Geo-Inquiry is an exciting new integrated, project-based process that connects students to real-world questions, National Geographic explorers and components of civic action. Created in collaboration with the Buck Institute, The Center for Civic Education and ESRI these sessions will introduce participants to strategies that develop the critical thinking skills needed to: ask questions, collect information, use GIS to visualize data, create a compelling story using photography and videography tips, and ultimately become advocates for change in their local community.   Part 2 of 2

Geo-Inquiry is an exciting new integrated, project-based process that connects students to real-world questions, National Geographic explorers and components of civic action. Created in collaboration with the Buck Institute, The Center for Civic Education and ESRI these sessions will introduce participants to strategies that develop the critical thinking skills needed to: ask questions, collect information, use GIS to visualize data, create a compelling story using photography and videography tips, and ultimately become advocates for change in their local community. 

This presentation highlights a freely available digital game designed to foster young children's engaging inquiry with primary sources. KidCitizen is part of the Congress, Civic Participation, and Primary Sources Project. It is funded by a grant from the Library of Congress. The presenters will introduce KidCitizen and discuss how the models of learning showcased in the KidCitizen templates may be leveraged by teachers to support disciplined inquiry in primary grade instruction. Participants will discuss strategies for engaging their students in the games, and take part in a mini-lesson based…

Youth interest in politics, government, and current issues is at an all time high nationwide. However, civic education is minimized in curricula across the country and as a result students have few opportunities to engage with the controversial issues which inform their world and are most relevant to them.  This session will introduce a variety of techniques and activities for immediate use in the classroom. We will explore approaches to contemporary controversies incorporating multiple viewpoints that shift the focus of classroom discussions away from personal politics and emphasize policy…

We often live within the status quo, therefore it's sometimes difficult to see how the world exists beyond our everyday lives. The past has so much to teach us, as do our students. How do we intersect effective social studies instruction and culturally relevant learning in a way that honors students' cultural competence?  Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP) is a lens to examine the curriculum and classroom activities and make it relevant to the students in their classroom. Using CPR with primary sources can help our learners understand history while reflecting on their own knowledge and…

Amplify women’s voices in your classroom to honor the past, inform the present and inspire the future. Women’s stories have always been integral to American history, but they have often been marginalized or erased from K-12 education – presented as peripheral to the main story or highlighted only during Women’s History Month. Participants will be introduced to and receive a set of six teaching posters that will support teachers in integrating women’s history across the curriculum through American art and portraiture. Featured artworks link women’s stories to major themes in history and…

Children’s literature can play a powerful role in young children’s lives to learn, inspire and transform. The images and words convey a compelling story and message that has the potential to leave lasting impressions. In recent years, there’s been an explosion of children’s books that go beyond social and emotional learning. Books for young children about historical topics like enslavement, the Holocaust, Japanese-American internment, voting rights, segregation, and genocide are presenting them with both sensitivity and insight. When it comes to current event topics there are many excellent…

How have human activities changed the Earth’s landscape, atmosphere, and ecosystems over the past two centuries? What are the ways to engage all kinds of middle school learners on human geography concepts as they relate to sustainability? In this webinar, participants will discover hands-on activities that build global awareness on population dynamics, land use patterns and environmental impacts (deforestation, climate change, and biodiversity loss) while cultivating critical thinking and problem-solving skills, communication and creativity. The presenters will explore the many applications…

Despite massive efforts, the gap between students at the top and bottom of the socioeconomic scale hasn’t narrowed in 50 years—and may have increased significantly. While there’s been no shortage of attempted explanations, it was only after years within the education reform movement that Natalie Wexler stumbled across a fundamental and pervasive root cause that no one was talking about. Elementary schools spend hours every week on decontextualized reading comprehension “skills,” like “finding the main idea,” leaving little or no time for social studies and science—especially in schools where…