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THIRD ANNUAL CIVIC LEARNING WEEK, MARCH 6 - 10, 2023!
The Massachusetts Civic Learning Coalition is excited to host the third annual Civic Learning Week, taking place March 6-10, 2023.
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For updates on the events of the week and registration, complete this event registration form to get a notification when all events go live soon.
ABOUT CIVIC LEARNING WEEK
Civic Learning Week is a series of workshops and other events designed to highlight the importance of civic education in sustaining and strengthening our democracy through presentations by young people, teachers, administrators and policymakers.
This year, Civic Learning Week builds on our previous collaboration with Rhode Island and New York City to include national events as well as events in many other states.
NATIONAL CIVIC LEARNING WEEK - WEBSITE LAUNCH
To check out some of the national events, visit the new Civic Learning Week (CLW) website. The national events will include a forum with many prominent speakers including Danielle Allen and Sam Wineburg, discussion of civics seals and other strategies, as well as demonstrations of game-based learning for democracy. There will also be a special opportunity to engage with Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor.
MCLC will be posting events hosted here in Massachusetts on the MCLC site in the next week and on the Civic Learning Week (CLW) website in the next month. Participants from Massachusetts will be able to access events in other states once those are posted as well. Be sure to check out the just-released Resources page on the national site.
For more information, please contact Shafaat Ukishima.
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DESE UPDATES
DESE’s CIVICS MONTHLY MEMO
Interested in receiving our new Civics Monthly Memo communication? Please subscribe here: Civics Monthly Memo Sign Up
HELP SHAPE DESE’s UPCOMING GRADES 3 AND 4 HISTORY CURRICULAR MATERIALS!
This spring, we are beginning work to expand our Investigating History curriculum development work into Grades 3 and 4. Ultimately, our goal is to provide a comprehensive, Framework-aligned, inquiry-based, and culturally responsive social studies curriculum that will be a free, open-source resource for educators at these grade levels to use in their classrooms.
We are hoping to learn from Massachusetts teachers and leaders about what they’d most like to see in a third and fourth grade social studies curriculum – both in terms of the key design features that will make it most impactful, as well as the content, skill, and literacy goals that are most essential to prioritize. Please take a few minutes to share your input here by Wednesday, February 8!
MASSACHUSETTS CIVICS CHALLENGE - STATEWIDE SHOWCASE OF CIVICS PROJECTS
This spring, DESE and Generation Citizen are hosting two state-wide civics project showcases to celebrate the work of 8th-12th grade civics students across Massachusetts:
- DESE’s Massachusetts Civics Project Showcase will be held on Friday, June 2 at Clark University in Worcester, MA (Open to all districts that are not Generation Citizen partner districts).
- Generation Citizen’s Civics Day will be held on Monday, June 5 at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute in Boston, MA (Open to Generation Citizen partner districts only).
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For additional information, please see the DESE Civics Project Showcase website.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS, NEW RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES
MASSACHUSETTS COUNCIL FOR SOCIAL STUDIES AWARD NOMINATIONS
Massachusetts Social Studies educators are among the most talented and committed in the nation. And they deserve recognition! Each year, Massachusetts Council for the Social Studies presents Awards of Excellence to teachers, administrators, and museum educators from across the Commonwealth. MCSS encourages you to take a moment to recognize that teacher or leader who works tirelessly to nurture the citizen-students in your district. Please see this 2023 Award Information regarding the award categories and nomination process. Nominations are due Wednesday, March 15th.
JOHN F. KENNEDY LIBRARY RESOURCES
New Searchable Curricular Resources Database: The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum has launched a new searchable curricular resources database for teachers of grades 1-12. Educators looking for "ready-to-go" resources can now search for classroom materials and programs all in one convenient location. Teachers may search by keyword, grade, subject area, topic, resource type, curricular standards and time required to find the materials and offerings that best fit students' needs. Resources with direct ties to the MA History and Social Science Framework and the MA English Language Arts and Literacy Framework are highlighted for easy access.
APPLIED HISTORY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT / PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY
All high school teachers want the history they teach to have meaning for their students. This meaning can be achieved through the incorporation of Applied History. This approach forces a consideration of the present that is connected to the past, but is instead rooted in historical understanding, as described in these guiding questions:
- Why does this historical topic matter?
- What lessons can be learned from studying it?
- What historical context can this topic provide that can better help students understand the present?
Jay Barry, Arlington high school history teacher, is offering free resources and collaboration opportunities related to Applied History to history departments across Massachusetts. Please contact him if you’re interested!
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JFK 12th Annual Presidents Day Festival:
Monday, February 20, 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Join us for a day of presidential storytelling, musical performances, and more that brings history to life for all ages. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the last year of the Kennedy administration. In honor of this anniversary, the Festival will feature performances of Kennedy campaign songs and Museum tours will highlight President Kennedy’s time in the White House, with additional elements focusing on democratic values during periods of national transition for past presidents and the people of the United States. Registration is recommended.
Teaching the U.S. Disability Rights Movement
Virtual - February 20, 22, & 24, 9-11:30 am
Mass Historical Society
Learn from teachers, historians, and disability rights activists. Earn PDPs or optional 1 grad credit (fee for credit). Register here.
The Humble Petitioner: Fighting for Rights in 18th-century Massachusetts
Open daily at the Old State House from 10 am-5 pm
Hosted by Revolutionary Spaces
This exhibit brings visitors through the process of advocacy in the colonial world, emphasizing the use of formal petitions to change policies and address needs relevant to the 17th and 18th centuries and, in many cases, still struggled with by Americans today. Entrance is included in the price of admission: Adults $15, Seniors (65+) $14, Students $14, Children (12 and under) $8, Members FREE. Learn more and buy tickets.
DESE GENOCIDE EDUCATION WEBINAR SERIES
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“People Make Choices, Choices Make History: Genocide Education in the Facing History Classroom.” February 7th, 3:30-4:45 pm Co-facilitated by Facing History and Ourselves. This forum will focus on the questions necessary to understand genocide awareness and prevention: How and why do people sort themselves into groups of “we” and “they”? What do people do when they encounter difference? How do people stand up against bigotry and hate? Educators will leave with an understanding of teaching strategies and resources to help students understand how individual choices can make a difference. More information and registration are available online.
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“Using Testimony and Primary Sources When Teaching Genocide.” March 7, 3:30-4:30 pm Co-facilitated by Gratz College. This session will address both the theoretical and practical dimensions to using testimonies in genocide education. This includes the principles of memory, the role of testimony as evidence, the multiple meanings of truth, and the goal of obtaining historical sensibility through social emotional learning. We will also introduce some trusted sources and best practices for testimony-based learning in middle and high school classrooms. More information and registration are available online.
EMERGING AMERICA SPRING WORKSHOPS AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
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Teach Disability History: We Can and We Must: March 8, 7-8 pm. Launch of Reform to Equal Rights: K-12 Disability History Curriculum. FREE. Register for webinar.
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Accessing Inquiry for English Learners through Primary Sources: March 3 - April 12, 2023, with a webinar March 8, 4:00-5:15 PM. Focus on inquiry strategies to that work to support accessible social studies teaching, informed by recent pilot-tested methods developed by English Language Development experts working with social studies teachers on primary sources. Register for Accessing Inquiry for English Learners ($100).
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America and World Fascism: From the Spanish Civil War to Nuremberg and Beyond – Teaching Human Rights Today: March 2 to April 15, with webinars March 9, 16 & 30 and April 6 - 4:00-5:15 pm. Register for America and World Fascism ($50).
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Accessing Inquiry for Students with Disabilities through Primary Sources: April 7 - May 17, with a webinar April 12, 4:00-5:15 pm. Sample the Reform to Equal Rights: K-12 Disability History Curriculum, to be published by Emerging America in February, 2023. Meets Massachusetts license renewal requirement for 15 hours of PD on teaching students with disabilities. Register here ($100).
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The Constitution and the Pursuit of Happiness: Institutions, Virtue and Civic Dispositions: May 22 - June 30, with webinars June 6 and 20, 7:00-8:30 pm. Taught by Kelley Brown with constitutional scholar, David Hudson, this 3-credit grad course will explore how civic institutions, civic virtue, and civic behaviors shape the US Constitution to allow for the pursuit of happiness. Register here ($350).
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Want to become an MCLC member? There is no fee! As a volunteer coalition, we rely on the active participation of our members. We invite both organizations and individuals to join our work. To learn more and join us, click here! |  | |
Generation Citizen (GC) is transforming how civics education is taught by bringing the subject to life. We champion real-world democracy education that equips all young people with foundational civic knowledge and skills needed to understand systems of inequality and effect change. In the classroom, our Action Civics program inspires robust civic participation by inviting students to engage directly with the local issues and institutions impacting their communities.
GC delivers Action Civics to students through our Teacher-Led model, in which teachers receive robust professional development and ongoing coaching and classroom observation support from GC staff to deliver the program directly. GC’s Action Civics curriculum is an innovative approach to civics education that provides comprehensive supplemental resources for students, teachers, and schools.
Generation Citizen was established as a nonprofit organization in Massachusetts in 2010, and has rapidly grown from serving 2,625 students in 2016 to over 16,000 students this year.
As a founding member of MCLC, we continue to provide thought leadership, conduct research, and build on our advocacy campaigns for state and district level policies that ensure schools prioritize Action Civics.
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