This May, we’d like to thank all of the wonderful History Social-Science teachers in our CHSSP network. We are so grateful for all of the hard work you do as educators. Thank you for all that you do to support your students, and thank you for using our resources, subscribing to our mailing list, and attending our institutes. We appreciate you so much!
Take a look at our extra special #KatesBookClub recs below, and remember to check our website for upcoming events and new teaching resources!
Teaching Resources:
The CHSSP is here to support teachers in bringing scholarship-informed, standards-aligned, engaging content into your classroom. We offer an extensive list of free, ready-to-use inquiry sets and lesson plans for all grade levels! Check out the entire list here.
Additionally, we have several collections of lesson plans that focus on a particular topic.
- Our LGBTQ+ History Through Primary Sources Collection features primary sources, paired with focus questions, that can help teachers integrate LGBTQ+ voices across all grade levels.
- The Teaching Civics curriculum features units on local government, civic engagement, and media literacy, and is designed to help students better understand and become active participants in their local communities and governments.
- The Middle East in Historical Context series, developed just last year, features four new inquiry sets on Middle Eastern history and is designed to help teachers teach politically contentious topics responsibly.
Check out these and more by viewing our Resources tab. We want to help you teach history, government, and civics!
#KatesBookClub Reads:
Happy Teacher Appreciation Week (although we deserve so much more!). Sharing a new adult read that really resonated with me, Thank You, Teachers: True Stories From America’s Teachers, Our Last Line of Defense and Our First Line of Hope. Written and compiled by James Patterson and Matt Eversmann with Chris Mooney, the book highlights teachers from across the country who share what it takes to teach kids daily, improve kids’ lives, and foster lifelong readers and learners. My favorite chapter? “If it could just be us and our kids, it would be the best job in the world.” Pick up a copy at your local bookstore or library. Now on to picture books celebrating teachers and librarians.
Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kenneth Henkes, illustrated by Kevin Henkes. Okay. This title does not have an historical connection, but the world needs more time with Mr. Slinger. Lilly loves school, her "pointy pencils," the "squeaky chalk," the "clickety-clickety-clack" sounds her red cowgirl boots make in the halls, and "the privacy of her very own desk." Lilly especially loves her teacher Mr. Slinger, who "is sharp as a tack," wears "a different colored tie each day of the week," and provides cheesy snacks. (Note: Lilly and all of the characters are mice.) The normally talkative Lilly is almost speechless when she tries to say why Mr. Slinger is such a good teacher. "Wow. That was just about all she could say. Wow." One day Lilly brings a new purple plastic purse, movie star sunglasses and three shiny quarters to school. Her new possessions become such distractions to her that Mr. Slinger sets them on his desk during the day. Lilly's mean-spirited retaliation to such injustice soon makes her miserable. Her parents and Mr. Slinger help their basically warm-hearted, strong-willed child to move beyond the anxious episode. A winner.
Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read, The by Rita Lorraine Hubbard, illustrated by Oge Mora. True story of Mary Walker who longed to learn how to read but had no time or opportunity to do so. Enslaved until she was 15, Mary worked to help her single mother support their family; as a married adult she worked as a sharecropper to support her three sons, whose birthdays she marked in her Bible. At 114 years old, having outlived her husband and children, Mary became the nation's oldest student as she learned to read in her retirement home. A great example of perseverance, the fight for education, and the indomitable spirit of a woman who lived through immense historical change (and 26 presidents!). Beautiful cut-paper collage illustrations accompany the text. An informative interview with the author can be found here.
Someday Is Now: Clara Luper and the 1958 Oklahoma City Sit-Ins by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, illustrated by Jade Johnson. True story of teacher Clara Luper who organized lunch counter sit-ins for her students to protest segregation in 1958. Mrs. Luper’s support for her students shines a light on what so many educators have done and continue to do. Students will be inspired by children just like them who made a decision to confront injustice and do something about it. Ordinary people really can do extraordinary things every day. Note: This book begins with Mrs. Luper taking her students on a field trip. Respect. Read about the new monument to Clara and her students in Oklahoma City.
Teachers March!: How Selma’s Teachers Changed History, The by Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace, illustrated by Charly Palmer. Reverend F.D. Reese was a leader of the Voting Rights Movement in Selma, Alabama. As a teacher and principal, he recognized that his colleagues were viewed with great respect in the city. Could he convince them to risk their jobs--and perhaps their lives–by organizing a teachers-only march to the county courthouse to demand their right to vote? On January 22, 1965, the 104 Black teachers left their classrooms and did just that, with Reverend Reese leading the way. The march is regarded in history as a test of constitutional law and the right of peaceful assembly.
Thomas Jefferson Builds a Library by Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by John O’Brien. Thomas Jefferson loved books, reading, and libraries. He started accumulating books as a young man. This picture-book biography tells the story of how Jefferson's vast book collections helped to create the world's largest library, the Library of Congress. It is filled with excerpts from primary documents, including Jefferson's thoughts on books, reading, and learning. The book includes primary source quotes, an author's note, and a bibliography. Learn more about the Library of Congress and explore its collections here.