Listen to moderator Jane Lo as she leads a spirited 20-minute discussion about Project-Based Learning (PBL). Professor Lo's guests are Social Education authors John Larmer, Stacie Brensilver, and Rob Hallock. They examine how they first came to use PBL—and the challenges and rewards it offers to students and teachers over time. They provide beneficial advice to all teachers ready to try PBL for the first time. Read the special section (an introduction and six articles) of the January/February 2018 issue of Social Education for a more in-depth look at PBL. It will make you passionate about…

The National Museum of the American Indian has launch Native Knowledge 360°, a national education initiative to inspire and promote improved teaching and learning about American Indians. With this launch, NMAI is unveiling the new NK360° education webpages, featuring information about the initiative, educational resources for classrooms, and professional development opportunities and other important information for educators.Visit http://nmai.si.edu/nk360/educators.cshtml. In addition, NMAI have launched four new online educational inquiries. To develop these classroom-ready resources,…

 ‘Bill Nye: Science Guy’ is a documentary about the TV personality and halt-climate-change advocate. It premieres on Wednesday, April 18, 2018, in celebration of Earth Day (Sunday April 22). The film features exclusive access and personal look at the celebrity scientist, with appearances by Neil deGrasse Tyson, Ann Druyan, and other luminaries in science and education. "Bill Nye is on a mission to stop the spread of anti-scientific thought and action. Once the host of a popular kids’ show and now the CEO of the Planetary Society, he’s leading a mission to launch LightSail, a satellite…

The PBS webpage (http://www.pbs.org/program/mankiller/) about this documentary Mankiller states: "This is the story of an American hero. One who stands tall among the likes of Robert Kennedy, Harriet Tubman and Martin Luther King, Jr. Someone who humbly defied the odds and overcame insurmountable obstacles to fight injustice and gave a voice to the voiceless. And yet few people know her name. This is the story of an American legend, Wilma Mankiller, who overcame rampant sexism and personal challenges to emerge as the Cherokee Nation’s first woman Principal Chief in 1985. Mankiller examines…

Robinson (1919-1972) uses his fame to speak out against injustice, alienating many who had once lauded him for "turning the other cheek." After baseball, he seeks ways to fight inequality, but as he faces a crippling illness, he struggles to remain relevant. Learn more at http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/jackie-robinson/

Join NOVA to defrost the ultimate time capsule—5,000-year-old Otzi, the mummified corpse pulled from a glacier in the Alps. Through an autopsy like none other, scientists will attempt to unravel the details of his death and an entire way of life. Learn more at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/iceman-murder-mystery.html

The American Civil Liberties Union recently hosted a live online video training on student free speech rights given by ACLU attorneys. The video is now online here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6ghXMtooV8 and the graphics from the session are here:https://www.aclu.org/other/students-know-your-rights-presentation The training covered various ways that the First Amendment protects students’ rights to express their views. It also included what schools can and can’t do when it comes to disciplining students for various actions, like posting on social media, walkouts, and wearing clothing with…

The History Detectives show is fun for any age, but especially useful for getting the middle schooler in your family hooked on historiography. America's top investigators are back for an eighth season to prove once again that an object found in an attic or backyard might be anything but ordinary. On the August 5 show, a Michigan woman wonders if her family clock kept time for the entire Midwest during the 19th century. The search takes HISTORY DETECTIVES host Elyse Luray back to the industrial age when the country first began regulating time. Then, a document seems connected to an early…

Join an investigation into the science and politics of vaccine safety. Despite a scientific consensus that there is no link between vaccines and disorders like autism, the war over whether to immunize children continues. If a few un-immunized children catch a dangerous disease, it can suddenly threaten thousands of children and adults alike, sparking a pandemic. Maybe social science, popular education, and public policy are as important as medical science when it comes to keeping a human society healthy. Read more at www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/vaccines.

Your school is invited to attend the fifth session of the American University Model United Nations Conference (AmeriMUNC). Early next year, February 2-4, 2018, AmeriMUNC will be held on American University's campus in Washington, DC. These summer months -- July and August -- are the time to get your principal and social studies department chair enthused about this great experience for your students. AmeriMUNC provides high school students with the opportunity to engage in international relations beyond the classroom. In the spirit of this mission, they urge students to think creatively…