The Time Traveler

Google Classroom Practice Sets are a great feature to help you gather student data to check for understanding, adjust instruction, and identify students needing intervention. Social Studies teachers across PISD are using sets to identify students who need to be drafted and give easy feedback on short answer responses.

Teams can choose from short response, single-select, or multi-select questions. In addition, teachers can set up hints and link extra resources curated to help students be successful. Sets can be easily shared between team members to gather data to be discussed in collaborative team meetings.

📣Shout out to Prosper High School Government and AP Government teacher, Scott Nichols for sharing this tool and how beneficial it is for students in their classes.

Click here for a great overview on how to create and assign practice sets.

This month I have been collaborating with our middle school teams to develop high-quality performance tasks. I am excited to extend this work to our high school teams in the future.

We have also been planning our professional development day for Feb. 19. We are excited to be bringing in Glenn Wiebe as a featured guest speaker!

“As a state and nation shaped by the diversity of our citizens, it is vital we recognize and celebrate the different races, nationalities, and backgrounds of the land we love. Having faced slavery, many forms of oppression, deep-rooted adversity, and the life-threatening dangers of demanding equality and change, African Americans are imbued with a unique strength and resilience, and their contributions and achievements are respected and greatly valued in the Lone Star State. Each year, February is designated African American History Month to remember and reflect on the tribulations faced by the African American community while learning from the vibrant history and culture and celebrating its many invaluable contributions. Texas educators and students are encouraged to take pride in and discover more about the strength that comes from our diversity. The following websites provide a wealth of resources and information for use throughout the year and during African American History Month.” -TEA

Click here for the one pager.

Texas Military Heroes Day is recognized to educate students about the sacrifices made by brave Texans who have served in the armed forces of the United States. The governor has designated a day to be known as Texas Military Heroes Day in public schools. Education Cod

Click here for the one pager

February 19 is State of Texas Anniversary Remembrance Day (STAR Day), in honor of Texas joining the Union and the day that James Pinckney Henderson became the first governor of the state of Texas in 1846. STAR Day shall be regularly observed by appropriate and patriotic programs in the public schools to properly commemorate the annexation of this state and to inspire a greater appreciation for the history of this state. Gov't Code 662.047

Click here for the one pager.

The 7th Grade Texas History Team at Reynolds Middle School boosted learning by using a Socratic Smackdown to analyze the causes of the Civil War. Students were grouped to debate which causes led to the war, tying in prior units and considering Texas' perspective. The authentic learning was evident from start to finish.

Team Members: Nicki Charriere, Travis Hooker, Nigel Mitcham, Shelby Wood

The PHS AP Psychology team dedicates team time to collaboratively design common formative assessments, allowing them to adjust instruction based on data. They utilize Eagle Time to reinforce skills, strategically forming groups from both of their classes based on individual abilities. This allows them to tailor the time to create an effective learning experience for every student.

Team Members: Nathan Payne and Micah Webb

Mrs. McDowell demonstrated exemplary leadership by proactively engaging her 7th-grade students in the Texas General Land Offices' "Save Texas History Essay Contest." This initiative served as a commendable extension of the learning experience for her students, yielding remarkable results. We are delighted to announce that two of Mrs. McDowell's students have been distinguished as finalists in the contest. This achievement reflects Mrs. McDowell's dedication and the exceptional efforts of her students. Congratulations to Mrs. McDowell and her outstanding students on this well-deserved accomplishment!

“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 some amazing strategies in actions.

PHS US History students were drafted to dive deeper into major events during World War II. They used card sorts to match the events with description to check their understanding throughout eagle time.

RHHS US History students used the caption this instructional when looking at propaganda during World War II to decipher the intended message.

Click here for the Caption This Instructional Strategy.

RHHS AP US History Students worked collaboratively to analyze key events and then evaluated their impacts and overall legacy.

Click here for the Cause and Consequence Instructional Strategy.

RHHS AP Human Geography students worked in groups to complete this Connect 4 pre-assessment activity. Students made connections across the unit by categorizing terms by common themes.

Click here for the Connect 4 Instructional Strategy

RHHS Government students used essential questions for discourse and then solidified their learning using the Consensus Placemat Instructional Strategy.

Click here for Consensus Placemat Instructional Strategy

WGHS US History students made connections using the Hexagonal Thinking Strategy over key events, people, and terms for World War II.

Click here for the Hexagonal Thinking Instructional Strategy.

WGHS US History worked collaboratively to increase their understanding of early events in the Cold War. Students paired text with visuals followed by putting the visuals in chronological order. Next they used a graphic organizer to summarize the events in their own words.

Click here for Inductive Learning Instructional Strategy.

Click here for GIST Summary Instructional Strategy.

Reynolds Middle School 6th Grade World Cultures create a one pager to visually show their understanding of major events for Soviet Union and modern day Russia.

Click here for One Pager Instructional Strategy.

Reynolds 7th Grade Texas History actively engaged in civil discourse using the Socratic Seminar Instructional Strategy to debate the causes of the Civil War.

Click here for Socratic Seminar Instructional Strategy.

RHHS Honors World Geography cemented their learning with frequent discussions with their partner while discussing environmental issues in Eastern Europe.

Click here for the Think-Pair-Share Instructional Strategy

This month we added the following strategies geared to increase discourse and student engagement.

• +1 Routine: Thinking Routine for identifying important ideas worth remembering.
• The 3 Whys: Thinking Routine for nurturing a disposition to discern the significance of a situation, topic, or issue keeping global, local, and personal connections in mind.
• Connect 4: Analyze and synthesize key terms, people, and events within a unit of study by identifying and explaining common themes.
• One Pager Notes: an effective tool for students to visually represent their understanding, reinforce key concepts, and synthesize information from a unit of study.
• W/S/P (Word, Sentence, Paragraph): An instructional strategy to foster critical thinking, articulate claims, and enhance the writing process.
  
  

Please reach out to Jessie and Mandy if you want a brainstorm on how to add strategies to your course!

• 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.

Check Them Out Below:

• 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