Social Studies in Sweatpants
Come as you are & learn from experts in the field
You're invited to attend (in your sweatpants)!
Join various experts from the field and your Oakland Schools social studies consultants for 1-hour learning sessions (in your sweatpants---we will never know!). You will hear not only compelling historical accounts, but also ways to teach these in your classroom. You will leave with new knowledge and ready-to-use resources!
Goals of the Series
- Leverage disciplinary literacy approaches in the social studies classroom
- Build content knowledge through experts in the field so that teachers can explore with students fuller and more comprehensive accounts of the past
- Community networking among social studies educators
Jan. 25: Heather Nice, Archives Educator
What do historians know about sources that educators miss?
Feb. 28: Peter Hammer, Law Professor & Director of The Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights
How can we use the life of Detroiter George W. Crockett, Jr. to help us tell a fuller history of civil rights in America?
Apr. 20: David K. Johnson, Professor and Historian
How can we use sources about "hidden histories" like the Lavender Scare to help students better understand the past and navigate the present?
Registration Information (Register for as many as you like!)
Session 1, Jan 25th: Heather Nice, Archives Educator
What do Historians Know About Sources that Educators Miss?
Description of the session: Heather Nice presents five rules to help educators embrace an approach to sources that better reflects historical disciplinary practice. These rules encourage educators to examine the nature of sources, embrace fluidity in the terms “primary” and “secondary,” define sources in relation to the question, reconsider primary sources as the “gold standard,” and teach students to critique their textbooks. The goal? To increase inquiry, historical thinking, and disciplinary practice in the classroom.
About the presenter: Heather has extensive experience in social studies instruction, curriculum development and assessment, instructional design, and the use of technology in learning environments. Her academic and professional interests lie in the intersections between archives, education, and history as she seeks to understand best practices for the instructional use of archival collections and disciplinary practice in the K-12 classroom.
Details:
Wednesday, January 25th, 7-8 PM, Zoom
No cost
Session 2, Feb 28th: Peter Hammer, Law Professor
How can we use the life of Detroiter George W. Crockett, Jr. to help us tell a fuller history of civil rights in America?
Description of the session: Join co-author Peter Hammer for a discussion about his new book, “No Equal Justice” The Legacy of Civil Rights Icon George W. Crockett Jr. The story takes readers from FDR’s New Deal, to struggles inside the UAW with Walter Reuther’s rise to power, to the hysteria of the Red Scare, to the Civil Rights Movement in the South, to the urban struggles in Detroit in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and the fights to end Apartheid in South Africa. The text contains rich historical lessons, but also speaks directly to the issues of our time. Crockett’s voice adds new perspectives to the Movement for Black Lives and struggles against police brutality. Crockett’s life of principled courage provides a role model for youth who want to fight injustice and make a real difference in the world. In this session, Oakland Schools social studies consultants will highlight ways to bring this story to life in your classroom.
About the presenter: Peter J. Hammer was named the A. Alfred Taubman Endowed Chair at Wayne State University Law School in fall 2018. Hammer has taught at Wayne Law since 2003 and is the director of the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights. The Keith Center is dedicated to promoting the educational, economic and political empowerment of under-represented communities in urban areas and to ensuring that the phrase "equal justice under law" applies to all members of society.
Details:
Tuesday, February 28th, 7-8 PM, Zoom
No cost
Session 3, April 20th: David K. Johnson, Professor & Historian
How can we use sources about "hidden histories" like the Lavender Scare to help students better understand the past and navigate the present?
Description of the session: Join author, professor, and historian David K. Johnson to discuss his first book (winner of three national book awards), The Lavender Scare: The Cold War Persecution of Gays and Lesbians in the Federal Government. It chronicles how McCarthy era hysteria over national security impacted sexual minority communities and introduced “family values” into American politics. The Lavender Scare became the basis for a documentary film that was broadcast nationwide on PBS (Watch The Lavender Scare film trailer here). This session will explore how we can leverage sources to feature "hidden histories" in the social studies classroom in ways that help students better understand the past and the present.
About the presenter: I am a historian of the twentieth century United States, with an emphasis on politics and culture since World War II, the history of gender and sexuality, and LGBT history. I offer a variety of courses on the history of the Cold War, Modern America Social Movements, Consumer Culture, the AIDS pandemic, and the US Since 1945.
Using images, primary sources, and historical accounts, I strive to give students a feel for the past while encouraging debate about contemporary issues such as the proper role of government, balancing security and liberty, and the competing American ideals of freedom and equality. They begin to see how their world is impacted both by structural forces and the choices made by historical actors. By learning how our current society is historically constructed, they acquire the tools not only to understand it but ultimately to change it. Along the way they learn to construct concise and persuasive arguments based on factual information. -University of South Florida, Department of History Faculty Page
Details:
Thursday, April 20th, 7-8 PM, Zoom
No cost
Questions? Contact Us.
Oakland Schools Social Studies Consultant Team