My name is Jessica Torres and I serve as the ESC Region 12 Social Studies content specialist as well as the Assistant Director for Continuous Improvement. The purpose of the newsletter is to provide resources specific to social studies content, general instructional tools, resources, updates, and professional development opportunities that are beneficial to all.

This school year is off and running, full steam. I hope to meet with some of you next month in Denton for the annual state social studies conference, TXCSS, on October 14-16. This conference offers social studies educators an opportunity to learn new strategies and techniques, share the great instruction happening in their own classrooms, and network with other social studies teachers across the state of Texas. This year the conference is offering a special *Saturday only* pass for those unable to leave during the work week. Register or get more information HERE.

As always, if you ever need assistance or have a question, please do not hesitate to contact me via email (jtorres@esc12.net) or social media (@owl_b_torresedu). Be sure to check out the #r12socstud hashtag on Twitter for valuable resources all month long!

The State Board of Education (SBOE) has scheduled a special meeting on Monday and Tuesday, September 26–27, 2022, at 8:00 a.m. to consider proposed revisions to the social studies Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for first reading and filing authorization. At the August/September SBOE meeting, the board determined that it would not move forward with new social studies standards. Instead, the board asked TEA staff to bring to the next SBOE meeting a draft of the current standards that only adds content to address requirements from Senate Bill (SB) 3, 87th Texas Legislature, Second Called Session, 2021.

The proposed amendments to the K-12 social studies TEKS are available online on the Social Studies TEKS Review web page. The rule text documents for subchapters A, B, and C reflect changes to be considered by the SBOE at the September 26-27 meeting. Additionally, the Senate Bill 3 side-by-side document provides a crosswalk between the requirements outlined in SB 3 and the proposed amendments to the current TEKS.

The SBOE will hold a public hearing on the proposed revisions to the K–12 social studies TEKS on September 26. Online registration to provide public testimony opens at 8:00 a.m. (Central Time) on Thursday, September 22, and will continue through 5:00 p.m. (Central Time) on Friday, September 23. Public testimony will be in-person.

Additional information regarding registration will be provided on the public testimony registration web page in advance of the meeting. The SBOE meeting also can be viewed via the live webcast.

• STAAR Grade 8 Social Studies Blueprint
• 2023 US History Blueprint

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

Each month during the first semester, I'll work to highlight two 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.

August - Hot Text & Short Constructed Response

September - Inline Choice & Match Table Grid

October - Hot Spot & Drag and Drop

November - Multipart & MultiSelect

Description: Student selects the correct answer(s) from one or more drop-down menu(s).

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

For both inline choice and match table grid, students will often be recalling information. It is critical that we not rely upon memorization for recall, but instead ensure our students have been provided the necessary tools to move the learning beyond surface, into deep learning. Example instructional strategies of deep learning include: graphic organizers, class discussions, close reading, metacognitive strategies, and reciprocal teaching.

A few notes about graphic organizers:

• Consider - transformation, not replication. How can students take the information you have provided and organize it in a way that is meaningful to their learning?
• Graphic organizers should be considered an intermediary step, a planning step - what will we do with the information once organized - write? discuss? create?
• Article: The Great and Powerful Graphic Organizer (Cult of Pedagogy)

Description: Student matches statements or objects to different categories presented in a table grid.

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

I had a campus administrator ask a great question about improving social studies STAAR scores. After responding to her I thought it'd be a good idea to share my response with all of you.

We have often found the most successful campuses use a combination of three strategies to help them achieve student success within this content area.

1. Ensure that teachers are unpacking standards to align the depth of the content with the rigor of the test. Often as history teachers we are passionate about certain moments in history and not so much about others. It is important that we are cognizant of how the state wants the content taught so that we prioritize our time adequately. Resources such as the Frequency Distribution chart from Lead4Ward also help teachers understand and prioritize content.

2. Help students move the content from surface to deep learning. Students really need content provided to them in multiple ways, continually increasing the rigor level, so that they are able to move the information into groups that make sense in their mind and can be retrieved by them at a later date. Spiraling content back in, using anchor charts as constant reference tools, and creating a note-taking system that students can reference are all helpful ways to do this.

3. The final component is more of a systemic change...re-evaluating how history is taught prior to 8th grade. Often we find that our 8th grade teachers are having to spend a lot of time introducing HOW to think like a historian AND teach a massive amount of content. Consider reflecting on how students are prepared with historical skills, such as analyzing primary sources, prior to the tested year. One of my favorite resources are the Document Analysis Worksheets from National Archives.

Please feel free to reach out to me if you'd like to discuss how to use or implement any of these strategies.

1912 Republican Convention: TR Starts the Bull Moose Party

This four-minute video provides students with an introduction to the election of 1912 and the emergence of the progressive Bull Moose party, named for Roosevelt’s saying after an assassination attempt that he was “fit as a bull moose” to become president again. Focusing on Theodore Roosevelt’s decision to challenge President William Taft for the 1912 Republican Party nomination, the video shows students how the newly created system of direct primaries affected the race, and how Roosevelt’s failure to wrest the nomination from Taft resulted in the formation of the short-lived Bull Moose party. The video is useful for lessons focused on the election of 1912, or for lessons focused on the political reforms of the progressive era.

Lesson Plan Available HERE

Humanities Texas is proud to recognize outstanding K–12 teachers with our 2023 Outstanding Teaching Awards. We encourage you to nominate a deserving teacher in your school or community today!

In 2023, Humanities Texas will present a total of fifteen awards in three categories:

Outstanding Teaching of the Humanities Award

This award recognizes exemplary contributions of teachers of humanities subjects in Texas elementary, middle, and high schools. (12 recipients)

Linden Heck Howell Outstanding Teaching of Texas History Award

This award recognizes outstanding achievement in the teaching of Texas history at the primary and secondary levels. This award was established in memory of Ms. Howell, former chair of the Humanities Texas Board of Directors, as a lasting tribute to her service to the organization and her commitment to the study of Texas history. (1 recipient)

Award for Outstanding Early-Career Teaching

This award recognizes exemplary contributions of early-career humanities teachers in Texas who have completed three or fewer years of teaching. (2 recipients)

Humanities Texas will select one of the fifteen recipients who demonstrates exceptional leadership in the educational field to receive the Julius Glickman Educational Leadership Award. The award honors Humanities Texas board member Julius Glickman for his extraordinary leadership of our organization and many others.

All award winners will receive a $5,000 prize, with an additional $1,000 for their schools to purchase humanities-based instructional materials.

To nominate a teacher, please complete the online nomination form available on the Humanities Texas website.

Nominations will be accepted through Friday, December 9, 2022. Humanities Texas will contact each nominated teacher with instructions on how to apply for the award. Applications will be due Friday, February 10, 2023, and winners will be announced in May of 2023.

For more information on the awards, including eligibility and a list of past recipients, please visit the Outstanding Teaching Awards section of our website or email ota@humanitiestexas.org.

Applications are open, and NHD is seeking 16 student-teacher teams to study World War II in the Pacific. This program begins with a virtual study of World War II's Pacific Theater, followed by a live, on-site, one-week program in June 2023.

• Teachers and librarians (grades 6-12) are eligible to apply. Applicants must work full-time in public, private, parochial, charter, cyber, or homeschool settings.
• Student partners must be currently in tenth or eleventh grade.

Applications are due Monday, November 28, 2022.

Have questions? Read our FAQ or email programs@nhd.org.

What history in your community is worth saving?

Each of us can point to something unique in our community that's worth saving for future generations, such as a historical site, building, cultural event, or a treasured public space.

The Texas General Land Office is pleased to announce the opening of its annual Save Texas History Essay Contest, which answers the question, “What history in your community is worth saving?” The contest is open to all age-appropriate 4th & 7th grade students in public, private, and home schools in Texas. One grand prize winner from each grade will receive a gift card worth $500, courtesy of Chris Cantu of Edward Jones Investments. Ten finalists, five from each grade, will receive $100 gift cards, courtesy of the Moses Austin Chapter of the Sons of the Republic of Texas and Buck Cole. All winners and finalists will receive Save Texas History backpacks, a letter of appreciation signed by Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, and other items from the Texas General Land Office and Texas State Historical Association. Teachers of winning students will receive complimentary items, as well.

Entries must be postmarked by November 30, 2022. Grand prize winners and finalists will be announced by December 16, 2022. Additional contest information available HERE.

Texas regional social studies leaders are excited to partner with OER Project to provide a series of professional development sessions for Texas educators this school year! For the past 10 years, OER Project has been providing teachers free social studies curricula, resources, and PD. Their courses are taught by teachers throughout the state. You can learn more about OER Project here.

This free collaborative series of virtual workshops has been designed with Texas teachers in mind and will provide participants with ideas and tools that can be implemented immediately in their classrooms. Each session will explore a particular skill that helps students made sense of social studies content. Registration for the first three sessions is now open! Click on the link here to register or learn more. https://community.oerproject.com/events/tesc-strengthening-the-reading-muscle/c/e/112

Session 1: Strengthening the Reading Muscle - September 14 6:00 - 7:00 PM (ET)

Session 2: Amping up Argumentative Writing – Making Strong Claims - October 12 6:00-7:00 PM (ET)

Session 3: Comparison is the Highest Form of Flattery - November 8, 2023 6:00-7:00 PM (ET)

We look forward to seeing you on October 12!

The history you hear depends on who is telling the story. History is about perspective and point of view. Join us for all four sessions or sign up individually as we look at digital resources for uncovering forgotten history. Each session will feature a different topic.

Sessions include:

October 4 - Civil Rights and the State Fair of Texasv (Session #295391)

December 6 - Retro Report (Session #295393)

February 21 - Trail of Tears and Cherokee Culture in the 21st century

April 11 - Pullman Car Museum

**ESC Region 12 teachers may register for the Forgotten Voices in History sessions HERE.

Here is a great opportunity for curriculum specialists, history teachers, language arts teachers, and library specialists. Registration Deadline is extended to Friday, September 30!

TEACHING WITH PRIMARY SOURCES

A Workshop for Teachers and Students

The Texas State Historical Association is sponsoring a FREE Library of Congress workshop in Waco on Saturday, October 8, 2022 from 10:00am to 4:00pm. The workshop will help teachers guide and engage their students in research using primary resources from the Library of Congress and local institutions. The workshop will be held at the Baylor University and is limited to 50 participants.

• Lunch will be provided for all attendees
• Teachers will receive 6 hours of CPE credit
• Teachers are encouraged to invite one 10th or 11th-grade student
• Please bring a laptop or tablet

Texas History Day will be on hand to facilitate the workshop and provide strategies and resources to the attendees.

Attached is a flyer for the workshop and here is the registration form link: https://forms.gle/gcm18Yp3zHJHoe7k9

National Council for the Social Studies is pleased to offer a limited number of registration scholarships to educators who have never been able to attend the NCSS Annual Conference in the past for lack of financial support. Teachers from across the United States and its territories are welcome to apply.

The deadline for applying is September 25, 2022.

More info here >> https://www.socialstudies.org/conference/scholarship

I am so excited to be part of the #sschat moderator team! I would love to have you join us for a great conversation via Twitter each Monday evening. Need help getting started with Twitter chats, reach out to me and I'll walk you through the steps. All of the Twitter chats are archived for future reference using Wakelet. Check them out here ->> https://sschat.org/archives/

Check them out here:

Volume 3 (2020-2021) Issue 1 Issue 2 Issue 3 Issue 4 Issue 5 Issue 6 Issue 7 Issue 8 Issue 9 Issue 10 Issue 11 Issue 12

Volume 4 (2021-2022) Issue 1 Issue 2 Issue 3 Issue 4 Issue 5 Issue 6 Issue 7 Issue 8 Issue 9 Issue 10 Issue 11 Issue 12

Volume 5 (2022-2023) Issue 1

Special Editions: Celebrate Black History - Celebrate Women's History - 9/11 Remembered - Holocaust Remembrance Week - Memorial Day - Constitution Day - Juneteenth - Honoring Hispanic Heritage Month

Assistant Director for Continuous Improvement

Social Studies Content Specialist

ESC Region 12

o: 254-297-1284

Email: jtorres@esc12.net
Website: https://www.esc12.net/page/ge_socialstudies
Location: ESC Region 12, West Loop 340, Waco, TX, USA
Phone: 254-366-3856
Twitter: @owl_b_torresedu