Best Practices Institute- Keynote Speakers Announced
The 2019 Best Practices in Social Studies Institute will take place June 19-20, 2019 in Des Moines. Save the Date! Registration will open in March.
Elementary Strand: Dr. Noreen Naseem Rodriguez, Iowa State University
Noreen is an Assistant Professor of Elementary Social Studies in the School of Education at Iowa State University. Her main research focus is on using critical race frameworks to explore how racial and cultural experiences impact Asian American and Latin@ pre- and in-service teachers' pedagogy and curricular enactment. Her other research interests include the teaching of immigration, adding counternarratives to the curriculum, teaching against Islamophobia, and broadening conceptualizations of citizenship. She also does extensive work on the use of children's literature in the elementary classroom. She teaches early childhood and elementary social studies undergraduate methods courses. She is a veteran elementary teacher with a M. Ed. in Bilingual Education
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Secondary Strand: Dr. Joel Breakstone, Stanford History Education Group
Joel Breakstone directs the Stanford History Education Group. He received his Ph.D. from the Stanford Graduate School of Education. Along with Mark Smith and Sam Wineburg, he led the development of SHEG's assessment website, Beyond the Bubble. He received the Larry Metcalf Exemplary Dissertation Award from the National Council for the Social Studies in 2014. He holds a B.A. in history from Brown University and a M.A. in Liberal Studies from Dartmouth College. After college, he taught high school history in Thetford, Vermont. His research focuses on how teachers use assessment data to inform instruction.
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Year 1 Professional Development Now Available on AEA Online
The Year 1 Statewide Elementary and Secondary Social Studies PD is now available as a course through AEA PD Online. There is no cost for this course.
To register for the course:
- Go to https://training.aealearningonline.org.
- Login
- Select “Catalog”
- Search “Social Studies”
- Next to “Elementary Introduction to the Social Studies Standards Year 1” or "Secondary Introduction to the Social Studies Standards" select “Register”.
Workshop on WWI Coming to Iowa
The Gilder Lehrman Institute is coming to Iowa on April 27th for a free workshop (you will even receive a small stipend) on WWI. The workshop will take place in Des Moines. You will get the chance to hear from a WWI scholar as well as receive instruction from a master teacher. Free breakfast and lunch will also be provided. View a flyer here. Registration will open soon!
Upcoming Social Studies Webinar and Q & A Session
Save the date for our next Social Studies Learning Series Webinar. The next webinar takes place on April 10th from 3:30-4:30 and is titled, Media Literacy: How to Use the Social Studies Standards to Prepare Students for Participation in Civic Life. You can find connection information and links to past recordings here.
The next virtual Q & A session will take place on March 27 from 3:00-4:00. You can view connection information here.
Participate in Tinker 50th Anniversary Event
In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision, Iowa Public Television will be live streaming a presentation and Q&A with Mary Beth and John Tinker as they reflect on the case and its impact. Presented live from the State Historical Museum of Iowa, the program will begin at 12:30pm Central Time on Friday, February 22, 2019. Go here for more information and RSVP to attend the live event.
New Iowa Core Blog on Equity
Check out the latest Iowa Core blog on equity and the new social studies standards. The blog was written by Dr. Katy Swalwell from Iowa State University.
World Food Prize News
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Global Food Security Challenge Curriculum
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World Food Prize on Pinterest (lots of great resources for 7th grade Contemporary Global Studies)
- Plan a Modified Hunger Banquet
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Borlaug Poster Contest: All students interested in participating can submit their own unique piece of art that encapsulates their vision of the future of food, agriculture and food security with the hope of inspiring their peers to move towards careers that will support the global initiative of a food secure world. The winning art piece will be revealed at the 2019 Hunger Summit on Monday, October 14th and used as the focal point of the 2019 Borlaug Day poster. It will be shared with classrooms across our state to educate and inspire students to aspire to be Iowa's #NextNorm.
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The Iowa Youth Institute takes place on April 29th at Iowa State University. Registration is now open for the 2019 Iowa Youth Institute, hosted by the World Food Prize Foundation and Iowa State University. This year's event will be held on Monday, April 29th, 2019. This event aims to inspire the next generation of global leaders to pursue meaningful careers in policy and international relations by connecting students with faculty at Iowa State University as well as industry experts who are working to address critical issues in global food security. To participate, students are challenged to research a topic affecting food security within a specific country and propose their own unique solution to improve the lives of families living within the country. Students will present their ideas to world-renowned experts and engage in field immersions on Iowa State’s campus, all designed to prepare them for hunger-fighting career paths in policy, international relations, and agriculture. All students who submit their idea and participate in the day-long event will automatically receive a $500 scholarship to Iowa State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and are also eligible to apply for paid fellowships through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The top Iowa participants will also be selected to join award-winning scientists, policy experts and industry leaders from around the world at the World Food Prize Global Youth Institute in October.Students and their teachers can register at www.worldfoodprize.org/iowayouth. Deadline is March 25, 2019.
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CivXNow Coalition
The CivXNow Coalition has put together several new resources that might be helpful in understanding the state of civics across the country. You can view their overall website here. Within the website you can view the new Civic Education System Map, resources from the latest CivXNow convening on how to measure civic impact, and more.
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New Resources Added to IowaCore.gov
Several new resources have been added to the Social Studies webpage on IowaCore.gov. These include:
Provide Input to Keep Iowa Beautiful
Keep Iowa Beautiful launched their Teachers Going Green program about 9 years ago. The program is designed to aid teachers in teaching about environmental education, sustainability practices, character education, and the beauty of Iowa. We are in the process of updating our program to meet the new state standards. Keep Iowa Beautiful wants to get some baseline data from educators in order to do this. Please help by participating in a quick survey. For more information go to Keep Iowa Beautiful.
Social Studies and Social Emotional Learning
There's a strong connection between social studies, one of the disciplines where students often get the most access to the concept of windows and mirrors, and social emotional learning. Best practices in the teaching and learning of social studies emphasize how important it is to ensure students have a chance to see elements of the curriculum that reflects or mirrors their own life and are shown windows into the lives of others. CASEL just released a major report on social emotional learning. Check it out here.
Submit a Proposal for the 2019 ICSS Conference
Consider submitting a proposal for the 2019 ICSS conference. The conference takes place September 30, 2019. This year's theme is Soaring with Social Studies: The Time Is Now. You can submit a proposal here.
First Freedom Wall
Living in an age of constantly changing technology creates a need to teach students the skills of discourse, debate and compromise. A large part of this education relies on students’ abilities to communicate with each other online. The First Freedom Wall engages students in the process of critical thinking and civility by opening their eyes to the experiences of their peers across the nation. Check it out here.
Civics 101 Podcast
New Hampshire Public Radio has published hundreds of podcasts about basic concepts in civics and government. Check them out at http://www.civics101podcast.org.
Bring the European Union Into Your Classroom
This website provides several resources (lesson plans, Model EU toolkits, EU simulations, educational games, etc.) about teaching the European Union. There is also information about a webinar coming up on February 21st!
First Amendment Library
Check out this brand new resource detailing the history of the First Amendment and landmark cases.
Council on Foreign Relations Campus
Explore free online resources for teaching and learning about international relations and U.S. foreign policy with CFR Campus. Check it out at https://www.cfr.org/campus/cfr-campus.
Media Literacy Resource
The News Literacy Project's Checkology virtual classroom is where students can learn to navigate today's challenging information landscape by mastering the skills of news literacy. Check it out at https://checkology.org/.
Global Education Resources
Are you passionate about bringing the world into your classroom? Check out this guide from the Longview Foundation that includes several links to global education resources.
New Timeline on the Holocaust
This new resource from Echoes and Reflections is a timeline that chronicles the key dates in the history of the Holocaust from 1933-1945. It also includes additional information about each event and video clips from survivors related to each event.
Teaching the Vietnam Era
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund has an entire curriculum to teach the Vietnam War entitled Echoes from the Wall. The curriculum is divided into four topics: Social, Military, Media, and Politics. Check it out here. This video outlines the role female nurses played in the war and this video focuses on the experiences of Native American Vietnam Veterans.
Bring the Constitution Into Your Classroom with Classroom Exchanges
Classroom Exchanges are online, synchronous discussions between classes around the country where students answer big, constitutional questions. The upcoming exchanges will explore First Amendment topics. Participating teachers receive planning materials including lesson plans and information on civil dialogue. Go here if you are interested in participating in the March 20th or here for the April exchange.
Witness to War
This website includes hundreds of oral histories from veterans from several U.S. wars, including WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Each clip is short and sorted by topic. The clips can also be sorted by branch of service, theaters, etc.
Resources on Teaching about the Vietnam and Iraq Wars
Check out this large collection of resources on teaching about the Vietnam and Iraq Wars from the Veterans National Education Program. You can view their full website, with additional resources, at http://v-nep.org/.
Download the 2019 Civic Calendar
Each year the National Constitution Center creates a "civic calendar" around a yearly theme. You can view the 2019 calendar here around the theme of the 1st Amendment.
Teaching about Religion
The Tanenbaum Foundation is giving away free copies of their Religion in My Neighborhood book. If you teach about world religions, go here to request your free copy.
Impact News- Current Events for K-5 Students
Check out Impact News. It provides up-to-date information on current events for K-5 students. The site is sorted by K-1, 2-3, and 4-5 so you can target the information to the age level of your students.
New Podcast about the Holocaust
12 Years that Shook the World is a new podcast from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Check it out here.
Several Resources from the Anti-Defamation League
Article on Inquiry Based Tasks in Social Studies
This article from Andrew Miller (Edutopia) outlines key elements of the Iowa Social Studies standards and the inquiry approach included in the standards.
2019 Summer Professional Development Opportunities
This spreadsheet contains over 80 different opportunities for free (or almost free) professional development for social studies teachers this summer. Options range from the America Bar Association to the White House Historical Association. Check it out here.
Forge of Innovation: The Springfield Armory and the Genesis of American Industry
July 7-12 and 21-26 - Springfield-Holyoke-Sturbridge-Greenfield-Northampton. Intensive hands-on practice in using primary sources to tell the story of how wartime needs transformed American manufacturing. This workshop includes a stipend of $1,200 and optional grad credit. Go to http://emergingamerica.org/neh-forge/ for more information.
Character Counts Workshop
The Ray Center is offering a limited number of professional-development scholarships for schools and districts interested in improving climate and culture.
Why should you attend? Our one-of-a-kind approach combines the common language of CHARACTER COUNTS! with the research-based strategies from Excellence with Integrity. This research-based approach can help young people to learn the skills to be well-rounded students (and future employees) of the 21st century, where excellence and ethics are critical components to success.
Our curriculum helps schools shape an intentional culture by teaching students skills that can
- increase academic achievement
- improve student retention
- enhance college and workforce preparation
- and reduce disciplinary problems.
Who should attend? Workshops are for school or district teams of 4-6 participants and must include a building or district administrator.
What is the cost? You are only required to provide the cost of materials, $600. This training is valued at $3,000.
Is there credit? Drake Graduate credit (1 hour) or license renewal credit (1 hour) is available for this training.
Choose from the following sessions held at our Des Moines training center:
June 19-21, 2019
June 25-27, 2019
July 15-17, 2019
For more information or to apply for a scholarship go here. Please contact Stephanie Oppel at 515-271-1910 or stephanie.oppel@drake.edu for questions.
Enroll in National Geographic Online Courses
National Geographic has a number of courses coming up related to our new standards including "Connecting the Geo-Inquiry Process to Your Teaching Practice" and their Educator Certification course, to name a few. Check out the full list here. In addition, our very own Alex Oberle (UNI) is offering the Geo-Inquiry course for graduate credit. Check out more information about that here.
Supreme Court Institute
Since 1995, over 1,300 social studies educators from across the country have come together in Washington, DC, for the Supreme Court Summer Institute for Teachers, a six-day teacher professional development program focused on improving teaching about the U.S. Supreme Court. The Institute is co-sponsored by the Supreme Court Historical Society. The Institute includes sessions led by Supreme Court experts, journalists, authors, and attorneys, who give social studies educators an in-depth understanding of how the Court chooses and decides cases and what it is like to argue before the Court. The Institute covers six recent cases. This exciting opportunity culminates with a visit to the Supreme Court building to hear decisions handed down and attend a private reception. The Institute prepares social studies educators to use and promote innovative teaching methods with current and past cases. Beyond the content-rich sessions and activities, social studies educators are also equipped with the skills and tools to train fellow teachers at home. The Institute will be held June 13-18 and June 20-25, 2019, and applications are due March 11, 2019. Check out their website to apply and for more information.
Great American Debate Series
American political history is full of principled, intense, and sometimes angry debate, from the era of the War for Independence through today. Perhaps the price of self-government in a diverse society is a sharp-elbowed disagreement over what government of, by, and for the people ought to do or not do, and how. Join us this year as we examine ten great debates, some of which were between two individuals, like those between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, while others were between groups in society, like the Patriots and Loyalists during the American Revolution. All serve as examples of strongly-held principles being worked out in the public square, each seeking to guide social and political affairs of the time. Go here to see webinars happening this spring.
WWII Memorial Teachers Conference
The 4th Annual Friends of the National World War II Memorial Teachers Network and Conference will have the theme of “Industry and Innovation During World War II” and it will feature sessions from fellow educators and WWII experts, site visits around DC, discussions with WWII veterans, and a remembrance ceremony at the WWII Memorial. The conference is free, including room, board, and up to $400 for a travel stipend. The dates of the conference are: Tuesday, July 16, 2019 - Saturday, July 20, 2019 and it will be held at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Go here for more information.
2019 History Teacher of the Year Award
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is seeking nominations for the 2019 National History Teacher of the Year. Each year they recognize first-rate K-12 teachers who find creative ways to bring history alive in their classrooms. Winners are selected from each state and US territory, and become finalists for the national award. The national award winner receives $10,000. State winners receive $1,000, an invitation to a 2019 teacher seminar, and free classroom materials. Nominate someone here. The deadline to submit a nomination is March 31, 2019.
Children's World Map Competition
Teachers--are you looking for a great art, science, or social studies project? Encourage your students to create an entry for the Barbara Petchenik Children's Map Competition 2019, for a chance to represent the United States as a national finalist at the International Cartographic Conference in Tokyo, Japan, from July 15-19, 2019. This map competition celebrates the creativity, imagination, artistry, and wisdom of child mapmakers. Students from your school may become representatives of the U.S. in a map exhibit featuring student entries from around the world, and the illustrations will be considered for greeting card, calendar, and poster designs for organizations such as UNICEF. All entries must be postmarked and mailed by March 1, 2019. Go here for more information.
TOPSS Essay Competition for High School Psychology Students
Students are invited to write an essay of no more than 3,000 words that addresses the topic of research with nonhuman animals in psychology. The essay should describe the role and relevance of nonhuman animal research in psychology, by referencing peer-reviewed research with nonhuman animals. Students will describe a hypothetical study that complies with and references nonhuman animal research guidelines. The essay should also address the implications of not conducting psychological research with nonhuman animals. The submission deadline is March 8, 2019. Go here for more information.
2019 Law Related Teacher of the Year
One Elementary/Middle School teacher and two High School teachers will be chosen as the ALA LRE 2019 Teachers of the Year. Each winner will be presented a $1500 award at the Annual Meeting of the American Lawyers Alliance in San Francisco on August 10, 2019. An additional $500 for hotel and travel expenses will be given to each recipient who attends the Awards ceremony. The application deadline is March 15, 2019. Please visit the ALA website at www.americanlawyersalliance.org for information about the ALA Teacher of the Year program.
National Civics Education Essay Contest
The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) is sponsoring its sixth annual national civics education essay contest for elementary, middle and high school students. In commemoration of Law Day, May 1, NCSC is asking students to answer the following questions:Should there be limits to free speech? Why or why not? Submissions will be divided into three groups: 3rd-5th graders; 6th-8th graders; and 9th-12th graders. Entries for all grade levels must be 100 words or less and typed and submitted online at www.ncsc.org/contest. There are cash prizes of up to $500 for the 1st place category in high school and up to $250 in elementary school. Submissions are due February 22nd.
Abdelkader Project
The Abdelkader Prize for Educators (with monetary awards and honors) encourages middle/high school teachers and college/university professors to use AEP curricula in ways that suit learning objectives in history, social studies, geography, military, religion, biography, and leadership classrooms. For curricula in varying stages of development, please view AEP Curricula. The Educator Prize is open January 15 to June 15, 2019. Awards are: 1st Place $1,500; 2nd Place $1,000; and 3rd Place $500. Find details at www.abdelkaderproject.org/about-the-contests/.
Herstory: Women in American History
This resource encourages teachers to integrate the story of women into American history. With the one hundredth anniversary of suffrage, it is tempting to see the story of American women as the fight to achieve the vote, but this work includes the stories of women from colonial America through recent history. The resource contains 20 bell-ringer activities – short activities, based on primary sources that can be incorporated into American history and civics classrooms. You can download the book for free at https://www.nhd.org/women-history.
Women's History App
After the Spark Movement noticed that Google’s daily doodles featured women only 17% of the time, they reached out to the tech giants. Google agreed with them, and the two have worked together to feature more history-making women. In addition, SPARK was invited to actively research and honor notable women through a mapping project powered by Google’s Field Trip app. Check out more information here.
Other Resources
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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