Elementary Social Studies Needs Assessment 

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction K-12 Social Studies Team is seeking to continue to provide support for Elementary Social Studies

Tell us how we can support you! 

If you are an elementary teacher or support social studies, please take the Elementary Social Studies Survey, so we can gather information to determine how the NCDPI Social Studies Team can best address the needs of K-5 educators in North Carolina. 

Take the Elementary Social Studies Survey today!

Join the Museum in an Archaeological Excavation Can You Dig It?

The Museum of the Cape Fear and the North Carolina Civil War & Reconstruction History Center are sponsoring an archaeology summer field school. The field school is open to 10 teachers from across the state. We are asking each teacher to be willing to be paired with one student. Both teachers and students must apply. Applicants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

• Travel expenses for teachers, including gas, lodging and meals, are covered.

• Teachers will earn CEUs toward certification renewal.

A professional archaeologist will guide and instruct teachers as they participate in an excavation of Arsenal Park. The course is designed to introduce teachers to the methods of scientific archaeology and explore ways to use this experience in your classroom.

This is a unique opportunity for teachers and students.There are two week-long sessions to choose. 

 Excavation dates are:

• July 23-27 and 
• July 30-August 3, 2018

For more information and an application, contact Leisa Greathouse at 910-500-4243, or by email at leisa.greathouse@ncdcr.gov. 

First Vote: Sign Up in Time for the Midterm Election

More than 37,000 NC students in 49 NC counties have participated in First Vote.

Sign up for this free resource and you will have access to:

• Simulation election that provides students with a ballot identical to that of your school precinct. Students can vote on phones or computers.
• Private teacher discussion platform hosted by Participate
• Lesson plan portfolio developed for NC high school teachers
• Voting data for students to analyze that includes election outcomes, issue-based question outcomes, and contextual demographic information.

If young people have a chance to practice voting every year, voting becomes a habit that that will stay with them for a lifetime. Join EdNC’s First Vote initiative and make North Carolina a leader in cultivating civically engaged and informed young people. For more information, please contact Hunter Buxton at hbuxton@ednc.org or 919-605-5317.

North Carolina Teaching Asia Network (NCTAN)

North Carolina Teaching Asia Network (NCTAN)/ National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA) will hold funded seminars for K-12 teachers (up to 25 in-service teachers) --- “China Now” on August 9 and “How to prepare students for a study tour to Japan” on September 29. An attendance certificate will be provided. 

For more information, visit http://nctan.org

Professional Development Opportunities from the Duke-UNC Consortium for Middle East Studies

Fully-Funded Educator Tour to Qatar & Oman with Qatar Foundation Int'l & GEEO

WOW! QFI and GEEO are partnering on a Winter Tour 2018 to Qatar and Oman, December 23, 2018 - January 3, 2019.

This is a fully-funded cultural immersion trip for up to fifteen K-12 educators. Educators will explore Doha, Qatar and visit renowned museums such as the Museum of Islamic Art, explore different ecosystems throughout the country and visit educational institutions to gain a better understanding of the country’s education system. After visiting Qatar, educators will travel to Oman to journey through the city of Muscat and enjoy the natural landscapes and history of the country including visits to the Wahiba Sands desert and Wadi Nahkr, known as the Grand Canyon of Oman. For the complete program announcement, including full details regarding the trip and application process, please visit here or you can visit GEEO's website here. QFI will close the application process upon the submission of 150 applications or on Friday, June 22, 2018. To apply, you must register and complete the application in QFI’s Grants Management Portal, FluidReview, at http://qfi.fluidreview.com- don’t wait! Apply for this!

Resources to connect your classroom with classrooms abroad:

Planning your curriculum for next year? Consider incorporating a virtual exchange. Here are some programs to check out over the summer:

• Empatico: Collaborate with classrooms around the world on curriculum activities.
• Know My World: A global education resource that utilizes virtual exchange to connect learners around the world and spread cultural awareness.
• One World Classrooms: A global exchange (using technology) through children’s art.
• U.S. Peace Corps World Wise Schools program: Letter or content exchanges set up by Peace Corps volunteers in various countries.
• IREX (a U.S. State Department program) Global Solutions project: Connects high school or community college classrooms in virtual exchanges with students in other countries.
• Virtual Exchange Program (VEP): Offers K12 school educators in the US and Turkey the opportunity to internationalize their classrooms by an intercultural project-based learning course conducted by the International Education and Resource Network (iEARN).
• Steven’s Initiative: Helps organizations in the US and MENA region to connect to expand virtual exchange programs.

25 Most Influential American Muslims:

CNN spent a year interviewing more than 100 American Muslims, asking who they think are the most influential Muslims in their fields. The result is this crowd-sourced list of 25 influential American Muslims. They are comedians and congressmen, activists and Olympians, fashionistas and political fighters, converts and from-the-cradle believers. They are the children of immigrants and African-Americans whose roots in this country reach back centuries. A good resource to show students the diversity of the American Muslim community and experience – each person has a small video and paragraph description.

Webinar: Language Resources for Teachers and Schools:

On June 22nd, from 1:00-2:30pm ET, the U.S. Department of Education will be hosting a special event/webinar with the aim of sharing language resources with teachers and schools. TO ATTEND ONLINE: Visit the EDStream website at 1pm ET on June 22nd at https://tinyurl.com/June22atED.

The Middle East and Islam: Essential Understanding for Virginia Secondary School Teachers, July 16-18, 9am-4pm, Shenandoah University
While this is geared towards Virginia teachers, I believe that it is open to others, as well. Participants will master the essential understanding and knowledge requirements of the Virginia Department of Education History and Social Science Standards of Learning in World Geography and World History related to the North African and Southwest Asia/Middle East regions and the religion of Islam. The program is FREE, but I don’t know if travel funding is available; Registration required (limited to 30 participants). For more information, visit here or contact Dr. Cal Allen,callen@su.edu.

Lots of great Reminders:
Apply to the 2018 World View Global Education Leaders Program
Today’s globally connected world requires that we prepare students to become globally competent, global citizens of the world who are able to work collaboratively across cultures. World View’s Global Education Leaders Program brings together current and aspiring leaders from K-12 schools, districts and community colleges for an intensive examination of global issues that impact students and their communities. Throughout the program, participants are led by expert university faculty as they engage in dialogue about key global topics and explore leadership strategies for incorporating global themes in their schools, districts and community colleges. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. 
Dates: June 18-22nd
Venue: UNC Center for School Leadership Development
Register today! https://worldview.unc.edu/global-education-leaders-program-2018/

Qatar Foundation and MEOC Educator Book Grant Program: Qatar Foundation International (QFI), in partnership with the Middle East Outreach Council (MEOC), is pleased to offer its Educator Book Program which will provide K-12 educators with the opportunity to obtain up to three classroom sets of books recognized by the MEOC Annual Book Awards. The MEOC Book Awards recognize outstanding books that contribute to a more meaningful understanding of the Middle East on an annual basis, and includes picture books, youth literature and youth nonfiction titles. Grant applications will be accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year and are open to K-12 educators in public and public charter schools. To view the full grant announcement including application requirements and grant conditions, please click here. To apply to the grant program, please visit QFI’s grants management portal, FluidReview, at qfi.fluidreview.com. For any questions regarding the application or program, please contact culture@qfi.org.

Social Studies and CTE Teachers are Ranked in Top 100 for Teaching Personal Financial Literacy

Working in Support of Education (W!se), a New York City-based, national educational nonprofit, announced this month the 2018 “100 Best W!se High Schools Teaching Personal Finance” rankings. Two North Carolina high schools, West Forsyth High School (Teachers Leslie Martin, Social Studies and Beth Byrd, CTE) and East Rowan High School (Teacher, Cindy Adkins, CTE), were recognized on this list. The ranking is announced each year in April, which is National Financial Literacy Month.

W!se created the “100 Best W!se High Schools Teaching Personal Finance” list, now in its sixth year, to recognize schools of excellence in its national network of participants in its Financial Literacy Certification program. The 100 Best Schools rankings represent 18 out of the 46 states that participated in the program last year with enrollments ranging from 76 students in the smallest school, York River Academy in VA, to 3,841 at the largest, Forest Hills High School in Queens, NY. And, in an era when nearly two-thirds of Americans cannot pass a basic financial literacy test according to FINRA, 94 percent of students in the 2018 100 Best Schools rankings earned W!se’s Financial Literacy Certification based on their coursework throughout the year and their performance on W!se’s Certification Test.

“Preparing our young people for a life of financial wellness through personal finance education is of the utmost importance,” said Phyllis Frankfort Perillo, Founder, President and CEO of W!se. “W!se is honored to showcase the top 100 schools and congratulate their incredible teachers, administrators and students for this outstanding achievement.”

The “100 Best” is the first and only national ranking in the field of personal finance education and is determined based on the average Certification Test score from each school with consideration given to the number of test takers and the socio-economic background of the students at each school.

W!se’s award-wining Financial Literacy Certification program provides schools with the curriculum and resources to support their personal finance instruction and to measure students’ financial literacy when they take the Financial Literacy Certification Test. Students passing the Test become Certified Financially Literate™ a nationally recognized credential.

For the complete list of this year’s 100 Best schools, click here.

To view the promotional video with pictures from some of our NC students click here.

2019 Outstanding Social Studies Teacher of the Year

Congratulations to the 2018 Outstanding Social Studies Teacher of the Year: Lauren Piner!
 

The North Carolina Council for the Social Studies recognizes exemplary teaching in the field of social studies. Teachers may be nominated by an individual; preferably a principal, supervisor, or fellow teacher, or a group. Self-nominations are also accepted. The 2019 Social Studies Teacher of the Year Award is presented at the NCCSS Annual State Conference, February 28-March 1, 2019. 

The winner of the Social Studies Teacher of the Year Award will be presented an award check for $1,000 at the Conference Luncheon. The winner is encouraged to share his/her expertise and experiences by presenting on a session topic of his/her choice at the 2020 Annual Conference; if the winner chooses to do so, the NCCSS will also waive the Conference registration fee in 2020. In addition, the recipient will have an honorary appointment on the NCCSS executive board for one year of service.NCCSS looks forward to having the input of our Teacher of the Year!

If you have any questions about the NCCSS Teacher of the Year Award, please contact: Jeff Schneider at jschneid4@gmail.com.

 Application Deadline: October 1, 2018.

• Click here for the TOY nomination form
• Teacher of the Year Program Information

Other Opportunities

• Target Field Trip Grant- Target stores award field trip grants to K-12 schools nationwide. Each grant is valued up to $700. Target will be accepting grant applications between Aug. 1 and Oct. 1.
  
  
• Japanese Teaching Material Purchase Grant: This Japan Foundation program assists educational institutions in the U.S. purchase teaching materials for their Japanese-language courses by providing financial support. Deadline: September 15, 2018.
  
  
• IGT After School Advantage Program: IGT's After School Advantage Program provides qualifying nonprofit community agencies and public schools with digital learning centers. Deadline: Applications accepted on a rolling basis.
  
  
• Captain Planet Foundation Grants: The Captain Planet Foundation offers grants to promote the understanding of environmental issues through hands-on involvement. Deadlines vary.
  
  
• Awesome Foundation Grants: The Awesome Foundation is a global     community advancing the interest of awesome in the universe, $1,000 at a time. Each fully autonomous chapter supports awesome projects through micro-grants, usually given out monthly. Applications are ongoing.
  
  
• Teaching for Global Competence: The Center for Global Education is offering a new series of self-paced, online courses that make the Center's preeminent educator training program on teaching for global competence accessible to anyone for the first time. Try the first course for free!
  
  
• #GlobalEdChat: Join us weekly on Twitter for #GlobalEdChat, an hour-long discussion on current issues in global education. Thursdays at 8 pm Eastern time.