OUSD Teaching American History Grant III

Calendar 2010 - 2011 > TAHG Gr 4, 5, 8 & 11 Meeting > October 12, 2010

Tuesday, October 12, 2010 Place: The Oakland Museum of California 1000 Oak St. (corner of 10th) Oakland, CA 94607-4892 Time: 4-6 PM
I.	Introductions and overview of project goals for year #3 of the grant
II.	Evaluating the work of the project ? overview for the year
III.	Preparing for the October 26 (secondary teachers) and October 28(elementary teachers) full day sessions ? requesting substitutes, student surveys, Lesson Study
IV.	Speaker: Mark Peterson link University of California, Berkeley "Cultural History and the American Revolution"

Project Goals

Increase and deepen teacher knowledge and understanding of American History.
Increase and deepen teacher knowledge and understanding of how to use historical inquiry and historical thinking to deepen student knowledge and understanding of American History.
Increase and deepen teacher knowledge of how to integrate reading, writing, and history to improve student academic and historical literacy skills.

Underlying Assumptions of Professional Development Program

1. Why historians?

a focus on scholarship and adult learning
a focus on key themes and ideas in American history

Underlying Assumptions of Professional Development Program

2. Why research on how students learn history?

a developmental perspective
connects the work of all teachers in the project
focuses questions asked and lessons taught

Underlying Assumptions of Professional Development Program

3. . Why Lesson Study?

a focus on translating new learning into classroom practice
a focus on application and inquiry
contains an inquiry question for both the students and the teachers.

Underlying Assumptions of Professional Development Program

4. . Why a book group?

a focus on new scholarship
a chance to learn and talk
first book for 2010
Summer For The Gods: The Scopes Trial And America's Continuing Debate Over Science And Religion by Edward J. Larson

Yearly Content Themes

Year 1: ?Wealth and Freedom" A Focus on America's economic history and the tensions between the creation of wealth and the struggle for freedom.

Year 2: ?Democracy and Equality"
A Focus on America's political history; Investigating contesting definitions of democracy and equality.

Year 3: ?America and its Dream: A Focus on American ideas and culture; nvestigating the philosophies, words, and images that shaped the American past.