Issued by National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) and its following Associated Groups: College and University Faculty Assembly (CUFA) International Assembly (IA) National Social Studies Supervisors Association (NSSSA) Social Science Educational Consortium (SSEC) approved August 17, 2017 As members of the National Council for the Social Studies, we express deep concern for the events taking place in Charlottesville, Virginia, and their aftermath during the past week. Acknowledging the long term and divisive history of racial hatred and religious intolerance in the United States, we…

The House of Delegates (HOD) provides a forum for the general membership of NCSS, as represented by state councils, communities, and associated groups, to bring ideas, principles, beliefs, and actions regarding social studies education to the attention of the NCSS Board of Directors. Resolutions are the framework through which the NCSS membership at-large makes recommendations to the Board. Any NCSS member may submit a resolution following the guidelines established in the House of Delegates Manual. Resolutions are debated and voted on during HOD meeting at the NCSS Annual Conference.…

NCSS Press Release Approved by the NCSS Board of Directors, May 29, 2020 Silver Spring, MD – In response to the death of George Floyd, National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) condemns the use of excessive violence or force, or extrajudicial processes, used discriminately by law enforcement against blacks in America when investigating or enforcing probable or non-probable causes of infractions, misdemeanors, or felonies. These actions are against the civic values and practices we teach all students through social studies education. NCSS President Tina L. Heafner, Ph.D., expressed, “…

The House of Delegates (HOD) provides a forum for the general membership of NCSS, as represented by state councils, communities, and associated groups, to bring ideas, principles, beliefs, and actions regarding social studies education to the attention of the NCSS Board of Directors. Resolutions are the framework through which the NCSS membership at-large makes recommendations to the Board. Any NCSS member may submit a resolution following the guidelines established in the House of Delegates Manual. Resolutions are debated and voted on during HOD meeting at the NCSS Annual Conference.…

During the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-Asian violence and hate crimes have reached frightening levels. With few resources available about anti-Asian racism and Asian American histories, educators often struggle to discuss these issues with their students. How can social studies educators teach Asian American narratives in U.S. history and contemporary society to young learners? How can students be supported in analyzing Asian American representation and disrupting stereotypes in schools and popular culture? How can elementary teachers and students highlight instances of interracial solidarity and…

Winning Proposal: "Toward an Anti-Racist teacher Self-Efficacy Scale” This critical quantitative study of the influence of whiteness and white fragility on social studies teaching seeks to address the following research questions: To what degree do teachers demonstrate sensitivity to white fragility, anti-racist teaching self-efficacy, and culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy? Does a teachers’ sensitivity to race-based stress moderate their attachment to culturally responsive or anti-racist teaching? This study seeks to develop a series of quantitative scales designed…

Teaching About the Nanking Massacre to Middle School Students Justin Villet The First War Hawks: The Invasion of Canada in 1812 Steven Sellers Lapham

How to Be an American This article contains two video resources. (also linked below) Judge Lucy Koh: “Be Fully Engaged in Democracy”Karen Korematsu: “You Can Make a Difference” Conflict, Service, and Civic InvolvementSarah K. Anderson

A Current Events Response by National Council for the Social Studies September 2022 The development of education standards has often included some level of political undertones and for this reason, the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) has consistently avoided commenting on specific organization, state, district, and/or teacher-developed social studies content and skills standards. Our position has remained consistent that the standards that organizations, states, districts, and/or schools and teachers develop or adopt should be grounded in content area scholarship, reflect best…

As you know, across the country, the rampant spread of misinformation about what is being taught in our schools is fueling efforts to censor teachers, omit history, and ban conversations about race in our classrooms and causing additional stress and distraction at the worst possible time. A concerted response is urgently needed, which is why National Council for the Social Studies has become a founding member of the Learn from History Coalition, a broad-based bipartisan coalition made up of more than twenty leading organizations representing school system leaders, educators…