Fostering Civic Engagement in the Social Studies Classroom

Fostering Civic Engagement in the Social Studies Classroom

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Schedule for the Day & Session Descriptions

Registration & Coffee, 8:00-8:30am

3rd Floor, Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union, Eastern Illinois University

Welcome & Keynote, 8:30-9:20am

Welcome

Keynote: “Enlightened and Responsible Citizens”: Fear, Trust, and the Creation of the Electoral College

Dr. Lynne Curry, Department of History, Eastern Illinois University

Charleston-Mattoon Room

Breakout 1, 9:30-10:30am

Complicity, Collaboration, and Collective Responsibility: Ethical Questions in the Holocaust

The history of the Holocaust tells of many people forced to make ethical choices. Why did some people participate in persecution, as perpetrators or collaborators, while others risked everything to save someone? And what of those who were complicit in atrocities, by choosing to remain passive or silent? Educators will engage in activities that they can use with their students to explore human behavior, individual choice, and the consequences of indifference.

Jessica Hulten, Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center

Effingham Room

Making Sense of the News: News Literacy in an Era of Misinformation

“Fake News” has now become ubiquitous when discussing current events in today's society, but how can you as both a news consumer and an educator best equip yourself and your students with the tools needed to become a more discerning news consumer? In this session, you'll learn more about News Literacy, which is all about using critical thinking skills to judge the reliability and credibility of news sources. You'll also gain insights and get a tour of the free digital classroom resources for teachers available from the Center for News Literacy at Stony Brook University.

Michael Spikes, Center for News Literacy, Stony Brook University

Tuscola Room

EXTENDED WORKSHOP DURING BREAKOUTS 1 and 2, 9:30-11:40

Current and Controversial Issues: Creating Space for, and Engaging in, Difficult Conversations

How can we engage our students in meaningful conversations on current and controversial issues? This two-block session will model how we create those spaces, while also exploring one of those issues: memorials and contested histories.

WaydeGrinstead, Facing History & Ourselves

Charleston-Mattoon Room

Breakout 2, 10:40-11:40am

Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee, Studying History with Muhmmad Ali: Bringing Sports History into the Classroom

Ali was perhaps the most galvanizing, controversial, and inspiring athlete of the 20thcentury. This brief presentation explores how teachers might use “the King of the World” to explore questions of race, religion, gender, cultureand politics in America.

Ed Wehrle, Department of History, EIU

Tuscola Room

Facilitating Close Reading and Diverse Writing about Eleanor Roosevelt, The Conscience of a Generation

Common Core and PARCC have shifted history and social studies teachers’ practice by increasing expectations for students’ close reading and text-based writing. This session introduces a sequenced curricula that enables middle level and high school students to form tentative interpretations, consider new information that compels reconsideration, and refine and articulate text-based understandings. It integrates text with task, reading with writing, primary with secondary source, and new evidence with prior knowledge so each pair acts in unison to evoke students’ curiosity and compelling reflection throughout in regards to the most historically consequential woman of the 20th century, Eleanor Roosevelt.

John H. Bickford, Department of Early Childhood, Elementary, and Middle-Level Education, EIU

Effingham Room

Facing History and Ourselves Workshop, continued from Breakout 1

WaydeGrinstead, Facing History & Ourselves

Charleston-Mattoon Room

LUNCH BREAK, 11:45-12:45

Choose from the MLK Jr. Student Union Food Court or over half a dozen restaurants within walking distance: Marty’s, Jimmy Johns, Siam Thai, Dirtys, Jerry’s Pizza, and more. Come back in time to browse our vendor tables.

Breakout 3, 12:45-1:45pm

The New Civics Mandate: Updates and Strategies

The new Illinois Social Studies Standards provide a clear pathway for students to engage in public policy work. Collaborate with experts in the field and like-minded professionals as you learn how to implement the Illinois civic education requirements to design and assess informed action in your classroom. Walk away with news literacy strategies to help your students become wise consumers AND producers of information as they investigate and conduct inquiry into compelling questions that shape our republic. Explicit connections will be made to the Danielson Framework for Effective Teaching; the Common Core State Standards as well is the Illinois Social Studies Standards for Civics.

Aubrey Hale, Donnie Lyons, and Austin Alexander, Civics Mentors

Greenup Room

Strategies and Approaches to Teaching AP History

Veteran teacher of APUSH and AP European history will share strategies, content covered, and resources to help those already teaching AP and to encourage others who are considering the option.

Jeff Marlo, Charleston High School

Casey Room

Teaching the Arab-Israeli Conflict

Like teaching any controversial subject, teaching the Arab-Israeli Conflict can be a daunting task. Since the conflict evokes such strong and oftenopinionatedfeelings, how can educators remain objective when presenting the material, and how can they promotecivil discussion among theirstudents, some of whom may have or feel personal connections with the conflict? We will discuss some possible strategies, texts, and activities instructors may employ when bringing this contentious topic into their classrooms.

Brian Mann, Department of History, EIU

Tuscola Room

EXTENDED WORKSHOP DURING BREAKOUTS 3 and 4, 12:45-2:45

The Life Course of Civic Identity: Preparing Youth to Become the Change that they want to see through Civic Engagement

While children and youth appear to be passive observers of the social and political events taking place around them it would be a mistake as well as a missed opportunity if educators and adults in their lives did not find meaningful ways to actively encourage them to demonstrate civic engagement in their school, homes and communities. According to the principle of historical embeddedness, the period in which young people come of age is highly relevant to the formation of their civic identities. What are some concrete ways that youth can become empowered to make positive change and what can we do to promote their success as changemakers in the future?"

Katherine Greenslade and Ashanti Chimurenga, Illinois Center for Civic Education

Effingham Room

Breakout 4, 1:55-2:55pm

Utilizing Relationships to Differentiate:Tips, Tricks, and Strategies to use in the Middle School Classroom

As Middle School teachers, we are in the business of building relationships and developing skills.Why modify? Because differentiation reveals that the teacher is invested in their students. When teachers utilize differentiated lessonsand accommodate for varying strengths, the students feel the difference.In this session, we will discuss the importance of differentiation and how lessons can be differentiated, while specific examples related to US History will be provided. We will also examine ways to build relationships with our students so we can discover their strengths.

Alec Kepuraitis, Evans Junior High

Tuscola Room

Making Sense of the News: News Literacy in an Era of Misinformation

“Fake News” has now become ubiquitous when discussing current events in today's society, but how can you as both a news consumer and an educator best equip yourself and your students with the tools needed to become a more discerning news consumer? In this session, you'll learn more about News Literacy, which is all about using critical thinking skills to judge the reliability and credibility of news sources. You'll also gain insights and get a tour of the free digital classroom resources for teachers available from the Center for News Literacy at Stony Brook University.

Michael Spikes, Center for News Literacy, Stony Brook University

Casey Room

Teaching Current Events & Controversial Issues

Civics teachers and anyone engaged in teaching about current events are invited to attend this session that will provide resources and lessons tied to the new standards and to explore using inquiry, simulation, discussion, and debate to teach current events.

Austin Alexander, Lawrenceville Sr. High School

Greenup Room

Illinois Center for Civic Education Workshop, continued from Breakout 3

Katherine Greenslade and Ashanti Chimurenga, Illinois Center for Civic Education

Effingham Room