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.