Region 9 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.

A couple of years ago, I read a book called "One Word That Will Change Your Life". To sum it up, the authors recommend choosing a single word to define your year rather than creating long resolutions that are easily forgotten. My word for 2023 is COLLABORATE. I hope to join forces with other subject areas, other geographic regions, and with YOU. We are stronger together!

If choosing One Word sounds interesting to you, check out these words to see if any strike a chord!

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

• NGPF Zoom January 17th
• High School Citizen Bee Sponsor Sign ups- competition in March!
  
• Bee in a Box Sponsor Sign ups- competition in April!
• Social Studies TEKS Revisions will be implemented in 2024-2025
• 22 Powerful Closure Activities
• TRS Item Writing Opportunity ($$$)

As always, I would like to help in any way that I can to take something off your plate. 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).

~Chelsea

Register here for the zoom!

Who should apply to join the Retro Report Educator Community: middle- and high school teachers from rural, urban, and suburban settings; public, private and charter school teachers; educators in Social Studies, E.L.A., Science, Special Education and teachers of English Language Learners.

Citizen Bee Sponsor Registration

Bee in a Box Sponsor Registration

Would you like to join an instructional materials focus group to collaborate, suggest improvements, and make an impact on one or more of the TEA’s instructional materials offerings?

The Texas Education Agency provides school districts and educators with direct access to an optional set of high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) designed especially for Texas students. TEA is seeking educator feedback as we work to continuously improve these materials. Focus groups typically meet virtually for 60-75 minutes each month and the feedback they produce helps inform future editions of TEA’s instructional materials. TEA is currently recruiting for Social Studies (K-5). Please stay tuned for future opportunities in other subjects and grade bands.

To fill out a short interest form, please click here. TEA looks forward to hearing from you.

The State Board of Education met between November 16 & 18, 2022 and determined that the revised social studies standards will be implemented in the 2024–25 school year. The board determined that social studies will not be a part of Proclamation 2025. TEA will offer publishers the opportunity to update their instructional materials in order to address any changes in the revised TEKS. For additional information regarding the SBOE meeting please check out the livestream recording at www.bit.ly/SBOE11_18.

The revisions to the social studies TEKS that address requirements from SB 3 will be implemented in the 2024–25 school year. For more information and to access resources see www./bit.ly/ssTEKSreview.

• Approved Revisions to Chapter 113, TEKS for Social Studies, Subchapter A, Elementary
• Approved Revisions to Chapter 113, TEKS for Social Studies, Subchapter B,
• Middle
• Approved Revisions to Chapter 113, TEKS for Social Studies, Subchapter C,
• High School

You can view the SBOE livestream recordings of all SBOE meetings HERE.

The SB 3 side-by-side document provides a crosswalk between the requirements outlined in the bill and the approved revisions.

• In response to SB 1063, the SBOE adopted at its June 2022 meeting the new Personal Financial Literacy and Economics high school course.
• Districts with a total district-wide high school enrollment of fewer than 500 students can apply to the commissioner of education to offer either Economics with Emphasis on the Free Enterprise System and Its Benefits or the new Personal Financial Literacy and Economics course. All other districts must offer both of these required economics courses.

• Beginning this year, the start of the 2022–23 school year, students may successfully complete either this new course or the Economics with Emphasis on the Free Enterprise System course to satisfy the half-credit economics requirement for high school graduation.
• Students can be awarded one-half credit for successful completion of this course. Students may not be awarded credit for both this course and the separate personal financial literacy course.
• The new PFL/Economics course is included in Proclamation 2024.
• See the attached Frequently Asked Questions document for additional details and clarifications. (www.bit.ly/TEAsocialstudies)

Click the images below to access the PDF.

Click the images below to access the PDF.

UPDATE - New Practice Test Available

There is now a NEW FULL LENGTH PRACTICE TEST available on the STAAR Redesign Website.

The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR®) test is being redesigned to make the test more tightly aligned to the classroom experience. House Bill 3906 established a “multiple choice cap,” meaning that no more than 75% of points on a STAAR test can be based on multiple choice questions. Preliminary information has been released about the item types. I will provide updated information as we receive it. I would highly suggest bookmarking the STAAR Redesign website page >> https://tea.texas.gov/student-assessment/assessment-initiatives/hb-3906/staar-redesign

For the next few months, this newsletter will highlight several of the new STAAR Item Types and possibilities within the classroom. If you have ideas or examples of ways that you are embedding these in your classroom, please do not hesitate to share - we are all better together.

October- Inline Choice & Match Table Grid

January- Hot Text, Short Constructed Response, Multipart

February- Multiselect, Hot Spot, & Drag and Drop

Link to Pear Deck New Item Types Template

Description: Student cites evidence by selecting highlighted text in a sentence,

paragraph, or extended reading.

Point value: These questions can be worth a maximum of 2 points with the

possibility of receiving 1 point for a partially correct response.

Social studies tests that may include these questions: Grade 8 and EOC

Description: Student gives a brief explanation in their own words to demonstrate

their understanding of content.

Point value: Short constructed responses are graded on a rubric equal to 2 points.

Social studies tests that may include these questions: Grade 8 and EOC

Description: Student responds to a two-part question where Parts A and B are scored separately. In many cases, Part B asks students to give evidence or explain their thinking for their answer to Part A.

Point value: These questions can be worth a maximum of 2 points with the possibility of receiving 1 point for a partially correct response.

Social studies tests that may include these questions: Grade 8 and EOC

Hot Text questions are essentially asking students to respond to a prompt and an excerpt of some kind by pulling evidence from the text to support a response. To prepare students for this kind of thinking, we are essentially asking our students to use the same literacy skills they are asked to use in their RLA classes. Essentially, we are ALL literacy teachers and need to make it common practice to build in as often as possible opportunities for students to practice and model foundational literacy skills of reading, writing, listening, speaking and collaborating. Having students read and analyze text using annotation codes or think marks is one way to practice these skills. Also, having students utilize document analysis resources like those provided by the National Archives will assist in building these skills.

The Short Constructed Response questions ask much of the same for students. Students will be asked to respond to a prompt and may have to use a stimulus of some kind (a map, cartoon, photo or excerpt). Using resources and strategies like a Claim - Evidence - Reasoning protocol will aid in developing these skills. Other visible thinking resources can be found on the Project Zero Visible Thinking Routines website.

Multipart questions are two part questions where the answer for the second part is dependent on the answer provided for the first part. These questions are very similar to hot text questions in the fact that they are looking for justifications as to why the initial answer was selected. There are several great resources that can be used to support the type of thinking required for this type of question. One recommended resource is the Stanford History Education Group. The 'Reading Like a Historian' and 'Beyond the Bubble' assessments help students to make historical claims based on evidence from primary and secondary sources. Access to the lessons and resources are free with an email and login.

credit: Kelly Bellar, Region 10 ESC

NGPF Zoom: Click here to register!

Forgotten Voices Zoom Series

February 21 Registration

April 11 Registration

Throughout the summer, Regions 9, 10 and 11 conducted a series of one hour PD sessions looking at the New Item Types for STAAR with a focus on discussing how we can build capacity in our students and their critical thinking skills. We will be re-running that series in the fall in September, October and November. In conjunction with that, we have also offered an opportunity to teachers to join in on a virtual PLC to continue the conversation and serve as support for teachers this fall. If you would be interested in participating in that PLC, you can express that interest by completing the Google form linked HERE.

Dates for the PLC will be January 10th, February 23, March 27 and a final follow-up on May 17. All PLC meetings will be from 4:30-5:30 via Zoom.

Please note- the December PLC has been rescheduled for January 10th.

The Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission (THGAAC) invites you to learn more about the fourth annual statewide Holocaust Remembrance Week, which will be facilitated in Texas classrooms January 23-27, 2023. All approved resources as well as helpful tips on best practices, are easily accessible at: https://thgaac.texas.gov/learning/hrw.

After January 27, Texas educators are welcome to provide online feedback regarding their instruction via https://thgaac.texas.gov/holocaust-remembrance-week-feedback. Texas students are encouraged to provide detailed online feedback regarding their learning experiences at https://thgaac.texas.gov/holocaust-remembrance-week-feedback-2.

Questions may be directed to THGAAC State Coordinator of Education Dr. J.E. Wolfson at j.e.wolfson@thgaac.texas.gov or THGAAC Regional Coordinator/Communications Christian Acevedo at christian.acevedo@thgaac.texas.gov.

• Texas LRE Westward Expansion Content Module pg. 4-5, Primary Source Interpretation
• Stanford History Education Group - Manifest Destiny primary source analysis
• Stanford History Education Group - Louisiana Purchase primary source analysis
• Edsitement (below grade level) If You Were a Pioneer on the Oregon Trail
• Video: Survival Lessons from the Oregon Trail https://youtu.be/M6jx417cOrM
• Extended lesson plan (project) - National Park Service - Pathways and Perspectives: National Historic Trails Multiday Lesson Plan
• Bullock Museum resources: Campfire Stories: History of Texas & Texas History Timeline
• Stanford History Education Group - Texas Revolution
• C-Span Classroom Lesson Plan: The Mexican American War, includes multiple video and focus questions
• California Gold Rush Simulation

credit: Jessica Torres, Region 12

• The Great Depression: Crash Course US History #33 https://youtu.be/GCQfMWAikyU
• The Great Depression and the New Deal Vocabulary - Texas LRE page 5-9 Content Module (There are enough terms that students can each take one and create a symbol and then share with each other.)
• C- Span Classroom Bell Ringer: Black Tuesday and the Stock Market Crash of 1929 includes video and focus questions
• Article: The Bitter Origins of the Fight Over Big Government - would suggest pairing with a Venn Diagram to allow Ss to compare the two leaders
• Understanding the New Deal video and notes sheet from PBS Learning Media https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KEB8NKOG8v6UAJFOREiILPOb2N7rkhX6/view?usp=sharing
• Newsela Article: The Great Depression as a global event- includes, multiple choice questions - can be printed or shared through Google Classroom
• Stanford History Education Group - New Deal SAC - Students will analyze primary sources to determine whether they feel the New Deal was a success or not

*****

• Texas LRE Content Module - pg. 4 A Geographic Look at World War II (Map) Video: The
• Attack on Pearl Harbor (Smithsonian) https://youtu.be/DNV8enpVwok
• Google Earth - allow students to see where Pearl Harbor is located in the world, as well as Japan
• The National D-Day Memorial Piggly Wiggly - Rationing Activity
  
• C-Span Classroom - Bellringer: African American Soldiers and Jim Crow includes video and focus questions.
• Newsela article: New bill ends discrimination against World War II women pilots includes multiple choice questions.
• Discovery Education Video Segment: Executive Order 9066: Japanese Internment Camps
• Texas LRE Lesson Plan: Korematsu vs US
• Discovery Education American Indians Become WWII Heroes
• Discovery Education World War II at Home Interactive Techbook
• Texas LRE Content Module pg. 14-22 The Three Theaters (Fronts) of World War II - covers European, Pacific and Homefront, includes timeline creation
• PBS Learning Media: D-Day in Luverne includes 2 activities as support
• Texas LRE Content Module pg. 23-28 Key Personalities of World War II Have students work in groups to create a question for the personality and then switch groups to answer the created question.
• Overview of the Holocaust (2-day Lesson) United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
• Texas LRE Lesson Plan and handout - Truman - Why I Dropped the Bomb
• PPT Slides to support lesson
• https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1_11ZATdkEg4XuEGLsuHIRC2iXoOe3kq4/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=110828781447985167756&rtpof=true&sd=true
• Videos: US World War II EOC Review Part 1 & 2
• Part 1: https://youtu.be/-lGYdK5LHJo
• Part 2: https://youtu.be/LR88LjZH4LM

credit: Jessica Torres, Region 12

Texas History for Teachers (TX4T) project provides Texas social studies teachers access to evidence-based historical content and best-practices resources for teaching Texas history. The long-term TX4T vision is to produce a full, free Texas history curriculum that combines the very best of historical knowledge, educational pedagogy, and accessibility with all the content mapped to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards.

Within each unit on the TX4T site, teachers will find:

• An overarching unit plan detailing historical themes

• Interconnected lessons that center on primary sources.

• Professionally produced videos that provide scholarly background about major people and events.

• Curated primary sources

• A series of lessons, videos, and primary sources that highlight “Voices” in Texas history, focusing on the experiences and perspectives of historically underrepresented groups.

Check it out now!

credit: Jessica Torres, Region 12

Why the Cold War Race for Nuclear Weapons is Still a Threat. This six-minute video provides students with a brief, engaging summary of the nuclear standoff during the Cold War, and how it permeated American culture. It poses the question of whether the threat posed by nuclear weapons may be greater now than ever. The video contextualizes the current discussion of nuclear proliferation by comparing modern issues with the comparative predictability of the Cold War’s nuclear standoff, illustrating both changes and continuities relating to one of the gravest challenges of the 21st century.

AP Human Geography Resources

Teachers looking for resources for Units 5, 6, and 7, look no farther. The Retro Report archives contain films that examine rural and urban land-use patterns, and their environmental consequences. Engaging films like “The Environment and Natural Resources: Wild Horses” or “Love Canal and the Environmental Protection Agency” will help students analyze public policy and environmental impact.

This online debate platform poses a bi-weekly question that encourages students to think critically about the things going on around them. Prizes are awarded based on the quality of responses.

Think the Vote

This student civic engagement contest seeks to foster a robust understanding of citizenship and get students active in their communities. Student service projects can win up to $10,000, with $40,000 in total prizes available to students and teachers. Check it out now!

Deadline: January 20th

Reconstruction and the Remaking of Texas (Webinar Series)

"Reconstruction and the Remaking of Texas" will take place via Zoom from 5–6:30 p.m. CT on the following Mondays: January 16, 23, and 30 and February 6. Teachers who register will receive information for each webinar in the series. Attendance at each weekly session is encouraged but not required.

Team-taught by a historian and three master teachers (Andrew Torget, the University of North Texas; Jay Ferguson, Round Rock ISD; Chassidy Olainu-Alade, Fort Bend ISD; and Michelle Phillips, College Station ISD), the sessions will focus on exploring how Reconstruction remade the ways that Texans thought about freedom and citizenship and how state and national governments fought over the fate of both newly freed African Americans and their defeated former enslavers.

*****

Teaching the Speeches of Ronald Reagan (Webinar)

"Teaching the Speeches of Ronald Reagan" will take place over Zoom from 5–6:15 p.m. on February 22. The webinar will offer specific suggestions for teaching Reagan's most significant oratorical works, focusing on their historical context and the rhetorical strategies deployed. The program will consider these speeches' role in Reagan's legacy and highlight the most important takeaways for middle and high school students. Jeremi Suri (The University of Texas at Austin) will lead the webinar.

*****

Teaching the Speeches of Barbara Jordan (Webinar)

"Teaching the Speeches of Barbara Jordan" will take place over Zoom from 5–6:15 p.m. on March 29. The webinar will offer specific suggestions for teaching Jordan's most significant oratorical works, focusing on their historical context and the rhetorical strategies deployed. The program will consider these speeches' role in Jordan's legacy and highlight the most important takeaways for middle and high school students. Karen Kossie-Chernyshev (Texas Southern University) will lead the webinar.

How to apply

Complete the online application. Apply as soon as possible. Registration occurs on a rolling basis and space is limited.

Calling all educators! PBS LearningMedia is currently seeking ELA and Social Studies educators in grades 6-12 to pilot test educational materials created for the Ken Burns in the Classroom collection. This paid opportunity will require implementing materials in your class, providing sample work, and when possible, allowing classroom observation by a member of the PBS LearningMedia team.

Apply here.

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

Check them out below:

2022-2023

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