90th NCSS Annual Conference

Colorado Convention Center
Denver, Colorado
November 12-14, 2010

Reach new heights with the valuable teaching knowledge and tools you’ll gain at the 90th NCSS Annual Conference

Travel West and join NCSS in Denver, the Mile High City, this fall to celebrate 90 years of the nation’s premier social studies professional development conference. With the theme Vistas, Visions & Voices, the 2010 NCSS Annual Conference will bring together top professionals in social studies education and highlight the central role of social studies in our schools—preparing 21st century citizens who have learned from the voices of the past to envision an interdependent global society of the future.

Hosting the NCSS Conference for the first time in almost 40 years, Denver offers an ideal social laboratory to explore the conference theme, combining a thriving art and cultural scene, diverse neighborhoods, proud and active residents, and world-class universities, all in a breathtaking natural environment.

The conference includes more than 400 sessions, workshops, poster presentations, clinics, tours, speakers and panels, and social events addressing the conference subthemes:

Human Rights—Past and Present

As Article 1 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” You will learn about which rights have been allowed, and which have sometimes been denied to people in different times and different places.

Global Citizenship

Preparation of students for the role of citizen has been the mission of NCSS since its inception. Now that goal must be expanded to include citizenship at the local, state, national and global levels. Students need to understand how life in their cultural communities and nation influences other countries and the impact that international events have on their daily lives. You will be able to explore the various attributes of a global citizen and the role of a teacher in providing learning experiences to help students acquire these attributes.

Globalization and Economic Interdependence

Globalization describes an ongoing process by which regional economies, societies, and cultures have become integrated through a globe-spanning network of exchange. It involves the integration of national economies into the international economy through trade, investment, migration, and the spread of technology. You will be able to probe the historic development of globalization and/or the economic aspects of interdependence in the 21st century.

Sustainable World

Sustainability is a term that can be broadly applied to every aspect of life on this planet, but is usually focused on the environment and the use of resources. How can people living in different parts of the world utilize resources without destroying the environment? You will be able to explore a range of issues, from the Amazon rainforests to wind farms in the western United States.

21st Century Skills, Literacy, and Pedagogy

From creativity and innovation to the use of evolving media, mastery of 21st century skills is essential for students to fulfill their roles as citizens in meaningful ways. You will be able to investigate research related to which skills are most important as well as present instructional strategies that create authentic learning opportunities to help students acquire them.

Social Studies for Young Learners

Research shows that instructional time for social studies has been reduced nationwide, particularly in the elementary grades. Yet states continue to promote content standards in history, economics, civics, and geography for young learners. You will learn about the strategies elementary teachers use to connect social studies content to other content areas and how they successfully integrate literacy with social studies.