More Summer PD--In Person and Online

We are still accepting applications for MTHS's in-person summer workshops in Helena, Missoula, and Billings, all of which offer renewal units and travel scholarships. (Learn more and find links to apply here). However, we aren't the only game in town! Here are some other great opportunities for teachers this summer. 

Indian Education for All Workshop

July 8 - 9, 2025

Join Stone Child College Department of Education and OPI for In Relation: Teaching and Learning Together. This two-day event, 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.) will focus on exploring culturally relevant IEFA resources. Keynotes include Oglala Lakota Olympian Billy Mills and Chippewa-Cree and Diné youth leader and environmental advocate Watson Whitford. The event will be held on the Stone Child College Campus - Rocky Boy, Montana. Questions? Contact Clintanna Colliflower at ccolliflower@stonechild.edu or 406-395-4875, ext. 1260. Register. 

NIEA Online Professional Learning Series: Community-Based Education through a Native Lens.

This on-line IEFA professional development opportunity is FREE for the first 250 Montana teachers that sign up. Sponsored by the National Indian Education Association. Course overview and registration.

Camp Many Stories: Immersive Place-Based Education in Glacier National Park 

Two camps: One for Educators and one for students ages 8-12

August 15 - 19, 2025, Big Creek Outdoor Education Center, on the border of Glacier National Park

Educator Institute: Join the Glacier Institute for an extraordinary teaching and learning experience at Camp Many Stories, an immersive five days and four nights of storytelling, place-based education, and creative exploration. Led by internationally acclaimed storytelling educator Jonny Walker and guided by local Native American elders, participants will deepen their understanding of using primary sources — including oral traditions, land-based histories, & student-created work — to bring learning to life. Educators will receive continuing education credit through the Primary Source Teaching Initiative, sponsored by the Library of Congress and will leave with ready-to-use strategies for integrating place, story, and primary sources into your own classrooms. Some scholarships are available. 

Children's Camp: Campers ages 8–12 who would thrive in this setting, especially students from rural or underserved communities, are also sought. While students cannot receive travel costs, full scholarships are available to cover camp expenses for selected students. Through writing, art, music, and movement, every child will find a way to express their creativity and connect with the natural world. Students will contribute to a shared book of stories, poems, and artwork that celebrates the many ways we tell — and live — our stories.

• Learn more.
• Students Click Here to Apply
• Educators Click Here to Apply

 

Reading Like a Historian Paid Summer PD Opportunity

 Long time readers have heard me talk up Reading Like a Historian lesson plans for quite some time now. These lessons provide students opportunities to explore historical questions by examining documents and developing arguments supported by evidence. Teachers who use it report that the lessons are easy to implement and that when they do, deep learning happens. 

If you are a high school teacher who have not used this material, but are curious about it, do I have an opportunity for you.

The Digital Inquiry Group (DIG), formerly the Stanford History Education Group (SHEG), is working with the American Institutes for Research (AIR) to conduct an independent study of new Reading Like a Historian materials that incorporate research-backed digital literacy strategies from the Civic Online Reasoning curriculum. (I love Civic Online Reasoning too!)

This opportunity is being offered to high school U.S. history teachers who have not previously participated in a DIG or SHEG professional development and have not systematically implemented Reading Like a Historian or Civic Online Reasoning in their U.S. history classes.

Participating teachers will receive $1,000 and 20 hours of professional development, provided at no cost, and will implement the new curricular materials in their classrooms.  

To learn more about the opportunity, please review this flyer. You can also watch a pre-recorded informational session that provides an overview of the program and study (slides).

To apply to participate, please complete AIR’s Teacher Consent Form. 

Once you submit the consent form, AIR will be in touch with you with next steps for participation. 

Limited spots are available, and admissions are rolling, so apply as soon as possible, and no later than May 23, 2025.

P.S. Looking for something less time-consuming? Check out MTHS's free summer PDs.

P.P.S. If you are changing schools next year, and want to continue receiving Teaching Montana History, make sure to provide your new (or home) email! 

 

Four Great Summer PD Opportunities

 I promoted all four of these opportunities, but we still have room--and travel scholarships are still available.

Integrated Literacy Strategies for Building Background Knowledge, with Dr. Tammy Elser

June 30, Helena and July 18 Missoula:

• Best for teachers grades K-5
• 6 Renewal Units
• Lunch included
• Bring: One of your favorite picture books to share with others and to analyze
• Learn more.
• Register for Helena.
• Register for Missoula.

Historical Thinking through Student-Driven Research, with Jamie Holifield

August 5-6, Montana State University-Billings

• Best for teachers grades 4-12
• 16 Renewal Units
• Meals and hotel included
• Learn more.
• Apply.

52nd Annual Montana History Conference, "A Place in Time

September 25-27, Best Western Great Northern Hotel in Helena

• Best for teachers interested in gaining deeper understanding of Montana history (focus is on content, not application)
• Up to 22 renewal units.
• Learn more.
• Apply for a scholarship.

P.S. Don't forget to complete our end-of-year survey to be entered for a prize!

Share your favorite lesson and (maybe) win a $100 gas card

 May 8 is the last day of school in Rapelje. Congratulations, Rapelje students and teachers! You made it through another year.

As the school year ends, I hope you'll take a moment to share with us your favorite lesson plan, strategy or resources. Teacher recommended strategies, lesson plans, and other resources (whether created by MTHS or by someone else) are reliably readers' favorite posts to Teaching Montana History. I've noticed that fewer people are providing write ups, so I'm sweetening the pot. I have two $100 gas cards that I'll give to two teachers (drawn at random) who thoroughly shares information about resources or strategies (No one-word answers will be entered into the drawing).

I’d also appreciate your feedback on the services and resources MTHS.

Would you be willing to take an online survey? If so, click here. In addition to the gas card drawing, we'll be offering prizes to the 13th, 23rd, and 32nd person to submit a response, so there are lots of chances to win.

P.S. I'll continue posting for a little while now since most of us still have more school ahead of us--but wanted to get the survey out in order to reach everyone.

P.P.S. There's still room in our free summer workshops, which will be held in Missoula, Helena, and Billings (travel scholarships are available!). Learn more and find links to apply.

Free PDs for K-5 Teachers

We don't do enough for elementary teachers, especially those of you who teach K-3. That's why I was very excited when Salish Kootenai College professor Tammy Elser agreed to offer two daylong PDs, one in Helena, June 30, and the other in Missoula, July 18 that focuses on using picture books to help elementary students build the social studies background knowledge and vocabulary that will help them become better readers. If you teach K-5, this workshop is for you!

Integrated Literacy Strategies for Building Background Knowledge

No time to teach social studies? No time to read during the school day?  Then this workshop is for YOU!  Throughout the day you will learn powerful strategies for using picture books to enhance reading practice and build background knowledge and vocabulary for elementary learners. Tammy will demonstrate powerful one minute extensions to your regular read aloud routines that will support your students in building conceptual understandings making new content, facts, and vocabulary "sticky."  Employing principles from cognitive science, you will explore ways to enhance students' long-term memory and retrieval and determine short fast lists of facts - or as Tammy calls them, "sets of knowns" that behave like magnets for acquisition of new knowledge.

Do you live over 45 miles away? We invite you to apply for a travel scholarship. 

In Helena

• June 30, 9 am-4 pm, lunch provided
• Lincoln Center, 1335 Poplar St.
• Register. (Helena teachers: Please register directly with the district.)

• Bring: One of your favorite picture books to share with others and analyze for new learning opportunities

In Missoula

• July 18, 9 am-4 pm, lunch provided
• University of Montana, Phyllis J. Washington College of Education, Room 123
• Register.
• Cosponsored by Montana Council for Social Studies

• Bring: One of your favorite picture books to share with others and analyze for new learning opportunities

P.S. It's not too late to take our survey about how many hours per week elementary students in your district are studying social studies--and be entered to win a $100 gas card. Curious why we are asking? Read more here. 

P.P.S. NHD in Montana is sponsoring another free workshop (with travel stipends) for grades 4-12 teachers: "Historical Thinking through Student-Driven Research," August 5-6, 2025, at MSU-Billings. Learn more and apply.

Discussion Guides for MMWH Articles

 Thanks to the work of Teacher Leaders in History Dylan Huisken and Kim Konen, we've been able to add discussion guides for select articles from Montana The Magazine of Western History Discussion Guides. 

Kim and Dylan will each periodically choose one article from the magazine to spotlight. Each discussion guide includes a summary of the article, learning activities, discussion questions, and links to relevant resources. We'll post their guides along with a PDF of the article for free download.  

Here are their first two articles pulled from the Winter 2024 issue: 

“A Hotel and Its Novelist: Thomas Savage and Dillon’s Andrus Hotel”

• Article by Author O. Alan Weltzien
• Discussion guide by Kim Konen

“When Did People Arrive in Montana? An Excerpt from Land of Beginnings: The Archaeology of Montana’s First Peoples”

• Article by Douglass H. MacDonald
• Discussion guide by Dylan Huisken

Also available for your reading pleasure (and your students' research quests) are articles we've digitized from the magazine in years past--some with discussion questions but others as part of special projects, including women's history articles provided as part of

the commemoration of the hundredth anniversary of non-Indigenous women's suffrage; 

the commemoration of World War I; and

a free digital magazine focused on African American experiences in the West.  

Happy reading!

P.S. We have three in-person workshops this summer, two for K-5 teachers in Helena and Missoula on literacy integration and one for 4-12 teachers on Historical Thinking through Student-Driven Research in Billings. All offer travel scholarships. Learn more and find links to apply.  

Free Workshop in Historical Thinking

 

Historical Thinking through Student-Driven Research

August 5-6, Montana State University-Billings

Want to engage your class with student-driven research projects using primary sources? Want to promote more historical thinking and critical analysis? Join teachers from across the state as Jamie Holifield, an educator for National History Day and former Milwaukee public schools social studies teacher, teaches you how to facilitate student research, analyze sources, and think historically. Think of it as a two-day “doing history” bootcamp.

In this workshop you will learn about:

• Keywords and frameworks to help students write historical research questions and thesis statements
• Free online databases where students can locate primary and secondary sources
• Research organization strategies
• How to focus student research around a common theme
• How to modify primary and secondary sources to make them more accessible for a range of students
• How to teach students to place topics in historical context and think about short and long-term impacts
• How to define lenses of historical analysis
• How to support historical arguments with reasoning and evidence

You will get hands-on practice:

• Analyzing and curating primary sources related to federal policy to assimilate American Indians
• Creating and annotating historical questions and thesis statements
• Differentiating descriptive from analytical writing
• Evaluating historical projects created by real students

Eligible Applicants:

• Teach 4th-12th grade in Montana
• Can commit to teaching student-driven historical research projects using primary sources in the 2025-2026 school year
• Can commit to attending BOTH days of the August 5-6 summer institute from 9 am to 5 pm at MSU Billings

Successful Applicants will receive:

• Meals during the workshop
• Lodging
• Travel stipends
• 16 OPI renewal units

Applications will be accepted until all spots are filled. Apply now!

Montana History Portal Meme Contest

The Montana History Portal Meme Contest is back!

Entries are accepted between May 1 and May 15. Montana State Library staff will post the finalists' memes on May 16 on its website for community members to vote on. The winning memes will be the top two entries in each age group with the most “likes” at the time the voting period ends. Voting is open to all. 

Entering is easy. Just pick (or have your students pick) a photo from the Montana History Portal, convert it to a funny meme, and send it in. That's all it takes. The contest is a great way to get students looking at historic photos--and having fun doing it.

• Find the full list of the rules and procedures.
• Explore contest submissions from 2024.
• Explore contest submissions from 2023. 

FREE Courses on Teaching Historical Argumentation and Research

 

Online Course on Historic Argumentation

May 19-August 8, 2025

Join MTHS interpretive historian and National History Day in Montana co-coordinator, Dr. Melissa Hibbard, for 3 credit, 12-week summer course on historical argumentation and learn strategies to help your students think like historians and develop solid historical arguments.

This course includes four live webinars and other online asynchronous work. This course is available for FREE to Montana Teachers grades 4-12 thanks to a Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources grant. Space is limited, so sign up asap.

Questions? Contact Melissa Hibbard.

Historical Thinking through Student-Driven Research

August 5-6, Montana State University-Billings

Want to engage your class with student-driven research projects using primary sources? Want to promote more historical thinking and critical analysis? Join teachers from across the state as Jamie Holifield, an educator for National History Day and former Milwaukee public schools social studies teacher, teaches you how to facilitate student research, analyze sources, and think historically. Think of it as a two-day “doing history” bootcamp.

In this workshop you will learn about:

• Keywords and frameworks to help students write historical research questions and thesis statements
• Free online databases where students can locate primary and secondary sources
• Research organization strategies
• How to focus student research around a common theme
• How to modify primary and secondary sources to make them more accessible for a range of students
• How to teach students to place topics in historical context and think about short and long-term impacts
• How to define lenses of historical analysis
• How to support historical arguments with reasoning and evidence

You will get hands-on practice:

• Analyzing and curating primary sources related to federal policy to assimilate American Indians
• Creating and annotating historical questions and thesis statements
• Differentiating descriptive from analytical writing
• Evaluating historical projects created by real students

Eligible Applicants:

• Teach 4th-12th grade in Montana
• Can commit to teaching student-driven historical research projects using primary sources in the 2025-2026 school year
• Can commit to attending BOTH days of the August 5-6 summer institute from 9 am to 5 pm at MSU Billings

Successful Applicants will receive:

• Meals during the workshop
• Lodging
• Travel stipends
• 16 OPI renewal units

Applications will be accepted until all spots are filled. Apply now!

Scholarships to attend the Montana History Conference

 

Save the Date!

The 52nd Annual Montana History Conference, "A Place in Time," will be held September 25-27, 2025, at the Best Western Great Northern Hotel in Helena.

Keynote speakers will include first-person interpreter Hasan Davis as York, Montana historian Kirby Lambert on memorable historic places; Montana journalist and conservationist Todd Wilkinson on Montana identity, and Piikuni elders Smokey and Darnell Rides at the Door on Blackfeet oral traditions. 

Renewal units will be available for both the Thursday educator workshop and all conference sessions and tours. (Check here after July 1 for more details.) We hope you’ll consider attending!

As in past years, we will be offering travel scholarships for both teachers and college students.

About the Schedule

Thursday, September 25

The conference begins with an all-day educator workshop on Thursday and presentations by

• OPI Indian Education Specialist Mike Jetty (Spirit Lake Dakota) on the Declaration of Independence and its reference to "merciless Indian savages";
• Language and Cultural Preservation Department original territories researchers Nolan Brown and Bailey Dann (Newe) on curriculum they've developed for teaching about the Shoshone-Bannock tribes, whose traditional homeland includes parts of Montana;
• Dylan Huisken (2020 Montana Teacher of the Year) on teaching about treaties; and 
• Kathy Martin and Mary Ellen Little Mustache (Piikuni) presenting the Blackfeet Medicine Show, featuring artifacts, art, stories, and games. 

A welcoming reception Thursday evening will offer a sneak peek at the new Montana Heritage Center, followed by a showing of Winter in the Blood at the Myrna Loy Center.

Friday, September 26    

Whereas the Thursday educator workshop includes a combination of content and teaching strategies, Friday focuses exclusively on content, with presentations on a range of Montana history topics, from the 1855 Lame Bull Treaty to the dams that changed western Montana. Tours of two historic cemeteries and a tour of Helena's African American history will be offered Friday afternoon for folks who are interested in visiting historic places. The evening will end with dinner and a movie, in this case a screening of Episode 3 of The Story of Us: The Women Who Shaped Montana.

Saturday, September 27 

Saturday morning brings more focus on content, including talks about Bannack's Chinese community, the Western Federation of Miners union, graphic design of the WPA, and more. Optional tours of Charter Oak Mine and Mill and Hidden Helena historic building tour closes out the conference on Saturday afternoon.  

About the Scholarships

Funded by the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation, the scholarships will consist of full conference registration plus up to $400 in travel/expense reimbursement. All teachers and students in Montana’s colleges and universities are eligible to apply (residents of Helena and vicinity are eligible for the conference registration scholarship but not the travel reimbursement). We will also be offering scholarships to cover the $30 registration fee for teachers who only wish to attend the Thursday workshop.

Teacher recipients of the full scholarship must attend the entire conference, including Thursday’s Educators Workshop and the Saturday sessions (afternoon tours are optional). Student recipients must commit to attending all day Friday and Saturday, including a Saturday tour.

Preference will be given to

• Helena area teachers
• Teachers and students from Montana tribal colleges
• Teachers from Montana's on-reservation schools
• Students from Montana community colleges and four-year universities
• Teachers from Montana's rural, under-served communities.

Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. June 16, 2025. Awards will be announced on Friday, June 27, 2025. Applying for a scholarship is quick and easy. Apply online.

Free Audio Recordings of Every Chapter of Montana: Stories of the Land

Since we first published Montana: Stories of the Land, we've relied on Learning Ally, an organization that provides services for students struggling with reading, to provide the audio book. These professionally created recordings are GREAT, but we know that not every school can afford to access them. 

That's why we've created our own, less professional recording of Montana: Stories of the Land. We've posted these free recordings on the MTHS YouTube channel and have included links on each chapter page under the heading "Listen to the chapter." 

We hope this improves your students' learning!

Notes from the NCHE Conference

 I had the great privilege of attending the NCHE conference a few weeks ago.

I heard Glenn Wiebe talk about his new book, The Social Studies FIELD Guide: Strategies and Tools to Captivate Students, Cultivate Critical Thinking, and Create Engaged Citizens. His presentation reminded me how cool "hexagonal thinking" is. And I also learned how to make collaborative maps using Google My Maps.

Another strategy that I picked up from this conference (with apologies, because I didn't write down who shared them!): 

• After students read a nonfiction book, have them ask these three questions: 
  • What surprised me? 
  • What did the author think I already knew? 
  • What challenged, changed, or confirmed what I knew? 
• HIPPY is an acronym that students can use to analyze sources: 
  • Historical context
  • Intended audience
  • Purpose
  • Perspective
  • Y this matters

I also learned about some organizations that have created great resources:  

• The National September 11 Memorial and Museum offers virtual fieldtrips and lesson plans, including a three-part high school lesson Muslims in America after 9/11. 
• TeachRock has free lessons on using music (and related primary sources, like concert posters) to teach history. Note: It's not just rock music--they have a unit on post-Civil War America. As the presenters noted, one exciting aspect of using music as an avenue to study history is that it gets you away from a "great man/woman" framework, providing a "people's perspective" on historical events. The unit they presented focused on performer Josephine Baker's "homecoming" to St. Louis--and highlighted the on-the-ground fight for school desegregation that was happening there, two years before Brown v. Board of Education.
• RetroReport is an "independent nonprofit newsroom" that creates short documentaries and lesson plans that teachers can use for FREE (with registration).  
• The Fred Korematsu Institute offers lesson plans and other educational materials focused on Japanese American incarceration during World War II.

And I met some old friends, including the folks at the Right Question Institute, which focuses on teaching students how to ask their own questions. 

All and all, it was a very successful conference!

How much time does your school spend on social studies in grades 1-5?

 In past posts, I've promoted the idea that teaching more social studies in elementary school can help reading scores. Data for this comes from Adam Tyner and Sarah Kabourek's study, "Social Studies Instruction and Reading Comprehension: Evidence from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study," published by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute (September 2020). That study suggests

that shifting twenty, thirty, or even forty minutes away from less effective ELA activities (such as practicing comprehension skills) and reinvesting that time to learn more about geography, history, civics, and the like will improve students’ reading ability. Just as important, additional social studies time will probably also help students develop the strong knowledge base needed for a successful transition to middle school. 

According to this study, social studies instruction in elementary school averages 28 minutes a day even though Council of Chief State School Officers (e.g., state superintendents of instruction) recommend elementary classrooms dedicate at least 45 minutes to social studies each day.

I'm almost positive that most Montana school districts are not teaching social studies the recommended 45 minutes a day. In fact, I suspect that many districts don't even teach social studies 28 minutes a day. But I'd like to know the current state of our state. Will you take this survey, which focuses on how many minutes a day Montana schools are teaching social studies in grades 1-5? 

Chris La Tray and Speakers in the Schools

Monday morning, I wrote that Humanities Montana was canceling the Speakers in the Schools program because the National Endowment for the Humanities had zeroed out its general operating grant. I immediately heard from Montana poet laureate Chris La Tray, who said he planned on continuing presenting across the state despite these cuts.

Chris has two programs: Montana's Poet Laureate and The Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians: Métis Buffalo Hunters of the Northern Plains. 

If your school has IEFA money available, you can use it to fund his appearance, and he is happy to help you with the logistics and reporting. This is also an option if you want to bring in other Native speakers, including ones who have been working through Humanities Montana. (Chris said he'd be happy to walk you through the paperwork for other Native speakers as well.) They include:

• Louise Ogemahgeship Fischer, Living with the Land
• Franco Littlelight, Song of the Dawn Priests: A History of the Crow People
• Lanny Real Bird: Plains Indian Sign Language--Indigenous Language Acquisition Method and History 
• Lailani Upham, Connecting to Land Through an Indigenous Lens and Storytelling: The Power to Connect Our World
• Carrie Lynn Bear Chief and Lailani Upham, Documenting Sasquatch: An Indigenous Storytelling Journey
• Aspen and Cameron Decker, Our Belongings: Sqelixʷ ‘Salish’ Art and Toolmaking and Sqelixʷ ‘Salish’ Storytelling
• Buck Hitswithastick (Morigeau), Bridging the Worlds and Legacy Reclaimed: Honoring Montana’s Indigenous Narrative and Sovereignty
• Harry Rock Above, Crow Stories in Both Crow and English Languages

Chris is also actively pursuing alternative funding, so even if you don't have IEFA money available, if you want to bring him to your school, contact him and he will see what he can do. 

P.S. My coworker Melissa Hibbard wants to add that Louise Ogemahgeship Fischer, Lanny Real Bird, and Lailani Upham spoke at regional History Day competitions this February and she highly recommends all of them.

P.P.S. You can track any new developments in NEH (and Montana Humanities) funding at the Federation of State Humanities Councils website.

Humanities Montana Speaker in the Schools Program Is Canceled

On Wednesday, April 2, Humanities Montana received notice that its general operating grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities was canceled. The general operating grant pays for all of its programs, including Speakers in the Schools, which brought expert humanities presenters like first-person interpreter Mary Jane Bradbury and Montana poet laureate Chris La Tray to classrooms across the state.

With the cancelation of the grant, all Speakers in the Schools programs, including presentations that have already been scheduled, are canceled. You can learn more about the work of Humanities Councils, including Humanities Montana, and find out if there are any new developments, at the Federation of State Humanities Councils website.

IEFA Resources at the Library of Congress

 Looking for more primary sources or want to get your students doing research? 

Montana Historical Society Historian Melissa Hibbard, who is also the co-director of National History Day in Montana, put together some useful guides for searching for IEFA-related materials available online from the Library of Congress. 

• Searching for Images in the Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Online Catalog

• Library of Congress IEFA Primary Source Sets & Research Guides

• Chronicling America: Researching Indian Boarding Schools (This has useful advice for searching any topic, but it uses Indian boarding schools as an example.)

Happy searching!

P.S. Don't forget to register for our LAST Tuesday Professional Development session, April 8 from 4:30-5:30 p.m.: Teaching Thematically, with Cynthia Wilondek.

P.P.S. The deadline to join the Teacher Leader in History program is April 7. Learn more about the program and find a link to apply here. 

Social Studies Second Tuesday and the Teacher Leader Program

 

Social Studies Second Tuesday: Teaching Thematically

Textbooks are generally organized chronologically, but is that the best way to organize your class? Join MTHS Teacher Leaders in History Cynthia Wilondek (9th-12th grade, Big Fork) for our last Tuesday Professional Development session, April 8 from 4:30-5:30 p.m., during which Cynthia will lead a discussion on the benefits and share tips on strategies for teaching social studies with themes rather than following a timeline. Register here. 

 

Become an MTHS Teacher Leader in History

The deadline to apply to join the Teacher Leader in History program is April 7. Read more about the program and consider applying. I've been shocked to hear some great teachers say, "I don't think I'm good enough." If you have five years of classroom experience, love Montana history, and care about improving social studies education in your district and across the state, I hope that niggling voice in the back of your head isn't stopping you from applying! Learn more about the program and find a link to apply here. 

 

Evaluating Literature about American Indians

I had a question recently about evaluating books written by non-Indians about Indians, so I invited our friend Mike Jetty, Indian Education Specialist at OPI, to write a guest post. For some great information--and a signature Mike Jetty joke--read on!

Guest Post from Mike Jetty

Hau Mitakuyapi – hello my relatives. I am pleased to share some IEFA resources with you today regarding American Indian literature.  First, as you continue to integrate IEFA content into your curriculum I want to encourage you to share literature written by American Indian authors. Looking for a good place to start? OPI has classroom sets of books you can borrow!

Sometimes you will want to use a book about Indians that was written by a non-Indian. When you do that, there are some important factors to consider, and we have developed some good tips for evaluating materials for authenticity. (See below).

Our stories play a decisive role in defining our identities; they shape how we view ourselves, the world around us, and our place within it. Just as tribal oral traditions have shaped the identities, views, and values of tribal people, written histories have shaped the identities, views, and values of Americans and historically most of these print resources did not include Indigenous perspectives.

In thinking about perspective, it reminds me of this story…. And so it was many years ago there was a gentleman from France attending the North American Indian Days Powwow and he had a parrot on his shoulder. The parrot drew many curious looks and so the Arena Director came up to the man and asked, “Hey, where did you get that?”  And the parrot answered, “Over in France – they have millions of these guys over there.”  So, there is something to get you started thinking about perspectives 😊.

Teachers, librarians, and curriculum coordinators should analyze and evaluate potential instructional materials to ensure that American Indian topics are treated fairly, objectively, and accurately. Debbie Reece's website American Indians in Children's Literature is a good source for information, including about books that she doesn't recommend, like Sign of the Beaver and other classics. (You can use the search bar on her blog to search individual titles.)

And so now I present the following recommendations from our Evaluating American Indian Materials and Resources for the Classroom publication.

General Questions

• Which tribe or tribes are identified in this resource?
• If the creator of this resource is not a tribal member, were tribal members, cultural committees, or knowledgeable experts consulted about the American Indian content in this resource? (This information is often in the acknowledgements, front matter, or back matter.)
• Has this resource been reviewed by a tribal cultural committee, tribal historian, or other well-qualified reviewer? (If it has, the publishers will likely have boasted about this somewhere in the book.)
• Is there anything about this resource that leads you to question the validity, accuracy, or authenticity of the information it presents about American Indians?

Helpful Tips for Evaluation of Authors and Illustrators

1. Connection: Does the author or illustrator have a genuine and solid connection to the culture or tribal nation featured in the book, illustration, or film? If not, did a tribal member, historian, or cultural committee provide consultation or review the product for accurate and respectful representation of that specific tribe? Look for reviews by American Indian media reviewers and by members of the tribe the resource claims to be about. Be wary of authors or illustrators whose connections are dubious or insubstantial.
2. Acknowledgement: Does the author or illustrator acknowledge the indigenous source of the story or images? Is the author or illustrator seeking to make a profit off someone else’s tradition and culture?
3. Insider viewpoint: Does the author or illustrator of the product have a genuine understanding of the story or image, and can she/he present it from a cultural insider’s point-of-view? Avoid materials by authors or illustrators who present American Indian characters or themes from a non-Indian perspective while claiming to represent an American Indian perspective, those who claim a generic “American Indian” identity, and those who seek to validate their “expertise” by claiming a remote indigenous ancestor.
4. Non-indigenous variations on traditional stories: Some non-Native authors or illustrators superimpose non-indigenous themes, values, and behaviors on indigenous characters, sometimes altering an indigenous tradition to make it appeal to non-Indian audiences. Close scrutiny of the author or illustrator might reveal a likelihood of this bias, as might checking with a reputable reviewer.
5. Judgment: Superimposing an outsider’s judgment over another culture’s subject matter can be as subtle as calling an indigenous oral history a “myth.” Look for value-based language, stereotyping, and overt or implicit shaming, as well as the author’s tone.
6. Imitation: In the early twentieth century, American and European composers, fashion designers, and choreographers created musical scores, textiles, dresses, and dances that mimicked indigenous artistic elements, mixing and matching attributes from many different tribes. Often, these imitations more closely resembled the non-Indians’ perceptions of indigenous material, leading to generic “Indian” themes.

Additional Recommended Resources

• ELA Lesson Plans and Resources
• Essential Understandings Regarding Montana Indians
• Essential Understandings Key Concepts
• Native American Literature in Your Classroom – resource from Native Knowledge 360 -NMAI
• Strategic Skill: Evaluating Information Quality Using Electronic Sources - Grade 4
• Quality of Information: Point of View and Bias 6-8

Please reach out to any of the IEFA staff if you have any questions and we will do our best to provide you with assistance to help with your implementation of IEFA in your classrooms and schools. Pidamaya – Thanks for all you do on behalf of our Montana students!

 

$$ to travel to the National Archives this summer for a civics workshop

 

2025 Civics for All of US Teacher Institute with the National Archives

Teachers working with students in grades 3–12 are invited to apply for the Civics for All of US Teacher Institute at the National Archives in Washington, DC. Focusing on the Declaration of Independence, this three-and-one-half-day institute will include hands-on sessions featuring strategies for teaching civics with primary sources, special tours and activities in the National Archives, and site visits to additional landmarks and museums in the nation’s capital. Each participant will receive a stipend of $1,050 to help cover travel, lodging, and other expenses. They are offering two separate Institute sessions this summer. The first cohort will meet July 14–July 17, 2025, and the second cohort will meet July 29–August 1, 2025. 

Learn more about the National Archives' Civics for All institute and apply by March 31, 2025.

The 2025 Civics for All of US Teacher Institute is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation.

Join the MTHS Teacher Leader in History program

 The Montana Historical Society (MTHS) is soliciting applications from 4-12 grade teachers interested in helping improve history education (and especially the teaching of Montana history) in their schools, districts, and regions by becoming Teacher Leaders in Montana History.

Successful applicants will demonstrate a commitment to history education, interest and experience in teaching Montana history, excellence in the classroom, experience in sharing best practices with their colleagues, and familiarity with the Montana Historical Society’s work and educational resources.

In addition to the criteria above, up to eight program fellows will be chosen to reflect Montana’s geographic and educational diversity, assuring representation from different regions and both small and large schools.

Those accepted as Teacher Leader Fellows will be brought to Billings for a half-day Teacher Leader in History Summit, followed by a two-day workshop on engaging students historical research skills, thinking historically, and analyzing primary sources. The summit will begin at noon on August 4. The workshop will end August 6 at 5 p.m. at the conclusion of which participants will be certified as Montana Historical Society Teacher Leaders in History.

What Will You Do? 

Throughout 2025-2026, this select group of Teacher Leaders in History will join current Teacher Leader Fellows to:

• Serve as a members of the Montana Historical Society Educator Advisory Board, providing advice and classroom testing of lesson plans on an as-needed basis.
• Work to increase the Montana Historical Society’s visibility in their schools and communities.
• Promote Montana Historical Society resources to teachers in their region.
• Assist teachers in their schools in finding appropriate resources/implementing lessons that reflect best practices in elementary history education.
• Communicate with Montana Historical Society staff throughout 2025-26, documenting the outreach they have conducted.

Teacher Leader Fellows will be expected to:

• Share Montana Historical Society Resources
  • through a formal presentation at one or more regional or statewide conferences (for which they may earn OPI Renewal Units).
  • within their own school or across their district through informal outreach and/or formal presentations.

What Will You Gain?

The biggest benefit to becoming a Teacher Leader are the relationships you'll develop with the other Teacher Leader fellows, who are doing exciting work in their classrooms and across the state. In addition, the Montana Historical Society will provide:

• Full travel scholarships to attend the two-and-a-half-day August 2025 Summit.
• Reimbursement for travel expenses if you are presenting at a regional or statewide conference.
• Reimbursement to your school to pay for a substitute teacher so you can go present.
• Ongoing support and consultation, including model PowerPoint presentations to use and adapt for presentations to fellow educators.
• A certificate designating you as an official MTHS Teacher Leader in History.
• A scholarship to attend the Montana History Conference in Helena, September 25-September 27 (attendance is optional).
• Free shipping for one MTHS Hands-on History Footlocker during the 2025-26 school year.
• Up to 18 OPI Renewal Units for attending the summer summit and workshop.

Testimonials

Here's what a few of the current Teacher Leaders have to say about being part of this program.

"Participating in the Teacher Leader program has been an invaluable experience. I’ve gained skills and confidence allowing my career to excel. Every year the program leaves a lasting impact on my professional growth, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to surround myself with dedicated educators as we work to foster success in others while shining light on the history of our state."--April Wills, Culbertson

"Being a Teacher Leader has built confidence in myself as an educator, opened up many incredible doors for me, and brought me the best friendships."--Hali Richmond, Sunburst

"I love exchanging ideas and learning from others that are as passionate about teaching history as I am. I wish I would have applied sooner!"--Vicky Nytes, Superior

"This group of dedicated, enthusiastic, and creative educational leaders not only gives you the support needed to succeed but also the energy to make it through the school year."--Chris Dantic, Terry

Apply

Only eight teachers will be selected for this special program. Apply online here. Applications are due April 7. 

Questions? Contact Martha Kohl at mkohl@mt.gov or 406-444-4740.

New HUB course for teaching with Montana: A History of Our Home

 

New HUB Course

Looking for a quick tour of the lessons and strategies we've integrated into the Montana: A History of Our Home curriculum?

We now have a one-hour class on OPI's Teacher Learning HUB to introduce educators to the key historical themes and topics integrated into the curriculum. (Participants receive one renewal unit.)

MTHS Traveling Trunks

The HUB course also provides a brief overview of our traveling trunk program. These hands-on history footlockers use replica and real artifacts, photographs, and documents to bring history alive for students. Teachers get the trunks for two weeks; the rental fee is $25. Each footlocker comes with a user guide that has lesson plans and readings. These are all posted online and can be downloaded and used without ordering the trunk.

The footlockers are really popular, and teachers often reserve them months in advance, so I was surprised to see that some my favorites are still available this spring, including Coming to Montana, Montana State Symbols, and Through the Eyes of a Child. 

Social Studies Second Tuesday

Speaking of teaching with artifacts--and PDs--don't forget to register for the March 11, 4:30-5:30 p.m. online training: "Engaging with Your Local Museum, led by MTHS Teacher Leader April Wills (who teaches fourth grade in Culbertson). Museum school partnerships can reach far beyond fieldtrips. They can provide students opportunities to conduct local history research and offer authentic audiences for student work. April--and other educators who will be participating in the meet-up, have done amazing local history projects with her students in collaboration with her county historical society. Register here to be part of this exciting conversation (and earn one OPI renewal unit).

 

  

 

18th Annual IEFA Best Practice Conference

 Join the Indian Education for All Unit for our upcoming conference, "Building Capacity for Effective Implementation," taking place on March 24 and 25 at East Helena High School!

This two-day event brings together Montana educators and stakeholders to deepen their understanding of Indian Education for All (IEFA) and develop practical strategies for implementation across all content areas. The conference will provide valuable guidance on incorporating IEFA into your teaching, engaging with communities, and building cultural competency. Don't miss this opportunity to connect with colleagues, learn from experts, and strengthen your commitment to providing a culturally rich education for all Montana students.

Register.

Training on teaching video storytelling from Montana PBS

 Montana PBS Media Lab is offering teachers a series of FREE, VIRTUAL, interactive professional development designed to show teachers new tools and strategies for using technology and media in the classroom in a fun, hands-on learning environment. This series of Media Lab workshops is all about teen storytelling, is facilitated by Montana PBS Youth Media Specialist, Ann Bernard! Join us on Zoom!

In this session middle and high school teachers of all content areas will learn about using media making projects in the classroom with middle and high school students. Learn about creating with video, audio and images. Teachers will be given time to ask questions, explore new tools and share their learning in a fun and interactive environment. 

Media Lab workshops are FREE and everyone who attends live has the chance to win cool prizes! Two OPI units will be granted to all participants who attend live sessions and participate. Montana PBS will NOT record Media Lab sessions.

This series is for teachers who work with students ages 13-18 in both formal and informal learning environments. 

Media Lab Schedule

Wednesday March 5, 2025 Making Commentary Media “Call for Change”

Wednesday March 12, 2025 Making Informational Media “Show What You Know”

Wednesday March 19, 2025 Making Narrative Media “First Person” 

Register.

 

P.S. Don't forget to register for our upcoming PD, March 11, 4:30-5:30 p.m., Engaging with Your Local Museum, with April Wills

 

Nominate a Rock Star Teacher

 Do you know an elementary school (grades 4-6) teacher who does an exemplary job teaching Montana history?

Please nominate them for the 36th Montana Statehood Centennial Bell Award by completing this very simple form, which will take less than two minutes to complete. Nominations are due March 31.

Nominated teachers will be asked to submit two one-page letters of support, one from their principal, superintendent, fellow teacher or librarian and one from a student. They will also be asked to submit one to two pages detailing why they enjoy teaching Montana, how they engage their students in learning, how their Montana history course recognizes cultural diversity and anything else they’d like to share about their class or methods.

Nominees will receive instructions on how to submit this material. Deadline for submissions is May 1, 2025.

The winner will receive the 36th Montana Statehood Centennial Bell Award, which honors the Montana History Teacher of the Year. They and their class will be honored at a ceremony in the State Capitol on Friday, November 7, 2025. The Teacher of the Year will also receive a cash prize of over $3,000 to put toward classroom materials, field trips, speakers and anything else that will enhance learning in their classroom.

This program, initially created by Montana television newscaster Norma Ashby, is sponsored by the Montana Historical Society with financial support from the Montana Television Network, the Sons & Daughters of Montana Pioneers, the Virginia City Preservation Alliance, and the 1889 Coffee House.

Little Shell Unit for Grades 6-8

A lot has happened since 2008, when we published Montana: Stories of the Land, not least of which is that in 2019 the federal government finally recognized the Little Shell Band of Chippewa Indians of Montana. 

And now, at long last, there is a great resource to teach about the Little Shell, created by curriculum designer and former classroom teacher Anna East and Chris La Tray, Montana's current poet laureate and a Little Shell tribal member. The entire unit is 17-18 hours, but the lessons (most of which take a single class period) are designed so they can be moved in and out of other material (so integrated into your current class outline) or presented consecutively. Thus, you can teach the three lessons on the buffalo economy and Red River carts even if you never teach about the 10-Cent Treaty (although you should absolutely teach the treaty lesson). Below find links to the entire Little Shell unit as well as to the individual topics/lessons.

• Introduction   
  • Entire Series
  • Anishinaabe - Lesson 1 and Lesson 2
  • McCumber Commission (The 10-Cent Treaty) - Lesson 1 and Lesson 2
  • Chief Little Shell - Lesson 1 and Lesson 2
  • Who Are the Métis - Lesson 1, Lesson 2, and Lesson 3
  • Buffalo Economy and Red River Carts - Lesson 1, Lesson 2, and Lesson 3
  • Métis Archipelago - Lesson 1 and Lesson 2
  • Landless Indians in the 20th Century - Lesson 1 and Lesson 2
  • Federal Recognition - Lesson 1, Lesson 2, and The Day That Finally Came Slide Show

Nominate a teacher for the Gilder Lehrman Teacher of the Year award

Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is accepting applications for History Teacher of the Year. The person named for Montana will receive $1,000. The person selected nationally will receive $10,000.

Started in 2004, this Gilder Lehrman program recognizes excellence in the teaching of history at the K–12 level. Each year, thousands of teachers are nominated by students, parents, fellow teachers, and community members, shining a light on the important work they do.

Key Deadlines for 2025 Nominations

• Nominations Due: April 30, 2025
• Supporting Materials Due: May 31, 2025

It takes under three minutes to complete the nomination form, so nominate a colleague today!

Civics Learning Week

March 10-14 is Civics Learning Week, a week that seeks to energize the movement to prioritize civics education across the nation. We know that the best civics learning happens both in and outside of the classroom and is a lifelong endeavor touching every facet of society. 

Our friends at iCivics have great lesson plans and resources (including computer simulations) for all grades. Consider teaching one in honor of the week. (Note: You'll need to register to access their material, but it's free!)

They also have an educator toolkit for those interested in planning activities beyond incorporating one of their lessons. In particular, they recommend focusing on local issues, and engaging students in activities that better their community. 

Check out their marketing kit to promote your event and consider adding your event(s) to the Civics Learning Week calendar.

Looking for Montana specific resources? See the civics-related lesson plans on the Montana Historical Society's Civics and Geography web page. 

Civics education is having a national moment. Let's make sure the Big Sky State is part of it!

Black history month resources

 As you've probably heard me say before, I believe that every month should be Black History Month; in other words, we should constantly be talking about African American history, which is central to the American story. However, there's nothing wrong with an annual reminder to include African American stories in our history classes!

For Montana history, the best thing out there is Hidden Stories: Montana's Black Past, a 55-minute documentary and well worth watching. We created a teaching guide that divides the film into three parts and provides discussion questions for each segment. 

The buffalo soldiers are among the best-documented African American Montanans, especially the 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps. Here's a great article from the Smithsonian and a link to a 55 minute documentary. 

An estimated one in four cowboys on the open range were Black, including cowboys who trailed cattle up from Texas to Montana. One who decided to make his home in Montana was Joseph Proctor. Born into slavery, he was a renowned horseman who ended up ranching in Rosebud County and was ultimately inducted into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame. Here's a video of Andy Hedges reciting Wally MacRae's poem "Ol' Proc" at the 35th Annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.

Looking beyond Montana, here are six elementary lessons I helped create (one for each grade) around anchor texts for the Helena school district. But honestly, there is so much good stuff out there, that you'll be tripping over great lessons after a quick internet search. 

 

 

  

Student Opportunities plus Place-Based Learning and Money for Field Trips

 

World of 8 billion Student Video Contest

The World of 8 Billion student video contest brings technology and creativity into middle and high school classes. Particularly appropriate for world geography/world culture classes, the contest challenges students to create a short video connecting world population growth to one of three global challenges: Child Wellbeing, Rainforest Ecosystems, and Sanitation. 80+ cash prizes will be awarded, and participating teachers will receive free curriculum resources. The deadline for submissions is March 5, 2025. 

Gilder Lehrman Student Advisory Council

The Gilder Lehrman Institute is looking for a few high-achieving middle or high school students (grades 8-12) to join its Student Advisory Council. The council meets on the second Saturday of each month at 1 p.m. ET. During each meeting, students provide valuable feedback on the Institute’s programs and materials, helping the Institute refine its outreach with the needs of young people in mind. Students are also educated about a critical document in American History from a curator and will hear presentations from guest speakers or fellow members of the SAC. Learn more and find a link to apply. Note: Even though the website says applications were due in October, they are still looking for (at least one) Montana representative, so encourage your students to apply!

Montana Students on the Land Travel Grants

Glacier National Park and the Montana Environmental Education Association is offering $300 grants for fieldtrips to public and tribal lands across Montana. 

How to Apply for a grant:

To apply for a grant, complete a 2024-25 Montana Students on the Land Travel Grant Application. Grant applications will be reviewed on a monthly basis and continued to be awarded as long as funds are available.

Field trips must take place by June 1, 2025. Applicants must indicate that their trip will visit a public land or tribal land site supported by the Open Outdoors for Kids Grant Program. Educators who receive grant awards are required to complete a post-visit report after their field trip that includes a field trip photo.

Preference will be given to applicants that:

• Describe in their applications how they will implement a “three aspect” project that includes a pre-visit lesson, the field day, and post visit elements. (Ex. Plan to include interpretative and/or educational programs at public lands sites.)
• Hold Title 1 school classification during the 2024-25 school year (if the applicant is school-based)
• Have a majority of fourth graders in their classroom/group.
• Originate from underrepresented geographic areas across the state.

You can find answers to commonly asked questions on their FAQ sheet. If you have other questions please contact glac_education@nps.gov.

Teaching with Historic Places

Don't forget to register to attend Teaching with Historic Places, with Ron Buck and Jennifer Hall on February 11, from 4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. Learn tips for making fieldtrips more meaningful and why and how to incorporate place-based learning into your curriculum. 

Bell Ringers to Encourage Historical Thinking

 My colleague Melissa Hibbard shared this interesting article from Edutopia about using bell ringers in middle and high school classes to encourage historical thinking. 

The point of the article is well taken. Sometimes it's really hard to balance content coverage with teaching social studies skills and historical thinking. But to meet the standards and to help students become critical thinkers who actively engage with history, these skills need to be explicitly taught and practiced. 

The skills include:

• Sourcing
• Corroboration
• Contextualization
• Use of Evidence
• Close reading

The article has some good suggestions and is worth checking out. I'd also recommend spending some time on the website of the Digital Inquiry Group (formerly Stanford History Education Group.)  They have over 140 examples of what they call History Assessments of Thinking (HATs), "easy-to-use assessments that measure students' historical thinking." And they have them divided by skill as well as by era/topic. Using HATs throughout the year is a great way to measure student growth with specific historical thinking skills.

Also on their site are Reading Like a Historian Lessons, that engage students in historical inquiries that teach them "how to investigate historical questions by employing reading strategies such as sourcing, contextualizing, corroborating, and close reading."  

I also like their printable posters. My favorite is their Historical Thinking Chart, but they also have posters that focus on specific skills: Close Reading, Sourcing, Contextualization, and Corroboration. 

To access any of the Digital Inquiry Group's material, you need to register, but it's free and it would be well worth it even if it weren't. If I taught world or U.S. history in high school, or even eighth grade, I'd be very tempted to ditch the textbook and base my entire class around their lessons. In fact, this is what Melissa did when she taught eleventh and eighth grade U.S. History. At the very least, it's worth trying to incorporate at least one Reading Like a Historian Lesson and one HAT per unit.

P.S. If you teach media literacy, the Digital Inquiry Group also has you covered. Their Civic Online Reasoning materials are designed to teach students how to evaluate online information.

P.P.S. Don't forget to register for our upcoming PD, Teaching with Historic Places, February 11, 4:30-5:30 p.m., and earn one OPI renewal unit.

 

  

Curriculum Collections and Classroom Toolkit

 Colleague Melissa Hibbard sent me a link to Curriculum Collections, which was created by the Philadelphia Writing Project to support "civically engaged argument writing with primary sources." I was intrigued by some of their collections, including one that focused on debates over monuments, memorials, and public memory; one on sports mascots; and one on museums, artifacts, and repatriation--all of which are highly relevant to Montana history and/or IEFA.

But mostly I was excited by their teacher tools, many of which come from Teacher Toolkit. Some are recognizable. For example, Classroom Mingle is what I've heard referred to as a "tea party" and is one of my favorite activities. Creating an Atwoodian Table looks to be a cousin of "Circle of Viewpoints" and I think could be very useful in getting students to consider multiple points of view. Others were less familiar, including Accountable Discussions, which use sentence stem cards like "I believe___ because" to get students in the practice of providing evidence for their opinions. 

Happy exploring! 

P.S. Don't forget to register to attend Teaching with Historic Places, with Ron Buck and Jennifer Hall on February 11, from 4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. Learn tips for making fieldtrips more meaningful and why and how to incorporate place-based learning into your curriculum. 

Who's Your Community's Heritage Keeper?

 Every community has them--the unsung heroes of local museum or preservation efforts--including language preservation. Maybe it's time to let the whole state know about the person who means so much to your community.... 

The Montana Historical Society is seeking nominations for people and organizations whose exemplary commitment to identifying and preserving our historical and cultural heritage makes them eligible for the Heritage Keeper Awards.

Up to two people or organizations will be honored by the MTHS Board of Trustees for the Heritage Keeper Award. Of the nominated candidates, an exemplary nominee may be honored with the Montana Heritage Guardian Award. The Heritage Guardian Award recognizes a Heritage Keeper nominee with a record of outstanding accomplishments. The Heritage Guardian Award is not an annual award, but is only given on special merit.

To qualify, the individual must be alive, and organizations must be currently active. The nominee must have demonstrated a commitment to a significant Montana history project or have identified and preserved objects or property of significance to Montana’s history and culture. 

Organizations also must have a record of preserving and promoting Montana’s historical and cultural heritage.

All nominees must show a commitment to Montana’s historical and cultural preservation beyond the requirements of professional employment, or an organization’s specific goals and objectives. Evaluations will focus on the significance and impact of the overall work in enhancing, promoting, and stimulating public interest in a specific aspect of Montana history and culture.

Areas of interest can include historic building and landscape preservation; sustained historical and cultural research and publication; fine art history and preservation; and efforts to promote and educate future generations on the historical and cultural legacy of all Montanans.

The nomination deadline is April 1, 2025. The nomination form and additional information can be found online at mths.mt.gov by pulling down the menu under the “About” tab, then following the link from the "Board of Trustees” page. Nominations may be resubmitted on an annual basis if the person or organization didn’t previously receive a Heritage Keeper award.

The Montana Historical Society will work with nominators to honor award recipients and present the award in the summer of 2025.

Contact Jenni Carr at jenni.carr@mt.gov with questions.

Reel vs. Real

 Bigfork teacher Cynthia Wilondek, who will be leading the April Social Studies Second Tuesday on Teaching Thematically, organizes her entire semester course around large themes. One of her favorites is "Reel vs. Real." I asked her to briefly describe the unit as a guest post. She's also expressed willingness to share her syllabus with other high school teachers interested in making the switch from chronology to teaching with themes. Let me know if you want me to put you in touch with her.

Before I turn this post over to Cynthia, I'm going to make one last plug for tomorrow's Social Studies Second Tuesday, 4:30-5:30 p.m. focused on teaching about Montana's Chinese history with Mark Johnson. Register.

Reel versus Real

One of the many great benefits of teaching thematically is that it frees you and your students to look for patterns and "Big Ideas" in Montana History. Our beloved state is often part of the popular imagination, from A River Runs Through It to Yellowstone, and in the many, many movies and tv shows in-between. Inspired by this concept, I put together a Montana history unit called "Reel vs Real Montana," which focuses on two essential questions:

1. "How do myths reflect social values and morals?"
2. "How can the study of folklore enhance historical understanding?"

If interested, the Montana Historical Society has some excellent resources to support you in this theme. To name just one, the What Don't You See: The Historical Accuracy of Charles M. Russell Paintings lesson plan is a fantastic little gem that has students examining artwork by Russell as well as researching how accurately he captured the actual history as opposed to the "West of the Imagination." The lesson plan is very easy to follow and can be modified in a variety of ways to fit your classroom needs. It is truly worth your time: students enjoy the detective work that goes into this activity and like to search for what can be seen and what should have been seen. Enjoy!

 

Ancestry Classroom

 I've been seeing that teachers can sign up to use Ancestry Classroom at no charge, and was intrigued. Then I found out that MTHS Teacher Leader in History Vicky Nytes used Ancestry Classroom with her students in Superior, so I asked her to write a guest post. With no further ado, I'll turn the newsletter over to Vicky.

This is my first year of using Ancestry Classroom, and I think it provides a great first step into research for students of all ages. 

To gain access to Ancestry Classroom, you need to apply, and although the application is relatively simple, you do need your school’s IP Address. Once your application is accepted, students and faculty will have free access for three years to three sites:

• Ancestry.com, the world's largest genealogical site, with links to manuscript censuses and other historical records;
• Fold3, which provides access to "US military records, including the stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served"; and
• Newspapers.com, an online newspaper archives consisting of over a billion pages of historical newspapers.

Note: the sites are only accessible in the school building, so all assignments using this resource will have to be completed in school.  

I began with my eleventh graders, who used all three sites to find information for research projects they were completing. My eighth graders used the sites at the end of a unit on the American Revolution to learn about figures from the Revolution. I created a notetaking sheet for both my eighth-grade class and my eleventh-grade class, which helped guide their research.  

Since using a site such as Ancestry can be overwhelming, I appreciate that they have compiled a variety of biographies on individuals from all parts of the world and all time periods. These short biographies share key moments of the individual’s life and connects students to a primary source document that supports the story. 

My 8th graders could search through Notable People, Notable Stories on Ancestry to learn about Loyalists and Patriots of the American Revolution. My 11th graders used the same feature to find the people and era that most closely aligned with their research. 

Newspapers.com allowed students the opportunity to dig into their own primary source research. I made sure that students knew it would not be easy and we talked about ways of limiting and expanding our scope to find what we are looking for. Starting this lesson with that background, I think, made it a lot easier for students to find what they were looking for. They had a great time doing the required research of American Revolution people but for those that worked faster they then could look up whatever they wanted. 

I was hesitant about doing this introduction to research with my younger students, but there was a lot of excitement and everyone in the room found something exciting to share. They also got a taste of what research is and some of the struggles and successes that come with it. That alone made it worth it for me.

Thanks to Vicky for sharing her experience with this free resource! If you are looking for ways to get younger students started with newspaper research, here are a few tips. And if you have a resource you love that you think other teachers should know about, I hope you'll get in touch.