Social Studies

Continuity of Resources for Teaching Social Studies

In an effort to help schools plan for educational continuity in the event of significant staff absences and extended school closures several additional resources and webpages have been developed to support the teaching of social studies.

Check out the wide-variety of online resources (identified in the various links on this page) that support the teaching of social studies through the collecting and sharing of lesson plans and additional curricular resources. For a more tailored collection, check out this collection of searchable curricular resources sorted by grade band and content strand that can be used to support the creation of asynchronous learning experiences for your students. There is also a Continuity of Learning - Social Studies specific page that highlights ways to think about creating asynchronous learning experiences for your students.

***NEW RESOURCE***

In order to help educators support students with limited or no access to technology, I have compiled examples of age appropriate activities that support enrichment learning about social studies in each of the four content strands. The examples in the documents below are meant to be accessible for students regardless of access to technology and are not focused on worksheets.

With the COVID-19 pandemic impacting our schools, the following list of virtual professional development opportunities and content based office hours are being hosted and supported by Social Studies Specialist Joe Schmidt. Continue checking back as the list will continue to be updated:

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES:

NOTE: ALL ZOOM MEETINGS WILL REQUIRE YOU TO REGISTER WITH JOE SCHMIDT IN ORDER TO RECEIVE A PASSWORD TO ATTEND

  • A Teacher Perspective on Teaching About Maine Native Americans (Led by Melanie Brown/Ellsworth MS) – April 7 (Tues) at 9:00am ET. Join by clicking https://zoom.us/j/252289268

  • Meet & Learn with the Secretary of State (With Sec. Matt Dunlap) – April 7 (Tues) 11:00am ET. Join by clicking https://zoom.us/j/836160049

  • Resources for Teaching Personal Finance & Economics (Led by Mary Dyer - FAME/Jump$tart – April 7 (Tues) at 1:00pm ET. Join by clicking https://zoom.us/j/642285431

  • Online Resources to Teach About WWII (Led by Shane Gower/Maranacook Community High School & The World War II Museum) – April 9 (Thur) at 1:00pm ET. Join by clicking https://zoom.us/j/738937227

  • The Art of Visual Storytelling (Led by Erin Towns/Edward Little High School & 2018 National Geographic Grosvenor Fellow) – April 13 (Mon) at 9:00am ET. Join by clicking https://zoom.us/j/915692309

  • Using National Geographic Online Resources for Teaching (Led by Sarah Bailey/South Portland HS & National Geographic) – April 13 (Mon) at 11:00am ET. Join by clicking https://zoom.us/j/342996638

  • Taking a Risk! With Game-Based Learning (Led by Derek Carroll/SeDoMoCha MS) – Tuesday (April 14) at 3:30pm ET. Join by clicking https://zoom.us/j/361812203

  • A Book Share for Integrating Middle Level Social Studies and Reading (Led by Crystal Polk/MSAD 58) – April 15 (Wed) at 10:00am ET. Join by clicking https://zoom.us/j/632314186

  • Digital Literacy- Finding Reliable Sources on the Web (Led by John Raby - Thornton Academy) – April 15 (Wed) 2:30pm ET. Join by clicking https://zoom.us/j/122166238

  • Teaching About Maine Native Americans - Curriculum Considerations (Led by Fiona Hopper/Portland Public Schools) - April 29 (Wed) at 9:30am ET. Join by clicking https://zoom.us/j/945111335

 

CONTENT SPECIFIC & GENERAL OFFICE HOURS:

 

·       Social Studies PK-12 – April 6 (Mon) at 9:00am ET. Join by clicking https://zoom.us/j/354020865  

·       Social Studies PK-12 – April 7 (Tues) at 2:00pm ET. Join by clicking https://zoom.us/j/452696712  

·       Social Studies PK-12 – April 8 (Wed) at 1:00pm ET. Join by clicking https://zoom.us/j/211893751   

·       Social Studies PK-12 – April 9 (Thurs) at 11:00am ET. Join by clicking https://zoom.us/j/852537604

College Board/AP Testing Update:

From the College Board: "As schools and communities navigate the unprecedented challenges posed by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the health and safety of educators and students are the AP Program’s top priorities." 

Through our members across the country, we understand the new time constraints on everyone in the education community. These solutions are meant to be as simple and lightweight as possible for both students and teachers — without creating additional burdens for school leaders during this time.

  • Traditional face-to-face exam administrations will not take place. Students will take a 45-minute online free-response exam at home. 
  • Some students may want to take the exam sooner rather than later, while the content is still fresh. Other students may want more time to practice. For each AP subject, there will be 2 different testing dates.

Check out the AP Central COVID-19 webpage for more information about tests, schedules, and supports.

The Maine Department of Education recognizes that social studies is an integral part of a comprehensive education preparing learners for college, careers and civic life. Through the study of each of the four social studies disciplines—civics and government, economics, geography, and history—students are provided with opportunities to acquire and apply knowledge and skills in a variety of authentic contexts. Social studies teaches students not what to think, but how to think. The knowledge, skills and dispositions gained through social studies allow students to make informed decisions and participate fully in civic life. Engagement in social studies provides students with the opportunity to learn about their world and become active and involved members of their local and global communities.

As part of the Maine DOE's commitment to supporting schools in the delivery of effective K-12 social studies instructional programs, this site offers teachers, administrators, nonprofits, higher education faculty, parents and community members with a broad range of resources reflective of Maine’s learning standards.

The State of Maine recently completed a mandatory Social Studies review process. Check out the new Standards and Instruction page to see the revised standards and supporting materials.

  • During the revision process, effort was given to strengthen the teaching of Maine Native Americans. There is a Maine Department of Education resource page related to teaching about Maine Native Americans.
  • During the revision process, effort was given to emphasize the role of teaching Personal Finance. In order to support teachers and districts in teaching about Personal Finance, the Maine Department of Education in partnership with the Maine Jump$tart Coalition, has created a financial education resource, titled the Maine Financial Literacy Framework & Resource Guide. The Maine Department of Education also maintains a web page devoted to resources and organizations that support the teaching of financial literacy.