See you in Missoula?

If you are going to be in Missoula next week for MEA, make sure to stop by our booth to say hello.

You may also to attend one of the following sessions:

Primary Sources in 4-12 Social Studies, Friday, 8:00AM - 9:50AM, SHS 252
MHS Reference Historian Zoe Ann Stoltz will share ways to introduce students to the power of using Primary Documents in their research. You’ll have the opportunity to practice analyzing original maps, letters, artwork, photos, and newspapers and see how working with these sources can improve media literacy while making history real and personal.

Primary Sources 2.0: Technology Meets the LOC, Thursday, 2:00PM - 3:50PM, or Friday, 8:00AM -  9:50AM, SHS 171 (PC Lab)
Colorado Teacher of the Year Michelle Pearson will lead teachers in an exploration of Library of Congress resources and how they fit with Montana state standards through the use of inquiry activities for multiple levels and skill sets. Web 2.0 tools will be shared/used as a means to discuss 21st Century skills and primary sources for students.

NEH: Landmarks of Montana History Do Matter, Thursday, 10:00AM - 10:50AM, SHS 240
Want to learn about Pearl Harbor in Pearl Harbor, the Aztecs in Mexico, or Emily Dickinson in Amherst? Or—closer to home, how about a weeklong intensive study of western mining history on site in Virginia City, Helena, and Butte? Sentinel High School Teacher Cheryl Hughes and Colorado Teacher of the Year Michelle Pearson will introduce educators to the amazing opportunities for stipended summer learning as well as to the diverse resources created by the teachers who participated in The Richest Hills: Landmarks of American History workshop sponsored by the Montana Historical Society and the National Endowment for the Humanities during the summer of 2011.

National History Day, Friday, 10:00AM-11:50AM, SHS 236
MHS Historical Specialist Martha Kohl will discuss the hows and whys of the National History Day program—a great program for encouraging students become historians. for those already participating, gain tools to maximize its potential for authentic student learning. Over half a million students across the nation participate in this highly regarded academic program for students grades 6-12. Learn how you can use National History Day to incorporate inquiry learning, primary source research, and analytical thinking while engaging students through exciting competitions and project-based instruction.

IEFA: The Benefits of School/Museum Partnerships, Thursday, 9:00AM -  9:50AM, SHS 175
Casey Olsen, the Montana Writing Project and Columbus High School, will discuss the success his school has found in fulfilling Indian Education for All (IEFA) by working closely with its local county museum. Images, student writing samples, and strategies will be shared. Any school in Montana can find their entry point into IEFA by starting where they are.

Place-Based Ed, Fort Parker: Crossroads of Culture, Thursday, 1:00PM -  1:50PM, SHS 215
Merrilee Bryan and other teachers from Livingston’s East Side School will discuss their students’ participation in the “Best Practices in Museum Education: Museums and Schools as Co-Educators,” a joint collaboration between the Montana Historical Society and the Office of Public Instruction. Livingston fifth graders participated in a historical unit and field day at Fort Parker, the first Crow Agency. The IEFA place-based project fostered a sense of community, sowed the seeds of stewardship, and immersed students in the local history.

These are all of the workshops MHS has had a hand in, either directly or tangentially—but I found other several workshops on Montana history and/or primary sources and/or archaeology that looked well worth attending too.

Can’t get to MEA but need renewal units? Try one of our online modules.

p.s. MHS is also hosting the Mountain Plains Museum Association meeting next week in Helena. Lots of interesting learning opportunities there, too.