Session 6
(11:25 - 12:10)

Presenter & Affiliation:   Joe Schmidt & Lori Rech, Rill of Rights Institute

Session Description:  Help students understand history through political cartoons. Explore techniques for interpretation and analysis, opening a new world of primary documents. Empower students to grasp historical concepts effectively.

Room: William Penn

Presenter & Affiliation: Lindsay McCrea, Emilia Taranto, & Brielle Brookings, DC Public Schools

Session Description:  How do student-led cycles of action and reflection spark and sustain students’ inquiry and deepen learning? In this session, participants will explore the natural learning cycle of taking action, receiving feedback, reflecting on feedback, and planning for new actions or asking new questions. Participants will reflect on how they have experienced this process to learn a new skill, read the brain science research undergirding this process, and connect this process to the inquiry cycle within social studies specifically. Then, participants will have the opportunity to apply their understanding to curriculum to brighten these steps of learning for their students.

Room: Robert Fulton

Presenter & Affiliation:  Sarah Lane & John Snoad, SphereEd

Session Description:  Learn how to navigate and support discussion on immigration, a complex issue in today’s polarized society. Participants will explore how to foster student-centered civil discourse that embraces multiple diverse viewpoints and problem-solving. By contrasting past and present myths and policies, attendees will leverage primary sources and contemporary data to challenge common misconceptions about immigration. The session emphasizes the importance of including all perspectives in thoughtful discussions, aiming to reduce polarization and find common ground. Participants will leave equipped with strategies to engage students in meaningful conversations about this critical topic, enriching their understanding of immigration's impact on society.

Room: Ben Franklin

Presenter & Affiliation:  Rachael Richard, Morristown Beard School

Session Description:  Rediscovering the roots of Filipino Americans, this workshop aims to introduce and expand on the histories and stories of Saint Malo; just six miles down river from New Orleans, Louisiana. Working with both text and visual primary sources, educators will create inferences about the realities of Saint Malo and practice activities that can be used in their own classrooms. This workshop also utilizes the poetry of Saint Malo expert Randy Gonzales to deepen our understanding of the fragmentary nature of the history of Saint Malo. Participants will receive materials for their own classrooms at the end of the session.

Room: Pennsylvania C

Presenter & Affiliation: George Toepfer, Towson University

Session Description:  How do you challenge your students to see the world? Is it on a subject-by-subject approach? Do you say, "I am an history teacher" though you really teach it all. The social sciences provide an opportunity to offer your students more. In this session, participants will see how economics is a partner with geography and history. Teaching from a global perspective will offer students more to think about and a greater appreciation for the diverse world in which they live. Participants will receive teaching materials and strategies they can use right away.

Room: Pennsylvania D