Visit the PDE Social Studies Archive
July 2024 | Volume IV, Number 7
Hello Everyone!
The 2023-24 Act 35 reporting window will open in the Future Ready Comprehensive Planning Portal (FRCPP) on July 8, 2024; the deadline for reporting is Friday October 4, 2024. Act 35 requirements began in the 2020-21 school year and requires each district, charter school, and comprehensive CTC to administer a locally developed assessment of United States history, government, and civics. The assessment must be administered at least once to students in grades 7-12 and must include the nature, purpose, principles, and structure of United States constitutional democracy, the principles, operations and documents of United States government, and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
The data to be collected in the FRCPP system includes:
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- Type of the assessment administered
- Total number of students who took the assessment
- Total number of students who attained a passing grade on the assessment
- Grade level or levels in which the assessment was administered
- Course or course in which the assessment was administered
- Number of students scoring 100% on the assessment
As you gather this information in preparation for the upcoming collection, you can find more information on Act 35, including guidelines for accessing and submitting your data in the User Guide. You may also find the “Frequently Asked Questions” document useful as well.
Note that if your charter school does not encompass grades 7-12, you are exempt from this submission. However, if your school includes at least one grade level 7-12, this legislation applies to your LEA. Submission is also required for IUs that provide civics instruction on behalf of their LEAs, as well as comprehensive CTC schools.
After entering your data, if you are experiencing issues where you are unable to submit, please check that you have the proper “submit” role in the ADMIN area of FRCPP. If the Act 35 Civic Knowledge survey isn’t appearing when you log in, you are not a registered user and you must be added by your local admin user. The FRCPP information page may assist as you encounter submission issues.
Call for Proposals
The Pennsylvania Department of Education's 2024 SAS Institute, Purposeful Leadership: Support. Empower. Partner., is scheduled for December 8-11, 2024, at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center. PDE encourages educators to submit proposals highlighting programs and initiatives addressing topics impacting our schools and students positively. To submit a proposal, go to 2024 SAS Institute Request for Proposals.
Proposal submission deadline: August 16, 2024.
Act 25 of 2024
On June 17, 2024 Governor Shapiro signed into law Act 25 of 2024, amending the Public School Code of 1949 – requiring school entities to observe a moment of silence on the September 11, 2001 anniversary. The Pennsylvania Department of Education is working on supporting schools to implement Act 25 and will provide appropriate curriculum resources and other materials to be posted in the SAS portal in the coming months.
Act 70 of 2014 survey
Act 70 was signed into law in 2014 to provide children with an understanding of the importance of protecting human rights and the potential consequences of unchecked ignorance, discrimination, and persecution. To further this goal, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (“PDE”) is seeking to solicit data to provide additional Media and Informational Literacy resources to further the state of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights initiatives across the Commonwealth.
Participating in this survey will assist PDE in its mission to offer professional development and materials and resources to participating LEAs. The Department requests one survey submission per LEA. The deadline to submit is August 5, 2024.
Please access the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Act70
Thank you for participating in this survey; your input is most appreciated.
Join the Teaching for Democracy Growing Voters Program
This June, TFDA will embark on Growing Voters in the 2024 Election Campaign. This collaborative effort, aimed at teachers and administrators, seeks to increase their awareness of and capacity to promote high-quality, nonpartisan teaching about elections and voting.
TFDA firmly believes the key to success lies in our collective partnership and shared thinking with students, teacher practitioners (you!), and civic learning organizations to advance research-informed practices.
Therefore, TFDA is working to develop a cohort of students and teachers:
- This cohort will run between July and September.
- Cohort members will contribute 8 hours/month to co-creating these work products with TFDA.
- For their time, teachers will receive a stipend of $850, and students will receive a stipend of $650.
If you’re interested, fill out this short survey so TFDA leadership can find a time to meet with you and your student to discuss the opportunity in further detail.
Tools for Discussing Current and Contested Public Issues from Street Law
In the cacophony of modern discourse, where social posts and sound bites often drown out thoughtful reflection, the art of engaging in thoughtful, deliberative discussions presents an opportunity for change.
Unfortunately, handling these important conversations in the classroom is filled with challenges that understandably deter some educators. The fear of controversy and stepping on ideological landmines can paralyze even the most dedicated teacher.
Street Law recognizes this struggle and provides a lifeline—a toolbox of proven curricular materials designed to structure and ignite meaningful conversations.
Race, Housing, and Opportunity: New Lessons and Activities from Retro Report
What role does housing play in access to upward mobility and the American Dream? In the 15-minute Retro Report video, A New Housing Program to Fight Poverty Has an Unexpected Outcome, you will meet the Morris family—a black mother with three daughters. They reveal the impact that moving from urban Chicago to its mostly white suburbs had on their lives.
There are new resources for this video.
If you are a Civics/Government or Economics teacher: Examining Housing Policy is a lesson that has students explore how housing has been addressed by local, state and federal policy over time. The activity helps students understand the concepts of federalism and priorities within the federal budget.
If you are a U.S. History, World History, or Geography teacher: The Geography of Racism: Housing Policy is a lesson with a comparative approach, asking students to evaluate housing segregation in the United States and in South Africa. Students will examine similarities and differences between Jim Crow-era housing policies in the United States and conditions faced by Black South Africans under apartheid. Activity included.
Let’s Brief the Chief! New Game from iCivics
iCivics recently debuted Brief the Chief, their newest game created in partnership with The White House Historical Association. Your students take on the role of the ultimate presidential advisor as they navigate iconic moments that define American history.
Strategize with President Thomas Jefferson on securing the vital Port of New Orleans during the Louisiana Purchase or navigating the trade relationship with the newly independent Haiti.
Brief President Abraham Lincoln as he crafts the Emancipation Proclamation or addresses the situation in Fort Sumter.
Advise President Lyndon B. Johnson as he considers the complexities of a potential 1968 reelection run or how to strengthen voting rights amid marches in Alabama in 1965.
With a focus on listening and contextualizing, Brief the Chief introduces students to the variety of voices that influence the president. Throughout the game, students practice interview-based decision making and evidence-based reasoning without being responsible for outcomes.
Along with providing pre- and post-activities and a teacher guide, the Brief the Chief Extension Pack will support you in deepening learning with a one-pager on each scenario and bios on each person.
2024 Summer Social Studies PD Opportunities Spreadsheet
A spreadsheet has been compiled of Summer Social Studies PD Opportunities by the Council for State Social Studies Specialists. Please browse the document for summer learning opportunities.
Native Knowledge 360
Native Knowledge 360° (NK360°), by the National Museum of the American Indian, provides educational resources and teacher training that incorporate Native narratives, more comprehensive histories, and accurate information to enlighten and inform teaching and learning about Native America.
Let’s Go! Virtual Field Trips from PBS
Let’s Go!, an original series from WNED PBS, offers adventure to young, curious learners through behind-the-scenes virtual field trips. Come along with our host Chrisena as she interacts with experts and visits exciting sites throughout Western New York. Let’s Go! is perfect for educators, kids, their caregivers, and anyone who loves to explore! Each episode is accompanied by several activities that can be completed in the classroom or at home. Activities are directly related to the field trip site and provide many cross-curricular opportunities. This curriculum was designed with students ages 7-11 in mind but is easily adaptable for those younger and older.
K-12 Virtual Education Programs at Monticello
The Digital Programs Office at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia operates virtual education programs for K – 12 students that are not otherwise able to visit Monticello in person.
This Day in History
Discover what happened with History’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births, and notable deaths each day, delivered right to your inbox.
From My Modern Met
The David Rumsey Map Collection is an incredible online archive with free high-resolution downloads of thousands of maps from the past 500 years of world history.
From The National Constitution Center: Rights Around the World
What rights does the United States share with other countries around the world? At least 32 separate rights are found in the U.S. Constitution; explore which other countries have adopted similar rights using this interactive resource.
New From the OER Project
Where did we come from? It’s a question as old as humankind and one that every culture has tried to answer in its own way. OER’s new lesson plans compare origin stories from around the world and give students the framework to understand how these foundational myths and legends have shaped our collective history.
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.