Social Studies Newsletter
Thank you for subscribing to the TEA social studies newsletter.
This issue of the TEA social studies newsletter provides information on the following topics:
- Holocaust Remembrance Week: January 22-26, 2024
- Seeing the Humanity in Each of Us: The Lessons of the Armenian Genocide
- Social Studies Timely Topic: Holocaust and Genocide
- Social Studies Stakeholder Engagement Sessions: February 2024
- and Personal Financial Literacy and Economics
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- The Texas Virtual School Network (TXVSN) Can Help Meet Students’ Social Studies Course Needs
- Apply for Assessment Educator Committees
Holocaust Remembrance Week is January 22-26, 2024.
State law requires that school campuses use the week to teach about the Holocaust using resources developed or approved by the Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission (THGAAC).
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Social Studies Timely Topic: Holocaust and Genocide
To support Texas social studies educators and stakeholders, the social studies newsletter occasionally highlights a commonly asked question and response focused on a timely social studies topic. This edition’s timely topic question is below.
Question: “Which courses have TEKS related to the Holocaust and genocide?
Response: Several middle school and high school courses have TEKS related to the Holocaust and genocide. Some samples are listed below. For additional samples, see the THGAAC web page Holocaust and Genocide-related TEKS.
(9) Government. The student understands the concepts of limited and unlimited governments. The student is expected to:
(C) identify and describe examples of human rights abuses by limited or unlimited governments such as the oppression of religious, ethnic, and political groups.
(7) History. The student understands the domestic and international impact of U.S. participation in World War II. The student is expected to:
(C) analyze major issues of World War II, including the Holocaust; the internment of Japanese Americans and Executive Order 9066; and the development of atomic weapons
(21) Citizenship. The student understands the historical development of significant legal and political concepts related to the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. The student is expected to:
(D) identify examples of genocide, including the Holocaust and genocide in Armenia, the Balkans, Rwanda, and Darfur
(18) Culture. The student understands the ways in which cultures change and maintain continuity. The student is expected to:
(B) assess causes and effects of conflicts between groups of people, including modern genocides and terrorism
Social Studies Stakeholder Engagement Sessions: February 2024
February Topic:
The social studies team at TEA is committed to enhancing opportunities for stakeholder engagement across the state of Texas. Social Studies Stakeholder Engagement Sessions allow the TEA social studies team to expand information sharing and interaction with stakeholders. Each session has a different informational focus and includes a fifteen-to-twenty-minute presentation from TEA staff, followed by an opportunity for general questions and discussion related to social studies. Stakeholder engagement sessions will be provided on two different days at two different times (during and outside of the school day) to provide stakeholders multiple opportunities to attend. The information shared will be the same in each meeting. All social studies stakeholders (parents, teachers, administrators, etc.) are invited to attend by registering below.
February Topic: Social Studies STAAR
Target Audience: Social Studies Stakeholders- Teachers, District Administrators, Campus Administrators, Education Service Center Specialists, Parents, Professional Organizations
Dates & Times
Monday, February 26th, 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Registration Link
Tuesday, February 27th, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Registration Link
You can access the TEA presentations from the previous stakeholder engagement sessions on the TEA social studies web page.
Financial Literacy and Economics
The State Board of Education (SBOE) adopted instructional materials for Personal Financial Literacy and Economics and other courses under Proclamation 2024 at its November 2023 meeting. The list of adopted materials and the TEKS Not Addressed report are available in the Proclamation 2024 section of the Proclamations webpage. The final Report of Required Corrections, cumulative Report of New Content, and the cumulative Report of Editorial Changes will be posted to the Proclamation 2024 section of the Proclamations webpage by the end of January. The changes or corrections on these three reports must be made by the publishers in the final versions of instructional materials provided to schools as a condition of adoption by the SBOE.
Black
Each year, during February, we celebrate the history and cultural contributions of Black Americans in the United States. Students learn about the achievements, perspectives, struggles, and experiences of Black Americans throughout more than 400 years of American history. The TEA web page for Black History Month provides a variety of resources that can be used to honor Black History Month.
The Texas Virtual School Network (TXVSN) Can Help Meet Students’ Social Studies Course Needs
Need help meeting a student’s social studies course needs?
The Texas Virtual School Network (TXVSN) can help meet students’ needs through TEA-approved online courses. The TXVSN statewide course catalog provides schools and students access to high school, Advanced Placement, career and technical education, and dual credit courses for initial credit or credit recovery. The course catalog provides fifteen unique social studies courses to help students meet their learning goals and graduation requirements.
The TXVSN courses are aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and taught by Texas-certified teachers trained in best practices in online instruction. Schools can use the TXVSN courses to create flexibility in a student’s schedule, allow a student to accelerate their learning, or address local teacher shortages. Students enrolled in a TXVSN course can generate funding regardless of whether the student is physically present at school while participating in the course. For more information about the courses offered through the TXVSN, please visit the TXVSN website or contact the TXVSN Help Desk.
Apply for Assessment Educator Committees
Each year the Texas Education Agency (TEA) invites Texas educators to provide feedback on the development of state assessments (STAAR, STAAR Alternate 2, and TELPAS) through educator committees across all assessed grades and content areas. Developing high-quality, aligned questions relies on the expertise and experience of Texas educators. Participants collaborate with other educators from across the state to review, edit, and approve each potential question for state assessments. TEA is specifically looking for educators from your region!
The commitment is generally two to three days in Austin with all travel, accommodations, and substitute coverage paid for by TEA. All participants will earn Continuing Professional Education credits. If you are interested or know other educators who would like to participate in a committee, fill out the application form here: https://www.texasassessment.gov/educator-committees.html.
Thank you for your commitment to serving Texas students.
Social Studies Team
Curriculum Standards and Student Support Division
curriculum@tea.texas.gov
(512) 463-9581
For questions or additional information, please visit the social studies web page or submit a Curriculum Request Form through the TEA Help Desk.
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