Social Studies Insider
January 2020
Happy New Year and Welcome Back!
Let the new decade begin! Take a moment to reflect on Fall Semester: What did you do well? What might you want to change this semester? Do you have any new goals? How are you going to grow your students' love for social studies? These are great questions that I would love to work with you on. If you are interested in having me join you in class, during planning, or after school, please complete the form by clicking on the button below.
District Collaboration and Social Studies Updates
Growing our Digital Resources
New to the List this Month: Google Tour Builder
Tour Builder is a new way to show people the places you've visited and the experiences you had along the way using Google Earth. It lets you pick the locations right on the map, add in photos, text, and video, and then share your creation. However, Tour Builder can be used within your classroom to showcase the significant locations, places, and events that you cover within your social studies classrooms. Check out this highly engaging way to document and represent understanding. For more information, view the tutorial by clicking on the image below.
Virtual Field Trips Made Easy
Example Events:
American Civil War
WWI
Attack on Pearl Harbor
WWII
Normandy Landing
The Holocaust (Viewer discretion is advised.)
Korean War
Vietnam War
Cold War
SO Much More
Locations Examples:
Palace of Versailles
Great Pyramid of Giza
Colosseum
Machu Picchu
Home of Anne Frank's Family
You will also want to explore the 360 degree guided tours.
Join EdWeb
Newnan Coweta Historical Society Scholarship
For the third consecutive year, the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society (NCHS) will be awarding a $10,000 scholarship to a Coweta County student intending to pursue a college education with a history or history-related major or minor.
The Newnan-Coweta Historical Society is now beginning to take applications for its annual $10,000 scholarship awarded to a local student in good standing. The scholarship will be issued at a rate of $2,500 per year, paid in installments per semester or quarter depending on the institution’s’ system.
The NCHS scholarship is intended to promote the study of history and history-related fields. History helps us understand change, society, and community, and the study of it creates well-rounded, skillful citizens. This specific scholarship is an investment in the Newnan and Coweta community and its future and serves to promote the Historical Society’s goal of preserving and protecting local history.
To be eligible for the scholarship, students must be a Coweta County resident in their senior year of high school and in good standing to graduate. Students from public school, private school, home school, and virtual school are all eligible to apply. Applicants must intend to pursue history or a history-related field as an area of study. The mailing deadline for applications is February 28, 2020. Applications must include: a completed and signed application form, official transcripts and available aptitude test scores; letter of acceptance from college/university (if received); three letters of recommendation; and a one-page personal statement. A followup interview may be requested by the NCHS staff and Scholarship Committee.
For more information or questions concerning the application process, please call the NCHS offices at 770.251.0207 or email executivedirector@newnancowetahistoricalsociety.com
Active Classroom: Potential High School Digital Resource
Are you looking for predeveloped resources, activities, and assessments? If so, consider signing up for Active Classroom's FREE 30-day trial. The platform will give all social studies content areas access to predeveloped powerpoints, primary resources, images, maps, activities, and assessments that can be used to supplement your classroom instruction. If you sign up for the FREE trial, please contact me and let me know your thoughts. I am actively looking for a digital resource that can be acquired by the district to support the needs of all high school teachers and students. If interested in registering for a FREE 30-day trial, click the image logo below.
Spotlighting Excellence
Sunni Hendrix, 5th Grade, Newnan Crossing Elementary
Mrs. Sunni Hendrix has taught for eighteen years with the last twelve years here in Coweta County. She currently teaches Math, Science and Social Studies on the 5th grade team at Newnan Crossing Elementary. Mrs. Hendrix serves as the grade level chair as well as an Academic Bowl coach. Her passion for incorporating technology in her lessons engages each student. She has a strong passion for showing how studying History will improve our future. Mrs. Hendrix creates a classroom environment which allows every student to be successful. Her encouragement is evident through the positive learning environment that she has created. Her students are excited about learning thanks to her hard work and dedication!!
Attention Elementary Teachers:
Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help moving forward! I'd be happy to sit down and go through the results to identify students' strengths and weaknesses.
3rd Grade Teachers:
Spring Benchmark Pre-test should be given by January 10, 2020. Please reach out to your testing coordinator and have them push the assessment to you.
Integrating Social Studies into your ELA/Reading Lessons Made Easy
Located within the GA DOE Teacher Notes, teachers can find a list of standards connected books that can easily be integrated into your ELA/Reading lessons.
For Kindergarten access, Click Here.
For 1st Grade access, Click Here.
For 2nd Grade access, Click Here.
For 3rd Grade access, Click Here.
For 4th Grade access, Click Here.
For 5th Grade access, Click Here.
Elementary Curriculum Meeting
This month's elementary social studies curriculum meeting will focus on grades K-2. Originally teachers k-5 were to attend; however, changes were made to the schedule. Please plan to attend. We will meet on Jan. 21, 2020 at 3 pm in SD1.
Attention Middle School Teachers:
Benchmark Results are In:
Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help moving forward! I'd be happy to sit down and go through the results to identify students' strengths and weaknesses.
Monthly Social Studies Meeting:
This month's meeting will be held on January 29, 2020, at Werz. Mrs. Heather McMillan will be presenting information that you won't want to miss. We will also take some time to comb through our Mid Year Benchmark data.
Attention 8th Grade Teachers:
Looking for an interesting resource to supplement your Civil Rights unit? Check out WABE (Public Broadcasting/NPR's) new podcast series Buried Truth. Season 1 surrounds events involving the infamous Eugine Talmadge. As always, preview content to ensure it's completely suitable for your student audience.
Click the link to access audio links.
8th Grade Georgia Studies Economics Review App Now Available
GCEE has released its 8th Grade Economics review app. Please begin using it within your review sessions and encourage your students to download the free app. This will serve as an additional tool to help prepare our students for the Milestones. The app can be obtained within the Apple and Google Play Stores.
GCSS Reading List:
Click on the following link to access a reading list connected to various social studies themes and topics. Click Here
Attention High School Teachers:
11th Grade Teachers:
Looking for an interesting resource to supplement your Civil Rights unit? Check out WABE (Public Broadcasting/NPR's) new podcast series Buried Truth. Season 1 surrounds events involving the infamous Eugine Talmadge. As always, preview content to ensure it's completely suitable for your student audience.
Click the link to access audio links.
Econ Teachers:
General Economics and AP Economics review apps are now available in the Apple and Google Play Stores. These apps were created by GCEE and will provide students with a great review resource for general Economics and AP Economics course assessments. The current bank of questions holds nearly 400 questions and is constantly working to add additional questions. Encourage your students to download and use these apps today!
Government and Economics Teachers:
Have you played Fiscal Ship yet? Are you looking to provide your students with a hands-on experience in developing a balanced fiscal budget? The Fiscal Ship challenges you to put the federal budget on a sustainable course. Measured as a share of gross domestic product, the federal debt is higher than at any time since the end of World War II and projected to climb to unprecedented levels. America is looking at a permanent, growing mismatch between revenues and spending, and policymakers are faced with difficult decisions about how to reconcile important government priorities—including retirement and health benefits promised to the growing number of old folks—with the tax revenues that the current tax code will yield. Today’s tax code won’t yield enough revenue to pay for basic services of government plus the retirement and health benefits promised to the growing number of old folks. So your mission is to pick from a menu of tax and spending options to reduce the debt from projected levels over the next 25 years. Small changes to spending and taxes won’t suffice. The choices are difficult, but the goal is achievable. But budget decisions aren’t only about fiscal sustainability. They also shape the kind of country we live in. To win the game, you need to find a combination of policies that match your values and priorities AND set the budget on a sustainable course. Click here to access.
Social Studies Civic Engagement Diploma Seal
Continue to advertise this opportunity to your students. As you finalize your review of capstone projects. Please keep me posted with the expected number of graduates receiving the diploma seal.
Network Connectors
Connect with Georgia's virtual learning community for Social Studies
Georgia Council for the Social Studies
Georgia Council on Economic Education
Professional Learning for All
GCEE Workshop- Assessing Student Knowledge in Economics (Grades 4-12)
A key element of teaching economics is understanding what students know and can do with the content. This workshop features segments about writing effective test items, designing rubrics and delivering meaningful feedback as well as other important assessment practices. The workshop will primarily focus on the Economics standards at each grade level. Teachers analyze, evaluate, and create assessments in the workshop that can be used immediately in their classroom.
Tuesday, Jan 14, 2020, 08:30 AM
167 Werz Industrial Boulevard, Newnan, GA, USA
Elementary Curriculum Meeting
Tuesday, Jan 21, 2020, 03:00 PM
167 Werz Industrial Boulevard, Newnan, GA, USA
Monthly Middle School Meeting
Wednesday, Jan 29, 2020, 04:00 PM
167 Werz Industrial Boulevard, Newnan, GA, USA
GCEE- Workshop 4th and 5th Grade Literature in Economics
Want to Register? Click Here.
Thursday, Mar 26, 2020, 08:30 AM
167 Werz Industrial Boulevard, Newnan, GA, USA
Comments, Concerns, Questions?
Email: phillip.sykes@cowetaschools.net
Website: https://sites.google.com/cowetaschools.net/cowetasocialstudies/home
Location: 167 Werz Industrial Boulevard, Newnan, GA, USA
Phone: 770254-2800
Twitter: @Syked4SS