January 2023 Social Studies Newsletter

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Header: OK Social Studies

January 2023


Welcome Back!

New Year's Fireworks

Welcome Back! I hope you were able to rest over the break and have started the new semester refreshed and with new goals. January is also the birthday month of our United States Flag. New Year's Day was the first day an early version of the flag was flown. Visit the National Archives for more resources celebrating our flag. 


International Holocaust Remembrance Day

The United Nations General Assembly has designated January 27, the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The United Nations has urged every member state to honor the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and to develop educational programs to help prevent future genocides. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has many resources for this remembrance day. 

Oklahoma's Holocaust education law (70 O.S. § 11-103.6o) states that beginning in the 2022-23 school year, Holocaust education shall be taught to students in grades 6-12 as prescribed in the Oklahoma Academic Standards for Social Studies and be taught in a manner that generates an understanding of the causes, course, and effects of the Holocaust. To support school districts, resources related to the causes, series of events, and effects of the Holocaust can be found here and sources related to the Nuremberg Trials can be found here. Additional resources supporting the implementation of the Oklahoma Academic Standards for grades 6-12 can be found in the Oklahoma Curriculum Frameworks


Oklahoma Council for the Social Studies State Conference

Oklahoma Council for the Social Studies Conference Logo

The annual OCSS state conference is coming February 1, 2023 at OSU-Tulsa! OCSS membership is included in your conference registration. Draft schedule and registration link


National Archives Bill of Rights Workshop for Elementary Educators

Flier for Elementary National Archives workshop

Registration link 


National Archives Primary Source Pedagogy

National Archives Primary Source PLC Flier

Interest Form


Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute

Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence Logo

Revolutionize  the way you teach American History!

Apply today for the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute fellowships for fifth and eighth grade teachers. 

Oklahoma Fifth Grade Teacher Institute - June 4-10, 2023 in Williamsburg, Virginia

Oklahoma Eighth Grade Teacher Institute - June 11-17, 2023 in Williamsburg, Virginia

  • Explore Colonial Williamsburg, the world's largest living history museum and            nearby Jamestown and Yorktown
  • Meet character interpreters of 18th-century people
  • Enjoy immersive experiences throughout the Colonial Williamsburg Historic              Area
  • Meet daily with a master teacher to discuss interactive teaching techniques and          develop creative lesson plans
  • Fellowships cover all program activities, airfare, lodging and most meals
  • Each teacher receives a $300 stipend for classroom materials
  • The program is administered by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence and            funded through support from the Joullian family of Oklahoma City and a group          of loyal donors. 
  • Application deadline is February 1st!

                                                   Learn More and Apply


Cold War Webinar

Join Retro Report and The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza for Kennedy and the Cold War: Berlin to Cuba and Beyond. This free educator webinar will feature films, lessons and resources. A new Retro Report film about the Cuban Missile Crisis will be screened, and resources will be shared for approaching the Cold War.

Register now to join on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023 from 6:00-7:00 p.m. CT: bit.ly/RR-ColdWarWebinar


National Geographic Slingshot Challenge

Entries are due for the National Geographic Slingshot Challenge February 24, 2023. Nat Geo is awarding five $10,000 prizes for the top videos submitted. To encourage participation, OKAGE is also offering prizes to the top three entries to students and teachers in Oklahoma and to the first 75 students and their teachers who submit an entry to the competition. Students must be 13-18 years of age to participate.

Details are available here: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/society/projects/slingshot/

For the Oklahoma competition, see the Slingshot graphic on the OKAGE homepage of the website: https://okageweb.org/


White House History Teacher Institute

The White House History Teacher Institute is a one week professional development program that explores American history through the lens of the White House and fosters collaboration among teachers to bring stories in White House history into their own classrooms. The Institute welcomes K-12 teachers from many subjects including history, government, civics, social studies, language arts, and fine arts. In Summer 2023, the Institute will host two iterations—one from July 10-14 and another from July 17-21. Participating teachers receive free, shared housing at a local hotel, a participation stipend, and reimbursement of some travel expenses. 

Click here for more information.


Elementary Ed Chats

Stay tuned for information about more OSDE Elementary Ed Chats coming up soon.  See below for recordings from our previous Elementary Ed Chats.

If you would like to provide input about future topics, complete this survey

October 2022 - Meet the OSDE Elementary Team

See the recording and presentation slides to learn more about the OSDE elementary content directors and their favorite classroom strategies.   

December 2023 - Tackling Challenging Behaviors: Starting Fresh in the New Year

See the recordingpresentation slides and session notes to learn more about strategies to manage difficult behavior. 


Vets in Schools

In 2019, the American Legion started a program in Oklahoma schools called Vets in Schools. Speakers are members of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Daughters of the American Revolution, and Sons of the American Revolution and will speak on patriotism, U.S. History, and their military experiences. In some areas of the state, speakers would be available to appear in period dress and discuss their ancestor's experience in the War of Independence. For more information contact Ken Wyatt at ken@nwed.net and please put Vets in School in the subject.