For nearly 50 years, the National Council for the Social Studies has presented the Carter G. Woodson Book Award to texts that accurately and sensitively depict the experience of one or more historically marginalized racial/ethnic groups in the United States. The award originated in 1974, named to honor distinguished scholar Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson, the Harvard-trained historian whose scholarship and dedication to making Black History known and visible led to the eventual creation of Black History Month. Texts must be non-fiction, published and set in the United States, written for…

Using a modified ethnographic approach, this presentation takes social studies inquiry to another level of engagement by creating opportunities for students to connect the past directly to their lives. This next level of student engagement is created by introducing the participant to the methods for using anthropological concepts within a unit of study that explores connections in culture and social changes as they occurred in the past and how these same concepts are being affected in the present. The presentation is based on the Inquiry Design Model framework by creating a subset of…

National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) and National Council for History Education (NCHE) are proud to present a two-part professional learning series on teaching inquiry about race and democracy through the use of primary sources in K-12 social studies and history classrooms.  Each part of this program previews a chapter from NCSS’ forthcoming online methods texts, Inquiry and Teaching with Primary Sources to Prepare Students for College, Career, and Civic Life, and features a panel discussion with the chapter’s author and a history scholar, moderated by NCSS and NCHE leaders. …

In this two-part series, teachers will be provided with the tools to promote digital literacy and analyze public policy. Join Allison Norrie, high school social studies teacher for the Fairfield Public Schools, and Stephen Armstrong, past president of the Connecticut Council for the Social Studies and current education consultant for Connecticut’s Department of Education as they share strategies and resources for educators to aid in teaching and monitoring election cycles leading up to and including the upcoming presidential elections of 2024.   Presentation Slides

Today the grandchildren of Vietnam War veterans are attending middle and high schools throughout America, sitting side-by-side with the children of those who served more recently in Desert Storm and the Iraq War. But how much do they really know about these conflicts and the sacrifices their dads, moms and grandparents proudly made? Joining with social studies departments throughout the Country, the Veterans National Education Program (V-NEP) is teaching the lessons of these wars in the classroom. During the 2018-2019 school year, V-NEP will provide teachers with a free, collection of video…

In this evidence-based webinar, answer the questions "How and why were the “Black” and “White” “races” developed? and "How and why was anti-Black Racism developed? Using primary sources, visual diagrams, and historian quotes, trace the historical evolution of the social construction of race--through laws--during the Colonial era. Review historical evidence suggesting that racism did not lead to slavery; rather, slavery lead to racism. Discuss the narrative of racism as the myth of Black racial inferiority that white elites/slave owners created (“the story we tell”) to both uphold slavery,…

In this webinar, we will introduce participants to argument mapping - a research-backed method students can use to organize and evaluate claims using reasoning and evidence. Participants will see how argument mapping can help teachers facilitate discussions around controversial issues, such as whether communities should defund the police or abolish ICE. How We Argue Webinar Series Educators often want to discuss current issues and empower students to engage as active citizens. Yet, when discussing controversial topics, some students rely on unsubstantiated…

Justice engaged youth face a multitude of barriers when trying to re enter their schools and classrooms after being incarcerated. Social Studies teachers and their classrooms are uniquely situated to help prevent justice engaged youth from going back to jail. This talk addresses how social studies teachers can become trusted and positive youth influences to these students. In addition, teaching hard histories and valuing lived experiences through storytelling can change the lives of justice engaged youth forever. It connects them to their past, grounds them in their present and allows them to…

The history of Indigenous cultures has been taught incorrectly for decades. Receive practical, engaging strategies for correcting students’ misconceptions about Indigenous peoples. Speakers: Maria Buttafuoco, Springfield Public Schools, Springfield, MA; Rory Tannebaum, Merrimack College, North Andover, MA