What happens when a trusted source publishes an incredibly problematic article? We refute it. In this episode, Virginia Council for the Social Studies President, Sam Futrell, is joined by Matt Simpson from the Virginia Holocaust Museum to break down Dara Horn's poorly researched attack against Holocaust education. Published in the May 2023 issue of The Atlantic, Horn's piece "Is Holocaust Education Making Anti-Semitism Worse? Using Dead Jews as Symbols Isn't Helping Living Ones" leverages the work of educators in museums and classrooms around the country to get clicks. Also featured in this ..read more

Are you a teacher looking to participate in professional development this summer? Want to make the most out of your summer as a teacher? Don’t feel overwhelmed by the application process. We can help Our panelists - Ben Boyce with the Jack Miller Center, Sarah Harris with the National Constitution Center, and Jeff Scott with the Freedoms Foundation - are insiders with nationally renowned institutions who share with us their firsthand experiences and all the tips you need to get accepted into the program of your dreams!  Register for the 2023 VCSS Conference! NEH Institutes Freedoms Foun ..read more

At their November 17, 2022 meeting, the VBOE declined to accept State Superintendent Jillian Balow’s redraft standards and asked for a combined standards document that brings together the respective strengths of the original August 2022 standards with the November 2022 redraft standards, along with consideration of public comment. On December 20, 2022, a joint work group of the Virginia Social Studies Leaders Consortium (VSSLC), the Virginia Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (VASCD), and the American Historical Association (AHA) released a set of collaborative standards fo ..read more

Current trends in social studies education, including within Virginia, point towards deeper learning experiences as the north star of desired practice. In 2015, the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) revised curriculum framework for social studies introduced a standard dedicated to history and social science thinking skills. Emphasizing the use of disciplinary concepts and a pedagogy centered on inquiry, Virginia’s future embraces constructivist pedagogies and the use of performance assessments to demonstrate student learning.  The shifts are polar opposites of what many VA. teachers ..read more

In this episode we dive into the world of digital scholarship with Annie Evans from New American History. History is the turbulent, unpredictable, and deeply human record of everything that happened before this moment. Through interactive maps, video, audio, an algorithmic engine of journalism, and tools for educators, we hope to make visible what was previously invisible about our shared American story. https://www.newamericanhistory.org/ https://www.bunkhistory.org/ https://twitter.com/mapm8ker Apply to be a guest on the podcast! https://forms.gle/xgsdDe8dmvvurw8G9 ..read more

Today's episode explores the War in Ukraine with Dr. Yannis Stivachtis and Colin Baker from the Center for the European Union and Transatlantic Transeuropean Space Studies at Virginia Tech.  Visit the CEUTTSS website: https://liberalarts.vt.edu/research-centers/ceuttss.html  Links from today's episode: 1) BBC lengthy story on the turning points in history and how Feb 24th is now one of these: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60767454 (March 19th) 2) https://movingwriters.org/2022/03/08/7-ways-to-get-students-writing-about-the-war-in-ukraine/  3) European Hist ..read more

In this session VMHC Educators will discuss several of the stories spotlighted in their new permanent exhibit "Our Commonwealth," as well as highlight new opportunities for educators and students to engage with the museum. In May 2022 VMHC will be opening multiple new exhibits, including a new permanent exhibit - Our Commonwealth - which will focus on the regions of Virginia and how geography can play a role in our unique identities, as well as our shared idea of "Virginia." VMHC: https://virginiahistory.org/ Educational programs at the VMHC: https://virginiahistory.org/learn/book-group-progra ..read more

Escape Rooms have been all the rage over the past few years. For those that don't know, escape rooms are just that... a room you must escape from. Usually, there is a theme to an escape room, and it is up to you and whomever you're with to solve a series of puzzles in under an hour to "escape" the room. As an avid escape room hobbyist, I wondered if this concept could be applied to the classroom. Sure enough, it can! Through a variety of different platforms, teachers can use or create their own escape room right in the classroom. It encourages collaboration amongst groups, critical thinking an ..read more

Join VCSS Vice President and host, Sam Futrell, as she interviews David Olson, the Director of Education for Retro Report. Prior to joining Retro Report, David was an award-winning teacher of U.S. History, A.P. U.S. Government and Politics and Criminal Justice at a public high school in Madison, Wisc. His expertise and passion for teaching social studies shine through on this episode as he shares what Retro Report does and how to incorporate this fantastic resource into your social studies classroom. David and Sam also discuss how to reinforce the relevance of historical content with current e ..read more

Join Sam Futrell as she interviews professors Dr. Mark Herlihy and Dr. Elizabeth Matelski about the historical implications of the Salem Witch Trials. Together, we explore the social, cultural, and political causes of the Salem Witch Trials (SWT), discuss the major players in the SWT and seventeenth-century Puritanism. We'll also talk about the significant effects of the SWT, including how the SWT serves as an archetype for mob mentality and the oppression of marginalized groups in both literature and history. And of course, we'll share ideas/strategies for how educators can use/teach the Sale ..read more