The Time Traveler

In this newsletter, we'll shine a spotlight on the incredible collaborative teams across our district, exploring how they're leveraging the power of the four PLC questions to enhance student-centered instruction and design authentic assessments.

Additionally, we're showcasing how teachers across the district are effectively utilizing the playbook, offering insights into its practical application.

In continuation of our February Historical Thinking Task force, we've aligned some engaging thinking tasks with high-yield instructional strategies for seamless integration into your classroom practice.

Finally, We've gathered a list of spring professional learning opportunities

We hope you have a fantastic long weekend!

The 6th-grade team at Reynolds Middle School is actively engaged in cultivating a culture of high-functioning collaboration. Committed to collective growth as educators, team members collaborate to foster academic excellence for all students, leveraging Social Studies as a catalyst for igniting a passion for learning. This team demonstrates openness to innovative approaches, embraces calculated risks, and remains dedicated to continuous improvement.

Team Members: Shelby Arnold, Nicki Charriere, Patti Cornelius, Stephanie Thomas, Brittany Thompson

Prosper High School AP US History Team's has taken an innovative approach to assessments. Throughout the year, they've shifted towards authentic assessment methods, introducing group assessments where students collaborate in small groups of 3 to 4 to discuss questions before recording final answers on their individual answer sheet. This strategy fosters critical thinking, peer learning, and communication skills, enriching the learning experience for all students.

Team Member: Rachael Cummings

Walnut Grove High School Ethnic Studies team seamlessly integrate real-world applications and high-yield instructional strategies, continuously challenging and engaging their students. This empowers students to make meaningful connections beyond the classroom.

See some examples in the Instructional Playbook in Action section below.

Team Member: Morgan Jones

Rock Hill High School Honors World History team's intentional use of high-yield instructional strategies and simulations captivate students' interest and foster a deep curiosity for history. By constantly varying activities and structures, each lesson remains dynamic and engaging, cultivating an environment where students actively participate.

See some examples in the Instructional Playbook in Action section below.

Team member: Madison Holyfield

The PHS AP World History team focuses on integrating the PLC questions into their collaborative meetings, employing backward planning techniques using the CED to craft units and assessments. Post-assessment, they conduct detailed data analysis to identify trends and inform instructional decisions. Through targeted in-class interventions, they proactively address individual student needs, cultivating an environment conducive to academic success for all learners.

Team Members: Kelly Rolan and Micah Webb

“The aim is to get the students actively involved in seeking evidence: their role is not simply to do tasks as decided by teachers, but to actively manage and understand their learning gains. This includes evaluating their own progress, being more responsible for their learning, and being involved with peers in learning together about gains in learning.” John Hattie

Teams across the district are using the Social Studies Playbook to get students engaged in the content and talking with their peers. Scroll down to see amazing strategies in actions!!!

WGHS Mexican American Studies students used the 3-2-1 instructional strategy to analyze primary documents to evaluate the experience of Mexican Americans during the Great Depression.

Click here for the 3-2-1 Instructional Strategy.

WGHS African American Studies students opened class with a 4 sentence story hook activity. Students viewed a visual of Albert Einstein visiting Lincoln University in Pennsylvania and wrote a 4 sentence story based on their observations.

Click here for the 4 Sentence Summary Instructional Strategy.

RHHS AP World History students created their own Blackout poems to summarize the primary document in a creative way.

Click here for the Blackout Poem Instructional Strategy.

PHS US History students followed up their Presidential Bios performance task by having students complete brackets using the guiding question: Who was the most effective Modern American President. After completing the bracket, students will close the activity by writing a CER.

Click here for the Bracketology Instructional Strategy.

RHHS AP World History students used the causation cards instructional strategy when learning about the Latin American Revolution. Students then used the Causes and Consequence Instructional Strategy to rank the events in by impact on Social, Political, and Economic..

Click on the hyperlinks to access the instructional strategies: Causation Cards and Causes and Consequences

RHHS Honors World Geography created a claim with reasoning over the question: Is technology more likely to amplify global political conflict or facilitate collaboration and diplomacy? Once students found their evidence, they created a human spectrum to show where their views landed on the spectrum. Students then had a chance to debate their beliefs with students from an opposing viewpoint and a more neutral/ moderate student.

Click on the hyperlink to access the instructional strategies: CER, Human Spectrum, and Slide & Divide

RHHS Honors World History students did a collaborative review for World War II using the dice dialogue instructional strategy. This gave students the opportunity to discuss the content prior to an assessment.

Click here for the Dice Dialogue Instructional Strategy.

RHHS AP US History students evaluated major events of the cold war using the EKG timeline instructional strategy. Students placed events on the timeline on how the event either increased or decreased tension between the United States and USSR.

Click here for the EKG timeline instructional strategy.

WGHS Honors World Geography students researched sub-Saharan African countries and then used the Inductive learning instructional strategy to group countries by commonalities and then incorporated the rank-talk-write instructional strategy to rank countries based on different criteria.

Click on the hyperlinks to access the inductive learning instructional strategy and rank-talk-write instructional strategy.

8th grade US History students across the district leveled up their learning on Andrew Jackson by using GIST Summary, Extent Barometer, 8 p*ARTS Summaries and CERs. The depth they were able to achieve with these strategies was outstanding. (Shout out to Rogers for the images provided!)

Click on the hyperlinks to access the instructional strategies: GIST Summary, Extent Barometer, 8 p*ARTS and CER.

WGHS US history students used a card sort activity by making connections with terms, visual and descriptions. Students showed their understanding by then sorted the cards into 5 categories (Congress, Courts, Congregation, Chief, and Constitution)

Click here for the Inductive learning Instructional Strategy.

RHHS U.S. Government students used the Color Coded Feedback Instructional Strategy when reviewing there RACES response when answer free response questions for their Unit 3 Assessment.

Click here for the Color Coded Feedback Instructional Strategy

PHS Honors World History students used the notice and wonder instructional strategy to analyze primary documents from World War II.

Click here for the Notice and Wonder Instructional Strategy.

WGHS American Studies, PHS Humanities, RHHS AP Human Geography students created one pagers with key visuals, terms, and connections to show their understanding of the unit.

Click here for the One Pager Instructional Strategy.

RHHS World Geography students used the PICTOWORDS instructional strategy as a bell ringer for students to look at the word "Conflict" and apply it to the South West Asia and North Africa Unit.

Click here for the Pictoword Instructional Strategy.

RHHS World History Students used the Report Card Instructional Strategy the political leaders of World War II. They looked at their impact on both domestic and foreign policy, economics, social impacts and use of propaganda.

Click here for the Report Card Instructional Strategy.

RHHS AP Human Geography students were debating the pros and cons of Outsourcing. Students used the scorecard from Socratic Smackdown to track arguments.

Click here for the Socratic Smackdown Instructional Strategy.

Rogers 8th Grade US History team introduced students to Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion by using Which One Doesn't Belong. The students have to identify which picture doesn't fit, and then explain why they chose that image. This is an excellent opportunity for students to talk in class, without fear of being "wrong."

Click here for the Which One Doesn't Belong Instructional Strategy.

Causation: Analyses the relationship between causes and effects with the focus on “how” the cause leads to the effect using the formula “Cause→How→Effect."

Click on the strategies linked below for causation strategies you can easily implement in class.

Comparison: Able to find similarities and differences between two topics then draw a conclusion on the extent the topics are similar or different.

Click on the strategies linked below for comparisons strategies you can easily implement in class.

Contextualization: generalizing topically and thematically relevant information, including big themes and relevant details, to a subject and then connecting the information through highlighting its significance.

Click on the strategies linked below for contextualization strategies you can easily implement in class.

Thank you so much for your active engagement during our February professional learning day. I have loved seeing you implement your learning from Mr. Wiebe in your classes!

Also, semester exam performance tasks are coming up. These will follow the same format as the Fall semester task. I sent an email earlier this week with more detailed information. If you have any questions in the meantime, please reach out.

Thank you for your continued dedication to enhancing the learning experience for all students!

The Curriculum and Instruction team is excited to offer a full day of powerful professional development, also known as Prosper Connects, on August 1, 2024 at Rock Hill High School from 8:00am to 4:00 pm.

We are looking for educators from across Prosper ISD to share their passion and strengths in engaging, participatory, and high-energy learning sessions. All sessions will be limited to 50 minutes.

Proposals are due April 26, 2024, and you should receive a response by May 10, 2024. Proposal Submission Form

If you have any questions, please contact Kara Noah.

• Texas History: Cotton, Cattle, and Railroads (Spring 2024 Webinar Series)
• In the spring of 2024, Humanities Texas will hold a series of 90-minute webinars for Texas history teachers on the transformative era of cotton, cattle, and railroads in Texas history, from the 1870s through the 1890s. The webinars will offer new assessments of the era and provide a collection of curriculum materials geared toward bringing innovative perspectives into the classroom.

• Teaching the U.S. Constitution: Amendments, the Supreme Court, and Rights and Liberties (Spring 2024 Online Series)

• In the spring of 2024, Humanities Texas will hold a series of 75-minute webinars for social studies teachers on the U.S. Constitution with a focus on voting rights, fundamental rights, and equality.
• Teaching Landmark Supreme Court Cases (Spring 2024 In-Person Workshops)
• On February 28 and 29, 2024, Humanities Texas will hold one-day workshops in Fort Worth and Austin on teaching landmark Supreme Court Cases.

• Teaching Genocide Studies - Saturday, April 20, featuring a Kwibuka 30 ceremony in honor of the 30th commemoration of the Rwandan genocide against the Tutsis
• Teaching Ethnic Studies - Tuesday, July 23, featuring experienced educators and keynote experts

Check Them Out Below:

• February 2024, January 2024, December 2023, November 2023, October 2023, September 2023, August 2023, May 2023, April 2023, March 2023, February 2023, January 2023; December 2022; November 2022; October 2022; September 2022; August 2022

If you need ANYTHING, please do not hesitate to reach out! We are here to support YOU!

Secondary Social Studies C&I

Andrea, Jessie, and Mandy