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.
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.
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.”
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!
Over the past two years, the California Subject Matter Project (CSMP) has been helping design professional development for the rollout of UTK, or Universal Transitional Kindergarten.
In partnership with California Revealed, we are working with two high school teachers to develop inquiry-based teaching resources that will connect students with archival sources hosted by California Revealed.
California Revealed (CA-R), in partnership with the California History-Social Science Project (CHSSP), invites California educators to apply for its inaugural Educator Fellowship program. This is a special opportunity for K-12 educators to research and create curricular materials in history and the social sciences using CA-R’s digital collections, of which sound and moving images are especially vast.
Kate Bowen is an educational leader with the California History-Social Science Project, and brings over thirty years of experience as a teacher. This month we asked Kate to share her favorite tools, skills, and strategies to support inquiry-based learning throughout the year.
Latinx students make up nearly 55% of all K-12 students across California, and every year students are asking for more lessons that reflect their experiences. We see the need to show students the diversity of people who shaped our history. Likewise, we know how important it is for students to see themselves reflected in their educational experience.
If you are an educator or educational leader, registration is still open for the final two "Inquiry: Why Now?" sessions in Irvine, on September 14-15, and Fresno, on October 12-13
It’s August. You know what that means. Give me all the post-its, paper clips, crisp tabs, and new stickers. Nothing brings me the same excitement as flipping through a freshly-opened planner. Okay, maybe the local office supply store is just my thing, but I have a sneaking suspicion that I’m not the only one that loves a good back-to-school sale. In the spirit of new beginnings, I want to bring your attention to new resources for this upcoming school year.
Throughout July we celebrate the diversity of our students in Disability Pride and Awareness Month. Students in our classrooms have always been diverse, and research has shown that most students who request accommodations or special education still learn in the general education classroom. Others who receive exclusive education still engage with general education classrooms and curricula to the greatest extent possible (California History-Social Science Framework, Chapter 20, p 537).
