1. What inspired you to do this project and how long did it take to produce? My collaborator, Unladylike2020 series creator and co-executive producer, Charlotte Mangin tells the story of discovering a non-fiction picture book titled, Soar Elinor, about Elinor Smith on a museum visit with her 2 young sons. In 1927, at the age 16, Smith became the youngest licensed pilot in the world, and her dramatic aerial stunts earned her the nickname “Flying Flapper.” Smith went on to become a celebrated test pilot who worked at NASA on shuttle landing simulators. Her…

A Current Events Response by National Council for the Social Studies National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), the largest professional association in the country devoted solely to social studies education, strongly rejects the recent development of proposed bills in state legislatures which are designed to censor specific curricular resources from being used for instruction in K-12 schools. These bills are modeled on a similar U.S. House Bill, H.R.8282 , and U.S. Senate Bill, S.4292, both titled the “Saving American History Act of 2020,” which did not advance in the 116th Congress.…

Exciting! Exhilarating! Thought-provoking and reflective! These were all words I thought of during, and immediately after, the 2020 NCSS Virtual Conference. Attending the conference is one of my favorite events each year, and although this year looked a little different than any other year, I still came away from the conference feeling invigorated and fulfilled. I was still able to connect with my colleagues via the virtual platform chatbox, Twitter, nightly movie discussions, and more. I attended so many wonderful sessions, visited each “booth” in the virtual exhibit hall, and chatted with…

Gold Star and Silver Star status are the highest honors that can be achieved by an NCSS Affiliated Council. Gold Star and Silver Star Councils exhibit high membership recruitment and engagement; promote best practices to ensure the longevity of the social studies profession; and advocate on behalf of the social studies profession. National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) is pleased to recognize several Affiliated Councils with Gold Star designations for their achievements in 2020. Please join us in congratulating the following Affiliated Councils: Association of Teachers of Social…

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

On Wednesday, January 6, 2021, the United States witnessed a devastating moment which tore at the very fabric binding our nation together. That fabric is the result of values and ideals that have been shaped and retested many times over the past few centuries—sometimes peacefully, sometimes through brutal conflict, and often with still more issues left unresolved. The words of our founding documents have been debated and expanded upon many times, yet our biggest strength as a nation is our ability to engage in civic discourse peacefully, and to transition power based on the consent of the…

What does it actually look like when elementary social studies students take informed action?  Join NCSS and inquirED for an online exhibition of student work from around the country! Get inspired by the work you see and make the Informed Action Pledge: To integrate informed action into every unit - and have your students share their work! All times Eastern  

How can schools and districts support teachers in selecting sources that provide opportunities for students to understand and reflect upon their own identities and the identities of others? Join host Martin Andrews and special guest Cereescia Sandoval, Learning Experience Designer at inquirED, to explore using diverse sources in elementary social studies classrooms. All times Eastern