Why Attend the Florida Council for the Social Studies Conference in October?

Posted on September 15, 2016 by stevemasy

We know that as teachers, you have a great many draws on your attention, but I want to encourage you to consider attending the Florida Council for the Social Studies state conference. The theme, ‘Survival in a Changing World’, is incredibly relevant to our work as social studies teachers in a climate that is increasingly divisive and difficult, and many of the sessions at the conference on that upcoming fine October weekend will provide you with ways to survive in this changing world.

The Keynote Speaker on Saturday is Dr. Murali Balaji of the Hindu American Foundation. I personally have known Dr. Balaji for a number of years, and he is engaging and dynamic speaker. You can find out more about Dr. Bajali at our earlier post on his selection as the keynote. We also have some quality preconference sessions lined up to engage early arrivers! We are especially excited that we will be joined by both the DBQ Project and Dr. Charlie Flanagan of the National Archives for an excellent time!

Another thing to think about, and this is VERY significant, is that this is an adoption year for social studies. You know what that means don’t you? It means that publishers will be all over the exhibit hall, and they will be VERY VERY VERY eager to make sure you sample their materials. There will, no doubt, be a great opportunity to get some free stuff and make some contacts!

Speaking of the exhibit hall, on Friday night, Nystrom (yes, the same folks who put on that great dance at NCSS!) will be sponsoring a ‘trick or treat’ event in the exhibit hall. Dress up as a civic or historic figure or concept and get some free swag from folks in the hall. Shoot, you don’t even have to dress up! Just take part in the fun!

Sunday will be a day focused on Advanced Placement and meeting the needs of our colleagues that are dealing with some huge changes to both APUSH and AP World History. There will also be sessions available for all disciplines and grade levels. Dr. Stacy Skinner will be providing valuable information regarding the Social Studies End-of-Course Assessments.

CUFA-FL, under the leadership of UCF’s own Dr. Scott Waring, will also be hosting a number of good sessions led by leading social studies scholars. Well worth your time !

There are so many other reasons to attend the conference. The schedule of events is below, and the matrix and program will be available soon. Please consider joining us this fall, especially if you are a new or pre-service teacher, and network with colleagues, make new friends, learn some stuff, and, most importantly, have some well-deserved fun! Register today!

Pre-Conference Fun and Learning at FCSS in October!

Posted on September 8, 2016 by stevemasy

While the schedule may still be a bit flexible, we are excited to announce the current line up for the pre-conference events at the Florida Council for the Social Studies Annual Conference in October.

The Center for Legislative Archives at the National Archives will be facilitating a half day, afternoon, pre-conference session.

Developing Disciplinary Literacy Skills With Primary Sources & Political Cartoons
Looking for ways to engage students with primary sources and assist with content comprehension and analysis skills? Dr. Charles Flanagan from the National Archives Center for Legislative Archives will provide participants with pedagogy and classroom-ready resources to bring primary sources, specifically political cartoons, to life in the classroom.

The DBQ Project will be facilitating a full day pre-conference session.

DBQ Mix It Up: DBQ Online in the Blended Classroom
The session is designed to help teachers conceptualize ways to deeply engage students in the analysis of historical texts in a blended classroom. Join us and let’s mix it up.

The Florida Diagnostic & Learning Resources System (FDLRS) will be providing a full day pre-conference session.

Teaching Strategies for All Struggling Readers in Social Studies Classes· Content and ESE specialists provide professional development to meet the needs of all learners, particularly struggling readers, in Social Studies classes. This session is focused on introducing strategies and resources to seamlessly engage all students. Workshop will be UDL aligned and introduce technology resources to enhance learning.

Florida & National History Day professional educator experts will be facilitating a half day, morning, pre-conference session.

Increasing Success & Engagement for History Day
Florida professional educators will share valuable information, tips, hints, and suggestions for Florida & National History Day based on what they learned during the national institute this summer in Washington, D.C.

You can register for the conference here. And don’t forget about our awesome keynote speaker, Dr. Murali Balaji!

“Founders’ Week”: Preparing Kids for Civic Learning K-12

Posted on September 6, 2016 by stevemasy

As we here in Florida approach another mandated instruction week around our nation’s founding documents and civic legacy, I want to give a chance for you to hear how some districts have integrated something similar at the K-12 level. Kelly Watt is the social studies supervisor in Clay County here in Florida. Clay County has been one of the FJCC’s strongest partners overall, and we are happy to provide Ms. Watt with a platform to share the great work she and her teachers are doing in Clay. Please note that she has shared with you links to materials you might adapt! Most of the post is below the fold because there are some fantastic pictures!-Steve

With a greater focus placed on math and ELA, it’s no secret that social studies has taken a hit nation-wide. The only core subject without a high stakes test in elementary schools in our state, social studies carries a lower priority in many K-6 classrooms throughout Florida. Like many other districts in Florida, Clay has sought out creative approaches that provide students with opportunities to engage in social studies content and skills. We believe that an ongoing, solid exposure to social studies will produce the citizenry needed in our global society, eventually closing the “civic achievement gap.”

While we have found opportunities to integrate ELA and social studies through curriculum mapping, lesson planning and professional development, we realized we needed to also capitalize on what was already in place. Each year, according to state statute, Florida schools commemorate the Declaration of Independence during the last full week of September. And according to federal law, we should recognize Constitution Day on September 17. Then last year a bill moved through the Florida legislature designating September as Founders Month. While it didn’t pass, it did get our wheels moving. What if we could establish a celebration during the last week of September that promoted the spirit of our country’s roots and values, while bringing schools and community together for a celebration that was uniquely ours?

Last year was our first year celebrating what we called Founders’ Week. I began planning in the spring, before teachers left for the summer. My vision included all K-12 schools engaging in meaningful activities during the week that supported the understanding of our founding documents, individuals, and ideas. These events would be coordinated from a district, school and classroom level. After gaining approval from our school district’s leaders, I shared out the plan with administrators at our monthly curriculum council. If this idea was going to take hold, it needed their leadership and support.

When teachers returned from summer break, I e-mailed them packets with information, lessons aligned to ELA standards and the Fisher and Frey Framework (our instructional model), and contest details. There was one packet for Elementary and one for Secondary. While they were expected to uphold state statutes, teachers were free to use their own materials as well.

Again, Founders’ Week provided us an opportunity for students to engage deeply in social studies content and skills. For this reason, each year we focus on a different theme. In our inaugural year, I chose the Preamble, since it serves as the foundational piece of our democracy.

Please read and see more below the fold!

We kicked off Founders’ Week at our September school board meeting, which also happened to be Constitution Day. A beautifully painted mural, designed by high school art students, covered the wall behind the board members. A high school ROTC led us in the pledge and presentation of the colors. Another high school’s choir sang the National Anthem as well as some World War II-era songs. Finally, a different high school’s drama troupe wrote and performed a comedic skit based upon the origins of the Bill of Rights. The student participants were outstanding, so proud to be there and showcase their programs.. At the same time, the students, board and audience gained exposure to social studies concepts, while sending the message to the community that these things matter to us.

(Video link)

Founders’ Week was underway the following Monday. While the participation levels varied across our 41 schools, it was hard not to notice that every school was doing something. In fact, in many schools, a major celebration was underway.

Founders Week in the Elementary Classrooms

Yes, we do know that Lincoln was NOT a Founder…but he IS important when discussing the ways in which freedom has been shaped by our history and founding!

In one of our elementary schools, they held a Freedom Family Fun Night during the week, inviting families to enjoy complimentary hotdogs (distributed by President Lincoln himself), student choirs, children’s arts and crafts stations, letter-writing to service men and women overseas, students’ Declaration of Independence banners, as well as many other events. The school reported that it was the largest turnout for a family night in their school’s history. It was so exciting to see schools and community come together for something so positive…and so social studies!

Founders Week in the Secondary Classrooms

With classrooms very much content-based, the secondary world is more of a challenge in a district-wide celebration such as this. At one of our high schools, their academy coach worked with each of the school’s academies and departments to create a plan for integrating this content into their curriculum. For example, in science class, each day they took an important word from the Constitution (such as “self-evident” or “unalienable”), discussed its meaning in it’s original context, then applied that meaning to the world of science. In their Early Childhood Education classes, students studied the roots of the Pledge of Allegiance in schools, while students in the Vystar Business academy looked at the impact of 9/11 on our economy. Throughout the week there were presentations on the announcements from clubs, classes and academies, promoting concepts central to Founders’ Week. On Wednesday of that week, the school welcomed a number of guest speakers, including a World War II veteran, a wounded Gulf War veteran, and many members of all of the Armed Forces, both active and retired. Guests spoke of their service, their sacrifice and their dedication to our country. Reflecting on the week, teachers said it brought their large school together in a way they never expected. Students rallied around the spirit of civic values like it was Homecoming Week. For this week, we were all speaking the same language–the language of social studies, the language of democracy.

At the following month’s school board meeting we honored the elementary students who won the art contest, which was based on David Catrow’s We the Kids. Their work was recognized at our county commissioner’s meeting and is now displayed in our Teacher Training Center, which is also the site of our school board meetings.

This year, I have continued with many of our same plans –kicking things off at the school board meeting with high school performers, supporting teachers with packets when they returned from summer (Elementary and Secondary), providing district-wide contests and reaffirming our commitment to keep talking about social studies.

A few changes were made this year that I hope will make for an even richer experience. For one, each school designated an official Founders’ Week contact (“Founderellas and FounderFellas.”) These teachers are those who make sure everyone has access to the packet and spearheads the organizational effort at the school level.

Secondly, I wanted to provide more entryways for our community members. We have so many groups that are eager to support us, but aren’t sure how they can best be utilized. Back in April, I invited many community groups to a meeting with all of our school representatives. In the room we had leaders representing our historical societies, veteran groups, Supervisor of Elections and Clerk of Courts offices, as well as our local museums. Seated at round tables, these mixed groups brainstormed possible plans for supporting this year’s theme — Presidents. Each community group was provided time to present and share their group’s mission. Since then, many schools have contacted these groups for in-house presentations.

While last year didn’t instantly create a district of social studies-minded students, I think we planted the seeds. By the time a student reaches 7th grade, they have received at least seven weeks of instruction on the roots of our democracy since kindergarten. A graduating senior, likely old enough to vote, will have had three months of instruction, outside of their normal routine. We are working hard to close the gap so that one day our students will vote, volunteer, work on issues and become agents of change in their community. And while we are doing it, we are strengthening bonds with each other and our community.

If you are considering a similar celebration in your community, please contact me for more information: kelly.watt@myoneclay.net.

It is always exciting to see civics and social studies being done K-12 in schools, especially in a time when our field struggles to get more than lip service. Thank you, Kelly Watt, for an excellent post on the great things happening in Clay County! -Steve

Teaching in Turbulent Times is the Saturday Morning Keynote Topic for FCSS!

Posted on August 30, 2016 by stevemasy

Hey, social studies folks! The time is fast approaching for the FCSS annual conference! PLEASE join us in late October (28-30) for what will be a great couple of days of sessions. We have made arrangements with some excellent folks to ensure that Sunday will be devoted at least in part to making sure the needs and desires of Advanced Placement folks are met! And I DO have some more exciting news to share about sessions and speakers and events, but I want to make sure that news about the keynote speaker for Saturday morning is out.

We all know that it can be difficult to teach social studies in a climate that does not often allow for deep discussion and discovery and where inquiry sometimes becomes a dirty word. Our keynote speaker for Saturday is coming to talk to us about that. Dr. Murali Balaji is the Director of Education and Curriculum Reform for the Hindu American Foundation. In his role, Balaji works on empowering educators in culturally competent pedagogical approaches. He also serves as an advisor to numerous organizations around the country in promoting religious literacy and civic engagement. A Fulbright Specialist and former award-winning journalist, he has taught at Temple University, Penn State University, and Lincoln University, where he served as Chair of the Department of Mass Communications, overseeing assessment and curriculum building efforts. A longtime advocate of minority issues, Dr. Balaji is the author of several books, including The Professor and The Pupil (2007), and the co-editor of the seminal anthologies Desi Rap (2008) and Global Masculinities and Manhood (2011). A native of the Philadelphia area, Balaji earned his B.A. in journalism from the University of Minnesota and his doctorate in Mass Communication from Penn State.

Dr. Balaji will be talking about ‘Teaching in Turbulent Times: Navigating through the New Normal in Public Education’. I have had the distinct pleasure of attending Dr. Balaji’s sessions at conferences in North Carolina and nationally, and he is an engaging, witty, and insightful speaker on issues relating to public education, controversial topics, and the getting kids (and teachers!) to think critically and intellectually.

We are excited he is able to join us Saturday morning, and I look forward to his keynote!

Integrating Civics across the Curriculum and Into Reading!

Posted on August 29, 2016 by stevemasy

One of the most difficult tasks for a social studies teacher to do is to effectively integrate our content into alignment with the expectations of state reading standards. Here in Florida, we use the ‘Language Arts Florida Standards‘ (or LAFS), which are a modified version of ELA Common Core. Over at Citrus Ridge, Polk County’s new K-8 Civics Academy, Ms. Heather Paden, who works as a special education and reading teacher for grades 6,7, and 8, has worked to provide her fellows, and their students, with support in reaching the civic mission of the school while still meeting the expectations of the LAFS benchmarks.

Using the short readings that are available through ‘Achieve 3000‘, Ms. Paden has developed guiding PowerPoints that help the students think through the reading using a civics lens. These activities prompt students to develop their civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions while also working to ensure growth in their reading, writing, and speaking proficiency.

For example, one of the weekly reading tasks involves using a reading from ‘Achieve 3000’ that concerns the plight of refugees who are fleeing oppression in Myanmar. In this reading, with features Angelina Jolie discussing her visit to a long-term refugee camp in Thailand, students are exposed (at least on a surface level) to what it might be like to be forced to live without a true home to call your own. Throughout the reading, vocabulary terms are hyperlinked to better ease students to an understanding.

In the accompanying PowerPoint, NO PLACE TO CALL HOME 9-6, Ms. Paden provides students with an overview question that will drive their thinking with this reading throughout the week. In this case, that question is ‘How can we help others whom are homeless?’. She then introduces students to terms and concepts, particularly ones that can be related to the discipline of civics, through a variety of reading and writing strategies.

For me, the acronym activity is particularly powerful and capable of provoking deeper thought. As the example here suggests, students can connect their background knowledge and their reading to civic dispositions through this model.

After working on reading strategies with the students, such as locating key details, she asks students to make a prediction (an important skill that is relevant both for ELA and for Social Studies!) that is rich in civic meaning:

This question is capable of prompting a great deal of discussion, and serves to really get students to think about consequences and how actions of governments may impact the individual.

Using both graphics and text, Ms. Paden then works on building student background knowledge and their personal vocabularies to facilitate reading.

Finally, she finishes up on at least three days with a ‘Civics Connection’, ensuring that she connects to the underlying purpose of this wonderful civics academy at Citrus Ridge: integrating civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions wherever and whenever possible.

These questions dive deep into the well of civic dispositions, having students consider ways in which they can facilitate change while connecting their classwork to their own lived experience!

Kudos to Ms. Paden for the work she has done and for her efforts on behalf of the students and teachers of Citrus Ridge. It is only with the hard work of teachers like her that the mission of Citrus Ridge, the creation of a strong generation of Florida citizens, will be realized.

If you or your school are doing excellent work in civic education, please shoot me an email or leave a comment. We would love to hear from you!

Launching a New Mock Election Platform in Florida

Posted on August 26, 2016 by stevemasy

As we get closer to the general election in November, teachers are asking how they might approach the election with their students. One method, of course, is through a mock election, and the Lou Frey Institute (parent organization of the FJCC) has partnered with the Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections and the Florida Association of Social Studies Supervisors to launch a new mock election platform. The message below has been sent to folks across the state of Florida by the executive director of the Lou Frey Institute, Dr. Doug Dobson.

As you may know, LFI/FJCC has hosted a statewide online Mock Election for Florida students in each election cycle since 2008. To support those Mock Elections, we have used our own web-based voting platform, known as the Florida Student Mock Election, and have worked closely with the Florida Association of Social Studies Supervisors to involve teachers. Our collective goal has been to provide a voting education opportunity for as many students as possible. From 2008 through 2014, we provided Florida’s Mock Election vote totals to the National Student/Parent Mock Election (NSPME) so that they could be counted in their national totals. We also included their curricular materials among those that we made available to Florida teachers.

A little over a year ago, the Supervisors of Elections (SoEs) provided the Institute with a significant opportunity to form a long-term, statewide partnership; one that has the prospect of engaging larger numbers of students in Mock Elections and simultaneously strengthening voter education relationships between schools and SoEs. A significant number of SoEs had previous experience with a web-based voting platform known as DoubleClick Democracy, supported by KidsVoting USA. As we formed a partnership, they asked that we mothball our voting platform, establish a formal agreement with KidsVoting USA and offer DoubleClick Democracy to schools and SoEs throughout the state. We have done this. Since NSPME and KidsVoting do not generally collaborate, we terminated our informal relationship with NSPME.

At the moment, we, the Florida Association of Social Studies Supervisors and the Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections are moving forward to enroll schools in every region of the state. We are also forging new relationships between SoEs and schools. We are all optimistic that we will see increased student participation in the 2016 Florida Student Mock Election along with continuing school-based voter education programs. You can review our plan at http://floridacitizen.org/resources/florida-student-mock-election.
I hope that you will support our collaborative efforts by encouraging schools throughout the state to participate in The Florida Student Mock Election.

Questions about the new mock election that will be launching shortly can be directed to me or to Dr. Dobson. We are excited about this new partnership and platform, and hope that you and your teachers and students will consider taking part!

Hey Elementary Teachers! We have civics resources!

Posted on August 8, 2016 by stevemasy

Over the past few years, at the request of teachers and in an effort to address ongoing issues with social studies at the elementary level, the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship has worked to create resources for K-5 elementary teachers. Under the visionary work of our curriculum director. Ms. Valerie McVey, and in collaboration with teachers from across the state of Florida, we have three main tools for you to consider.

Our K-5 Modules are extended lessons plans that are aligned with the Florida Next Generation Sunshine State Standards for Social Studies, as well as with the Language Arts Florida Standards (LAFS). If you are not a Florida teacher, you can adapt these lessons for use in your own classroom simply by reviewing the alignment to your own state standards, keeping in mind that the LAFS benchmarks are essentially a redraft of Common Core as well. These modules involve a great deal of work with text and text skills while exploring an essential question around a civics topic.

The Civics Correlation Guide to Current K-5 Reading Series is intended for Florida teachers and uses all of the current Reading series that have been adopted in Florida from Houghton-Mifflin-Harcourt, Pearson, Studies Weekly, and McGraw-Hill. You can search by benchmark and/or publisher, and you can see just how strong the correlations are. If you are not from Florida, I encourage you to review Florida’s elementary civics benchmarks here to see if you can use this resource in your own classroom.

Civics in a Snap! For when you have just enough time to help your kids learn about being good citizens!

Civics in a Snap is our newest resource, developed in the summer of 2015 in collaboration with elementary teachers from Dade and Pinellas Counties here in Florida. The intent of these lessons, which are also aligned with language arts standards, is to provide teachers with quick 15 to 20 minute lessons aligned with Florida’s elementary civics benchmarks. Our hope and belief is that every teacher can find 15 minutes in a week to teach kids what it means to be a citizen!

So, how do you access all this awesome stuff? Well, our good friend from Bay, Alana Simmons, was kind enough to create this overview, and we want to share this with you. Simply follow the directions below to complete your free registration and explore to your heart’s content! You can access the sign up page here!