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December 2024 | Volume IV, Number 12
Hello Everyone!
Pennsylvania Delegates to the United States Senate Youth Program Announced
The United States Senate unanimously passed a resolution in 1962 creating the UNITED STATES SENATE YOUTH PROGRAM (USSYP), a national nonpartisan initiative to provide an annual opportunity for talented high school students with demonstrated leadership abilities to deepen their understanding of America’s political processes and strengthen their resolve to pursue careers in public service.
Congratulations to Ms. Anjali Verma, representing the Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School, and Ms. Elizabeth Shacklett, representing the Agnes Irwin School, as Pennsylvania’s delegates to the National United States Senate Youth competition to be held in Washington D.C. this year from March 1-8, 2025.
Congratulations as well to Mr. Sebastian Tan, representing the Sewickley Academy, and Ms. Sloan Wolfe, representing Twin Valley High School, as Pennsylvania’s two alternate delegates.
Fall 2024 Issue of Social Studies Journal (SSJ)
PCSS is excited to share the Fall 2024 issue of Social Studies Journal (SSJ), a publication of the Pennsylvania Council for the Social Studies!
Download Your Free Copy Now! | Download PDF
New from Facing History and Ourselves
Now that the 2024 presidential election results are in, Facing History has created a mini-lesson Processing US Presidential Election Results to discuss and reflect on the election with students, as well as to help students process their emotional responses, find accurate information, and consider the impact of the election. To dive in more deeply, you can also read the accompanying Ideas This Week article that was shared a few weeks ago.
Bill of Rights Institute Grades 3-5 Curriculum
The Bill of Rights Institute announced the soft launch of its new Elementary (Grades 3-5 curriculum). The units span from the Colonial Era to the Civil War and are based on the science of reading. Featuring primary sources, Lexile-leveled readings, and ideas for inquiry, these lessons are free and available to everyone of the Bill of Rights Institute’s website. Videos, PowerPoints, and paper-based games are included to engage your young scholars in high-quality Social Studies instruction. Contact Scott Petri, Manager, Program Partnerships if you are interested in additional information or trainings for your teachers. Email: [email protected]
America’s Field Trip
America's Field Trip is back! Students in grades 3-12 are invited to participate in this year's contest by sharing their perspective about what America's means to them. Winners will receive an unforgettable field trip experience to one of our nation's most iconic, historic, or cultural sites. Written or original artwork answering the question "What does America mean to you" are now being accepted; the deadline for submissions is 5 p.m. (ET) on April 16, 2025.
Mark Schonwetter Holocaust Education Foundation Grant
The Mark Schonwetter Holocaust Education Foundation is an organization that provides grants for educators to teach anti-hate initiatives, respect, and kindness to students nationwide through Holocaust education. The grant allows educators to teach their students about the Holocaust – empowering them to learn how the lessons of the past can lead to kindness, respect, and inclusion in our society today. Each grant is capped at $1,000. The grant can be used to purchase educational materials, such as books for the classroom; help fund experiences, such as subsidizing the cost of transportation to a museum; help cover speaker fees for survivor speakers; or to bring programming into the school, such as traveling museum exhibits. The grant application portal is now open! Teachers who teach 4th to 12th grade are eligible to apply.
To be added to the Foundation’s Email list and be notified when the grant portal opens, please email [email protected].
Scholarship Application Open for the Bob and Marion Wilson Teacher Institute of Colonial Williamsburg
Scholarship opportunities are available for elementary and secondary school teachers for the 2025 Summer Teacher Institute at Colonial Williamsburg. The scholarship deadline is Jan. 15, 2025. Visit Colonial Williamsburg’s website to learn more about the individual scholarships and matching grant opportunities.
Sign Up for the Presidential Primary Sources Project (PPSP) Today
Engage your students in a participatory and immersive learning experience as they develop critical thinking skills and discover our nation’s national parks, museums, and libraries through our interactive videoconferencing series.
Whether you are a teacher, homeschool instructor, or curriculum planner of any kind, you can connect your students directly to the expert educators and historians from the National Park Service and Presidential Libraries while virtually transporting them to historic sites and institutions through this free, live, interactive webinar series, which runs January-April 2025.
New from PBS Learning Media: Explore the Leonardo da Vinci Collection
Unlock the genius of one of history’s greatest minds with resources aligned to Ken Burns’ new documentary, Leonardo da Vinci! This captivating collection dives deep into the life and works of the ultimate Renaissance man while helping your students discover his groundbreaking contributions to art, science, and engineering.
Explore engaging videos, activities, and lesson plans that will bring Leonardo’s world to life in the classroom, inspire your students to think critically, and push creative boundaries. While the resources in this collection were created for students in grades 6-12, any student of any age can become inspired by Leonardo's curiosity and exploration!
The World from A to Z
Teachers, it’s time to stream a current events resource that promotes critical thinking, civil discourse, and compassion in your classroom. Fresh, nine-minute episodes are available every weekday throughout the school year.
Your lesson planning just got a whole lot easier, your students will pay attention, and their parents will love that it lets them draw their own conclusions. Here’s to provoking thought—not outrage—in the next generation.
This Day in History
Sign up now to learn about This Day in History straight from your inbox. Get all of today's events in just one email featuring a range of topics.
From The National Constitution Center
The anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights is Sunday, December 15. To help students learn about the freedoms and liberties enshrined in the first 10 amendments and the impact they have on their lives, here are some recommended resources from the NCC Education team:
Constitution 101
Teacher-Led Curriculum
- Watch: The Bill of Rights
- Activity Guide: Big Ideas of the Bill of Rights
Student-Led Course on Khan Academy
- Unit 4: Video Playlist
Interactive Resources
Constitution Daily blog posts
- Eight basic facts about the Bill of Rights
- Five items Congress deleted from Madison’s original Bill of Rights
Foundation for Economic Education
Give your students the competitive edge they need in today’s rapidly changing world.
Human Rights Day December 10
Take a look at these resources to help your students understand and appreciate Human Rights Day 2024.
Human Rights Day, Dec 10, 2024 - Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Human Rights Day: A Commemorative Observances Legal Research Guide
Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Archival Photo Gallery
C-SPAN's StudentCam Documentary Competition
By Monday, Jan. 20th submit a StudentCam entry, which is C-SPAN's annual national video documentary competition that encourages students to think critically about issues that affect our communities and our nation. In this presidential election year, we're asking students in grades 6-12 to create a short (5-6 minute) video documentary on a topic that relates to the competition theme, "Your Message to the President." The submission deadline for all entries is Inauguration Day on Monday, January 20, 2025, and C-SPAN awards cash prizes totaling $100,000 to the student filmmakers of the top 150 student documentaries.
Exploring AI with the News Literacy Project
The News Literacy Project has retooled their web page on news literacy and artificial intelligence. The new page will focus on providing educators with free resources to teach about AI and the critical thinking skills students require to navigate AI's use and implications.
You can start with NLP's “6 Things to Know About AI” infographic, offering six news literacy takeaways to keep in mind as AI tools evolve.
Apply Today for the 2025 Retro Report Teacher Advisory Groups
Retro Report is committed to supporting and uplifting teacher voices. Educators from the United States and its territories can now apply as 2025 Retro Report Teacher Advisors. Candidates can apply to one, two or all of three groups that will help us respond to the needs of educators and students nationwide.
- The focus is on educators who plan to use Retro Report resources in 2025.
- To qualify, educators must be a middle school or high school teacher at a public, private, or charter school.
- They have a special interest in hearing from teachers of Social Studies, ELA/English, Science, Special Education, and Health,
- Stipends range from $75 to $500
Apply for the 2025 Retro Report Teacher Advisor Program by Jan. 8, 11:59 p.m. ET.
Apply Today for the ABA/FJC Summer Institute
Join the ABA Division for Public Education and the Federal Judicial Center in Washington, DC for this unique teachers’ professional development using great federal trials as a lens to explore the judiciary, rule of law, and US Constitution throughout American history.
During Summer 2025, they will explore: U.S. v. Susan B. Anthony, the Flag Salute Cases (Gobitis v. Minersville and Barnette v. West Virgina Board of Ed) and U.S. v. Dellinger (the Chicago Seven Conspiracy Trial).
- When: June 23–27, 2025
- Where: Washington, DC (travel and lodging costs included)
- Questions? Email [email protected] with any questions.
- Application Deadline: February 1, 2025
Apply for the ABA/FJC Summer Institute.
Agents of Influence Seeking Teachers
Agents of Influence, a spy media literacy game, is looking for middle and high school teachers to give feedback and participate in research studies. The game teaches critical thinking, content analysis, research, and communication—essential skills that form the foundation of 21st-century education. The game can be used across subjects including ELA, Social Studies, CTE, Library, and more.
$50-$250 per teacher, Dec. 2024–Jan. 2026 (different studies at different times)
The Summer PD Social Studies Calendar is Now Available
The first draft of the 2025 Summer Social Studies Professional Development opportunities spreadsheet is now available. As you take a peek, anything that is NOT highlighted is currently open.
Many thanks to Stefanie Wager at the Iowa Department of Education for creating this calendar and updating the spreadsheet as more opportunities open.
Thank you for subscribing to the SAS Social Studies PLC and for all you do every day for the students in Pennsylvania!
Don McCrone
[email protected]
NOTE: Sites identified here have been reviewed by the content advisor; however, educators are advised to preview for appropriateness for their respective classrooms.