Seeking Middle and High School Teachers to Review NC Holocaust Curriculum 

The Gizella Abramson Holocaust Education Act of 2021 legislated the development of curriculum content, a state education department-developed elective course, and professional development to support the teaching and learning of the Holocaust and other genocides.

The North Carolina Council on the Holocaust, in consultation with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI), is facilitating the curation of resources and the development of curriculum content and professional development to ensure the intent and provisions of the Gizella Abramson Holocaust Education Act. 

The North Carolina Council on the Holocaust and NCDPI are seeking both middle and high school social studies and ELA teachers to participate in the first round of teacher input and feedback on curriculum content that has been developed for 6-12 classrooms.  A total of fifty teachers (twenty-five in each subject area) will be chosen from the eight SBE districts/regions to teach and provide professional feedback on lessons that have been prepared by N.C. middle and high school teachers.  

To apply to be one of the fifty teachers that will be chosen, please click on the link below. All applications are due by January 31, 2023. 

Apply Today:: https://bit.ly/teacherreview23

NCDPI K-12 Social Studies: 2022-2023 On-Demand Professional Learning Sessions

The new NC Social Studies Standards were approved in February 2021 for implementation in fall of 2021. The Civic Literacy and Economics and Personal Financial Literacy courses are legislatively required courses for all students that entered high school in 2021-2022 by the time they graduate. While there is some leeway with the high school courses, as districts can choose the sequence for their high school social studies courses, the new social studies standards should have been implemented K-8 for the 2021-2022 school year.  See the GRAD-004 Policy (updated link) and GRAD-004 Policy Chart for more information.

To support districts, schools, and teachers, the NCDPI Social Studies team are releasing or providing live professional learning sessions throughout the school year.  The following lists each session:

One-Stop Shop: Refresher on the SS Standards & Supports and Onboarding Materials for Teachers to New NC SS Classrooms

This professional development session will contain brief overviews of the standards and objectives for the newly adopted social studies standards. In addition to basic terms and ideas surrounding objectives, we will also cover resources and materials that currently exist for the newly adopted social studies standards. This session is recommended for beginning teachers and/or teachers new to teaching social studies in North Carolina.

American History

The American History on-demand professional development session will help teachers of the high school American History course determine how to approach curriculum decisions. Since the American History I and II courses have been condensed into one course, teachers need to make decisions about what concepts and topics will help them cover the required material in a timely fashion in alignment with the new standards.

Understanding the ECS and OCS Standards requirements for Social Studies

This was an informational webinar provided by K-12 Social Studies in collaboration with the Division of Exceptional Children. The intent of the session is to both respond to recurring questions about ECS and OCS standards for social studies and support district leaders’ understanding of these standards, their requirements, and their implementation. Listen to this session to:

• Gain a firm understanding of the Extended Content Standards (ECS) Social Studies standards, requirements and federal guidelines. 
• Gain a firm understanding of the Social Studies requirements of the Occupational Course of Study (OCS).

ELD & SS Webinar - Addressing the Needs of English Language Learners

The NC ELD Standards have been adopted. Teachers are responsible for using them in classroom instruction to address the needs of the ESL/ML student.  This professional development is designed to help social studies teachers, K-12, learn how to integrate the ELD/ML Standards into  Social Studies. ALL Social Studies educators and curriculum leaders, K-12, are strongly encouraged to attend. These PD sessions can be used as evidence for the NC Teaching Standards:

• Standard 2: Teachers Establish a Respectful Environment for a Diverse Population of Students
• Standard 3: Teachers Know the Content They Teach
• Standard 4: Teachers Facilitate Learning for Their Students
  
  

Teaching SS with Primary Sources

In this session you will learn from Elementary, Middle, and High School teachers who are using high quality primary sources to teach the NEW Social Studies Standards. This session will engage you with ideas for where to find and how to use primary source material to facilitate meaningful learning. Teacher presenters will walk you through lesson activities using high quality primary sources aligned to specific standards. An expert from the North Carolina State Archives will share examples of primary sources from their collection that would be impactful in supporting teaching and learning. Gain strategies and resources to build your personal primary sources toolbox!

Access all available Professional Learning Sessions

National Humanities Center: Summer Institute 

The National Humanities Center is partnering with the Ruth J. Simmons Center for Race and Justice at Prairie View A&M University to host the second annual “Teaching African American Studies Summer Institute”. During this week-long institute, participants will engage with literature and poetry, primary sources, and the historical record to center Black women in the African American identity.

All current K–12 educators are eligible for this program. However, this institute is primarily designed for middle grades (6–8) and secondary level (9–12) educators. The program will provide an immersive, hands-on learning experience to better understand the approaches and the historical perspective required to create and teach African American studies. Each day’s sessions will include readings and viewings, primary source analysis, and expert scholarship from NHC Fellows and other scholars of African American studies.

Applicants must be full-time educators for the 2023–2024 academic year. Participants will be selected from a competitive application pool. Each will receive a stipend for successful completion of the institute, and all travel expenses will be covered in full.

WHEN: July 10–14, 2023

APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 15, 2023 at 5:00 PM

LOCATION: National Humanities Center, 7 T.W. Alexander Dr., RTP, NC, 919-549-0661

Apply Here 

Want to earn take online courses and earn CEUs? For more information, email, info@nationalhumanitiescenter.org. 

Climate Generation

Climate Generation is a nationally recognized nonprofit providing interdisciplinary climate change education training and resources for over 17 years. They offer climate change education professional development opportunities for educators in science, humanities, and social studies, and author interdisciplinary resources. 

This winter Climate Generation has a series of virtual workshops around the best practices of climate change education. They invite you to join our next virtual workshop focusing on strategies for teaching climate change and centering Indigenous Rights in the battle towards climate justice. See below. Recordings, related resources, and supporting material can be found on the Teach Climate Network Hub.

Teach Climate Network Workshop: “We Will Not Drown, We Will Fight”: Teaching about Climate, Island Solidarity, and Indigenous Rights

Thursday, January 19th at 12:00-1:15pm CT

In this hands-on workshop, participants will engage with a suite of teaching activities centering the resistance of Indigenous Pacific Island peoples to environmental injustice and the climate crisis. The workshop explores both historical and recent experiences of different island territories and nations through engaging in role play and in connecting with the Pacific Climate Warriors movement through poetry. Attendees will leave with new ideas about what it means to “teach for climate justice” and creative pedagogical strategies that work across grade levels and content areas.

Register for this workshop

For more information or to learn more about Climate Generation and its educational resources and opportunities, contact Claire Cooke, Programs Coordinator, or email info@climategen.org. 

Dynamic Summer PD Opportunities for Social Studies Teachers in Historic Valley Forge, PA!

Enrich your knowledge and your classroom experience through the Freedom Foundation's critically acclaimed and accredited seminars! Teachers across the country are welcome to apply and stipends and scholarships are readily available!

They welcome many North Carolina educators every year and hope you can join this year.

2023 SEMINARS

• Frederick Douglass: Legacy and Impact -June 18-23, 2023 
• New Teacher Institute: Constitutional History  (for new teachers with 1-3 years’ experience) June 25-30, 2023 
• American Revolution South- July 9-14,2023
• Traveling Workshop Medal of Honor Legacy: Cold War July 16-21, 2023
• Women in American History July 23-28, 2023 
• Abraham Lincoln and His America July 30-August 4, 2023

You won’t want to miss this unique opportunity, so check out some the upcoming in-person seminars: www.freedomsfoundation.org/teachers/.

Carolina K-12 has Free, High-Quality Professional Development for K-12 Teachers

Carolina K-12 (formerly the NC Civic Education Consortium) is a program of UNC-Chapel Hill’s Carolina Public Humanities and works to extend the resources of the University to North Carolina’s K-12 educators. They offer quality professional development programs which include access to scholars on key topics, innovative lesson plans, and interactive pedagogical training.

Carolina K-12  programs support educators by:

• Deepening teacher content knowledge through exchanges with university scholars, authors, artists, performers, and other humanities professionals
• Exploring innovative teaching strategies through pedagogical training
• Offering ready-to-implement, effective and engaging curriculum materials
• Affirming Carolina’s strong appreciation for the difficult work of teachers and the challenges they face

If you would like more information about Carolina K-12, their upcoming events for teachers,  or if you have any questions, contact Paul Bonnici at bonnici@unc.edu.

The NC Social Studies Conference (NCCSS)! 

The North Carolina Council for the Social Studies is an organization that serves its members and provides support to social studies educators. Each year, NCCSS invites K-16 educators from across North Carolina to come to their conference. The conference is two days of amazing sessions, fun networking opportunities, and more! Register for the conference and consider presenting a session at the upcoming Social Studies Conference. You may also want to consider serving on the NCCSS Board or nominating someone you think would be an asset. . 

Register now for the state social studies conference!

Present a session at the conference

Nominate yourself or a colleague to serve on the NCCSS Board!

Stay up to date on the latest NCCSS news and opportunities by signing up to receive their newsletter. Access the latest NCCSS Newsletter .

Summer Employment Opportunities

Are you interested in working with exceptionally talented, intellectually engaged high school students in a thriving learning community this summer? If so, come join us at the NC Governor’s School.

NCDPI has openings in a variety of positions, ranging from Instructors to support staff to Teacher Assistant/Counselors (TACS). The summer session will be from June 12-July 15 for staff (June 18-July 15 for students) and will be at two campuses: Meredith College and Winston-Salem State University.  

Being on staff at NC Governor’s School will allow you to play a role in a life-changing summer for these amazing students. It’s an opportunity to work with students in an environment where creativity and curiosity are valued and learning takes place without the pressures of grades or tests. 

NCDPI will be reviewing applications and conducting interviews through an on-going process.

Position availability, job descriptions, and application are available Governor’s School Employment Information. 

For General Information on NC Governor’s School, please visit the NC Governor's School website.

If you have questions, please contact Rodney Allen at ncgovschool@dpi.nc.gov.

US Holocaust Memorial Museum:  Remembrance Activities for Educators

The United Nations General Assembly designated January 27—the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau—as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

On this annual day of commemoration, the UN urges every member state to honor the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and millions of other victims of Nazism and to develop educational programs to help prevent future genocides.

Explore the US Holocaust Memorial Museum’s suggestions for where to begin with lesson and teaching materials for English, language arts, and history courses. Resources also include survivor testimony, timeline activities, videos, and frequently asked questions.

Learn More

WATCH: Why We Remember Video

The W!se Financial Literacy Certification Program

The W!se Financial Literacy Certification Program  is an award-winning initiative that supports personal finance instruction in high schools and empowers students to become Certified Financially Literate. Participating schools teach a course or unit on personal finance and then administer our nationally-standardized Certification Test. The Test assesses students’ knowledge of personal finance topics, including money, credit, banking, insurance and investing. 

W!se is proud to have administered the educators certification exam to hundreds of North Carolina educators through its partnership with the NCCEE EPF summer professional development initiative. To support their instruction, we provide teachers with a curriculum outline, aligned to the North Carolina social studies curriculum, a resources directory, access to our online database of practice quizzes, monthly webinars featuring guest presenters, our optional pre-test, a pre-instruction tool that assesses students’ baseline knowledge. We have onboarded many schools in North Carolina this year and were able to subsidize the test fees through the generosity of a grant. While the grant funding has been exhausted and we must begin applying fees, we are pleased to offer you the program free of charge if you register in January. 

To take advantage of this promotional offer, please register HERE. If you are not ready to register at this time, there are grant funds available for social studies classes in North Carolina which you can consider using in the future.

For more information, contact dstipisic@wise-ny.org.

Don't miss this opportunity! Register Today!

NCDPI Social Studies: The American History Chronological Document Resource is Now Available! 

NCDPI Social Studies has an exciting new resource for American History! The American History Chronological Document tool is designed to help teachers find primary source examples that could be used in their instruction of specific objectives during specific chronological periods. This supplemental document provides potential sources that can be integrated into curriculum and lesson plans to provide students with additional materials to analyze and evaluate. Public School Units (PSUs) have local control to determine curriculum, therefore, the American History Chronological Document is not meant to be:

• curriculum
• an exhaustive list of primary sources,
• required to use for teaching and learning
• a checklist of documents that are required to use or access

In the footer of the document, there is a link where educators can recommend additional sources that can be used in certain time periods for specific objectives.

The new American History Chronological Document tool is live now and ready for you to use today!

Access other NCDPI created Resources

Disclaimer:  Because North Carolina is a local-control state, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) does not provide lists of resources outlining specific reading texts, books, authors, or other primary and secondary resources. Prior to use, the Social Studies leadership in local PSUs should carefully analyze the resources. Learn More  

NC Museum of History: African American Cultural Celebration Education Day 2023 Schedule and Registration

The Annual African American Cultural Celebration is held on the last Saturday of January and serves as the statewide kickoff to Black History Month in North Carolina. For over 20 years, this celebration has brought together African American community members, organizations, authors, artists, musicians, filmmakers, scholars, and more, around a central theme to highlight the contributions that African Americans, past and present, have made to North Carolina’s history and culture. Multiple demonstrations, presentations, and performances reach thousands of people, whether the celebration is held virtually or in person. 

A virtual Education Day was added in 2022. The NC Museum of History: African American Cultural Celebration Education Day 2023 will be on Thursday, January 26, 2023, from 9:00 am-2:30 pm. There will be free interactive virtual presentations and LIVE! streaming of storytelling. Details are forthcoming.

Learn More and Register

WeVideo for Schools Available for National History Day Teacher and Students 

N.C. History Day still has space available to provide FREE online video editing software to National History Day students (and their teachers) this school year.  WeVideo for Schools is COPPA- and FERPA-compliant making it safe and secure for students.  Teachers have access to monitor student work and make class videos of their own. The cloud based platform will allow students to work on video projects on multiple device types, switch between schoolwork locations, and help group projects work together even if working from different locations. Students do not need to be competition track to use the platform as long as they are using it for History Day projects at the class or school level. 

Teachers can email karen.ipock@ncdcr.gov to find out more and get them and their students set-up with access.

NCCSS Student Teacher Award

Attention Student Teachers -   There Is A $500 Check Just Waiting For You!

The North Carolina Council for Social Studies is offering a $500.00 scholarship to an undergraduate student of social studies. If you are a student enrolled in a teacher education program at a North Carolina college or university and are student teaching in a social studies classroom in Fall 2022 or Spring 2023, Apply today!

Don’t let this opportunity to share your passion and dedication for social studies pass you by.  Download an application today and apply to be our next NCCSS Student Teacher of the Year.

Requirement Information

Nomination form 

NCCSS Teacher Grants

The classroom teacher is essential to students’ acquisition of social studies content, skills, and understanding.  Innovative ideas in social studies instruction often lead to some of the most awe-inspiring classroom lessons and opportunities for learning.  But too often innovative ideas require funding and resources most teachers do not have.   The North Carolina Council for Social Studies (NCCSS) provides grants of up to $1,000 to help teachers make an even greater impact in their classroom, school district, and community through innovative social studies programs.

Forget about Go Fund Me.  Apply for an NCCSS Teacher Grant Today!

Access funding priorities, guidelines, and an application here

The NCCSS Rho Kappa National Social Studies Honor Society Scholarship

The North Carolina Council for Social Studies offers one North Carolina high school senior, an NC Rho Kappa National Social Studies Honor Society Scholarship. NCCSS offers this scholarship to one outstanding Rho Kappa member who exemplifies the core values of the national chapter. The scholarship is announced at the annual NCCSS conference. 

Amount Awarded: $500. 

Requirements:

1. Must be a senior in an active high school Rho Kappa National Social Studies Honor Society.
2. Must have completed six or more courses in the field of social studies by the time the senior graduates from high school.
3. Must demonstrate community service through Rho Kappa. 

To apply, complete the application form.

National History Day 2023 Teacher Award Nominations

N.C. History Day is now accepting nominations for the 2023 National History Day Teacher Awards at both the state and national levels. To qualify for either award level, a teacher just needs to use the National History Day program in their Middle or High School classroom for the 2022-23 school year. Teachers can teach in any discipline or be media coordinators. A Middle and High School teacher will each be selected for both level awards. The national award is $500 with a chance for $10,000, and the state level award is $250.

If you are a teacher that excels using the National History Day program, or know one that does, please consider sending in a nomination. Teachers can self-nominate, or be nominated by a peer, their students, or a parent. 

For the first step in the nomination process, please email karen.ipock@ncdcr.gov by Tuesday, January 31st, 2023 with the following:

• Teacher’s name
• Contact information (email, phone number, mailing address)
• School
• Grade Level(s)
• Subject
• Years of using NHD
• A short paragraph about how they use NHD, incorporate primary sources into their lessons, and other ways they get their students excited about historical research and exploration.

2023 Gilder Lehrman North Carolina History Teacher of the Year

The  2023 Gilder Lehrman History Teacher of the Year award will honor exceptional elementary and secondary school American history teachers (including state and local history). The national winner receives a $10,000 prize presented at an award ceremony in their honor in New York City. State winners receive a $1,000 prize, an archive of classroom resources, and recognition at a ceremony in their state. 

Nominations for the 2023 Gilder Lehrman History Teacher of the Year awards are now open. Students, parents, colleagues, and supervisors may nominate K-12 teachers for the award by visiting gilderlehrman.org/nhtoy.

IMPORTANT CALENDAR DATES

• Deadline for 2023 nominations: April 30, 2023
• Deadline for 2023 nominees to submit supporting materials: May 31, 2023

For more information, visit the eligibility page.

Subscribe and Connect with each Area in the Office of Academic Standards  

Do you want to stay up to date on the latest news, opportunities, resources, standards updates, etc. from one or more of the NCDPI Office of Academic Standards content areas? 

Sign up today to receive newsletters and announcements from the area(s) or topic(s) of your choice.

The Global Educator Digital Badge

The NCDPI Global Educator Digital Badge (GEDB)  provides an opportunity for educators to focus their professional development on developing their own global context and understanding of how to integrate global education throughout curricula. It also provides the opportunity to build global competency in students. The State Board of Education approved North Carolina Global Educator Digital Badge (GEDB) is available for the following educator categories: 

• Teacher 
• Teacher Leadership Specialist 
• Library Media Coordinator 
• Instructional Technology Facilitator 
• School Counselor 
• Career Development Coordinator 
• School Social Worker, School Psychologist 
• Speech-Language Pathologist 
• Instructional Central Office Staff 
• Principal/Assistant Principal, Superintendent 

Do you want to learn more about the Global Educator Digital Badge,
but only have a minute?

If so, then, watch this quick video.

You can also learn more from educators who have already earned the NCDPI Global Educator Digital Badge (GEDB). Watch as they share their thoughts on the benefits of getting the badge and how it has impacted their teaching.  The words of wisdom from the GEDB recipients may help you to make a decision about applying for the badge.

2021 GEDB Earners Words of Wisdom Video

2022 GEDB Earners Words of Wisdom Video

For more information on the Badge (SBE Policy, FAQs, Process Flyer, Implementation Guide, MOA), please visit NCDPI Global Education website or send an email to  NCGlobalEducation@dpi.nc.gov.