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ON YOUR RADAR
DSN announcements, upcoming events, Professional Development opportunities, and information about activities in our Democracy Schools.
~ATTENTION SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHERS
If you would like to be kept current on current Social Studies standards, course mandates, and resources to support both, we invite you to sign up for the Illinois Civics Hub newsletter here.
~CIVIC LEARNING ACROSS DISCIPLINES Webinar Series
Please join us as we continue to explore Student Voice in this year's series—the second Thursday of the month from 4–5 pm.
February 9– Student Voice 360: Heather Van Benthuysen and Chicago Public Schools Department of Student Voice and Engagement.
March 9– Taking Informed Action with Data from the Illinois Democracy Schools: Dr. Kelly Siegel-Stechler, Senior Researcher at the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement CIRCLE at Tufts University.
For detailed descriptions of sessions and registration, click here.
~ILLINOIS CIVICS HUB Professional Development
January 18– Reading Like a Historian to Teach Inclusive History: Dr. Joel Breakstone
February 15– Using SCOTUS to Teach Inclusive History, with the American Bar Association.
March 15– Start with Story: Inclusive History from Those Who Lived It, with Retro Report.
April 26– Teaching Inclusive History with the Chicago History Museum—Challenging the Status Quo: Women in Chicago
Here is detailed description of sessions and registration links.
~ STREET LAW Requests Feedback on New Themes
In August 2022, Street Law launched its new Legal Timelines website, a site that seeks to provide students with a deeper understanding of legal issues and how legal history has led to where we are today. Currently, the site has multiple interactive timelines and inquiry-based resources related to the themes of federalism, the rights of the accused, and suffrage. In 2023, Street Law will add two new themes: students’ rights and presidential powers.
Apply to become one of 25 middle or high school teachers who will receive early access to pilot these new Legal Timelines materials. There is a $450 stipend for participation; deadline for application is January 31.
~ CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY PROJECT
In 2003, the Supreme Court ruled in Grutter v. Bollinger that universities can use race in admissions to pursue student-body diversity. The featured case this year, Students for Fair Admissions v. North Carolina, asks the Court to overrule Grutter and hold that institutions of higher education cannot use race as a factor in admissions. What do you think? Participate in You(th) Decide is a program of the Constitutional Democracy Project, and decide this case with your peers!
You(th) Decide allows students to learn about this case from law students and legal scholars and then decide the case as Justices of the United States Supreme Court. The program is open to students in grades 8–12.
The program is from 8:30am–1:30 pm on Friday, February 24 at Chicago—Kent College of Law at 565 West Adams Street. Registration is $15 per student. All materials and lunch included. Register here.
~YOUTH LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE
The U.S. 118th Congress may be a bit delayed, but the Youth Leadership Initiative's National E-Congress is now in session! E-Congress is a fantastic way for your students to learn what goes into writing a bill and how a bill becomes a law. Sign-up your class today so your students may join others around the country and benefit from this engaging and interactive program.
~HISTORY, CULTURE WAR AND SCHOOLING IN AMERICA, hosted by the Newberry Library
Monday, March 13 from 9:30am–3:30pm. For US History teachers: In the first half of the seminar, teachers will explore the historical development of K–12 history’s dual role as a pillar of the academic social studies and citizenship education, and its occasional role as a political target for a diverse set of American activists and reformers. In the second half, participants will convene as a focus group to contribute their expertise and experience to AHA researchers as they develop a picture of how twenty-first century contexts (the role of state standards, availability of web-based resources, and pressures of political polarization) shape the work that teachers do in their classrooms. More details here.
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