What’s in a theme?
The thought of having Dr. Gilbertson of the UCI History Project come and speak about the new History-Social Science Framework is enough to make a self-proclaimed history buff geek out about attending the world history content workshop. Yet, to my surprise this workshop was packed with so much more. We learned about The California Way as defined by Thomas Adams, the Deputy Superintendent of California Department of Education. According to Adams, H/SS teachers need to create inclusive classrooms for our diverse student body and ensure cultural relevancy in order for students to have a more personal connection to what they are studying. But, my favorite takeaway of the day is the idea of centering our instruction around a year long theme. Examples given by Dr. Gilbert include: the role of a citizen, or individual versus state. The role of the citizen can be tackled in so many ways with our new framework. If you are interested in this idea, I suggest you check out the MIT website for visualizing cultures recommended by Dr. Gilbertson. MIT Visualizing Culture: Another great resource is the Humanities Out There (HOT) curriculum which is aligned with the California standards, as well as Common Core standards. Definitely check it out! HOT Curriculum
We ended our day by working on a framework plan. If you haven’t checked it out, there are a few new additions for world history teachers to cover. New sections include: Economic Integration and Contemporary Revolutions in Information, Technology, and Communications; The New Geopolitics; The Impact of Globalization; Rights, Religion, and Identity; and A new Role for the West. If you want to check out the framework, it is linked here. New CA H/SS Framework
I have to say, I am really excited about these new additions because they will help us make history more relevant to our students with some focus on modern world developments. Talk about a jam packed and productive day! If you are a H/SS teacher you don’t want to miss an opportunity to hear Dr. Gilbertson speak.
Rosette Sowell has a Masters in Education and is a world history and AVID teacher at Bonita Vista High School.