"We’re going to tell you what America needs to do if it is serious about wanting kids to become better readers. That’s this: Instead of devoting more class time to English language arts (ELA), we should be teaching elementary school children more social studies—as in, rich content about history, geography, and civics. That may seem counterintuitive, but that’s the key takeaway of this groundbreaking study."

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The Wing Luke Museum is reopening its doors to the public! Starting Wednesday October 7, the museum will reopen with limited capacity and hours Wednesdays through Sundays, 10 AM - 5 PM. Reserving tickets online prior to visit is highly encouraged. We are so excited to see you! However, please stay home and stay healthy if you do show any symptoms of illness. Visit the website for full details.

Check out a plethora of learning opportunities and resources for students and teachers from PBS! 

Have some fun with PBS KIDS virtual backgrounds for Zoom!  Download backgrounds from favorite PBS KIDS shows such as Arthur, Molly of Denali, and Wild Kratts.

Quick Click Episode Guide 
Quick Click Channel Guide

Visit the OSPI website for more information.

C3 Teachers is excited to share a new inquiry from Native Knowledge 360°, the national education initiative of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. To learn more, read online: Early Encounters in Native New York: Did Native People Really Sell Manhattan?

More from C3 Teachers:

Can the civics test make you a good citizen?
What makes a movement successful?
How should we reform policing?

And their latest book: Blueprinting an Inquiry-Based Curriculum: Planning with the Inquiry Design Model

Teachers and students are invited to participate in Youth Voices: A Student Town Hall on the 2020 Election on Tuesday, October 20 at 7:00 PM EDT (4:00 PST). This is the first NCSS Student Town Hall – a special program for  students to discuss what’s on their minds about citizenship, the election process, and civics.

All students are invited to participate in this event. Students can submit a pre-recorded video answering two town hall questions, or apply to be a panelist on the program and share their views in person. Click here to learn how to participate.

Students can sign up to view this event without submitting a video. Click here to attend as a student.

Are you looking to strengthen your approach to teaching controversial topics or in need of more strategies to engage students remotely? Build your teaching toolbox with help from our new library of on-demand professional development resources. Explore On-Demand PD and these upcoming webinars.

Add some fun to teaching the election with this customizable Google Slide that features links to our most popular games and iCivics’ bobble characters for the 2020 candidates, including third-party. All that’s missing is you! Make a copy and add your bitmoji.

Among seven solutions to the deep polarization that grips our country, a majority of Americans chose K-12 civic education as the best solution. Well known pollster Frank Luntz conducted a pro-bono poll for CivXNow. The research tapped the opinions of a representative sample of the American electorate. When asked which would have the most positive and meaningful impact on strengthening the American identity, Americans chose civic education as the number one choice among other options such as: “a year of national service,” “money in politics,” or “ranked choice voting.” Most importantly, Democrats and Republicans both chose it equally. See the CivXNow infographic for more insights.

Learn more from CivXNow.

Washington State Historical Society presents:

Contested Spaces: Power and Resistance in the Pacific Northwest

October 20-23, 2020

Washington State Historical Society will convene the 67th Pacific Northwest History Conference virtually this year, taking place October 20-23, 2020. Historians, museum professionals, K-12 educators, archivists, historic preservationists, graduate students, and history enthusiasts will gather to explore the theme “Contested Spaces: Power and Resistance in the Pacific Northwest.

There is special pricing for educators and the sessions will be recorded and distributed as part of registration, so even if attendees can’t see the sessions in real-time, they will be accessible to them later. Find out more here.

October 17 | 8-9 PM EDT (5-6 PM PST)

This fun educational program for kids 8-12 years of age will focus on Jackie Robinson’s barrier-breaking baseball career and his lifelong commitment to civil rights through civic engagement and advocacy. Participants will read the inspiring book The Hero Two Doors Down, learn about historical documents in the National Archives, and create and share their own artwork and writing based on themes from the book. Special guest at the program is author Sharon Robinson, who wrote The Hero Two Doors Down based on a true story of her father Jackie Robinson’s life. Ms. Robinson will read from the book and take questions from program attendees. Pre-registration is required for this program.

Register here or view the flyer. The first 75 families who register will get a free book!  

AmeriCorps is looking for people aged 17-25 years to work on the problem of food insecurity. It is paid and roles are available across the state. No prior education or experience is necessary!

Apply today! Members will be selected by October 15, 2020 to
serve during the 2020-21 service year.

For more information visit the COVID Response Corps website or view the flyer.