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Program
Historical thinking is a very close relative to active, thoughtful, cricital participation in text and image rich democratic cultures. Consider what good historical thinkers can do... they are informed, educated, thoughtful, critical readers, who appreciate investigative enterprises, know good arguments when they hear them, and who engage their world with a host of strategies for understanding it… Thomas Jefferson could hardly have wanted better citizens than these thinkers.
Bruce Van Sledright, “What Does it Mean to Think Historically, and How do you Teach It.” Social Education, 68 no. 3 (2004): 222-23
"The story of America...is about the quest for freedom, justice, opportunity, and democracy that is still underway" (National Council for History Education). The words and deeds of individuals have determined the course of our nation, and our project is designed to immerse teachers in the perspectives, identity, and legacy of democracy through the lens of American history.
The program is designed to significantly and positively affect student learning by providing a rich content-intensive professional development structure that allows educators to continue with their own learning, and then transform new content and historical habits of mind
into meaningful learning experiences within their own classrooms.
While the professional development program is designed to examine and explore the length and breadth of American history, a unique aspect of the program is the focus on 20th century American history. Utilizing newly developed digital historical archives, program participants will develop a much deeper understanding of the evolution of traditional democratic values as it is exhibited in the key events of the 20th century. Specific attention will be given to the impact of the Civil Rights Era and the Cold War
at local, state and national levels.
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