Starting Thursday, November 5, three of our nine statewide grade-level series, Grade Groups, will begin.  Educators will reflect, connect, and strategize about how the history-social science material from their grade level can best engage their students. 

What to Expect:

• In the K-2 Grade Group: Brianna Padilla and Rachel Reinhard are looking forward to discussing how to engage younger elementary students in social and racial justice topics through questions like, “How can I be a Changemaker in my community? And how can I work with others to be a Changemaker?” The K-2 Group will meet Thursdays, from 4:00 - 5:30 pm, starting November 5.
• In the 3rd-4th Grade Group: As Stella Nagac D’Arceaux and Shelley Brooks see it, the third and fourth grade curriculum offers a unique opportunity to incorporate local, regional, and state history, which allows for California students to see themselves in the material that they learn. The 3-4 Group will meet Wednesdays, from 4:00- 5:30 pm, starting November 18.
• In the 5th Grade Group: Kate Bowen, veteran 5th grade teacher and long-time CHSSP teacher leader explained: “Teachers thrive on person-to-person contact. We all want to feel connected during this unprecedented school year. The Fifth Grade Group will strive to create a community of dedicated educators, while providing content and strategies that are ready to use in a distanced or traditional classroom.”  The 5th Grade Group will meet Thursdays from 4:00 - 5:30 pm, starting November 5.
• In the 6th Grade Group: To connect ancient history with the modern world, Alison Waterman and Shennan Hutton ask, “How does the history of human social networks - from farming villages, towns, and cities, to kingdoms and empires - undergird our modern social structures?”  The 6th Grade Group will meet Mondays from 4:00 - 5:30, starting November 9.
• In the 7th Grade Group: Shennan Hutton is especially excited to explore how to “teach about race and social inequality in 7th grade world history.”  Shennan and Stacey plan to focus on slavery and Mesoamerica, two topics for which teachers often lack grade-specific resources.   The 7th Grade Group will meet Thursdays from 4:00 - 5:30 pm, starting November 5.
• In the 8th Grade Group: Three content areas - Slavery, Settler Colonialism, and Reconstruction – will be central to this Grade Group.  Primary sources and lesson plans that address each topic will underscore the significance of these topics for students and teachers.  The 8th Grade Group will meet Mondays from 4:00 - 5:30 pm, starting November 16.
• In the Ethnic Studies Grade Group: Daniel Diaz and Jason Muniz look forward to discussions about how local history shapes school communities.  “We will be sharing strategies like the “Tree of Life” to explore our identity as teachers and to also help students explore their personal stories,” Daniel recently explained. Identity, intersectionality, and systems of oppression, resistance, and liberation will be central in the discussions.   The Ethnic Studies Group will meet Wednesdays from 4:00 - 5:30 pm, starting November 18.
• In the 10th Grade Group: Nicole Gilbertson looks forward to discussions about de-centering Europe from world history courses.  Questions like “How did we get the world we have today? How do we make it better?” will also make the 10th grade course more current.   The 10th Grade Group will meet Tuesdays from 3:30 - 5:00 pm, starting November 17.
• In the 11th Grade Group: Devin Hess recently explained the urgency, substance, and goals of the Group with this reflection: “We only need to read the news to see that we are in a critical moment in U.S. History.  11th grade US History allows us to directly enter the exploration of this current reality with our students by making their history class relevant and up-to-date.” The 10th Grade Group will meet Tuesdays from 3:30 - 5:00 pm, starting November 17.

How to Register:

• Registration Fee:  $185.  
• To register by credit card, click here. 
• To register by check or purchase order, download PO and Check Registration Form below or click here.
• Two quarter units from UC Davis Extension can also be purchased for $120.  Click here to register for extension credits. 

Free Gifts!

Everyone who signs up for a Grade Group will receive a free copy of May it Amuse the Court: Editorial Cartoons of the Supreme Court and Constitution.  Co-Author Michael Kahn has generously offered to send a copy of his book to each registered participant in the Grade Groups series, AT NO CHARGE.  May it Amuse the Court is organized around the major constitutional issues that have come before the Supreme Court through the amusing and accessible format of editorial cartoons. 

In addition to the free book, we also have a limited number of History-Social Science Framework T-shirts to share, again, AT NO CHARGE.