The Office of the Secretary of State is excited to announce our annual Student Mock Election. Students vote on real ballot measures, on real candidates, and on real paper, just like they will when they turn 18. #FutureVoter

• Order free “I Voted” stickers for your class before October 28!
• Download the new Mock Election Toolkit with posters, ballots, coloring sheet, and more.

Voting is free to all Washington State public, private, tribal and homeschool students in grades K-12. No pre-registration necessary.

The James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation offers $24,000 James Madison Graduate Fellowships to individuals desiring to become outstanding teachers of the American Constitution at the secondary school level. Fellowship applicants compete only against other applicants from the states of their legal residence. As funding permits, the Foundation plans to offer one fellowship per state per year.

"I couldn't be more grateful to the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation and the opportunity they awarded to me to study our Constitution and other founding documents at Georgetown University," says Carly. "At the time I was awarded the fellowship, I was an aspiring history teacher, ready to begin my pursuit of a Masters in Education. My true passion going in to the field was to teach students history through the lens of understanding multiple perspectives and building empathy for the stories of others - and this fellowship offered me the greatest opportunity to do just that! Through the courses and experiences offered, our fellowship cohort closely studied the story of our Founding Fathers and the many men and women who started small ripples of change that led to a tidal wave that established the core principles of our nation.

"I believe that through teaching these stories, students can better understand what life was like for many people of varying backgrounds, cultures, and traditions, and how those people used their strengths, and triumphed over adversity, to create history! By learning these stories, students can be empowered to use their strengths to do the same - impact and enact change that positively reinforces the core principles our Founding Fathers established. The education and experience that the Fellowship offered to me was one that has and will continue to impact my professional development and my ability to make history come alive for my students!"

To see the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation announcement for Carly, go to:

https://www.facebook.com/JamesMadisonFoundation/posts/congratulations-to-carly-ann-green-14-wa-who-has-completed-all-of-the-requiremen/10157524923547346/

Workshop: Digging Deep – Doing Historical Research | 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM | Saturday, October 19 | Bellevue | 3 Free Clock Hours

Digging Deep is for teachers, students, beginning genealogists, local heritage volunteers and others interested in exploring the past.

TEACHERS - BE SURE TO SIGN UP FOR 3 CLOCK HOURS PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE BY THE ASSOCIATION OF WASHINGTON STUDENT LEADERS. 

You’ll get practical advice and learn the basic steps for gathering the information that you will need to investigate and interpret a historical topic. This class will cover:

• What primary sources are—and aren’t;
• What historical sources are—and how to use them;
• How to use the library system in your research;
• How to use archival collections;
• How to find and use reliable online resources;
• How to properly cite your sources; and
• How to use information from different sources.  

Seats are limited.  Register now at https://www.sos.wa.gov/archives/recordsmanagement/trainingsignup.aspx

For further information, contact Mike Saunders, Washington State Archives, Puget Sound Branch at mike.saunders@sos.wa.gov or 425-564-3950.

Washington Teachers:

APPLY NOW -- Applications for the 2020 Summer Teacher Professional Development programs are now available online. There are SIX TUITION-FREE courses planned for next summer. Travel stipends of $250 also are available to help offset the cost of getting to our Valley Forge, PA, campus!

These week-long programs will fill up fast so apply now. Application acceptances and registration information will be sent out in early January. Check it out and pass it along to colleagues/peers who might be interested:

https://www.freedomsfoundation.org/teachers/2020-programs/

"Since Time Immemorial (STI):" Tribal Sovereignty Curriculum Basic and Training of Trainers Workshops

Effective July 24, 2015 with the passage of Senate Bill 5433, school districts are required to incorporate lessons about the history, culture and government of the nearest federally recognized Indian Tribe(s) when the district reviews or adopts its social studies curriculum (RCW 28A.320.170). School districts shall collaborate with OSPI on curricular areas regarding tribal government and history that are statewide in nature such as the concept of tribal sovereignty and the history of federal policy towards federally recognized Indian Tribes. School districts shall meet these requirements by using the “Since Time Immemorial” Tribal Sovereignty online curriculum and may modify this curriculum in order to incorporate elements that have a regionally specific focus or to incorporate the curriculum into existing curricular materials.

OSPI’s web-based Tribal sovereignty curriculum (http://www.k12.wa.us/IndianEd/TribalSovereignty/default.aspx) is:

• Linked to locally-based tribal information
• Accurate and reliable so you can feel confident about what you are teaching
• Endorsed by OSPI and Washington’s federally recognized Tribes
• Easy to access so you don’t have to wait for materials—they are just a click away
• Easy to integrate within your existing units so you don’t have to feel like you have to throw out your own lessons to “make room” for these materials
• Aligned to the state’s Social Studies standards, recommended units, and classroom-based assessments
• Free

The STI Tribal Sovereignty Curriculum received a major update, edit, and new look in July 2019 through the OSPI server. Our work to improve/add lessons to the site is ongoing and STI continues to be a model for curriculum nationwide. The most recent additions are the Native Knowledge 360° Pacific Northwest tribal inquiries developed through a collaboration with the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. The curriculum is aligned to the state’s new social studies standards and was the first state endorsed curriculum to be aligned with Common Core Standards. The STI Tribal Sovereignty Curriculum is easy to implement because all lesson plans and materials are available on the website and it is completely free. The integration of tribal history and sovereignty into social studies lessons and classroom instruction has never been easier.

Introductory trainings provide an overview of the curriculum website, resources, and an opportunity to unpack the units. The training of trainer workshops are designed for school teams and individuals charged with the responsibility for implementing STI within the school curriculum. It is preferred that persons registering for the training of trainers would already have participated in at least one introductory STI workshop in the past two years and be familiar with the curriculum website and resources.

The following link will take you to the training announcement and registration form:

https://www.k12.wa.us/sites/default/files/public/indianed/pubdocs/Fall%202019%20STI%20Training%20Schedule--Save%20the%20Date.pdf

Grades 5-12 history teachers and support personnel are encouraged to apply for a Colonial Dames scholarship. Are you looking to fund professional development, a special history project, classroom supplies or curriculum? Do you need supplies and technology to start a History Day program at your school? The Colonial Dames are here to help!

Scholarships are granted up to $1,500 and will be announced in Spring 2020. Visit https://www.nscdawa.org/teacher-resources-scholarships/ to learn more about this scholarship and apply.

The Office of the Washington State Auditor works to increase public trust in government and wants to help everyone get to know their local governments better.  We’ve developed features for the public that are useful for teachers.  All of the following are on our website at www.sao.wa.gov.

• Engaging Gov 101 videos give an overview of how each local government type functions and the services it provides. Currently we have three - Counties, Cities & Towns, and School Districts - with more to be added soon. 
• Our Financial Intelligence Tool – or FIT – is an easy-to-use, highly interactive tool that displays the financial data for every local government in the state of Washington.
• We are beginning to add interactive infographics about local government types that provide yet another way to explore these entities. Check out our first one on Drainage and Diking Districts! 

The Library of Congress has some phenomenal primary sources. While sometimes it can be difficult to find exactly what you are looking for, the Library does have a variety of curated materials for classroom use.  Consider signing up for the twice weekly Library of Congress Teachers blog page. It highlights various primary sources relating to multiple disciplines with teaching activity suggestions. This school year, special focus monthly will include blogposts written by teachers on using primary sources to support STEM and Civics education. On the Library of Congress teachers webpage educators can access primary source sets, teaching with primary source guides, and lesson plans on a variety of topics.

 If you would like further information relating to the Library of Congress resources to support teachers, contact Teacher in Residence, Jen Reidel at jreidel@loc.gov.

The Western Governors' Foundation is proud to announce its 5th Annual "Celebrate the West" regional art competition that challenges high school students to create 2-D artwork inspired by their state!

Here is a link to this year's contest, including contest rules and photos of previous winners:

http://westgov.org/celebrate-the-west

The entry deadline is April 30, 2020.

It is easy and no cost to enter. Students simply need to email a photograph of their artwork along with their completed entry form found on our website. Students are welcome to submit artwork used for other contests or assignments.

Washington State has joined the United States in designating October as Filipino-American History Month. RCW 43.117.120, which became state law this year, acknowledges Filipino-Americans’ “lasting impact on the history and heritage of Washington State and the United States.”

To learn more about Filipino-American history in the United States, visit the Filipino American National Historical Society. Additionally, HistoryLink.org features several articles about Filipino-American history and people here in Washington State.