socialstudiessummerinstitut

Civic Harmony: Navigating Multiple Perspectives in the Classroom
2026-06-09 15:00 - 16:25 UTC | Rm 1852
Engage in dynamic, classroom-ready discussion strategies that build civic understanding.
In this interactive session, educators will experience adaptable discussion protocols designed to strengthen students’ reasoning, listening, and reflection skills. Using BRI resources, participants will model and examine inquiry-based activities grounded in constitutional principles and civic virtue. Together, we’ll explore practical strategies that help students engage respectfully with differing perspectives, practice civil discourse, and grow into thoughtful citizens prepared to participate in a pluralistic democracy.

Hook, Line, and Sinker: Reeling students in from the start
2026-06-09 15:00 - 16:25 | Rm 1832
In this powerful session, participants will deepen their understanding of how using a hook can increase engagement for the entire period. Engage with Social Studies-specific examples, as well as general strategies you can use to create your own! This session includes time for both active exploration of effective hooks and collaborative work time to create your own. Leave with multiple hooks that you can directly implement into your own classrooms to start your year strong!

Organizing Canvas for Instructional Clarity: A Practical Course for Teachers
2026-06-09 15:00 - 16:25, 2026-06-09 16:35 - 18:00, 2026-06-09 19:30 - 20:55, 2026-06-09 21:05 - 22:30 | Rm 1826
In this focused workshop, teachers will learn high‑impact strategies to organize a Canvas course for clarity and share in a sandbox with colleagues, sync grades with Skyward, integrate Google Drive and Google Sheets (calendar) resources, and streamline family communication using Canvas Announcements and ParentSquare. The session combines brief demos with guided hands‑on time so participants leave with a ready module, embedded Google resources, announcement workflows, and a plan to verify grade syncing and parent communication.

Riding the Waves of Motivation: The Four Will Drivers for Student Success
2026-06-09 15:00 - 16:25 | Rm 1843
This interactive session empowers educators to transform their classrooms into spaces where students engage in meaningful activities and discourse around social studies topics. Participants will explore the four will drivers that foster motivation and practical strategies for designing collaborative learning structures.

Building Literacy in Social Studies
2026-06-09 16:35 - 18:00 | Rm 1835
Unlock the true power of social studies by putting literacy at the center of learning. In this engaging session, participants will explore why literacy skills are essential for deep understanding of historical and civic content, and how explicitly teaching those skills within context transforms student thinking. Through hands-on activities, educators will experience strategies that build reading, writing, and thinking skills while strengthening content knowledge at the same time. Walk away with ready-to-use activities and adaptable templates that make literacy instruction purposeful, powerful, and seamlessly embedded in your social studies classroom.

Primary Resources: The Superpower for Making Students Historians
2026-06-09 16:35 - 18:00 | Rm 1852
Discover how primary sources turn classrooms into investigative labs where students question, analyze evidence, and build claims—unlocking the superpowers of inquiry and historical reasoning. Join us as we explore how primary sources drive student inquiry and help to engage and build critical historical thinking. Participants will have the opportunity to model hands on effective strategies that help students question, analyze, and corroborate evidence—turning classrooms into investigative spaces where students think like historians.

Sand, Sun, and Student Engagement: Easy-Prep Strategies That Stick
2026-06-09 16:35 - 18:00 | Rm 1830
Tired of spending hours prepping engaging lessons? This session cuts through the noise and gives you practical strategies you can use tomorrow—no fancy materials required.

We'll explore low-prep hooks that actually grab attention, quick ways to check if students are getting it mid-lesson, and exit tickets that tell you something useful. Everything is adaptable to any subject and any grade level.

You'll work through real examples, steal ideas from other teachers at your table, and leave with a packet of templates you can use right away.

X Marks the Spot: Discover the Treasure of Teaching Like a Pirate
2026-06-09 16:35 - 18:00 | Rm 1832
Ignite your teaching with Teach Like a Pirate! This dynamic professional development session introduces educators to Dave Burgess’s engaging P.I.R.A.T.E. framework for creating passionate, immersive, and transformative learning experiences. Through interactive activities and practical strategies, you’ll discover how to build strong rapport, use feedback effectively, and bring enthusiasm that motivates every student. Get ready to set sail on a journey to transform your classroom into an exciting adventure!

7 Steps to a Language-Rich Interactive Classroom
2026-06-09 19:30 - 20:55 | Rm 1835
This engaging and practical session equips educators with seven powerful, research-informed steps to transform any classroom into a language-rich, interactive learning environment. Participants will explore strategies that intentionally promote student talk, academic vocabulary development, and meaningful interaction—especially beneficial for multilingual learners and diverse classrooms. Throughout the session, teachers will experience modeled activities, collaborative discussions, and reflective opportunities that demonstrate how to increase student engagement while strengthening language development across content areas. The focus will be on simple, high-impact techniques that can be implemented immediately, regardless of grade level or subject.

Collaborate, Cooperate, Think: Power of Tabletop Games to Engage Student Learning
2026-06-09 19:30 - 20:55 | Rm 1852
Discover the power of games! Dive into different ways to engage students in cooperation and collaborating skills as well as critical thinking through tabletop games. We will have an opportunity to play and interact with different tabletop games for elementary, middle, and high school students covering history and civics/government. Time will also be given for discussion and sharing best practices!

From Word Wall to Thinking Wall: Making Students Think, Talk, and Connect
2026-06-09 19:30 - 20:55 | Rm 1843
Ready to move beyond posting vocabulary and hoping students use it? This session will show you how to transform your word wall into a dynamic learning tool that sparks discussion, builds connections, and deepens understanding.
Through hands-on experiences, you’ll explore interactive strategies like silent debates, concept connections, and perspective-based discussions—that push students to think critically and engage with content in meaningful ways.
You’ll walk away with practical, ready-to-use strategies, differentiated approaches for K–12 classrooms, and tools to increase student talk and use of evidence.

Using Exemplars to 'Gogh' from Good to Great in Social Studies
2026-06-09 19:30 - 20:55 | Rm 1852
Come hone your craft! Van Gogh's most famous work, Starry Night, sets the scene of how to break down individual components, utilize the end in sight, and make the invisible become visible through the use of exemplars in your classroom. Teachers will not just walk away from the session a master teacher but a master artist as well!

Quest to fulfill the promises of the Declaration of Independence
2026-06-09 21:05 - 22:30 | Rm 1852
Create space for meaningful civic dialogue—even around challenging topics. We will explore structured strategies for leading open, respectful discussions on complex and sometimes contentious issues connected to our natural rights and founding principles. Participants will analyze primary source documents on topics such as religious liberty, slavery, and citizenship, while modeling inquiry-based techniques that promote critical thinking and civil discourse. Teachers will engage with ready-to-use lesson plans grounded in constitutional principles and civic virtues, collaborate with colleagues, and leave with practical tools and resources they can immediately implement to support deep, meaningful classroom

Retrieval In Action: Creative Strategies for Lasting Learning
2026-06-09 21:05 - 22:30 | Rm 1830
Transform your teaching practice with research-backed strategies that help students retain and recall information more effectively. This hands-on session introduces high school educators to practical retrieval practice techniques that can be implemented immediately. Participants will explore engaging strategies that make learning stick while increasing content mastery. This session bridges the gap between cognitive science research and classroom practice, providing educators with practical tools to enhance student learning and retention.

Using Nearpod for Data‑Driven Differentiation in History Classrooms
2026-06-09 21:05 - 22:30 | Rm 1832
Discover how Nearpod can be used to gather real‑time formative data and support meaningful differentiation in history classrooms. Participants will explore how interactive Nearpod activities reveal student thinking, misconceptions, and levels of understanding during instruction—not after. Teachers will leave with practical ideas for using Nearpod data to adjust pacing, group students, and plan targeted follow‑up without creating multiple lesson plans.
