Free Social Studies Workshops

Social studies teachers can take advantage of a variety of Free workshops to enhance their own knowledge and pedagogy.

1) Thanks to a generous Library of Congress grant, the Minnesota Historical Society and partners are offering free workshops for social studies teachers! In the 2016-2017 school year, nine regional workshops throughout Minnesota will focus on historical and geographic inquiry, and primary sources in the classroom. Workshops are open to current classroom teachers in grades K-12, and are limited to the first 25 registrants. Visit the grant website for more information and to register: http://education.mnhs.org/loc/workshops.


2) Register NOW to attend a free workshop about ArcGIS Online! Educator Day at the MN GIS/LIS Conference in Duluth is on Wednesday, October 26. Join us to learn about ways to engage students in spatial thinking and problem solving using several online mapping tools from Esri. Visit the website to learn more: http://www.mngislis.org/?page=2016_conf_k12_form


3) Join us for "Shaping America's Elections," a free workshop sponsored by Colonial Williamsburg. Social studies teachers in grades 5-12 are invited to register for a day of discussion and learning about historical elections. The workshop will take place on Saturday, November 5 at the Minnesota History Center. Visit the website for information or to register: http://education.mnhs.org/node/11687

If you have any questions, let Brandon know and he will point you in the right direction.

Cohort Opportunities for Secondary Social Studies Teachers

Pop Culture and American Indian History Cohorts

The Minnesota Historical Society is taking applications until October 9 for 20 teachers to be a part of each of the cohorts.  These cohorts are a great way to meet other teachers from around the state to learn and share ideas.

US Pop Culture Cohort Information

American Indian History Cohort Information

US History Cohort

The Minnesota Historical Society is hosting a teacher cohort for the 2014-15 school year. Build relationships with your fellow U.S. history teachers from around the state throughout the 2014-2015 school year in a series of professional development opportunities, created to provide resources and a unique learning environment. The U.S. History Teacher Cohort for 2014-2015 includes four required elements:

• an in-person workshop 
• an online webinar 
• a two-day summer experience 
• online communication throughout the school year

The theme of the cohort is "American Pop Culture: A Window to U.S. History." All experiences will focus on various aspects of pop culture and will include content and instruction from various organizations, and resources and materials for the classroom. The cohort will provide a small group of U.S. history teachers the opportunity to build networks of colleagues outside of their schools, and share resources throughout the school year and beyond.

All cohort participants will be expected to attend all three opportunities and be active in online discussions throughout the year with fellow cohort members and MNHS educators. Program cost is $200.

Cohort members will receive books and resources related to each of the workshop topics, Continuing Education Credits, meals and parking during the in-person experiences, and an individual Minnesota Historical Society membership. Some subsidy funds are available to defray the costs of sub fees and travel.

Workshop topics, dates, and locations:

• Wed., Dec. 10, 2014. 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.: "Baseball as America: Sports and U.S. History" Target Field, Minneapolis
• April webinar, weekday afternoon/evening (date to be decided by cohort group): "Teaching with Art"
• June 24-25, 2015: "American Pop Culture: A Window to U.S. History" Minnesota History Center, St. Paul and other metro cultural institutions. This two-day experience will focus on other aspects of pop culture, such as music, film, fashion, literature, etc.

This experience is intended for U.S. history teachers in Minnesota, teaching in grade 7 or in high school. Applications are due Mon., Nov. 3. Successful applicants will be notified by Mon., Nov. 10. Space is limited for this exciting opportunity! Apply online.