Sept. 7, 2022

Welcome to the fall edition of the County Crier. As the new school year begins, there are a number of local and statewide initiatives designed to support high-quality teaching and learning in civics, ethnic studies, geography, and economics. A few of these are highlighted below.

Matt Hayes

History-Social Science Coordinator, San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE)

858-295-8857

Legislative Updates

The following bills could potentially impact history-social science instruction and are currently under consideration in the California State Legislature.

Assembly Bill 2235 (Medina), titled Teacher Credentialing: Supplementary Authorization: Ethnic Studies, would require the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing to develop an added or supplementary authorization in ethnic studies. This bill is in the Assembly Committee on Education.

Assembly Bill 2576, titled Voter Registration and Outreach Programs, would require the secretary of state to make grants to county registrars of voters for programs that integrate voter registration and pre-registration with high school civic education. This bill is in the Assembly Committee on

Appropriations.

Senate Bill 955 (Leyva), titled Pupil Attendance: Excused Absences: Civic or Political Events, would include, as another type of required excused absence, an absence that is for the purpose of a pupil participating in a civic or political event. This bill is in the Assembly Committee on Appropriations.

Senate Bill 1363 (Nielsen), titled Adopted Course of Study: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, would encourage that instruction in K–12 history and social science include Asian American and Pacific Islander individual and community contributions. This bill is in the Assembly Committee on Education.

The 2022 California Primary and U.S. General Elections Are Quickly Approaching

To provide students an opportunity to become excited about civic participation, California Secretary of State Shirly Weber and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond are partnering to host the 2022 California Student Mock Election on Oct. 11.

School registration for this year’s mock election is open and can be found on the

Secretary of State California Student Mock Election webpage, where you can register your school and obtain resources for a successful mock election. An electronic toolkit is available for educators.

National History Day San Diego 

National History Day San Diego offers exciting ways to get your students involved and motivated about acquiring deeper learning skills. Students in grades 4-12 can take part in a proven project that will help them excel academically and allow their creativity to flourish. Participation in the day provides for student choice as students engage in relevant and authentic research. It also provides an opportunity for teachers to engage their students with reiterative feedback, and non-traditional/competency-based assessment, including both formative and summative assessment.

This year's National History Day theme is Frontiers in History. Students research a historical topic and choose how they wish to present their findings, emphasizing their own strengths and interests. Later, they can present their research findings in a documentary, a website, an exhibit, a performance, podcast, or in an historical paper. 

The National History Day San Diego website provides numerous resources to support educators and students, including sample projects, tools for developing research ideas, quick tips, and much more. Educators interested in having their students participate can view this recording of the National History Day San Diego teacher orientation. Additionally, National History Day California will host a webinar for students, parents, and educators on Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. The webinar will provide more insight in to this year’s theme. Registration is available here.

Civic Learning Micro PD

SDCOE will be hosting a series of workshops focused on topics in civic learning. Each session will feature free 30-minute online sessions. Most sessions will be offered early in the morning then repeated in the afternoon in order to accommodate varying school start times.  

Introduction to the State Seal of Civic Engagement

California Democracy Schools — Sept. 15

Register to attend 7 to 7:30 a.m. or 3 to 3:30 p.m.

Developing Pathways to Civic Learning (Presented by Dr. Michelle Herczog) — Sept. 29

Register to attend 7 to 7:30 a.m. or 3 to 3:30 p.m.

Integrating Civic Learning into the History-Social Science Classroom — Oct. 12

Register to attend 7 to 7:30 a.m. or 3 to 3:30 p.m.

Online Resources to Support Civic Learning (Presented by the National Constitution Center) — Jan. 10

Register to attend 7 to 7:30 a.m.  

Online Resources to Support Civil Dialogue (Presented by the National Constitution Center — Jan. 24

Register to attend  7 to 7:30 a.m.

For questions about registration, contact Amber Baldwin. For questions about workshop content, contact Matt Hayes.

Civil Discourse Community of Practice

This community of practice will be conducted through a combination of in-person and virtual meetings and will be geared toward secondary teachers who are already engaging their students in high-level discussions and who wish to:

• Think deeply about the role of discussion in education and in democracy
• Synthesize current theory and scholarship on civic dialogue
• Share/obtain practical tools and strategies, and grapple with tensions related to teaching controversial issues and difficult histories

The first meeting will be held in person on Oct. 5. The second meeting will be on Nov. 16 and will be held virtually. If you work with anyone who you think would be interested, they can learn more and register at this link. 

For questions about registration, contact Amber Baldwin. For questions about workshop content, contact Matt Hayes.

Inquiry in Elementary Social Studies

During this two-part workshop, 4th- and 5th-grade teachers will synthesize the History-Social Science Framework and its instructional focus on content, literacy, inquiry, and civic engagement through document-based questions (DBQ). Using a modified lesson study process, educators will implement a lesson series and share their experiences with colleagues. Participating teachers will receive a free copy of the DBQ project Mini-Qs in California and American History binder (a $375 value). The cost is $50 per participant and includes lunch. Session dates are Nov. 17 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (in person) and Jan. 25 from 4 to 5 p.m. (virtual). Register here. Space is limited. 

Cost $50 per individual.

History-Social Science Educators and Leaders Network

History-social science lead teachers, teachers on special assignment, and administrators will form a network to learn about current state and local initiatives and share ideas for implementation. Participants will meet virtually throughout the year. Feel free to participate in the meetings that work for your schedule. You can learn more and register at this link.

Vietnamese American Refugee Experience Model Curriculum Engagement Sessions

The Vietnamese American Refugee Experience Model Curriculum will be developed in order to assist educators in teaching about the Vietnamese American refugee experiences as part of Assembly Bill 167. Visit the Model Curriculum website to learn more about this and other model curricula currently under development. 

Perspectives and voices of community members, educators, Vietnamese American cultural centers and community groups located in California as well as survivors, rescuers, and liberators of the Vietnam War and Vietnamese American refugees will lead the development of the Vietnamese American Refugee Experience Model Curriculum. During a one-hour information session, participants learn about possible goals, vision, and outcomes of the model curriculum. In a one-hour listening session, participants discuss their hopes for the model curriculum. Participants interested in sharing additional ideas will be invited to participate in a follow-up focus group.

The information session will be held virtually on Oct. 26 from 4 to 5 p.m. and will be followed by the listening session from 5 to 6 p.m.. Educators, community members, and other interested individuals can register for the information session here and the listening session here. Please email Amber Baldwin for information about registration. 

Start a Mock Trial Team at Your School

Now more than ever, learning about the importance of civic engagement and mastering persuasive advocacy skills is vital. Participation in the Mock Trial Competition is a great way to achieve this while providing a valuable experience for your students. Students who participate in the program gain confidence and develop public speaking and presentation skills. They also experience the excitement of being part of a team, exchanging ideas, setting goals, and examining important legal issues while interacting with positive role models and practicing attorneys in their community.

Interested schools can begin by selecting a teacher sponsor. The Mock Trial Committee provides volunteer attorneys to coach school teams from September through February in preparation for the 2023 competition at the Central Courthouse of the San Diego Superior Court. 

Teacher sponsors can attend a virtual orientation meeting Sept. 8 or 13 at 4 p.m. Register for the meeting at sdmocktrial.org. For additional information, or to request a committee member to speak at your school, email sdmocktrial@gmail.com or call 619-844-2344.

California Council for the Social Studies

The 62nd annual California Council for the Social Studies Conference will be held Feb. 24 to 26 at the Marriott Santa Clara in the city of Santa Clara. The conference theme is Building Bridges: Past, Present, and Future. The registration rate for members is $350 and $525 for nonmembers. For more information, visit the council's website.

Professional Learning from the California Global Education Project at USD

Communities of Care: Cultivating Resilience and Joy for Teachers to Thrive

As we start the new school year, support your students by building a sustainable practice of self-compassion, reflection, creativity, and Joy! Meeting eight times across a period of five months, teachers will develop tools, strategies, and resources for implementing positive change while promoting good health and well-being with other educators across the state.

The program will be held virtually with creative gifts sent to each participant. K-12 educators across California are eligible. There is no cost to participate. Registration opens soon. Contact Mary Hendra for more information. 

Teaching with the California Atlas

This online course prepares 4th grade teachers to effectively integrate geography into their year-long social studies program using the new edition of the student atlas California: A Changing State. Upon completion of the course, teachers will receive a class set of atlases and materials for classroom use.

Get more information and register. Contact San Diego Regional Director Mary Hendra to waive the course fee.

Global Book Bags Program

Elementary teachers engage with children’s literature with global themes. Exploring books, grounding in the foundational skills for global competencies, and building learning activities, teachers in the Global Book Bags Program leave with:

• A greater understanding of global education and how it can guide deeper inquiry into children’s books
• Specific activities and a resource list of books 
• A children’s book with aligned activity to add to their classroom

Interested in bringing this workshop to your school? Contact Mary Hendra.

The California History-Social Science Project

The California History-Social Science Project provides a variety of resources for educators, including unit and lesson plans, articles, blog posts, and teaching ideas. The resources are aligned to the California History-Social Science Framework and are offered free of charge. 

Judges in the Classroom

Judges in the Classroom pairs a sitting judge with classrooms at all grade levels (K-12 in person, and grades 3-12 virtual) to engage in a lesson that teaches students about the judicial branch of government. Requests are now being accepted for the 2022-223 school year. Learn more here.