R9 Social Studies Support

My name is Chelsea Howells, and I serve as the ESC Region 9 Social Studies content specialist. I am here to help you in any way that you may need, including finding resources, supporting initiatives that you take on, and providing feedback and coaching. The purpose of this newsletter is to provide resources that are specific to types of social studies content, as well as general instructional tools and resources, and updates and professional development opportunities that are beneficial to all.

Here are just a few items to bring to your attention in this issue:

• Region 9 Rocks- Citizen Bee and Bee in a Box results!
• Social Studies Summer 2023 PD Offerings
• TEA Updates
• TEKS Resource System Updates
• Sports in the Lone Star State: "The Texas Sports Revolution: How the Lone Star State Changed the Culture of American Athletics"- May 24, 2023 7 pm

I am in the office all summer, so if you ever need assistance or have a question, please do not hesitate to contact me via email (chelsea.howells@esc9.net) or social media (@ChelseaHowells9). If you like to get ahead of the game and prepare over the summer, I would love to be your thought partner! Happy summer!

~Chelsea

Every year, students across the state compete in the Texas Citizen Bee, which is hosted by the Law Related Education department of the State Bar of Texas. The Texas Citizen Bee is a statewide civic education program and competition and is funded by the Sumners Foundation.

Students take a 35-question multiple-choice test covering content from the U.S. History EOC. The top 10 finalists advance to the verbal rounds, which require each student to answer one question from each of the following categories: 1) People/Events 2) Documents and Supreme Court Cases and 3) Constitution.

Our region had 15 students from 3 high schools compete in the Citizen Bee on March 21st and 22nd! 10 students progressed from the written round to the final verbal round. Rider High School students were sponsored by Dr. Aaron Wilson, WFHS students were sponsored by Wendy Presson, and Burkburnett High School students were sponsored by Kimbra Thomas.

Congratulations to our 2023 Region 9 Winners!

1st place - $250 gift card - Prasi Desai, Rider High School, WFISD

2nd place - $100 gift card - Andrea Granados Millan, Wichita Falls High School, WFISD

3rd place - $50 gift card -Caleb Hudson, Rider High School, WFISD

Prasi was a state finalist and traveled to Austin on Friday, April 14th to participate in the “Capitol Experience” where she enjoyed speakers and tours of the Capitol complex. The State Citizen Bee Competition followed on Saturday, April 15th! Prasi is a 3 year regional winner and a 2 time state competitor. We want to congratulate her and thank her for her wonderful representation of our region!

The Annual Bee in a Box History Competition was held April 11th and 12th. The Bee in a Box Competition is a middle school version of the Citizen Bee competition held at the High school level.

The Competition was hosted by Law-Related Education and funded by the Sumners Foundation. Participants will receive gift cards and other gifts for participating. This is the 8th year for this competition.

Our region had 17 students from 4 middle schools compete in the Bee in a Box competition! McNiel Middle School students were sponsored by Ashley Penney, Barwise Middle School students were sponsored by Robbie Wilkinson, Burkburnett Middle School students were sponsored by Katherine Najar Tadlock, and Holliday Middle School students were sponsored by Sarah Murray. 10 students progressed from the written round to the final verbal round.

Congratulations to the 2023 Region 9 Bee in a Box winners!

1st Place - $100 gift card - Kael Duncan, McNiel Middle School, Wichita Falls ISD

2nd Place - $50 gift card - Kyla Moses, McNiel MS, Wichita Falls ISD

3rd Place - $25 gift card - Simon Kim, Holliday MS, Holliday ISD

Kael Duncan and Kyla Moses qualified to compete in the first Bee in a Box state competition! Held virtually, students from all over the state competed on May 8th and May 9th. Thank you to Kael and Kyla for representing our region so well!

On May 24, 2023, Humanities Texas will host a conversation with Frank Andre Guridy titled "The Texas Sports Revolution: How the Lone Star State Changed the Culture of American Athletics." Guridy is an award-winning historian and professor of history and African American studies at Columbia University. Moderated by Aram Goudsouzian, professor of history at the University of Memphis, the conversation will explore how Texas-based sports entrepreneurs and athletes transformed American sporting culture during the 1960s and 1970s. The conversation will be followed by a Q&A session with the audience. More»

Wednesday, May 24, 2023
7:00–8:15 p.m. CT

This live, virtual event is free and open to the public. Please register here to attend. You will receive a Zoom link via email prior to the virtual event.

Please check out this link to access a clickable PDF of the sessions offered through Region 9 this summer!

For districts that use TEKS Resource System, there are some NEW and EXCITING updates already available and more is coming in June.

NEW UPDATES ALREADY AVAILABLE:

• NEW Personal Financial Literacy/Economics Course PUBLISHED! (This includes a Year at a Glance, TEKS Verification Document, Resources, Learning Goals, flashcards and Instructional Focus Documents)
• Learning Goals Planning Tool for all Elementary Grades
• Vocabulary Flashcards by Unit

UPDATES COMING THIS JUNE (AND BEYOND)

• Tech Enhanced New Item Types
• Overarching Understandings/Questions and Concepts and Conceptual VAD Revised - The number of overarching understandings streamlined to 14 and 12 new concepts chosen to directly align to the overarching understandings. These changes necessitated a revision of the conceptual VAD, which is now streamlined for easier sorting and reflects better alignment.
• Course updates to World History (Unit 7 & 8) and Grade 5 (revised and reduced to 11 units)
• Rubrics for Social Studies Formative Assessments updated: All rubrics for these constructed response items have been updated to coincide with the rubrics used for short constructed responses in ELAR.
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ADDITIONAL CHANGES COMING:

• Revisions to Unit Overviews to reflect research based on the book From Story to Judgment: The Four Question Method for Teaching and Learning Social Studies by Jonathan Bassett and Gary Shiffman. Unit overviews will include questions to help focus inquiry during the unit and support planning that reflect the 4 Question Method developed by Jonathan Bassett and Gary Shiffman. This method of teaching and learning Social Studies revolves around four key questions and skills: What happened? (Narration), What were they thinking? (Interpretation), Why then and there? (Explanation), and What do we think about that? (Judgment). You can find out more information about this method and the book HERE. Stay tuned for additional resources and learning on this method in the months to come.

Additionally, there will be updates to the Pacing Tools provided by Region 10 in the coming months to reflect these new updates.

Civics Training Program Coordinator

The Civics Training Program Coordinator provides statewide coordination and support for the development and implementation of the civics training program as authorized by Texas Education Code §21.4555, serving as a content expert in the development of the civics training program and assisting with the oversight of the budget and implementation activities. The position also supports the implementation of the K–12 social studies Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) while providing clarification, guidance, and support to internal and external stakeholders regarding the K–12 social studies TEKS, social studies graduation requirements, and general curriculum topics. The Civics Training Program Coordinator reviews and develops resources aligned to the social studies TEKS, including the TEKS Guide, and assists with the implementation of social studies and general curriculum programs and legislation. The Civics Training Program Coordinator also serves as a content expert to support the alignment of the K–12 social studies TEKS across multiple TEA initiatives.

Click here to learn more.

In order to better serve constituents, TEA’s Curriculum Standards and Student Support Division has recently launched its own request link on the TEA Help Desk. The new ticketing system will allow staff in the Curriculum Division to more quickly receive and respond to inquiries.

To submit an inquiry or a request for assistance to the Curriculum Division, go to the main TEA Help Desk and select the Curriculum tile. Use the Curriculum Request Form to submit your contact information and the details of your inquiry. Be sure to bookmark the Curriculum Division’s Help Desk link to submit your questions.

Each year the Texas Education Agency (TEA) invites groups of Texas educators to provide feedback on the development of state assessments (STAAR, STAAR Alternate 2, and TELPAS) through educator committees across all assessed grades and content areas. Developing high-quality, aligned questions relies on the expertise and experience of Texas educators from across the state. Participants collaborate with other educators from across the state to review and approve each potential question for state assessments. TEA is specifically looking for educators from your region!

The commitment is generally two to three days in Austin with all travel, accommodations, and substitute coverage paid for by TEA. All participants will earn Continuing Professional Education credits. If you are interested or know other educators who would like to participate in a committee, please complete the online Educator Committee Application. This is a direct link to the application!

Registration will open on April 3, 2023.
Access to begin coursework will open on May 8, 2023.

In addition to in-person training, LRE will offer virtual professional development this summer. Each course includes opportunities for educators to work at their own pace on portions of the institute as well as collaborate and learn with others during virtual sessions. Times listed below are the times of the live Zoom sessions.

These institutes are brought to you, free of charge, through a generous grant from the Sumners Foundation.

Kids Are Citizens, Too (Pre K-3rd) - June 5, 2023
Live sessions are 9-11 a.m. AND 1:30-3:30 p.m. (CDT)

Liberty Kids (4th-5th grade) - June 6-7, 2023
Live sessions are 9-11 a.m. AND 1:30-3:30 p.m. (CDT) on BOTH days.

8th Grade Teaching the Tough TEKS - June 8-9, 2023
Live sessions are 9 a.m. to noon (CDT) on EACH day.

High School Teaching the Tough TEKS - July 20-21, 2023
Live sessions are 9 a.m. to noon (CDT) on EACH day.

Institutes on the Founding Documents - July 24, 26, 28, 2023
Live sessions are 10-11:30 a.m. (CDT) on EACH day.

Visit the Texas Law-Related Education website for specific content related to each institute.

Funding note: While this course is provided free of charge to participants, Law-Related Education is charged for a license once an educator logs on to the course. Please help them be good stewards of their grant funds by only signing up if you intend to complete the course.

Monday, July 10 - Thursday, July 13 | 12 p.m.-3 p.m. Online

Register

Teachers, join the Gilder Lehrman Institute – featuring Dr. Donald L. Fixico of Arizona State University and National WWI Museum and Memorial Specialist Curator Patricia Cecil – to explore American Indian history since 1900. Special focus will be given by Dr. Fixico toward the latter half of the twentieth century, including 1960s civil rights activism and the rise of the American Indian Movement.

$25 registration fee | Online

Applications are open for Sphere Summit: Teaching Civic Culture Together summer 2023! Sphere Summit, a full‐​scholarship professional development program for grades 5–12 educators, returns as a fully in‐​person experience in Washington, DC, and will run July 9–13 and July 23–27. Benefits include room and board, 20+ hours of professional development, classroom resources, and a $500 travel stipend upon completion of the program.

July 9–13 Summit Information
July 23–27 Summit Information

Apply here

Beginning in June, Humanities Texas will hold FREE in-person and online professional development programs for social studies and English language arts teachers in Texas schools.

Teachers can apply to attend on the Humanities Texas website.

The programs are free of charge to teachers and their schools. All participants will receive CPE credit and a wealth of curricular materials. Teachers participating in the in-person institutes will receive a $400 stipend and are eligible for travel reimbursement of approved travel costs up to $300. Housing is also available to out-of-town teachers at no cost. For more details, please see the Humanities Texas website.

IN-PERSON PROGRAMS

Texans Who Shaped the Twentieth Century

Austin: June 5-8, 2023

Location: LBJ Presidential Library and the Bullock Texas State History Museum

This institute will highlight Texans who impacted U.S.—and global—history and culture in the twentieth century. Presentations will cover Texas and national politics in the early twentieth century, World War II, the economy and society of oil, women’s suffrage, the Great Society and Lyndon Baines Johnson, Sam Rayburn and the making of modern Congress, the African American civil rights movement, the Latinx civil rights movement, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, contemporary women leaders, and influential Texas musicians and writers.

Teaching Writing

College Station: June 12-15, 2023

Location: George H. W. Bush Library

The institute for English Language Arts teachers will focus on teaching writing in the secondary classroom. Presentations will cover conducting research; using digital tools; understanding and engaging student writers; and analysis, argumentation, and evaluation.

Teaching the Civil War and Reconstruction

Houston: June 20-23, 2023

Location: Rice University

This institute will cover significant topics in Civil War and Reconstruction history from the antebellum period through the legacies of Reconstruction. Presentations will focus on such topics as slavery, the road to the Civil War, abolitionists, the Fugitive Slave Act, the Compromise of 1850, Dred Scott v. Sanford, teaching the Civil War through maps, how Americans fought, Chocktaw Confederates and the Civil War West, Juneteenth, Reconstruction, and the Reconstruction Amendments.

ONLINE PROGRAMS

Teaching Evidence-Based Reading Practices at the Secondary Level

June 27–29, 2023 (1:00–4:00 pm CT) and July 6, 2023 (1:00–3:00 pm CT) • Online via Zoom

This online institute, held in partnership with the Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk at The University of Texas at Austin, will focus on teaching reading at the sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade levels for both social studies and English language arts (ELA) teachers. Online sessions will include interactive presentations on research-based approaches to teaching reading and content-area literacy with an emphasis on social studies texts. Faculty presentations will focus on developing students’ word study, vocabulary, and comprehension skills.

Primary Source Pedagogy with the National Archives

June 27, July 11, and July 25, 2023 (9:00-11:00 am CT) • Online via Zoom

The webinar series, held in partnership with the National Archives and Records Administration and the National Archives Foundation, will focus on student-centered pedagogy to promote the integration of primary sources into classroom instruction. Functioning as a learning community, the selected cohort of teachers will meet for three sessions this summer, submitting required assignments and activities in between. Participants will receive a $400 stipend, CPE credit and a digital badge.

Teachers can apply to attend here:

http://www.humanitiestexas.org/education/teacher-institutes/application.

Please contact us with any questions: institutes@humanitiestexas.org

The 2023 Texas Council for the Social Studies Conference is being held at the Royal Sonesta Houston Galleria on October 27th-29th!

Some ideas to get approval to attend this fantastic conference:

• The conference is Thursday through Sunday- if subs are an issue you can request to attend Friday- Sunday or Saturday/Sunday only
  
• TEA always presents the most recent updates- you'd get the newest social studies information straight from the source!

Ways to "level up" your conference experience:

• Make it a Family Affair -- room reservations at the Royal Sonesta for #TXCSS2023 Outdoor roof deck pool, fitness center, Galleria Shopping is a short walk. So while you are learning, the family will be entertained. The evenings can be a mini family vacation.
• Connect with Pros-- First time TXCSS Conference Attendees make sure to attend the First Timer's Event and/or stop by the TXCSS Information table just inside the exhibit hall to meet TXCSS members and get your questions answered.
• Build Your Social Studies Teams Uniquely -- Within walking distance: Post Oak Shopping Center, Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park, The Galleria, multiple restaurants. Royal Sonesta Shuttle provided within a 3 mile radius.

Find more information at: https://www.txcss.net/conference

2023 Conference at a Glance

The TEKS Resource System Social Studies Team is looking to gauge your interest in writing assessment items for social studies. Our goal is to create a pool of trained item writers that can pick up item writing contracts on an as-needed basis. Writers are paid by each approved item.

This interest form will remain open. You will be contacted when we are expected to begin creating item orders. At that time, you will need to submit a resume and a sample item for approval. After approval, you will receive item writing training and an initial contract. Successful completion of a contract will lead to being retained in an item writing pool for future contracts.

The writer pool is expected to be retained for multiple years with the intent of occasional opportunities to pick up an item writing order.

Requirements you must have for initial consideration:

• Current and Valid Texas Teacher Certification either as an elementary generalist or in secondary social studies
  
• At least 3 years of classroom experience teaching social studies

Apply here >> http://bit.ly/TRSItemWriting

Parent or guardian, fill out this application on behalf of your child or student.

START APPLICATION

Your student or child’s application must include a news article and personal statement. The student can also include a recent school photo (optional).

• The news article must be written by the student to demonstrate their reporting skills. The story should be no longer than 450 words and must include a headline and quotes from people the student has interviewed.

• The student’s personal statement should explain why a student would be a good TFK Kid Reporter. The personal statement must be 50 words or fewer.

By completing and submitting this form, you are confirming that you have read, fully understand, and agree to the Contest Rules, which can be viewed here.

Or click here for an entry form to enter via mail.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible to be a TFK Kid Reporter?

You must be a legal resident of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands, 13 years of age or younger as of September 1, 2023, with parental or legal guardian permission, to enter. Please see our official rules for more details about eligibility.

Is there an application fee?

No purchase is necessary to enter or win.

How many TFK Kid Reporters will you pick?

We’re looking for up to 10 students from around the nation to be members of the TFK Kid Reporter team for the 2023—2024 school year.

What’s the application deadline?

Online applications must be received on or before June 19, 2023, at 11:59:59 p.m. P.T. Mail-in applications must be postmarked by June 19, 2023, and received by June 23, 2023.

Will I get feedback on my submission?

Unfortunately, due to the number of entries we receive, we are unable to give feedback on individual submissions.

When will the finalists be notified?

Parents/legal guardians of the selected finalists will be notified on or around July 14, 2023.

When will you announce the official TFK Kid Reporters?

For the names of winners, log on to timeforkids.com/kid-reporter after September 30, 2023.

I've read the rules and have another question. Whom should I contact?

Please email tfkkidreporters@time.com if you have any questions about the contest.

Entry Deadline: September 17, 2023

Constituting America invites all students to enter the We The Future Contest. It is open to all grade levels and teachers, including college/graduate school, with such categories as best song, short film, public service announcement, essay, and more. They are now accepting entries through mid-September. $2000-$5000 Scholarships available for students and teachers.

Teachers: Receive a $50 Amazon gift card when at least 10 of your students submit a contest entry!
The teacher with the most entries will receive $1,000! See teacher category for details

Check them out below:

2022-2023

Review Resources Special Edition ✏️2023 Summer PD Special Edition 🖊️Volume 2, Issue 4, 🖍️Volume 2, Issue 3✒️Volume 2, Issue 2 📓 Volume 2, Issue 1 📋TEKS Revision Special Edition

2021-2022

Secondary Edition

Apr/May 2022 ✏️ Feb/Mar 2022 🖊️ January 2022 🖍️December 2021✒️ November 2021📓 October 2021 📋 Aug/Sept 2021

Elementary Edition

Apr/May 2022 ✏️ Feb/Mar 2022 🖊️ January 2022 🖍️ December 2021✒️ November 2021📓 October 2021 📋 Aug/Sept 2021

Social Studies Specialist

Region 9 ESC

#GCT #iCivicsEducator #MIE #GridGuide #EdPuzzleCoach

Email: chelsea.howells@esc9.net
Website: https://www.esc9.net/564748_3
Location: 301 Texas 11 Loop, Wichita Falls, TX, USA
Phone: 940-397-8106
Twitter: @ChelseaHowells9