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,…

Inquiry-based social studies empowers students to participate in the civic life of their local, state, and national communities. With inquirED, we will examine the following:How can a contentious election year provide an opportunity to explore civic participation?; What are the challenges educators face in polarized environments? Panelist Dr. Paula McAvoy Assistant Professor of Social Studies Education NC State University

To best prepare social studies students for democratic citizenship and civic participation, we need to equip them with strategies for critically consuming online media.

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…

To acknowledge societal issues and problem-solve solutions that promote the common good, we cannot conceptualize current issues as “single factual narratives” or universalize our personal perspectives as the “one and absolute truth.” We should not debate whether systemic racism exists, but provide opportunities for students, precluding racist commentary, to analyze the data evidence and establish this conclusion on their own. Welcoming both conservative and liberal opinions into classroom discussion by using open race-related policy questions, like affirmative action, fosters an environment…

Toxic civic dialogue? Insurrection? Decline of democracy? America needs quality civic and history education more than ever. NCSS has been a lead supporter and partner in the development of Educating for American Democracy, an initiative that promises a greater emphasis on civic and history education that is powerful, interdisciplinary, and inquiry-based. This virtual Town Hall to hear directly from a distinguished panel that will present the initiative and discuss actions needed to make the promise of Educating for American Democracy a reality for all learners. The Town Hall is moderated by…

Join featured speaker, Dr. Sohyun An from Kennesaw State, to inform our understanding of Asian American experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and pedagogical practices related to these topics. If you would like to read some of Dr. An’s work, we recommend Dr. An’s 2017 piece in the Journal of Social Studies Research, “Asian Crit Perspective on Social Studies” The presentation is brought to you by Teacher Education Research Collective (TERC).TERC is a project provided by CUFA through the NCSS Teaching with Primary Sources grant from the Library of Congress

The Inquiry and Teaching with Primary Sources to Prepare Students for College, Career, and Civic Life institute discusses how to construct social studies curriculum inquiries for your pre-service teachers using digital sources from the Library of Congress. Pilot and share in-depth feedback on two online methods texts currently under development:  Using Inquiry to Prepare Students for College, Career, and Civic Life (Elementary K-6 Edition) Using Inquiry to Prepare Students for College, Career, and Civic Life (Secondary 6-12 Edition) These texts are a project generously…

Learn what’s different about the Educating for American Democracy initiative by seeing the research that undergirds its theory and practice.  Leading researchers involved in the movement will present key principles that evidence how EAD is informed by research and discuss how to collect data to inform practical implementation of the roadmap. Then discuss what key research questions you have to help them develop an EAD research and evaluation agenda. Presenters David Kidd Senior Researcher Harvard Graduate School of Education Joseph Kahne Professor University of California, Riverside Kei…

Amidst a pandemic and increasingly polarized times, it is too much to ask of educators to actualize a social studies movement without state support.  Whether you are an advocate working to reach state policymakers or in a decision-making role in your state, join us in this interactive session to discuss actions a state can take to realize the full potential of the Educating for American Democracy Roadmap.