Apply by December 6th: Civics Fellowship Opportunity for Teachers!
The Civics Project Fellowship is an exciting opportunity for Civics teachers from schools across Massachusetts to collaboratively plan and lead PD, share successes, and work alongside DESE to ensure that student-led civics projects are meaningful for teachers and students. Civics Project Fellows will work together from January–June 2022 and will receive a $1000 stipend as well as 30 PDPs upon successful completion of the Fellowship.
An application and more information can be found here. If you have questions about this opportunity, please contact Kathryn Gabriele , History/Social Science Content Support Specialist.
The primary purpose of a history and social science education is to prepare students with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to become thoughtful and active participants in a democratic society and a complex world.
The 2018 Massachusetts Framework for History and Social Science lays out three pillars that support coherent, rigorous, and engaging instruction: Standards for History and Social Science Practice, grade-specific Content Standards, and Literacy Standards for History and Social Science.
2018 History and Social Science Framework
Supplement to the 2018 Massachusetts History and Social Science Framework
Vertical Progression of the Standards for History and Social Science Practice, by grade span
Race, Racism, and Culturally Responsive Teaching in History and Social Science in Massachusetts: Frequently Asked Questions
Civics Project Guidebook — Updated October 2020
Curricular Materials Guide: Grade 8 Civics — Posted October 2021
Grade 8 Curricular Materials at a Glance — Updated October 2021
Resources for Planning Through an Inclusive, Critical, and Responsive Lens: Guiding Principle 2 of the History and Social Science Framework emphasizes that history and social science instruction should be inclusive of diverse perspectives; challenge students to think critically about power, prejudice, and oppression; and be responsive to students' multiple identities. This quick reference guide and the attached planning questions are intended to support educators in using Guiding Principle 2 to reflect upon and plan their instruction.
These examples illustrate how the Guiding Principle 2 planning questions might be answered about selected topics from a variety of grade levels within the Framework. Created in consultation with content experts, they include suggested resources and historical developments tied to each question.
Civics Projects Guidebook (Online Version; Microsoft Word Version ): Guidance to support implementation of Chapter 296 of the Acts of 2018, An Act to promote and enhance civic engagement, including a description of key project characteristics and stages of civic action.
Curricular Materials Guide: Grade 8 Civics (Online Full Report; Curricular Materials at a Glance ): Highlighted, high-quality instructional materials aligned to the Grade 8 United States and Massachusetts Government and Civic Life course.
Civics Projects Quick Reference Guide
Student Government Day: April 1, 2022
2020 Civics Literacy Conference: Event Program and Workshop Materials
Webinar (9/9/2020): Building a Foundation for Community, Connection, and Civil Discourse in History and Social Studies
Investigating History is an innovative, open-source history/social science curriculum that DESE is currently developing for fifth, sixth, and seventh grades. It is designed to be fully aligned to the Massachusetts 2018 History/Social Science Framework , engaging students with its content, practice, and literacy standards through an inquiry-based approach.
In the 2021-22 school year, a cohort of districts across the Commonwealth will pilot the Investigating History materials. The pilot materials will then be revised based on feedback from educators and students, and we anticipate making the first Investigating History units publicly available in Summer 2022. Learn more about Investigating History.
2021-2022 History/Social Science Leaders Network: This network is intended to support school and district leaders in their work to ensure excellent, equitable history/social science instruction for all students. This network will help leaders continue their implementation of the 2018 Framework through sharing resources and strategies and providing a space to connect and collaborate with others across the Commonwealth. While the focus of our work will be responsive to participant need, likely topics include culturally responsive practice, student-driven inquiry, vertical progression of standards, embedding civics across grades K-12, and news and media literacy.
Civics Project Virtual Support Forums : The purpose of these forums is to support educators' continued professional learning related to planning and implementing student-led civics projects throughout the year.
Last Updated: November 19, 2021
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