December Middle Social Studies | Smore Newsletters

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Happy December & End of First Semester!

The holidays give us an opportunity to pause our busy lives and reflect on the many accomplishments in a school year that has presented a new set of challenges. The season offers us a chance to say “thank you” to each of you for all of the support that you provide to our students, our families, and our community. Each of you have worked selflessly to make a positive difference for families and students in uncertain times and we would be remiss if we did not commend you for every occasion you rose to. We want to thank you for all that you have done and all that you will do in the coming year. Sending you the warmest thoughts and best wishes for a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year. May your holiday be warm, peaceful, and safe.

Early Release - Professional Development

Thank you to each of you who engaged in our November Early Release Day Uplifting Literacy through DBQs. As a reminder we will be continuing our learning of the DBQ process to elevate our instruction of the required instructional mandates that impact all our content areas.

Instructions - resources - and recordings may be found in this link.

If you did not receive a registration for myPGS for the day 3 session, and you were in attendance, please let us know. Please note that attendance is awarded for attending and participating fully for the duration of the 45 minute session.

Additional professional development credit may be earned for the try and apply task. You will be registered for a separate myPGS course for this opportunity. Our focus for the third session was around strategies to support close reading If you could please plan and deliver a lesson using one of the close reading strategies shared at our session with either the Cesar Chavez DBQ; or a DBQ applicable to a current unit of instruction and submit 3 student samples either via by email or by loading in this folder, by December 2nd.

Next Session - December 8th - You may register for your time slot

Section #30434 | Early Release Day 21-22 Session 4 (12:30-1:15pm)
Section Dates: 12/08/2021 - 12/08/2021
Course #: 4120 Uplifting Literacy with the DBQ Project Grades 6-12

Section #30436 | Early Release Day 21-22 Session 4 (1:30-2:15pm)
Section Dates: 12/08/2021 - 12/08/2021
Course #: 4120 Uplifting Literacy with the DBQ Project Grades 6-12

Curriculum Resource 2021 - Middle School

In a year where we all are continuing to engage students in multiple platforms, please consider the following activities in conjunction with your current curriculum.

This month we are providing Edpuzzle resources. Edpuzzle is a platform which allows you to break educational videos into bite sized information with live questions and integrated notes. This resource makes it easy to differentiate for different levels of student learning. The videos provided this month have the following coding before their proper titles:

E= Scaffolded

R= On Grade Level

G= Enrichment/ Higher Order Thinking

Below are short videos which explain how to use the platform. Once an account is created you can add the resources below to your library, assign them to students, and edit them to make them your own!

How To Create an Edpuzzle Account

How To Create an Edpuzzle Class (this is where you could have differentiation- e.g. Period 1R, Period 1G, etc.)

How To Assign an Edpuzzle

How To Invite Students to their Edpuzzle Class

US History

G SS.6-8.A.3.10- Constitutional Compromises

R SS.6-8.A.3.10- Constitutional Compromises

E SS.6-8.A.3.10- Constitutional Compromises

Civics

G SS.7.C.1.5: Identify how the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation led to the writing of the Constitution

R SS.7.C.1.5: Identify how the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation led to the writing of the Constitution

E SS.7.C.1.5: Identify how the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation led to the writing of the Constitution

World History

E SS.6-8.W.2.6: Determine the contributions of key figures from ancient Egypt. (Hatshepsut)

R SS.6-8.W.2.6: Determine the contributions of key figures from ancient Egypt. (Hatshepsut)

G SS.6-8.W.2.6: Determine the contributions of key figures from ancient Egypt. (Hatshepsut)

Assessments

For the 21 -22 school year:

For the 21 -22 school year:

Quarterly Checks will be optional for MJ US History & MJ World History courses for this school year. They are available to use for progress monitoring.
Civics will return to required Quarterly Checks this school year for Quarter 1 & 2 - and Quarter 3 for priority schools. If non-priority schools would like to offer the Quarter 3 check it will be available to do so, but not required.
Civics Quarterly Check blueprints may be found here.
District finals will remain for the school year - blueprints of assessed standards may be found here.
To access and administer CFAs - please access here Using myProgress to Administer Assessments

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NIE - Newspapers in Education

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

On December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor, a U.S. naval base near Honolulu, Hawaii, “was the scene of a devastating surprise attack by Japanese forces. Just before 8 a.m. on that Sunday morning, hundreds of Japanese fighter planes descended on the base, where they managed to destroy or damage nearly 20 American naval vessels, including eight battleships, and over 300 airplanes. More than 2,400 Americans died in the attack, including civilians, and another 1,000 people were wounded. The day after the assault, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan,” posted on the History Channel.

Log on to the digital edition of the Tampa Bay Times to see the actual front page from December 7, 1941.
Click here to see a PDF of the first three pages of the December 7, 1941 edition of the Times.
Click here for a transcript of the speech by Franklin D. Roosevelt declaring war.
Discovery Education has a one to two-day lesson plan to teach students about the events at Pearl Harbor in December 1941 which includes an activity giving students an assignment is to write a news story about Pearl Harbor as though they were living at the time.
Scholastic also has lesson plans that focus on the events that led to the attack, read the accounts of eyewitnesses, and relive the day Pearl Harbor was bombed

Everfi Challenge

This winter we're celebrating teachers like you. Earn a chance to win one of nine $100 Amazon gift card donations for your classroom, all while empowering your students' futures.

Here's how you can get in on the fun:

Use our most popular resources with your class(es) between November 15th and December 17th, and each course you use will give you one entry into the prize drawing. Learn which courses qualify, and raise your hand to participate here.

NEH + Inquiry: Fabric of the Past

Applications are open for Fabric of the Past: Weaving the Twentieth Century at the Beaumont Mill and Village in South Carolina!

This weeklong National Endowment for the Humanities workshop is open to social studies educators in grades 6-12. Participants will learn with historians about key topics in textile and mill history while developing an inquiry-based teaching blueprint they can use to engage students in learning and telling the story of their communities.

Learn more here.

USF Ph.D. in Social Science Education

The University of South Florida Social Science Education faculty invites highly qualified individuals to apply for a Ph.D. in Social Science Education. The program prepares graduates to assume positions as teacher educators and leaders for curriculum and instructional reform. This distinctive program provides opportunities for students to work closely with faculty on research, teacher education, global initiatives, and innovation in Social Science Education.

The goals of the program are to prepare social science education professionals who:

Conduct sound research on important issues in social science education and disseminate the results of that research in appropriate ways.
Advocate best practices in teacher training.
Engage in responsible innovation.
Contribute to standards-based school reform and improvement.
Exhibit professional and ethical standards appropriate to their role as leaders in the field.
Support the preparation of effective, committed, and ethical professionals in social sciences education.

Our graduates are prepared to serve as professors in colleges and universities as well as school district administrators and curriculum specialists.

Admission Requirements

• Master's degree in education or social science related field

• University Admissions application form (submit online athttps://secure.vzcollegeapp.com/usf/);

• The GRE is not required

• Transcripts from accredited institution

• Statement of professional goals

• Résumé

• Two letters of recommendation from prior professors or education colleagues

• Interview (Completed over Microsoft Teams or Zoom)

Contact:

Michael J. Berson, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Teaching and Learning

Coordinator, Social Science Education Ph.D. Program

Affiliate Faculty, Learning Design & Technology

Senior Fellow, The Florida Joint Center for Citizenship

University of South Florida

College of Education

4202 East Fowler Avenue, EDU302

Tampa, Florida 33620 – 5650
Phone: (813) 974-7917

Email: berson@usf.edu

Holocaust Reflection Contest

Contest Open to Florida Middle and High Schools

Teaching students about the lessons of the Holocaust is both a great responsibility and a tremendous opportunity to influence the next generation. The powerful stories of Holocaust survivors provide wisdom and inspiration. The annual Holocaust Reflection Contest enables middle and high school students across the state of Florida to study the testimonies of Holocaust survivors in a meaningful, creative way.

Submissions will be accepted January 24 - March 3, 2022

Contest Details | Classroom Poster

Contest Rules

Students should find a Holocaust survivor story that inspires them, and present their reflection in one of the following categories:

written expression: essay or poem (no more than 300 words)
digital: video or automated presentation (5 minutes or less)
visual: art piece

Teachers Win Too

Teachers of winning students receive $500 for first place and $250 for second place. And all participating teachers (with at least 10 students who submit valid entries) will receive a $25 Target gift Card.

Nova Southeastern University continues to partner with the Holocaust Learning and Education Fund, Inc., now in its 8th year. This initiative allows you to meet the Sunshine State Standards' "Holocaust Education" curriculum mandate while giving your students an opportunity to process and creatively express their reactions to the experiences of survivors.

The Presidential Primary Sources Project

Free online student programs on the presidency begin January 18th! The Presidential Primary Sources Project provides a series of free, standards-aligned, 45-minute interactive webinars aimed at students in grades 4-12. Students will learn how to use and analyze primary sources to better understand the historical legacies of our nation’s presidents.
View the full program schedule and sign up here.

SEL -Compassionate Schools

We are so happy to share that our new mindfulness program, Inner Explorer, has been added to your myPascoConnect dashboard! All you need to do is click on the app, and it will automatically sign you in using our district's single sign-on (SSO) capabilities. We encourage you to take some time to browse the resources available to you through the app including teacher guides, related videos and books, and parent letters you can send. Please reach out to Lesley Wilson lrwilson@pasco.k12.fl.us or Susanna Haberle shaberle@pasco.k12.fl.us with any questions.

DBQ Online Feature Spotlight: Using DBQ Online to Make Thinking Visible

The DBQ Online platform includes a feature that allows teachers to view and provide feedback on student work. Teachers can write comments for students on a sticky note like this!

How does it really work? Let’s say you are teaching “Why Did So Many Colonists in Jamestown Die?” Students are annotating Document A and a boy comes up with a really great idea. He is using the gray underline to mark things in the document that reference death, and green to reference things that refer to the environment. The teacher can go to his dashboard, click on “Manage” next to the Jamestown lesson, and then click on the student’s name. Boom! The student’s work is on the big screen. Everyone can see the great idea and talk about whether there are other things that might be marked gray or green. The student can lead that discussion and continue to mark up the document instead of the teacher doing it. How did the environmental conditions cause death in Jamestown? Now, everyone can see the quotes and references and use them to build an answer. (blog post written by Beth Montgomery, 2019)

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