ArcGIS Online Organization accounts, free to any K-12 school (public, private or home school) or formal youth club.
The top five maps from each school in each division were submitted to a team of judges, comprised of GIS Professionals (Geographic Information Systems), and judges chose the top five maps from each division for a state award. Each of 10 winners could receive a $100 award from ESRI.
Iowa is pleased to announce its winners in the 2018 Iowa Map Contest, with the link to their Story Map entries. Four students, two individuals and one team of two, submitted 2018 entries.
High School
1st Place | Views of Oskaloosa by Dylan VanLeuven and Jaden Van Roekel | Oskaloosa High
School, Oskaloosa, IA | Teacher – Laura Ayala | https://arcg.is/2wW0gKg
Nature Trails by Emily Orman | Oskaloosa High School | Teacher – Laura Ayala | http://arcg.is/2wPYNoE
Middle School
1st Place | Cedar Rapids, Hiawatha, and Marion Parks by Laura Hubbs | Wilson MS/Home
School Assistance Program, Cedar Rapids, IA | Teacher – Wayne Fritch | https://arcg.is/2jn8RvI
The 2019 competition details will be announced in early fall. For more information about the Iowa
competition, visit https://sites.google.com/site/iowamapcontest/.
Kids to Parks Day National School Contest
National Park Trust's annual Kids to Parks Day National School Contest empowers students to plan their own educational park experience. Open to all Title I students in grades preK through 12, this contest provides grants up to $1,000 to cover transportation, park-related fees, stewardship supplies, or anything else students believe would enhance their experience. The deadline to apply is February 14, 2019. Details can be found at http://bit.ly/KTPsc_SO
Stefanie Rosenberg Wager Social Studies Consultant 21st Century Skills- Civic and Financial Literacy World Languages Iowa Department of Education Grimes State Office Building 400 E. 14th Street Des Moines, IA 50319 Phone: 515-725-7842 Cell: 515-419-2876 Fax: 515-242-5988 Email: stefanie.wager@iowa.gov Social Studies standards, website, Iowa Core Social Studies, newsletter, calendar, Pinterest Financial Literacy website, newsletter, Pinterest
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