American women have engaged in activism since the founding of our nation and continue to do so in record numbers today. Using resources from the New-York Historical Society’s Women & the American Story (WAMS) curriculum, explore the many ways women of diverse backgrounds advocated for themselves and others throughout American history – from the American Revolution through the fight over the Equal Rights Amendment. This session will be interactive and include ample opportunities to engage with curriculum materials, collaborate with colleagues, and engage with exciting primary sources that…

The Library of Congress is continually adding new content, features, and expertise to its website, loc.gov. In this session, learn about new ways to connect with and explore the newest online collections and resources, and much more. Highlights include the Library’s Teachers site (loc.gov/teachers), A Century of Lawmaking (new and improved!), the World Digital Library, and favorite shortcuts, such as Free to Use and Reuse sets.

In this talk, Dr. Hope examines critical consciousness as a protective factor, and possible coping strategy, against experiences of racism that negatively affect mental health for Black adolescents. Racism has negative mental health implications for Black adolescents (Benner et al., 2018). Critical consciousness (critical reflection, critical agency, critical action) may be one way that Black youth combat oppression and the resulting negative effects (Hope & Spencer, 2017). It is also possible that critical action exacerbates the negative mental health effects of racism. Participants were…

New connections are beginning to be made between technology, civics, and media literacy in courses across the K-12 spectrum. But how do you navigate and find the right tools to use as an educator? In this session, learn about the development of the Cyber Citizenship Portal, a cross-disciplinary portal for K-12 educators, free to all, designed in partnership with the National Association of Media Literacy Education (NAMLE), New America, Cyber Florida, and FCIT.

In partnership, the National Council for History Education and the National Council for the Social Studies present “In Pursuit of Equity.” The purpose of this Equity Summit is to engage multiple communities in deliberative discussions about opportunities for and challenges to equity in the United States’ past, present, and future. Drawing upon the complex history of race, ethnicity, enslavement, poverty, and immigration in the American experience, sessions will emphasize opportunities, activism, and student empowerment. This Equity Summit fosters actively engaged and informed…

Dan Krutka and Ryan Smits share how to teach their "unfolding a smartphone" lesson that encourages K-12 students to explore the long histories of the clock app and technologies of time, maps app and technologies of wayfinding, and messaging apps and technologies of communication. The session comes with ready-to-use explanations, sources, and activities.

Documenting the human experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic is crucial to preserving the history of this extraordinary time in which we live. Documenting youth experiences during the pandemic is beneficial to not only gaining insights from our youngest citizens about how they were impacted by COVID-19, but also how student research about the causes and impact of the pandemic can promote historical empathy. Research is growing about the challenges and, in some cases, potential benefits that students, teachers, schools, and communities faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. This presentation…

How can educators ensure immigrant-origin students feel safe, supported, and valued, with the chance to put down roots and build new futures—so they can become full participants in their new home? Learn with award-winning teacher and author Jessica Lander about historic laws, cases, and movements that transformed immigrant education, explore innovative and creative approaches in classrooms and districts across the country today working with immigrant-origin students, and listen to the inspiring stories and voices of young immigrant students. Trace with Lander the threads that connect the past…

Students with disabilities face distinct challenges in social studies, including complex ideas, extensive vocabulary, and a need for broad background knowledge. Since 2006, Emerging America has guided social studies teachers with strategies and tools for inclusion, grounded in inquiry-based use of primary sources

Listen to an exclusive interview with the sister and brother team of Claire and Ralph Nader! These two longtime civic leaders and advocates for social, economic, and legal justice talk with James Damico, Professor of Curriculum & Instruction at Indiana University, about Claire’s recent book, You Are Your Own Best Teacher! Sparking the Curiosity, Imagination, and Intellect of Tweens. In this video, Claire and Ralph cover a range of topics and questions, including: Learning about your body The Commons How to wage peace What does it mean to be smart? Historical…