The WSCSS K-8 Conference was about culturally responsive teaching in Social Studies classrooms. Listen to recorded sessions from Washington educators. These resources are available for free online viewing.
Material Type: Lecture, Teaching/Learning Strategy
The inquiry helps students examine the responsibility of being a citizen both in the real world and the online world. In answering the compelling question “How is being a citizen online the same as being one in real life?” students will identify the attitudes and actions necessary to be a good citizen. The unit offers 12 lessons with formative performance tasks for educators to choose from depending on the age and needs of their students. Each provides students with opportunities to collect evidence and an understanding of how online behavior and boundaries are comparable to those necessary in the real world. At the end of the inquiry, students create an explanation and identify examples of the correlation between online and real life communities. Unit created by NCESD teachers: Sara Bedient, Sasha Dart, Brittany Jones, Krystina Nelson, Julia Spanjer, Keirstin Stansbury, Brittney Therriault
Material Type: Unit of Study
Financial education resource collections suggested by Financial Education Public Private Partnership during their training sessions.
Material Type: Teaching/Learning Strategy
The unit is focused on the examination of geography in terms of “place.” Students dive into inquiry to answer the compelling question, What is unique about living in Washington? Through this question students will understand where and why people live in Washington State. Students will dive into the regions of Washington State and define it through many characteristics. Students will ultimately choose a region to become an expert on and communicate what makes that region unique. Each student’s performance task product will reflect choice and build upon student strengths according to their skill set.
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Data Set, Diagram/Illustration, Homework/Assignment, Lesson, Lesson Plan, Module, Primary Source, Reading, Simulation, Student Guide, Teaching/Learning Strategy, Unit of Study
This inquiry by Kristina Labadie, Evergreen Public Schools, is based on the C3 Framework inquiry arc. Third-grade students view the lifestyle and cultural development of Early Native Americans through the same lens of how lifestyles today have developed.
Material Type: Lesson, Lesson Plan, Teaching/Learning Strategy, Unit of Study
These educational videos provide an invaluable resource on Ancient Nubia for Middle and High School Ancient World History and Geography teachers and students. The video content aligns with Geography, Economics, Civics, and Historical Thinking Social Studies standards across the nation. Key concepts and inquiry skills from each content area weave seamlessly throughout the videos and associated lesson plans. This unit overview document links to developed resources on the Archeology in the Community site.
Material Type: Lesson, Lesson Plan, Unit of Study
This unit on American Indians: By studying the regions of the United States and the cultures that live in each region, students are able to compare/contrast within regions and across regions how tribes used their environments, and their cultural and other contributions to American life. Note that the emphasis here is on broader groups of tribes for each region with some instruction on specific tribes representing each region. In no way is this case study approach to learning about one tribe meant to be generalized to all tribes of that region. We understand that each tribe was and continues to be unique in its culture, practices, lifeways, and traditions.
Material Type: Unit of Study
This inquiry by Amy Johnson, Longview Public Schools, is based on the C3 Framework inquiry arc. The students will highlight the two primary sources then reflect. They will then do the Open Mind activity illustrating both points of view they learned from the primary sources, develop a three-event timeline and create a newspaper front page describing “What really happened March 5, 1770.”
Material Type: Lesson, Lesson Plan, Primary Source, Teaching/Learning Strategy
The unit is focused on the examination of geography in terms of “place.” Students dive into inquiry to answer the compelling questions, “Where are we?” and “Who are we?” Through these two questions students will understand where they live and where people around the world live. Students will also dive into the term “culture” and define it through many characteristics. Students will examine and reflect upon their own culture and research different cultures of North America.
Material Type: Unit of Study
Tips and lessons learned from creating accessible documents. This is not an exhaustive list so please add your own guidance.
Material Type: Teaching/Learning Strategy
Template used by educators developing teacher guides for State We're In Washington.
Material Type: Teaching/Learning Strategy
As educators begin to develop OER, one component of that process is navigating concerns around copyright when finding digital teaching materials. This webinar series addresses that and is divided into two tracks: K-12 and Higher Education. There are also two stand-alone webinar options that can be attended by both the K-12 and Higher Education community. All of the webinars will also be available on YouTube and linked to this page after the live event has ended.
Material Type: Teaching/Learning Strategy
Use this checklist to make sure that all the requirements for open licensing are met. Please note that it is very helpful to review this checklist BEFORE you begin development work so that you are designing your resource with open licensing requirements in mind from the beginning.
Material Type: Teaching/Learning Strategy
This document provides explanations and instructions (with screenshots) for using the various functions on the Open Author editor toolbar. A downloadable Word document is also included. Document by #GoOpenVA Image by IO-Images from Pixabay
Material Type: Reading
This guide provides information on:searching openly licensed image librarieshow to locate and provide attribution for openly licensed imagesguidance on which images cannot be used due lack of copyright permission
Material Type: Teaching/Learning Strategy
Template used by educators developing teacher guides for Civics CBA.
Material Type: Assessment
Template used by educators developing teacher guides for Civics CBA.
Material Type: Assessment
This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the civics test, a current graduation requirement for Kentucky students, in order to consider the ways in which the test addresses needed knowledge and skills to prepare students for active engagement in civic life. The compelling question for the inquiry—can the civics test make you a good citizen?—frames students’ assessment of the civics test in consideration of what it means to be a “good citizen,” a purpose of the Kentucky civics test, as well as national initiatives to have similar civics test in all states, notably by the Joe Foss Institute.
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Lesson, Module, Unit of Study
In the long nineteenth century, women joined numerous movements that fought for labor rights, suffrage, abolition, universal education, and health care reforms. These reform movements would lead to the passage of legislation that enshrined equal rights into constitutions around the world. Historically, women’s contributions to science had been overlooked, with their discoveries often credited to men. But women’s scientific discoveries advanced our knowledge of the Universe—the Big Bang, stars, chemical elements, dark matter, evolution—and many fields of study. These lessons highlight women’s political and scientific contributions from the long nineteenth century to the present. In the final lesson, students use their inquiry and research skills to investigate a woman who inspires them. . Length: Three lessons. Each lesson should take two or three 50-minute class periods.
Material Type: Lesson, Lesson Plan
The unit has two parts. In each, students dive into inquiry to answer the compelling questions: 1. Who are some of our closest tribal neighbors, and what have they been their lifeways since time immemorial? 2. Why do people explore, and how does this lead to expansion? Part 1 is focused on the examination of the northwest and some of the original inhabitants. Through these questions students will learn about the culture of some of their closest tribal neighbors, the Spokane Indians. The final project for Part 1 is a cultural investigation display, in which students will show what they know about the culture of the Spokane Tribe. In Part 2, Students will also learn about forces that brought change to the northwest: fur trade era and exploration. Students will ultimately learn about the Corps of Discovery and the Oregon Trail and know the impact each had on the west. Students will finish Part 2 with a timeline activity that will reflect choice and build upon student strengths according to their skill set. Finally, a lesson on a Tribe of the Columbia Plateau is offered as an extension, but it is strongly recommended that students get to experience this lesson. Note that the emphasis here is on the Spokane Tribe as one of our closest tribal neighbors. In no way is this an exhaustive study nor should the tribal cultures be generalized to other tribes of the region. We understand that each tribe in our region and North America was and continues to be unique in its culture, practices, lifeways, and traditions.
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Assessment, Case Study, Diagram/Illustration, Interactive, Lesson, Lesson Plan, Module, Primary Source, Reading, Simulation, Student Guide, Teaching/Learning Strategy, Unit of Study
