Session 1
(8:15 - 9:00)

Presenter & Affiliation:  Jeannine DePaul, Discovery Ed 

Session Description: Step into an immersive experience where history, civics, geography, and economics come alive! In this dynamic session, educators will explore how Discovery Education Social Studies transforms K–5 classrooms into vibrant spaces of inquiry and discovery. Through hands-on activities, collaborative challenges, and interactive digital tools, you’ll learn how to:

• Spark curiosity with real-world topics and primary sources.

• Foster historical thinking and civic responsibility in young learners.

• Make geography and economics relevant and engaging.

• Differentiate instruction with whole-group and small-group strategies.

This isn’t your typical sit-and-get—expect practical classroom takeaways that will energize your teaching and inspire the next generation of informed citizens.

Room: Lavender

NOTE: This is a DOUBLE SESSION and will run from 8:55 - 9:55. 

Presenter & Affiliation: Staci Garber, Kirk MS (DE)

Session Description: Think outside the country as the ideas and words of the Declaration of Independence travel to France and Haiti and shape revolutions among French-speaking populations, proving that compelling words and ideas can have impact in times and places far removed from their development. Students often have familiarity with major American state papers, but this lesson gives them the opportunity to interact with primary texts from other countries and compare them to the familiar American principles. Help students analyze political cartoons and founding documents from the French and Haitian Revolutions through the lens of American influence. Vive la Revoluciones!  

Room: Rosemary

Presenter & Affiliation: George Toepfer, Maryland Council on Economic Education

Session Description: There has been a lot of talk about tariffs lately. However, tariffs were the most popular method of raising revenue in the early history of the United States. Do your students understand the history and purpose of tariffs? In this session, participants will learn about the history of tariffs, the pros-cons of their use, and why they are an example of Looking Back and Thinking Forward. Participants will engage in the Reading, Encoding, Annotating, Pondering (REAP) reading technique along with a Reader's Theatre exercise involving past and present tariff experts.

Room: 184

Presenter & Affiliation: Stacie Brensilver Berman, NYU-Steinhardt

Session Description:  LGBTQ+ lives and experiences are present throughout US history, but often excluded from the narrative. This session will focus on LGBTQ+ individuals and themes in 19th-century America, highlighting key contributions and establishing that queer and transgender individuals have always existed and played an important role in the development of the country. From cowboys and gold miners in the American West, to soldiers fighting the Civil War, to reform-minded women in Boston Marriages, understanding LGBTQ+ history is vital to the larger US history narrative. Participants will receive resources and strategies, including primary and secondary sources and suggested learning activities.

Room: Thyme

Presenter & Affiliation: Meaghan Vitale, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia

Session Description:  Learn about the all-new Keys to Financial Success curriculum. This session will demonstrate active- and collaborative-learning strategies to teach high school personal finance. The lessons in the curriculum are aligned to relevant Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania state standards in personal and financial literacy. Participants will be able to use the demonstrated lessons right away in their classrooms.

Room: Sage