Region 10 Social Studies Support
August 2021
Welcome Back Edition!
Once again, we are at the beginning of another school year full of promise and excitement. I know many of you have already begun your year already. I just want to wish you all a wonderful year. Each year brings new beginnings, new challenges and new opportunities to positively impact the lives of our young people. I just want to thank you again for your work and dedication to our children each day. You are appreciated!
Here are just a few items to bring to your attention in this issue:
- Check out the Region 10 Social Studies offerings coming this Fall. Registration will be open soon.
- Registration for Mock Trial teams is open (see below).
- TEA Updates for TEKS Revisions
- Registration is open for the TCSS Conference in Round Rock at the new Kalahari Resort and for the NCSS National Conference in Minneapolis, MN - both in November. (see below)
REGION 10 FALL PD OPPORTUNITIES
Ethnic Studies Cohort
Join us for a series of monthly cohort meetings this Fall to explore the process of implementing Ethnic Studies courses (specifically the Mexican American and African American Studies courses) in your district. If you have already implemented these courses but would like to join to share your experiences and learn new ideas to implement next year, we encourage you to join in with us. We will discuss proposal ideas, planning the courses, instructional resources, and strategies for teaching with cultural sensitivity. Find support from educators in both Region 10 and Region 11 to create curriculum that will be ready to implement in the 2021-2022 school year.
These sessions are open to teachers, curriculum specialists, coordinators either currently teaching, implementing or planning either Ethnic Studies course or those that have plans to do so.
UPDATE:
OUR COHORT WILL CONTINUE THIS FALL WITH DATES ON SEPTEMBER 7, OCTOBER 5, NOVEMBER 9 & DECEMBER 7. REGISTRATION IS OPEN NOW.
Additional Fall PD Opportunities Around the State & Country
Humanities Texas Fall PD Offerings
FREE HUMANITIES TEXAS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WEBINARS (FALL 2021)
Beginning in September, Humanities Texas will hold FREE professional development webinar series for social studies and ELA teachers in Texas schools.
Teachers can apply to attend on the Humanities Texas website.
Teaching about American Indians in Texas
Mondays • September 13 through October 4, 2021 • 5:00–6:30 pm CT
This webinar series will offer teachers new windows into the history of American Indians in Texas and a collection of curriculum materials geared toward bringing innovative perspectives into the classroom. Team taught by a historian and two master teachers, the institute will focus on the long arc of American Indian presence in Texas from the pre-contact era through the “Indian Wars” of the 1870s.
Teaching America’s Founding Documents
Wednesdays • September 15–October 13, 2021 • 5:00–6:15 pm CT
Each weekly webinar will cover one of the America’s founding documents: the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and Washington’s Farewell Address. Each session will focus on both the context of the featured document (how it came to be and its impact/significance) and its actual contents (the most important things for teachers to know and share with their students).
*This is just the beginning of our fall programming. Stay tuned for more announcements on additional online opportunities for both social studies and ELA teachers.*
Participants will receive CPE credit and a wealth of curricular materials. CPE hours will be based on Zoom attendance and adjusted if a participant misses any portion of the program.
Teachers can apply to attend here:
http://www.humanitiestexas.org/education/teacher-institutes/application.
Teachers who apply will receive information about and access to each weekly session in the series.
Please contact us with any questions: institutes@humanitiestexas.org
BUILDING CHARACTER WITH HISTORICAL UPSTANDERS
Come get to know the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum in our first-ever K-5 educators’ professional development. Receive the tools, resources, and confidence you need to teach your students the importance of empathy, acceptance, and kindness through historical Upstanders. Participants will have the unique opportunity to hear from Brad Meltzer, author of the Ordinary People Change the World book series, and Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum PBS series, which helps kids build character, kindness, and compassion, one real historical hero at a time. Register here - https://dhhrm.formstack.com/forms/2021_espd
Texas Council for the Social Studies (TXCSS) & National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Conferences
ATTENTION HIGH SCHOOL MOCK TRIAL COORDINATORS!
REGISTRATION:
- Online team registration is open now! The link to register is HERE.
- The registration fee is $175 per team. Checks and credit cards only. No purchase orders will be accepted.
REGION 10 DATES:
- Saturday, November 13, 2021 (8:00-1:00) - Mock Trial Clinic - George Allen Courthouse
- Saturday, January 29, 2022 - Region 10 Competition, George Allen Courthouse
- Saturday, February 5, 2022 - Dallas ISD/Region 10 Semi-Finals
- Thursday, March 3, 2022 3:00PM – 7:00PM State Competition Registration/Orientation – Belo Mansion
- Friday, March 4, 2022 7:00AM – 8:00PM State Competition – Rounds 1, 2, 3 – George Allen Courthouse
- Saturday, March 5, 2022 7:00AM – 8:00PM State Competition – Round 4 & Semi-Final and Final Rounds
COURTROOM ARTIST CONTEST:
- Reminder - Participation in the artist contest is not required and artists may compete without a mock trial team.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE -- JANUARY 15, 2022
More details will be coming soon regarding calendar dates.
For Additional Information Contact:
Melissa Garcia
Law-Related Education Coordinator
State Mock Trial Coordinator
Dallas Bar Association
214.220.7484
Kelly Bellar
Region 10 SS Consultant
972.348.1432
Social Studies TEKS Review
The State Board of Education (SBOE) today announced updates to the TEKS review and revision schedule. Approved at the Board’s April meeting, the updated schedule moves up the review and revision of the social studies TEKS to the 2021-22 school year and pushes back the review and revision of the mathematics TEKS to the 2022-23 school year.
The instructional materials adoption cycle was also revised in response to the changes.
BUILD CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS USING VISIBLE THINKING ROUTINES
Project Zero's Thinking Routines Toolbox
Welcome to Project Zero’s Thinking Routines Toolbox. This toolbox highlights Thinking Routines developed across a number of research projects at PZ. A thinking routine is a set of questions or a brief sequence of steps used to scaffold and support student thinking. If you're new to thinking routines and PZ's research, please click here to explore more about thinking routines.
Thinking Pathways
Artful Thinking
Artful Thinking is a program that was developed by Harvard Project Zero in collaboration with the Traverse City, Michigan Area Public Schools (TCAPS). The program was one component of a larger TCAPS grant from the US Department of Education that aimed at developing a model approach for integrating art into regular classroom instruction. The purpose of the Artful Thinking Program is to help teachers regularly use works of visual art and music in their curriculum in ways that strengthen student thinking and learning.
The Artful Thinking program is designed to be used by the regular classroom teacher. While it originally targeted grades K-12, the Artful Thinking approach is also currently used in post-secondary education and in museums. The program focuses on experiencing and appreciating art, rather than making art. It has two broad goals: (1) To help teachers create rich connections between works of art and curricular topics; and (2) to help teachers use art as a force for developing students’ thinking dispositions.
PODCASTS TO LISTEN TO...
Visions of Education
Visions of Education is an education podcast where education professor Dan Krutka and high school teacher Michael Milton have conversations with educators to discuss big ideas in the field… including a lot of social studies, social media, and social justice. We post a new episode each week… unless we have lots of grading!
Teaching Hard History Podcast (Learning for Justice)
What we don’t know about American history hurts us all. Teaching Hard History begins with the long and brutal legacy of chattel slavery and reaches through the victories of and violent responses to the civil rights movement to the present day. From Learning for Justice and host Dr. Hasan Kwame Jeffries, Teaching Hard History brings us the lessons we should have learned in school through the voices of leading scholars and educators. It’s good advice for teachers and good information for everybody.
The Cult of Pedagogy Podcast
Cult of Pedagogy is run by a team of people committed to making you more awesome in the classroom.
Stuff You Missed in History Class
American History Tellers
American History Tellers is a podcast by Wondery, hosted by Lindsay Graham.The show premiered at #1 on the Apple Podcast charts. The podcast tells stories through perspectives of average an notable people.
KidNuz
KidNuz is the brainchild of four veteran broadcast journalists who believe that kids deserve a newscast all their own; one that delivers current events in a kid-friendly package, sparks curiosity, and gets them asking critical questions. Together with parents and teachers, KidNuz engages kids on issues that are relevant to them. Or soon will be.
Items of Interest
Texas LRE - Curriculum Content Modules
As you begin planning for your next unit, don’t forget that LRE has content modules available to assist you with planning your units of study. They use existing Law-Related Education materials to support teaching the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for 7th grade Texas History, 8th grade and high school U.S. History, and high school U.S. Government.
The content modules are designed to help supplement instruction. They are available free of charge on our website. You can access them on the lesson plan pages for the appropriate grade level.
Past Issues...
2018-2019:
September 2018, November 2018, February 2019, March 2019, April 2019, May 2019, June 2019
2019-2020:
August 2019, September 2019, October 2019, November 2019, December 2019, January 2020, February 2020, March 2020, April 2020 (Part 1), April 2020 (Part II), May 2020 (Part I), May 2020 (Part II) June 2020, July 2020
2020-2021:
August 2020, September 2020, October 2020, October 2020 (Part II), November/December 2020, December 2020, January 2021, February 2021, March 2021 (Part I), March 2021 (Part II), April 2021 (Part I), April 2021 (Part II), May 2021 (Part I), May 2021 (Part II), July 2021
KELLY BELLAR - Region 10 K-12 Social Studies Consultant - Teaching & Learning
Email: kelly.bellar@region10.org
Website: https://www.region10.org/programs/social-studies/service-offerings/
Location: Richardson, TX, USA
Phone: 972-348-1432
Twitter: @Region10SS




