This piece was originally posted to the UC Davis College of Letters and Science Magazine

Geraldine Portica might have known the risks every day when she wore a dress. In a 1917 portrait, she wears a dress and a wide-brimmed hat. She stands with one hand on her hip as her other hand extends the loose fabric of her skirt as if to show its cut.

As teachers begin the 2025-26 school year, the California History-Social Science Project is proud to announce that there are four new inquiry sets that teachers may now use to teach Middle Eastern and Arab American History:

Happy Pride!

While the Trump administration has continued in its campaign to expunge queer people and their histories from federal websites and monuments in recent months, this year’s Pride Month celebrations show that the LGBTQ+ community will not be quietly erased or sidelined. Celebrating the history of trans and queer resistance is more important than ever, and Professor Wendy Rouse of San Jose State University has written an excellent new blog on the subject for Pride Month. 

“We have been here before and we have survived.” This popular phrase is once again making its rounds on social media. It is an important reminder of continuity in history. But in teaching history, we often focus much more on oppressive systems while neglecting the stories of people who survived them. This is especially relevant in our present moment of virulent attacks on LGBTQ+ rights. It is an important time to reflect on how we as history educators teach about how past people persisted and resisted during times of intense oppression.

Originally posted on UC Davis: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion  

A historic collaboration between the UC Davis Department of History, Middle East/South Asia Studies Program, and the California History-Social Science Project (CHSSP) is helping bring academically grounded lessons about Middle Eastern history into K-12 classrooms—at a time when teachers say the need for context and accuracy has never been greater.

In 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom approved Assembly Bill No. 800, which designates the first week of May as “Workplace Readiness Week” in California high schools. AB800 requires that all California eleventh and twelfth-grade students be taught their rights in the workplace. This type of instruction is incredibly important.

Happy Women’s History Month! 

February is Black History Month, and, at UC Davis, Black Futures Month, which represents the “campus community’s commitment to remembering, celebrating, and learning from the proud history of Black Americans and the promising future of all scholars who continue to bring innovation and excellence to our society.” 

Did you know that the California Education Code stipulates that all students should have access to standards-based arts education in dance, music, theatre, visual, and media arts, and yet only eleven percent of California schools meet this requirement?  In fact, twenty-one percent of California schools do not offer any form of formal arts instruction.

Happy holidays to all who celebrate — and happy holiday break to all the teachers in our network! We hope you can all take the break you deserve and spend some downtime relaxing or enjoying the company of family and friends. 

In the spirit of spending time with loved ones, we’ve chosen to focus this month’s newsletter on community history. Listed below are some teaching resources and reading recommendations that center family and community stories. Click on any of the links to learn more!