Inquiry In the Social Studies Classroom

5/1/2025-12/31/2025

This Canvas course is directed to those interested in learning about Inquiry.  The course is designed to equip social studies teachers with the knowledge, skills, and strategies to implement inquiry-based learning in their classrooms effectively. Inquiry-based learning fosters curiosity, critical thinking, and active engagement among students, enabling them to better understand social studies concepts and the world around them. Throughout this online course, learners will explore the inquiry indicators in the NC Social Studies Standards and discover practical ways to integrate this approach into their teaching practices. The course will guide learners in creating an inquiry-based learning environment that encourages student exploration, questioning, and independent thinking.

This course will take approximately 10 hours and is worth 1 CEU upon completion.

Find Character Education on Social Media

We’re excited to announce that Character Education in North Carolina now has official Facebook and Instagram pages! Follow us for the latest updates on Character Development, Service Learning, Student Leadership, and more:

• Facebook
• Instagram

Help us show that Character Matters in NC! If your school or district is doing something impactful in the areas of character, leadership, or service, we want to hear about it. Send your stories so we can help spotlight the great work happening across the state.

Important Reminder: Economics and Personal Finance Legislation and Required Professional Development from NCCEE

According to House Bill 924/Senate Law 2019-82, Economics and Personal Finance (EPF) teachers and prospective Economics and Personal Finance (EPF) teachers are required to receive professional development provided by the North Carolina Council on Economic Education (NCCEE). "When practicable, teachers shall complete the EPF professional development course prior to teaching the EPF course in public schools. If necessary, teachers may begin teaching the EPF course in public schools while awaiting the next possible opportunity to complete a session of the EPF professional development course". 

To learn more about the EPF legislation, the EPF course, and EPF required PD, please 
view this updated informational slideshow.

This Summer: Complete Your Required Economics and Personal Finance Professional Development with NCCEE!

Are you teaching or planning to teach the Economics and Personal Finance (EPF) course? This summer, the North Carolina Council on Economic Education (NCCEE) is offering seven opportunities to complete the EPF Institute, which is a state-legislated requirement for all current and prospective EPF teachers.

The EPF Institutes provides 40 hours of high-quality professional development that fully addresses the content and pedagogy of every EPF standard. Led by experienced NCCEE Master Teachers (fellow classroom educators) this training is designed to provide you with practical tools and deep content knowledge to support student success.

What’s included:

• 40 hours of PD and a certificate of completion
• $500 stipend
• Opportunity to earn the W!SE Financial Literacy Certification
• Breakfast and lunch for in-person sessions
• Lodging provided if traveling more than 60 miles one way
• You may even be eligible to attend again if you last completed the Institute in 2020 or 2021.

Don’t miss your chance to meet the requirement and gain valuable knowledge, tools, and support.

For information on dates and locations visit www.nccee.org/events.

Re-Engage 2025: NC Local Government & You

K-12 educators are invited to join the NC City & County Managers Association and Carolina K-12 for “Re-Engage 2025,” a free, experiential two-day deep dive into North Carolina local government, which centers on its relevance to our everyday lives. This hands-on adventure will include time at DNCR’s NC Transportation Museum, where teachers will be treated to dinner on the Museum’s train!

2025 Belfer National Conference for Holocaust Education

Participate Virtually in Real Time: June 23–25 

Watch On Demand: Following Live Sessions

Coming Together to Inspire Students to Ask Why

At this free, virtual conference, discover the latest practices in accurate, meaningful teaching about the Holocaust with leading historians and educators. Bring the US Holocaust Memorial Museum's collection into your classroom with instructional strategies and resources. These materials highlight survivor testimonies, artifacts, diaries, and historical documents to support instruction across subject areas and inspire all students to think critically about how and why the Holocaust happened.

At this year’s free, virtual conference, find new sessions that demonstrate how to integrate Holocaust history into both social studies and English instruction to deepen student learning and engagement.

New sessions for 2025 will explore a broad range of topics, such as:

• Accessible Holocaust Literature Across Disciplines
• Photo Analysis for All Classrooms
• Holocaust History and Literature: Building Close Reading Skills
• Examining Survivor Testimony in Historical Context

Institute for Curriculum Services: Summer Institutes

Join ICS this summer for our 2025 Virtual Summer Institutes!

The Institute for Curriculum Services (ICS) Summer Institutes are professional development programs held virtually on Zoom during the summer months. Though the Summer Institutes are designed for middle and high school social studies and ELA teachers, the programs are open to any teacher at any accredited school who will be teaching during the next school year. Teachers of subjects other than social studies/ELA may apply but should explain in their application how they plan to incorporate the lesson topics into their curriculum.

The ICS Summer Institutes provide an in-depth learning experience on our various curricular offerings. Participants will deepen their content knowledge, gain new teaching strategies, and collaborate with fellow educators. This year they are excited to offer two tracks:

1. Jewish History

2. Teaching the History of the Arab-Israeli Conflict Using Primary Sources

How much do Summer Institutes cost?

Free!- No cost

In addition, participants who complete a program will receive a stipend.

NextGen Personal Finance News & Opportunities

Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF) is an endowment-funded nonprofit that provides no cost personal finance curriculum and professional development that is not legislatively required. Some of their latest opportunities include: 

• FinCamp Information: NGPF is hosting a free in-person summer professional learning opportunity for North Carolina teachers on Thursday, June 26th in Charlotte, NC. Teachers will have the opportunity to dive into NGPF’s free personal finance curriculum and resources, expand their network, and more. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Teachers can register here! There is an attached flyer that you can send to your teachers. 
  
  
• Econ Collection Overview: You've asked and we've listened! NGPF has been building out economics resources that you can use in tandem with our personal finance curriculum. Check out the resources in the economics collection here.
  
  
• NC-Specific Crosswalk: NGPF's newly updated crosswalk maps how NGPF’s Semester Course lessons and supplemental resources align to the state standards. Review the summary page at the bottom of the crosswalk to see if any standards are not met by NGPF resources.

2025 NGPF Summer FinCamp Flyer.pdf

Library of Congress's Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) program.

Discover a treasure trove of resources designed to enrich your classroom and professional growth through the Library of Congress's Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) program.

Engage your students with authentic historical materials—photographs, maps, manuscripts, and more—that bring history to life. Utilize the Primary Source Analysis Tool to guide students in critical thinking and inquiry-based learning.

Access a wealth of teacher-created resources, including

• Primary Source Sets: Curated collections on topics like the Civil Rights Movement and the Cold War.
• Lesson Plans: Standards-aligned plans to seamlessly integrate into your curriculum.
• Presentations: Multimedia resources to enhance classroom instruction.
• Elementary Primary Resources: Introduce K–5 students to civics and history through KidCitizen, an interactive platform where children explore primary source photographs and connect them to their daily lives.

Enhance your skills with various professional learning options:

• Onsite Workshops: Participate in immersive sessions at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
• Webinars: Join live online sessions led by education specialists.
• Self-Paced Modules: Learn at your own pace with online modules focused on teaching with primary sources.
• Customized Workshops: Request tailored professional learning experiences for your school or district.
• Teacher in Residence Program: Apply to work directly with the Library's education staff, developing resources that support educators nationwide.

Start your journey: https://www.loc.gov/programs/teachers/about-this-program/

Junior Achievement: Helping Educators Find the Right Solution for Your School 

As a dynamic solution provider, Junior Achievement (JA) strives to bridge critical gaps in education and community development. For educators, JA offers innovative programs and resources that empower students with essential life skills, including financial literacy, career readiness, and entrepreneurship. Programs are available for youth from kindergarten through high school in a range of different types of learning experiences.

For more information, please call or email Junior Achievement, and they will connect you with a helpful JA Program Manager to answer any question you may have. Additionally, they can set up a Discovery Meeting with you to better understand your goals, needs and explore potential solutions.

Flyer: JA Program Resources.pdf

Bring North Carolina History to Life with a FREE DocsBox from the State Archives!

This summer the State Archives of North Carolina will launch a free DocsBox program statewide. Each archival box contains ten or more primary source sets, complete with lesson plans and activities. Two options are available for middle and high school during the America 250 NC commemoration: the State Constitution, which includes 1776, 1868, and 1971 constitutions and significant amendments; and Revolutionary NC, exploring a variety of compelling stories. A Revolutionary NC elementary version is also available with materials designed for grades 3-5.

All DocsBoxes include select reproductions of primary sources from the State Archives, aligning with social studies and language arts curriculum standards, as well as some activities related to visual arts standards. Thanks to funding from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, the State Archives will produce and distribute 200 boxes of materials for free to public schools, while supplies last. To request one or more, contact Jocelyn Wright.

9/11 Day of Service Grants

Youth Serve America's We Serve to Remember 9/11 Day of Service Grants are for organizations, schools, and youth ages 5 to 25 to lead service projects on or around September 11, 2025. Programming efforts should also honor and pay tribute to those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, their families, and those who rose in service in response to that tragedy. (We suggest starting with these eleven reflections about 9/11/01 and related ideas for service or service-learning projects.)

This year, YSA will award up to 60 grants of $1,000 each. Grantees are required to engage at least 100 youth as volunteers in planning and implementing the service activities.

• Projects must be youth-led;
• Projects must include elements to honor and pay tribute to those who lost their lives on 9/11, their families, and those who rose in service in response;
• Projects must take place on or around September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance (September 11, 2025);
• Project organizers must make their best effort to recruit and engage youth volunteers who are not usually asked to serve; and 
• Applicants must be based in the United States, and activities must benefit people in the United States. This includes American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Washington, DC.

Reflecting on the spirit of togetherness that brought people together in the days, weeks, and months after September 11th, we are especially looking for ideas that bring together all members of the community.

Access New Content in the External Implementation Guide: A Place for All Standards Resources

The Office of Academic Standards is excited to announce a new Canvas site to support the standards implementation process. The External Implementation Guide Canvas Page is a repository for all North Carolina Standard Course of Study (NCSOS) stakeholders. This repository provides a variety of resources for supporting administrators, educators, and parents during the implementation of the Standard Course of Study for each content area. The range of resources offers users an opportunity to determine their own specific needs and find materials that suit them.

New Content: Spanish Translation Documents

• Arts Education
• English Language Development
• Healthful Living
• Science
• Social Studies
• Student Success Standards
• World Languages

This Canvas repository can be accessed with or without a Canvas account. Browse through resources to help you learn, plan, instruct, review, and inform yourself or others.

• External Standards Implementation Guide.pdf

Honors PD Day:

Dive into a day of learning evidence-based teaching methods designed to boost student engagement and learning outcomes for honors-level courses.

Our Teacher Sandbox offers:

• Instructional Strategies
• Cross-Content PLCs
• Support for Honors Level Course Evaluation and Development
• Content Areas: Science, Social Studies, CTE, ELA, World Languages

Access Flyer: Honors Level Coursework Summer PD Day.pdf

Register Today! 

Honors Team Planning Day:

Spend the day with your district team to plan how the Honors Policy will be implemented as you begin the 2025-2026 school year. This day will give you the opportunity to step away from your traditional work setting and brainstorm and plan as a team without outside distractions. While this component of the day is not a presentation style, there will be an opportunity for you to ask questions with members of the NCDPI Honors Team.

Access Flyer: Honors Level Coursework Planning Day.pdf

Register Today!

Summer 2025 NCDPI Conferences:
Standards Academy and The Growing Success for MLs Summer Conference

The Office of Teaching and Learning (formerly the Office of Academic Standards) is excited to present the Growing Success for Multilingual Learners (MLs) Summer Conference in conjunction with the Standards Academy. Both conferences will give educators the opportunity to attend both events in one convenient setting!

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.

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