2025 North Carolina Council for the Social Studies Conference

Using the DBQ Online platform, educators will explore practical methods for engaging students, including Multi-Lingual learners and those requiring accommodations. Participants will learn adaptable scaffolding techniques that foster inquiry and critical thinking across content areas, with a focus on inclusivity and differentiation. This session will empower educators to create DBQ experiences that are both accessible and challenging, ensuring all students are engaged and succeed, regardless of their learning needs.

This interactive session will focus on leveraging case studies to teach economics and personal finance concepts to high school students. We will introduce a dynamic approach to using case studies that mirror real-life financial and economic challenges. Attendees will explore how case studies can engage students in analyzing financial situations, developing decision-making strategies, and understanding economic implications. Participants will leave with actionable strategies and resources to implement case-based learning in their classrooms. Participants will work to analyze 2 sample case studies and use those to identify learning opportunities, and brainstorm strategies for classroom application. Emphasis will be placed on engaging students in critical thinking, using structured problem-solving methods, and facilitating discussions on the connection between personal decisions and broader economic outcomes.

This session is designed to empower educators to confidently address challenging or controversial topics in the classroom. The session explores the importance of teaching these topics, strategies for aligning them with academic standards, and techniques for fostering a safe, inclusive environment for discussion.

Help students commemorate the 250th anniversary of the state and nation. The Department of Natural & Cultural Resources is leading the America 250 NC commemoration and has produced resources to help K-12 students learn about change over time for state government and voting rights and explore the question, “When Are We US?” Classroom activities and displays can boost instruction about the founding principles of government and raise questions about citizen rights and responsibilities, while examining the cultural heritage the state preserves and inspiring students to make the past meaningful. This content is especially relevant for U.S. history and civics classes.

Simulations requiring physical movement, creativity, and problem-solving—while affecting simulated real-world outcomes—produce the energy necessary to wire the students' neural network for higher recall, better learning, and synthesis. Learn the science of simulations and how to design and implement them to avoid pitfalls and get the best from this dynamic learning strategy.

Did you know that North Carolina is home to over 1,200 international companies? This fact highlights the need for preparing students for a global, knowledge-driven economy. In this session, we will explore strategies for equipping students with essential skills like cross-cultural communication, collaboration, and problem-solving. As a participant in the 2022-23 NEA Global Fellowship, a program focused on global education and sustainable development, I will share interdisciplinary SDG lessons, classroom resources, and professional development opportunities for teachers. By the end of the session, you’ll leave with actionable strategies and resources to help your students succeed in today’s interconnected world.

This session explores the role of structured, regular discussion in enhancing student engagement and deepening understanding within an inquiry-based social studies framework. The presenter will share a flexible tool that was featured on C3Teahers.org to help facilitate reflection in student discussions, enabling educators to capture students' evolving thoughts, questions, and insights over time. By integrating this tool, teachers can create a dynamic classroom environment where students actively construct knowledge through dialogue throughout the inquiry process, critically examine diverse perspectives, and develop essential communication and reasoning skills. The session will provide practical strategies for implementing regular discussions and utilizing tools to support inquiry, foster deeper learning, and promote student-centered engagement.

High school and middle school teachers will be introduced to instructional activities and bell ringers available through ABC-CLIO and other sources that support inquiry based learning and critical thinking. Participants will take on the role of students as they engage with a sample bell ringer and instructional activity that brings to life diverse female voices and untold stories from Women’s History in the United States. Teachers will leave the session with a full lesson including primary and secondary sources to use in the classroom.

Are you struggling with modifying lessons for Multilingual (EL) Learners? Come to this session to see how two teachers have modified lessons to make content accessible for Multilingual (EL) learners. Participants will receive modified lesson plan samples in the following subjects: World History, Economics and Personal Finance, and Civic Literacy and strategies to help you modify your lessons in the future. You are encouraged to bring a lesson that you would like help modifying for your classroom.

Beginning last school year, we have made an intentional effort to partner with our students' parents to come speak with the 7th graders about their first-hand experiences in the places that we study in our World Geography class. These accounts have included locations we study such as Saudi Arabia, Ghana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Africa, and Dubai. Parents have shared their pictures, videos, stories, and artifacts that connect to our classroom curriculum. We want to share how the idea came about, how it has evolved, and what we have learned through this journey in developing parent partnerships.

Equip your elementary and middle school students with essential civics and literacy skills through inquiry-based learning! This presentation highlights how inquiry-based learning can strengthen civic literacy skills and dispositions by leveraging engaging civic content. This session highlights 5E inquiry strategies—engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate—to develop critical thinking, primary source analysis, and social-emotional learning. Explore free, adaptable lessons including culturally responsive pedagogies that foster inclusive, student-centered classrooms. Ideal for educators teaching foundational democratic concepts, this session demonstrates how to cultivate literacy skills and empower student agency, preparing young learners to thrive in today’s diverse and complex world with the tools needed for informed, active participation. During the session, participants will get access to free resources, webinars, and professional opportunities that the Center offers.

Director and co-directors of a 2024 National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Teacher Institute focusing on the Wilmington coup and massacre will share a variety of digital resources as well as lesson plans created by the teachers who attended the institute. A brief overview of the coup and massacre, classroom-ready resources, and plans for more professional development sessions will be shared. This session aligns with content for 4th grade, 8th grade, and American history courses.

Powerful learning happens when we share powerful evidence, ask compelling questions, and integrate edtech tools into lesson designs! We’ll showcase beginner, moderate, & veteran-level exemplar lessons based on the FIELD Guide, all guaranteed to engage students with primary sources, inquiry, and tech tools. Leave with ready-to-use materials and planning strategies. Objectives: This session will: Highlight the latest research on the impact of foundational evidence, inquiry-based activities, and technology tools on student achievement. Model concrete & practical strategies for integrating primary sources and edtech tools into inquiry-centered instructional activities, each one targeted to specific teacher experience and comfort levels. Demonstrate a framework for creating research-based lessons and units focused on increasing student content knowledge and historical thinking skills. Engage participants in small group and whole group discussions about how best to adapt our exemplars and to share their own best practice examples. Content/Skills: Attendees will: Learn about the FIELD Guide, a research-based framework for integrating foundational evidence, inquiry-based thinking skills, and edtech tools into social studies classrooms. Learn how to find powerful primary sources and integrate them in a variety of inquiry-based learning activities. Be introduced to the skills needed to find, rank, and integrate the most effective technology tools into their social studies instructional designs, using the FIELD Guide checklist. Build confidence in making lesson plan design decisions that align with their teaching experience level, background using foundational evidence, and comfort with using technology. Get a preview of a soon-to-be-published book about teaching social studies from Corwin publishing.

Attendees will examine curricular experiences for students and professional learning content for teachers that aim to address the civic literacy crisis that exists in the U.S. today. Discover what is being learned from North Carolina teachers implementing this work as part of a fellowship in high-need urban and rural schools. Attendees will learn how Literacy for Civic Life (LCL) fellowship teachers are using the LCL curriculum to enhance their teaching, and what they learned in the process about using intensive reading and writing tasks and instruction to teach across the C3 inquiry arc while focusing on civic literacy.

In the fall of 1774, fifty-one women in Edenton, North Carolina undertook a revolutionary act: they signed a resolution in protest of Britain's colonial taxation policies and gave their oaths to boycott British goods. Later remembered as the Edenton Tea Party, this event was an early example of women's political activism during the American Revolution. Despite this event happening over 250 years ago, no one had researched the backgrounds of all 51 signers until now. This presentation explains the history of the event and provides some insights into who these early Patriots were.

Simulations allow us to put students in replicated situations, in places they should never have to experience in the real world, and from this they can build empathy, critical thinking, and gain an understanding that is simply unobtainable from traditional media. In this session, participants will learn evidence-based support for experiential learning, engage in demonstrations of simulations, and leave with a resource list of a plethora of online and in-person simulations. Topics range from World History to Economics/Personal Finance to American History. Participants are encouraged to bring a charged, Wi-Fi-enabled device and headphones/earbuds.

Empower your students to become historians! Join National History Day (NHD) State Coordinator Karen Ipock and Davidson County Schools educator Ashley Coons, also a former NHD student, as they explore how the program brings historical inquiry to life for students. This yearlong, inquiry-based program aligns with NC educational standards and promotes critical thinking in state, U.S., and World History. You’ll leave with tools to inspire student curiosity and meaningful historical exploration, along with resources to easily incorporate it into your classroom. This workshop is perfect for middle and high school teachers seeking active, integrative, and challenging approaches to social studies!

You no longer have to read through all of the 6,000 classroom-ready lessons that are available for free on the Bill of Rights Institute's website. https://billofrightsinstitute.org/north-carolina-bri-aligned-state-standards A cohort of North Carolina teachers has aligned 86 of their best lessons to our Civic Literacy standards. If you are confused by our state’s unpacking document, start here for a simple roadmap that will help organize your instruction, cover all your content, and set your students up for success in understanding the American system of government.

Financial education at an early age can lead to a positive outlook and equips students with the resources they need to be successful. Do your students have the financial skills they need to thrive beyond the classroom?  Educators in attendance will be provided access to digital resources that focus on personal finance and social studies. Resources are student-driven, standards-aligned, have assessments embedded into them, and are FREE. For best user experience, please bring a device.

James Madison was frail, had a soft voice, and not healthy enough to fight in the Revolutionary War. He also treated people as property his entire adult life. Nonetheless, he was an incredible political pragmatist who contemporaries called "The Father of the Constitution" and was the driving force for 11+ Amendments to the Constitution. Additionally, we'll discuss 20+ annual scholarships for North Carolina Educators at a wide variety of 3-day Constitutional Seminars onsite at James Madison's Montpelier each year.

This session will explore the mutation of antisemitism from its historical roots to its contemporary manifestations and how to best teach students today to recognize antisemitism online, in the news, and in the world today. This session is a must for any educator teaching the Holocaust, WWII, World Religions, Media Literacy, Contemporary Events, US History, and/or leading inclusion initiatives at their schools. School administrators should also consider attending or order to ensure Jewish students feel safe in schools today.