Social Studies Elementary News
January 2020
In This Edition:
- Recently Added Resources
- Social Studies Elementary Leadership Council
- 5 Elements of a Complete Social Studies Lesson
- Women's Suffrage Centennial Resources
- Women's Suffrage Class Visitor
- Suffrage Coalition Centennial Celebration Contest
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Tennessee Women Suffrage Story in Two Minutes
- Blount Mansion
- Teaching American History Multi-Day Teacher Colloquia
- Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities
- Previous Elementary Newsletters
Recently Added Resources
Recently Added Resources:
The brand new Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade PebbleGo 2019-20 Standards Correlations documents have been added to each grade level page. Direct links are below or you can access them under Other Resources on K-2 grade level pages. PebbleGo access can be found on your school's Libray/Media page. PebbleGo is a curricular content hub specifically designed for K-3 students. Packed with informational articles, ready-made activities, and literacy supports for students of all abilities, it boosts engagement and fosters independent learning.
- Kindergarten PebbleGo Standards Correlations
- 1st Grade PebbleGo Standards Correlations
- 2nd Grade PebbleGo Standards Correlation
Directions on how to access resources on grade level pages:
1. Visit the Knox County Schools website
2. Click Departments
3. Scroll down to Social Studies
4. On the left, find "For Elementary Teachers" and click your grade level (You must be signed in to access materials.)
Social Studies Elementary Leadership Council
5 Elements of a Complete Social Studies Lesson
When constructing a lesson the teacher should incorporate the Social Studies Practices in their planning and consider the following:
- Begin with an engaging activity that allows students to make connections to prior knowledge/previous learning.
- Allow students to explore resources and materials to share a common learning experience. (SSP.01. SSP.02, SSP.03)
- Plan time for students to explain what they explored, share their learning and takeaways, etc. Provide clarification where necessary. SSP.01, SSP.03, SSP.04, SSP.05, SSP.06)
- Push students to elaborate and expand their understandings- This can be written and/or verbalized. (SSP.04)
- Finally, evaluate (formatively) and provide feedback to assess their understandings.
Women's Suffrage Centennial- TDOE Featured Content
This month the TDOE is featuring the role that Anne Dallas Dudley played in securing women’s suffrage. Please visit the “Centennial of Women’s Suffrage ” web page for sample resources about the convention.
Per state law (T.C.A. § 49-6-1028), each month during the 2019-20 school year, districts must ensure that students at all grade levels (i.e., K–12) receive instruction about the women’s suffrage movement which culminated in Tennessee ratifying the 19th Amendment.
Women's Suffrage Class Visitor
Suffrage Coalition Centennial Celebration Contest
The purpose of the contest is to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the passage and ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women in the United States the right to vote. The contest includes three individual categories which students may participate.
Schools may set their own deadline for entries, but please have entries judged at the school level and submitted for the final judging process by the due date. The finalists in all categories will be judged by distinguished members of the Knoxville community. Winners in each category and grade division will receive prizes, recognition, and the opportunity to be presented at the East Tennessee History Fair August 22, 2020 and at the 2020 Suffrage Coalition suffrage parade. If you have any questions, email angie.maxey@knoxschools.org or sarah.eddins@knoxschools.org.
The contest flyer, plus rules, rubrics, and templates are included as attachments below.
MLK Day
Tennessee’s Women Suffrage Story in Two Minutes
The Blount Mansion
Blount Mansion, a 227-year-old house tucked up against the foot of the Gay Street Bridge in downtown Knoxville, is experiencing a resurgence in field trips from Knox County Schools. As the home of the territorial governor—William Blount, the man who ushered Tennessee into statehood in 1796—Blount Mansion is the perfect place for fifth graders to dig deep into territorial and early Tennessee history (TN Social Studies Standards 5.34, 5.35, 5.36). At Blount Mansion, students will see the desk on which Tennessee’s original 1976 constitution was signed. Since Blount was also a signer of the U.S. Constitution, and his home is one of just a dozen signers’ homes standing today, Blount Mansion is also a perfect destination for fourth graders to learn about civics and the Constitution (TN Social Studies Standards 4.11, 4.12, 4.13, 4.14). The museum’s beautiful historic gardens, festooned with colorful flowers and herbs, are the only public gardens in downtown Knoxville. Students of any age will find their visit to Blount Mansion enjoyable and educational!
This year, Blount Mansion added hands-on activities to its field trips, including quill pen writing and, for a modest additional cost, cooking over an open fire. In addition, the museum has partnered with the Duncan School of Law at Lincoln Memorial University to add Constitution-focused activities to student visits. Volunteers from the Knoxville Garden Club, which has continuously cared for the gardens at Blount Mansion since 1934, recently began offering hands-on experiences in the garden for students taking part in field trips at Blount Mansion.
Blount Mansion field trips cost $5 per student, with Title 1 students admitted free of charge. Additional activities, such as open hearth cooking or classes on period musical instruments, are available at an additional cost. Contact Blount Mansion Executive Director David Hearnes at (865) 525-2375 or director@blountmansion.org for more information or to book a field trip today!
Student cooking over an open hearth
Time to learn about the Constitution!
Students in the historic gardens
Teaching American History Multi-Day Teacher Colloquia
Teaching American History is proud to continue offering free multi-day colloquia for social studies teachers. These residential programs allow teachers of American history and government to explore the themes of liberty and responsibility throughout America’s history and constitutional tradition.
Participation is based on a competitive application process and applicants must be current K-12 teachers. Accepted teachers will receive a stipend of $300 to help defray travel costs, which will be distributed at the completion of the program. All food, lodging, and program-related costs on-site are covered by TAH.
Each seminar is limited to 20 participants. Participation is based on a competitive application process. Qualifications are below.
- Applicants must be current K-12 school teachers, with priority given to high school teachers
- Teachers who attended a TAH.org Liberty Fund weekend during the 2019-2020 school year are not eligible to apply for these seminars.
Applications for multi-day colloquia in over twenty historical locations will open on January 6th. TAH especially encourages teachers who have not participated in a previous Teaching American History seminar to register and are happy to address any questions you may have about the format or the readings. Visit our programs page to learn more about each colloquia being offered and view this new short film to learn more about the unique experience Teaching American History offers.
Professional Development Opportunities
Canvas Review Courses (3rd-5th Grade)- Open Enrollment any time. If you are teaching 3rd-5th grade and want to look at your new content, consider enrolling in a review course. Simply click on this link and you will be automatically enrolled. Follow the directions in the course to receive inservice credit.
Tennessee History for Kids Winter Retreats (4th & 5th Grade)- The first retreat will take place Wednesday January 15, 2020, at the Rhea County Library/Scopes Trial Museum in Dayton. The second will occur Wednesday, January 29, 2020, at the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum/Fort Loudoun State Historic Park in Monroe County. (If it snows on one of those days, the event will be rescheduled for Wednesday February 5.) The first event will focus on Tennessee history SINCE the Civil War and feature presentations on the Coal Creek War, the woman suffrage movement in Tennessee, the Scopes Trial, the Great Depression in Tennessee, and the Civil Rights Movement in Tennessee. The second event will focus on EARLY Tennessee history and will feature presentations on Fort Loudoun and the French and Indian War, Tennessee’s statehood era, the world of Sequoyah, slavery in Tennessee, and the Civil War in Tennessee. All presentations are standards-based, and mainly intended for teachers of grades 4, 5, 8 and the high school U.S. history class. However, all teachers of all grades (public and private) are invited! Each inservice only costs $25 per teacher (and that includes lunch!) To register, just fill out this registration form and send in a check for $25. Please see the attached flyer below for more info.
2020 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission In-Service Training- will be held on Saturday, January 18, 2020, at the Sarah Simpson Center from 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Breakfast, lunch, and a t-shirt will be provided to all attendees. The cost to attend the training is $10 per person, payable by cash only at the door. Registration is open to all staff in My Learning Plan. Please see the attached flyer below for additional information.
Governor Civics Seal (K-12)- Governor's Civics Seal session on February 4 from 4:00-5:30 p.m. at Sarah Simpson. Are you or your teammates interested in learning more about the Governor's Civics Seal? Join us as we explore the importance of civics instruction and ways in which your classroom or school can participate in the Governor's Civics Seal. Sign up on My Learning Plan today!
Cold War (5th Grade)- The East Tennessee History Center has a new date for their “Teaching the Cold War” workshop. This workshop will take place on Thursday, February 6th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It ties to standard 5.23. To register, please email Lisa Oakley at oakley@easttnhistory.org.
*PDs offered during a regular school day, require teachers to submit a professional leave request. Unfortunately, the Social Studies Department does not have money to pay for substitutes.
Previous Elementary Newsletters
Social Studies Department
Katherine Petko, Social Studies Supervisor katherine.petko@knoxschools.org
Dean Burress, K-12 Social Studies Facilitator dean.burress@knoxschools.org
Kristin Risdahl, K-12 Social Studies Facilitator
kristin.risdahl@knoxschools.org
Vickie Beckers, Administrative Assistant