History on Tap

Old Dominion University Center for Economic Education

NEW REGISTRATION PROCEDURE:  REGISTER ONLINE at the Virginia Council on Economic Education’s workshop page http://www.vcee.org/workshop/home and search by SPONSORING CENTER (ODU)  for more information and to register for the workshops. *If you do not immediately receive a confirmation email then your registration did not go through.  Try again, or email Ruth Cookson ASAP.

 Decision Making: Addressing the New SOL Skill in Grades K-12

            Thurs, March 4, 2010    4:30 – 6:30pm 

Virginia Beach Higher Education Center

Teachers will leave this session understanding how economics really is a “life skill” and not a dismal science! Kudos to the Virginia Board of Education for adding these essential skills to the revised 2008 History & Social Science SOL to be effective in 2010-11. This session will get teachers ahead of the game by demonstrating various K-12 grade-appropriate decision-making models and cost-benefit analyses as they apply to everyday life. Participants will then divide into grade-specific groups and apply these skills to respective subject content.  Free.

 Recession Economics: Basic Lessons for Helping to Understand the Current Crisis

Wed., March 24, 2010 4:30 – 6:30pm 

Virginia Beach Higher Education Center

Should we worry about inflation? What should the role of government be?  How does fiscal policy work?  This session will demonstrate basic lessons to help your students better understand current economic events.  Lessons will focus on Civics and Govt. topics such as monetary and fiscal policy, the role of the Federal Reserve and unemployment.  Each participant will receive classroom materials and lesson plans.  For Teachers Grades 6-12. Free.

 Focus: Understanding Economics in US History: Grades 6-12

Saturday, April 10, 2010  9:00am – Noon

Virginia Beach Higher Education Center

        Help your students to not just understand “what happened” but “why it happened” using active- learning lessons from the Council on Economic Education.  These 39 lessons, ranging from early Native Americans property rights to the economic problems faced in the 1970’s, use a unique mystery-solving approach to teach U.S. History to your high school and middle school students. Lessons are correlated to the Virginia Standards of Learning. Each participant will receive the curriculum guide Focus: Understanding Economics in US History – a $50.00 value – FREE.  Registration is limited to 25 teachers. This program made possible with support from the CEE with funding from the U.S. Dept of Education Office on Innovation and Improvement and the Virginia Bankers Association Education Foundation.  USI.1, USI.5, USI.6, USI.7, USI.8, USII.1, USII. 4, USII.6, USII.9, VUS.1, VUS.2, VUS.3, VUS.6, VUS.8, VUS.9, VUS.10, VUS.15

Lead teachers, don’t forget that February’s meeting will be at Woodrow Wilson High School at 4:15pm in room 127. (This room is in the Humanities wing.)

The K-2 stations workshop that was scheduled for Feb. 2nd will be offered again in August, and in the fall.  I apologize for not being able to offer it before then, but we have many other workshops scheduled in the coming weeks. 

We will send out updates and reminders once we have decided on exact dates.

I’ve had a few people ask me about rescheduling the K-2 Stations workshop that was missed last week due to the snow.  We’re working to figure out a date now, and as soon as we have it rescheduled we’ll let you know.

There will be a K-2 stations workshop on Tueday, February 2 at 4:15pm in Conference Room 1 at IRC.  Please RSVP to mary.jones@pps.k12.va.us or mary.west@pps.k12.va.us to confirm your attendance.

There will be a timelines workshop for USII teachers on Tuesday, January 26th at IRC.  The meeting will begin at 3:15pm in the conference room.  Please RSVP to Mary.west@pps.k12.va.us or mary.jones@pps.k12.va.us.

The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia has two summer workshops this year.  The first is for teachers in grades 7-12.  It’s titled “Changing the Constitution:  Politics and Law in American Constitutional Development” and will take place from June 28-July 2.  The second workshop, “America’s Constitution and the World” is for teachers in grades K-12.  It will take place from July 26-30.  Each workshop has a stipend to help cover travel costs.  To apply visit http://www.constitutioncenter.org/ncc_edu_Summer_Workshops.aspx.  Applications are due by March 2, 2010. 

Fulbright will have a study abroad seminar to Japan this summer.  It is a fully funded program, and up to 48 teachers will be selected to participate.  For more information and to apply, visit http://www.iie.org/Website/WPreview.cfm?WID=197.  It’s open to teachers in grades K-12.  The application deadline is January 27, 2010.

Our January lead teacher meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 19th, at 4:15pm in Conference Room 1 at IRC.

On Wednesday, January 20th, there will be a K-2 Economics workshop with Ruth Cookson.  It will take place in the Little Theater at Wilson High School at 4:15pm.  Please RSVP to Mary West at 393-8555 or mary.west@pps.k12.va.us.  Ruth always has great workshops with lots of materials and great ideas.

A workshop for 6th grade teachers will be held Tuesday, January 12, at 4:15pm in Conference Room 1 at IRC.  You will receive the CD with unit plans for the 3rd nine weeks.  Please RSVP to Mrs. Jones at mary.jones@pps.k12.va.us.

I uploaded two powerpoints to my Slideshare account.  (http://www.slideshare.net/sita0519/presentations)  One contains photos of Williamsburg and Jamestown, the other one contains photos of Yorktown.  I took these pictures during the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute a couple of years ago.  I know it’s not timed very appropriately, but you can download the powerpoints and save them for review.  There is a brief descriptor in the notes section of the powerpoint for each photo, telling you what the photo shows. 

Since the files are large, I can’t email these out.  I’m also not going to embed them in the blog, since I don’t want to slow it down.  But you can download them to your desktop or a jump drive.  Hope they’re useful!