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NCCSS Conference Dates - April 24-25
The NCCSS Executive Board and Directors are pleased to share that the 2025 NCCSS Conference, which was postponed due to the Governor’s State of Emergency with the incoming winter storm, has now been rescheduled for April 24-25. The conference will take place at the Koury Convention Center in Greensboro, North Carolina.
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Discover teaching strategies that foster critical analysis of history through diverse sources. Learn to engage students in discussions and activities promoting empathy, understanding, and historical thinking skills. By attending this session, participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of teaching history from multiple viewpoints using diverse sources. They will learn new skills, teaching methods, content, lesson ideas, and applications of technology.
Discover innovative ways to teach the pivotal story of Wilmington 1898, a moment of racial injustice and democratic upheaval, using PBS’s American Experience episode Wilmington 1898: American Coup. Explore strategies to engage students with primary sources, multimedia content, and inquiry-based learning that connects this historical event to broader themes in American history and global struggles for equity and justice and learn about ongoing professional development opportunities that will equip you to foster critical thinking and meaningful discussions on citizenship and the enduring impact of history in your classroom.
This professional development (PD) session is designed to provide educators with effective strategies for creating rigorous and engaging Social Studies classrooms. The focus will be on fostering a sense of belonging, promoting arts integration, differentiation, and supporting reading and writing across the curriculum, all while emphasizing cultural relevance. Participants will explore how the arts can enrich social studies education and learn methods to incorporate the arts to encourage critical thinking, engagement, and creativity in their lessons. This session will equip educators with the knowledge and skills needed to design dynamic classrooms that enhance student learning, promote inclusivity, and improve achievement in social studies. I am confident that this PD experience will be both enriching and valuable for all participants.
Social studies teachers are often faced with dwindling resources and a growing spectrum of student background knowledge and ability levels in their classrooms.One possible solution lies in the seemingly limitless scope of AI platforms and its generative abilities. In this session we’ll discuss takeaways from using multiple AI platforms to support social studies content development as well as the implications on inclusive course content, diverse learners, and Universal Design for Learning.
Director of Digital Content and Instruction, WCPSS
I serve on the Digital Learning and Libraries team for WCPSS and work with the Digital Learning Coordinators to support all staff on the selection and integration of digital resources to meet instructional needs. I am a doctoral student at Western Carolina University focusing on improving... Read More →
Friday April 25, 2025 8:00am - 8:50am EDT Tidewater B3121 W Gate City Blvd, Greensboro, NC 27494
This session explores how an inquiry approach to social studies using an ethnic studies framework can make social studies classrooms more inclusive and reflective of global diversity, while building students historical thinking skills. The session will address how the ethnic studies framework can build student learning autonomy, highlight diverse histories, challenge Eurocentric views, and honor the unique experiences, identities, and values of racial and ethnic groups. The ethnic studies and inquiry approaches focus on humanity, agency, and liberation, offering a fuller understanding of history while challenging stereotypes and promoting inclusive, empowering narratives in the social studies classroom. The session is appropriate for any secondary social studies course.
In 2021, North Carolina’s General Assembly enacted the Gizella Abramson Holocaust Education Act, requiring Holocaust studies in grades 6–12. This session highlights how Judaica can serve as a rich entry point for teaching the Holocaust by blending broader cultural heritage with individual stories from the Shoah. By using Judaica as primary sources, educators can provide a Jewish-centered perspective while fostering discussions on survival and resilience with a tangible link to the present. Ashley Low, a North Carolina Museum of Art educator and UNCG PhD candidate, will demonstrate how objects from NCMA’s Judaica Gallery inspire thought-provoking conversations about survival and resistance during the Holocaust. Participants will engage in object-based learning activities to spark curiosity about Jewish culture and Holocaust studies. During this session, they will access NCMA’s online and print resources while learning strategies for integrating Jewish life, ritual, and resilience in the classroom. For six months, Ashley has created digital resources that incorporate Jewish art into North Carolina curriculums, merging art, history, and social studies to bring accessible, interdisciplinary studies into classrooms statewide. This session empowers educators to integrate object-based learning into Holocaust education, expanding on themes of Jewish ritual, survival, and resilience and enriching middle and high school curricula.
70 years ago, in 1955, the killing of Emmett Till changed the course of American history. Yet, what most people believe about what happened and who did it is based on a lie to cover-up a greater conspiracy. Emmy-winning filmmaker, Loki Mulholland, explores the true history using rarely seen historical documents and excerpts from his documentary, “Emmett Till: White Lies, Black Death”, to examine the facts and what we can learn about teaching honest history today. Participants will have a deeper understanding of the Civil Rights Movement and how to help their students become active participants in exploring history.
Executive Director, The Joan Trumpauer Mulholland Foundation
Loki Mulholland is an Emmy-winning filmmaker, author, activist, and son of civil rights icon, Joan Trumpauer Mulholland. His work has received over 40 Telly Awards and his films on race and social justice issues have won over 20 Best Documentary awards. Loki is the author of multiple... Read More →
Friday April 25, 2025 9:00am - 9:50am EDT Pebble Beach3121 W Gate City Blvd, Greensboro, NC 27497
It can take hours to find the right resources and even longer to get them ready for your students. Kindred K-12 is an AI-based teaching platform that makes it easier for you to find, adapt, and use high-quality resources, like primary sources, for your classroom. We help social studies teachers build inquiry-based classrooms customized to what works best for them and their students. This session gets you started with Kindred and walks through a demo of what it can do for you. Curriculum and instruction leaders are welcome to learn more about how our technology can encourage research-backed teaching practices in your district. Geared 6-12. All are welcome.
How can you incorporate the histories of Brazil or Cuba in your U.S. History, World History, or Latin American Studies course? With Choices Program curriculum units of course! We’ll explore the student readings, lessons, and videos found in both the History, Revolution, and Reform: New Directions for Cuba unit, and the Brazil: A History of Change unit, and discuss ways you can incorporate them, in whole or in part, into your classroom. Each unit is about 10-15 days in length and is appropriate for middle and high school classrooms. Free one-year Digital Editions license to one of the units (your choice) is provided.
The C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards prioritizes inquiry, research, and communication skills. However, Sam Wineburg and his colleagues have demonstrated that students need intentional support to discern the usefulness of online information. Debate is a powerful tool to engage students in cultivating these skills. This session will present three models for debate: a historical significance approach for world history; an advocacy twist on the State of the Union address for U.S. history, and a policy orientation for civics. We will cover principles for structuring the debate, teaching online research skills, facilitating collaboration, maximizing engagement, and assessing equitably.
Social Studies classes are enriched by inquiry – but what about the practicalities of incorporating it into your practice? Teachers attending this session will walk away with research-based materials addressing implementation hurdles of inquiry. Topics include: supporting ELLs, working towards student-led discussion, addressing digital literacies, differentiating inquiry, and improving compelling questions. Materials include lesson plans as well as teacher guides for specific scaffolds with examples. These materials can be incorporated into your existing curriculum and schedule. Geared towards 6-12. All Welcome. Hosted by Kindred K-12.
Are you a history teacher thinking of ways to better incorporate economics into your courses? Are you an economics teacher trying to make relevant connections with history? Join this session for a discussion of ways to include economic concepts into your history courses–and ways to draw on history to enhance your economics/EPF courses. Participants will also join in a collaborative activity to match economic concepts/topics with historical events, then consider engaging, standards-aligned activities that can support their students in deepening these connections. It might be helpful to bring your computer, tablet, or mobile phone.
I teach economics (CP Economics, AP Macroeconomics, AP Microeconomics) and U.S. History (CP & Honors). I’m also a mountain biking coach in our school’s Outdoor Program. I serve as a dorm parent and Head of House (South Carolina House).
Friday April 25, 2025 11:00am - 11:50am EDT Augusta A3121 W Gate City Blvd, Greensboro, NC 27491
The Gizella Abramson Holocaust Education Act is a very important budgetary item which mandates education about the Holocaust in every grade, in the state of North Carolina. Attend this session and learn more about what this means, and how it can be implemented.
Are you overwhelmed by North Carolina’s 53 page standards unpacking document when planning your classroom instruction? Did you know that a cohort of North Carolina Social Studies teachers aligned Bill of Rights resources to our state standards? Join this interactive presentation of a new website https://billofrightsinstitute.org/north-carolina-bri-aligned-state-standards that showcases the most strongly aligned lessons for your students. Browse through lessons, primary sources, videos, and point-counterpoint debates sure to engage your students and improve their knowledge of American History.
Student engagement is primarily driven by their ability to make personal connections to their own learning. Through these projects, students take ownership in their learning, connecting national, state or local issues to people and developments in their local area. The project design provides a framework for students to learn more about and engage in their local communities. This knowledge helps to build a sense of pride and respect for themselves, their families and the local area. Designed for Civics Literacy or AP Gov classes.
Discover how pop culture can transform economic and business education for high school students. This professional development session explores Taylor Swift's remarkable economic impact as a compelling lens for teaching complex business principles. Educators will learn innovative strategies to integrate contemporary case studies into social studies and economics curricula, making learning more engaging and relevant. Participants will: -Analyze Swift's multifaceted economic influence across music, branding, and business -Develop creative lesson plans that connect pop culture to economic concepts -Explore cross-curricular approaches that enhance student understanding and motivation
Ideal for social studies teachers, economics instructors, and education leaders seeking dynamic ways to make business principles come alive in the classroom. By leveraging Swift's career, and other relevant pop culture icons, teachers can inspire critical thinking, demonstrate market dynamics, and connect abstract economic theories to students' lived experiences. This session bridges cultural gaps, transforms traditional teaching methods, and provides practical tools for creating more interactive, memorable economic education.
The session introduces the student readings, lessons, and videos in the Choices Program’s award-winning unit, The Vietnam War: Origins, History, and Legacies, and provides teachers with a complimentary one-year license to the unit. The session demonstrates an innovative “long history” framework to the study of war and demonstrates ways to bring multiple voices and perspectives into the study of the Vietnam War. Appropriate for U.S. History, World History, Foreign Policy electives, Asian Studies, and several AP and IB courses, the session will include participating in a very abbreviated lesson on creating Historical Narratives and one on women in the Vietnam War.
Participants explore the events of the Holocaust through the lens of media, by examining propaganda deployed by the Nazis to discriminate against Jews and other minorities. Educators gain tools to facilitate classroom discussions and support students to analyze media in today’s world. This session would be most appropriate for NC social studies courses in grades 6-11.
On November 10, 1898 the only successful coup d'etat in America took place in Wilmington, North Carolina. The insurrection ended with many of Wilmington’s African-American citizens murdered, many more fled Wilmington never to return, while still others were barred from the city in perpetuity. The Daily Record, the black-owned and published newspaper also had its building burned to the ground by insurrectionists. Self-avowed “white supremacists” led the insurrection that had been building for months with racially charged language and accusations. The aftermath of this massacre on Wilmington, North Carolina, and the South as a whole was palpable and repercussions were felt for many decades. This is a part of North Carolina history and United States history about which many are not aware. If you attend this session, you will learn more about the role played by Charles B. Aycock, Furnifold Simmons, Alfred M. Waddell, the Secret 9, the Redshirts, and Alex Manly, as well as The News and Observer. Come to this session to learn more about the famous people, the forgotten people, and the little-known events of the Wilmington Massacre/Insurrection of 1898. We will also discuss how this historical event continues to have an effect on the present.
Learn about the history of racism in the financial world with a focus on housing and banking. This session explores the FREE NGPF resources included in the Racial Discrimination in Finance Mini-Unit. This topic is primarily discussed in EPF, but can also apply within a Civic Literacy and American History curriculum focus.
Social Studies Department Head, Lenoir County Early College High School
Dr. Travis Towne, a National Board Certified Teacher and Social Studies department chair at Lenoir County Early College High School in Kinston, NC, brings over 18 years of teaching experience in various levels of education. Actively involved in a variety of educational organizations... Read More →
Friday April 25, 2025 1:00pm - 1:50pm EDT Pebble Beach3121 W Gate City Blvd, Greensboro, NC 27497
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.
Social Studies Teacher, Iredell-Statesville Schools
Gretchyn has been using C3 IDM for over a decade, building resources and offering PD to support classroom adoption of inquiry. She teaches World History & Economics & Personal Finance & is an advocate for the ethical use of AI in the classroom. Currently she works with several organizations... Read More →
Friday April 25, 2025 1:00pm - 1:50pm EDT Tidewater B3121 W Gate City Blvd, Greensboro, NC 27494
Join us in exploring historical inquiry using a Micro-Q created through NCDPI’s 2024 NC History Unfolded’s Summer DBQ Inquiry-Based Project. This session will explore ethical and historical questions surrounding the Nuremberg Trials. Through engaging activities, participants will critically analyze primary sources while delving into the compelling question of whether the trials should have focused on the individual perpetrators or on the systemic failures that enabled the Holocaust. Leave with a ready to use Micro-Q and primary sources aligned with the NC Standards for grade 8, World, and the new Holocaust elective.
I have been an ELA/SS teacher for 17 years. I am happy to share my experience with the NC History Unfolded Fellows and Retro Report. I want everyone to travel safely to your professional development learning experience.
Friday April 25, 2025 1:00pm - 1:50pm EDT Augusta B3121 W Gate City Blvd, Greensboro, NC 27492
This presentation will explore the importance of media literacy in today's digital age. We will delve into practical strategies and resources that educators can utilize to equip their students with the critical thinking skills necessary to navigate the complex media landscape. Additionally, we will highlight professional development opportunities for teachers to enhance their knowledge and expertise in media literacy, empowering them to foster informed and engaged citizens.
Join our interactive session to explore how Reading Apprenticeship has enhanced disciplinary literacy in Social Studies, aligning with North Carolina's Standard Course of Study Standards. Experience classroom routines, led by a North Carolina Social Studies teacher, that empower students to engage critically with global topics/issues/narratives while fostering empathy and collaboration. Participate in text-based inquiry and discussions that bring historical and contemporary issues to life. Our exemplar lesson is on international trade and its impact on North Carolina. In this particular lesson, you will experience routines to that support reading infographics and reading for making a claim/disciplinary argumentation. You will learn more broadly about how instruction anchored in the Reading Apprenticeship framework can build more engaged and independent readers of Social Studies texts.
