IOWA COUNCIL FOR THE SOCIAL STUDIES NEWSLETTER

AS SUMMER BEGINS . . . 
FROM THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
AWARDS, FELLOWSHIPS, AND GRANTS
CALLS FOR PARTICIPATION
PROFESSIOINAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE U.S.
CLASSROOM RESOURCES

. . . we would like to invite you to sample the many opportunities available to social studies teachers as you begin planning for the next school year.  It will be here soon!  Elizabeth Jensen and Travis Carlson have once again put together an array of possibilities for professional development that occur during the summer.  Ranging from international to local and workshops to classes, these activities will enrich any and all social studies teachers repertoire of resources, experiences, and teaching ideas.

Please take note of the commentaries by Carol Brown and John Wheeler as they reflect upon the recent NAEP report on the level of U.S. historical knowledge possessed by our students.  Additionally, John lists the number of social studies related bills signed by the governor over the past year.

If you see them, the congratulate them!  Our new officers, that is.  Elected unanimously, our new ICSS officers are: Lynn Nielsen, President; Barbara Jean Herrick, Vice-president; Kathy Learn, Secretary; Nancy Peterson, Treasurer; Don Peterson, Delegate-at-Large. Congratulations to all.  These officers will take office on July 1, 2002 and serve until July 1, 2004.  The entire Council is looking forward to their vision and leadership.

Finally, don’t forget to mark your calendars. The 2002 ICSS Annual Meeting will take place in Cedar Rapids on October 14 and 15.  The theme is “History and All That Good Stuff . . .” The meeting venue is the Sheraton Four Points Hotel And Convention Center in Cedar Rapids.  Look for more details in this summer’s mail. 

See you all in the fall, and have a relaxing and reflective summer.   GH 

        The 2001-2002 school year does end with some sobering concerns but hopefully also a sense of accomplishment and positive energy and commitment to creating more effective, more vital learning experiences for Iowa students.
        The battle over the amount and allocation of funds for education in the Iowa legislature is discouraging.  Educators, parents, and students have spoken repeatedly and well for the absolute necessity for more funding for education.  Yet, the issue is lost in partisan politics and philosophies with little agreement on how best to spend the state's dollars. What better way, then, to educate to the very best of our ability the young people of this state? Who can create a better, brighter future for the state of Iowa than a
well-educated, active, involved citizenry?
        Recent data on history test scores were disappointing and indicated there is cause for concern.  However, the concern may not be for instruction or student performance, but rather the quality of the test questions themselves.  Should the ultimate goal be improvement in memorization skills or should it be the improvement of an in-depth understanding and appreciation for the people and events that have shaped this great nation of ours?
        The events and aftermath of September 11clearly highlight the need for an effective, quality social studies education.  It is in social studies that students learn to appreciate and respect other peoples, cultures, and beliefs. It is in social studies that learners will develop a commitment to and respect for the beliefs and ideals upon which the United States was founded. It is in social studies that they will come to an understanding of the role the United States must play as a leader in the free world.
        As you leave the classroom this spring, leave with a sense of a job well done.  Use the summer months to rejuvenate, to renew, and to reaffirm your commitment to the kind of teaching and learning that will challenge Iowa youth to become knowledgeable, effective, caring citizens of this nation and the world. 

The seven-year complaining has begun again. The results from the 2001 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) for U.S History are now available. While the news is slightly better than the last “Report Card” in 1994, the outlook is still fairly bleak. The assessment reveals slight gains in student knowledge proficiency at the 4th and 8th grade levels and no statistically significant gain (but no loss either) at the 12th grade level. If you recall, after the 1994 test results were published, pundit after pundit decried the state of social studies education. (They did not suggest that more time, attention, or money be spent in this content area, however.) Prepare yourselves for the onslaught to come this summer. Social studies education is a easy target for school critics, pundits, and politicians. Couple the NAEP report with the mandate in the recently enacted “No Child Left Behind” Education Act for more accountability and more standardized testing, and this spells Trouble – with a capital T, that rhymes with C, and that stands for citizenship.

I’m not prepared to jump on the bandwagon of criticism. I have enough problems as it is with standardized tests used to evaluate institutional success. Instead, I want to point out a few dim rays of light that emerge from this report. First, students in the Central states (including Iowa) score significantly higher than other regions at the 4th and 8th grade levels. Second, the report reveals that there is a direct correlation (surprise, surprise!) between time spent in the classroom on the social studies in the 4th grade and level of student achievement. Specifically, students whose teachers spent more than 3 hours per week on structured social studies activities scored much higher on the NAEP test than those whose teachers spent less time on direct classroom instruction. The third ray of hope is that students achieved at a higher level in 8th grade where teachers incorporated the use of primary source documents on a weekly basis. At the 12th grade level, students who engage in content reading (biographies, historical stories, etc.) scored higher than their peers who did not. Finally, while computer use in general tended to lower student achievement in U.S History, students who use computers specifically to research historical themes scored higher.  (To read the full NAEP report on U.S. History go to http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard)

The implications for U.S. History instruction are pretty obvious. The more time spent working with history in the classroom results in higher levels of student achievement. The results also seem to indicate that the more students can become actively involved in learning about content, the more success they will have on this standardized test. This would suggest that a project-based approach might be highly beneficial to student learning. That’s particularly good news for Iowa, since we tend to encourage large scale involvement in these types of activities. I had the pleasure recently to serve as a judge for the State History Day program. I can attest from my observations (albeit purely anecdotal) that these students know their stuff! I would imagine that History Day participants achieved at the “Advanced” level on the National Assessment. I can also attest from personal experience to the achievement level of students involved in other projects as well. We the People, Project Citizen, Geography Bee, and Know Your Constitution participants, I assume, also would qualify as “advanced” for the purposes of NAEP. I know that there are other similar projects out there. My advice? Find ways to get your students involved!

At the time of this writing, the State was still facing a tremendous budget crunch. Discussions are being held in preparation for a second “special session” of the legislature. (Hopefully more productive than the first hours-long special meeting.) Among the cost saving issues to be discussed will be educational funding (the largest single line-item in the state budget), state employee pay raises (this probably means you), and infrastructure dollars earmarked for school building improvements.

Among the less noticed items signed by the Governor this spring are the following legislative acts that may be of interest:

SF 2273 – Designating the 3rd Saturday of June as “Juneteenth National Freedom Day” and encouraging schools and other civic entities to observe the day in a manner that emphasizes the meaning and importance of the Emancipation Proclamation.

HF 2248 – Designating December 15 as “Bill of Rights Day” and encouraging a formal recitation and study of the Bill of Rights in all schools on or about that date.

HF 2571 – Establishing the Iowa Cultural Trust and the Iowa Cultural Trust Grant program for the promotion of the arts, history, the sciences, and humanities in the state.

SF 348 – Setting up a pilot program to test the effectiveness of Charter Schools in Iowa.

HF 2454 – Encouraging school districts to establish Character Education programs to instruct students in the “qualities of model citizens” including: “caring, civic virtue and citizenship, justice and fairness, respect, responsibility, trustworthiness, giving, honesty, self-discipline, respect for and obedience to the law, citizenship, courage, initiative, commitment, perseverance, kindness, compassion, service, loyalty, patience, the dignity and necessity of hard work, and other qualities deemed appropriate by a school.” The Act encourages the use of existing resources (no specific state funding available) and authorizes the use of Phase III funds for this purpose.

For more information on these and other legislative initiatives visit either the Iowa General Assembly website at http://www.legis.state.ia.us/ or the Governor’s website at www.state.ia.us/government/governor/index.html.

Have a restful summer! With all of the anticipated criticism and discussion, it looks to be a very busy fall!

Geography Education Grants 

 Applications are due June 14 for “Teacher Grants” supporting individual teachers, or teacher teams, in the classroom, district, or community, sponsored by the National Geographic Society Education Foundation. Grants support work in four areas: (a) exploring uses of new technologies, (b) expanding student experiential learning opportunities, (c) providing professional development and mentoring, and (d) engaging families and/or communities in education. Grants from $ 500 to $ 5,000 are available. Contact: Teacher Grants, NGS Education Foundation, 1145 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036. Applications may be made online. Web site: www.nationalgeographic.com/foundation.

Applications are due September 9 for “Venture Grants” supporting non-traditional education, sponsored by the National Geographic Society Education Foundation. Grants support nonprofits and educational institutions for work engaging children in hands-on programs in three areas: (a) understanding cultures through their own heritage, learning about other peoples, and preserving cultural diversity; (b) learning and using geographic concepts and skills; and (c) building the skills to make tough environmental decisions based on scientific knowledge, a geographic perspective, and a commitment to conservation. Grants from $ 50,000 to $ 200,000 are available. Contact: Venture Grants, NGS Education Foundation, 1145 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036. Web site: www.nationalgeographic.com/foundation.

Applications for the 2003 National Schools of Character awards program, due December 9, 2002, will be available in June from the Character Education Partnership (CEP). Applications for Promising Practices citations will also be available in June.  National Schools of Character is an annual awards program recognizing K-12 schools and districts demonstrating outstanding character education initiatives that yield positive results in student behavior, school climate and academic performance. Although winners may differ in method, content, and scope, all emphasize core ethical values such as honesty, respect, responsibility and caring. CEP encourages schools and districts involved in character education to look at the criteria Character Education Quality Standards to determine whether they might qualify.

Selected schools and districts receive a cash award of $ 2,000, national recognition, and a featured position in CEP’s National Schools of Character publication. Finalists will be honored at CEP’s annual National Forum in October 2002 in Atlanta. Support for NSOC is made possible by the UAW/GM Center for Human Resources and the John Templeton Foundation. For more information, call CEP at 800-988-8081 or 202-296-7743, ext. 10. Information is also available on the CEP Web site: www.character.org.

Cable in the Classroom (http://www.ciconline.org) is looking for ten of the best media and technology savvy K-12 educators in the country to work with us in an ongoing way as advisors, mentors, and project consultants. We want educators’ insights about trends and issues in education and technology and ideas for using technology effectively in the classroom. We need classroom-tested wisdom and expertise so that the cable industry can develop education resources that lead to the best possible learning experiences for teachers and students.  Cable in the Classroom teacher advisors will be paid a $ 4,000 annual stipend. In addition, their schools will each receive $ 1,000 for supporting excellent teaching.  For information and/or to apply, go to (http://www.ciconline.org) and look for link "Become a CIC Teacher Advisor." 

The following "Call for Participants" is from Rahima Wade, National Service-Learning peer mentor at The University of Iowa,who is beginning a new project that she hopes will lead to new ideas in the field of elementary social studies. She is seeking elementary school teachers who might like to participate in focus group interviews.  She writes:

Dear elementary teachers,

I am currently seeking elementary school teachers who teach for social justice and who might like to participate in a focus group interview with several other elementary school teachers at or near the school at which they teach. Participants would need to sign a consent form to participate in this research.  Social justice education empowers students to analyze the root causes of injustice, promote equal opportunity for all people, and learn from multiple perspectives on an issue or topic within a collaborative, experiential approach to teaching and learning. I am particularly interested in working with teachers who teach for social justice through their elementary social studies curriculum.  Please contact me with your name and e-mail address (or the names and e-mail addresses or individual teachers who you think might be interested in this opportunity), and I will send you additional information. If you or teachers you know have additional questions about this project, they can contact me at 319-335-5118 or by e-mail at rahima-wade@uiowa.edu.  I am excited about learning more about teaching for social justice and connecting teachers with each other who are involved in this effort. This collaboration will hopefully lead to publications that will provide new directions for the field of elementary social studies.

Sincerely,
Rahima Wade 
Associate Professor of Elementary Social Studies 
The University of Iowa

The Secondary School Task Force of the American Studies Association is undertaking a national survey of American Studies programs and courses at the secondary school level. It eventually hopes to develop a data bank of curriculum and program development in American Studies courses or programs in its schools. If you are teaching American Studies, know of colleagues who are, or are interested in learning more about such programs at the secondary level, send your name(s), address, phone number/email, and title of your course(s) to Lois Rudnick, Director, American Studies Program, University of Massachusetts-Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125-3393; 617-287-6775; Rudnick@umbsky.cc.umb.edu (e-mail).

NCSS email inquirer Shelley Hamilton is researching the possibility of developing a youth exchange program in Eastern Europe, and she is interested in obtaining feedback from social studies teachers. If you have information regarding the following areas, she would like to hear from you: high school student interest in this type of program, countries of particular interest, suggestions for a theme for the program, whether a multi-country program would be more interesting than an immersion program in one country, and the best way to get students interested in a program like this. To respond, contact Shelley Hamilton at djaysh@well.com.

In an attempt to expand the influence and impact of the NCSS Social Studies Standards published in 1994, the NCSS Curriculum Committee is collecting curriculum materials and lessons that show how the Standards have been implemented in classrooms and other settings across the nation. The committee is particularly interested in receiving materials from college professors who can share how the Standards have been used in their preservice classes. The committee hopes to make the materials available to all social studies teachers and curriculum coordinators in the near future. All sample materials and lessons should be sent to Dr. Paul A. Horne, Jr., at the address provided below. In addition, the committee is requesting feedback from members and nonmembers regarding specific omissions or suggested improvements for the Standards. Although there are no immediate plans to revise the document, a revision is anticipated within five to six years. The committee will hold on to the responses until such time that NCSS decides to revise the Standards. Comments, concerns, and/or praise-as well as curriculum materials and lessons-should be sent to Dr. Paul A. Horne, Jr., Chair, NCSS Curriculum Committee, Richland County School District One, 1225 Oak Street, Columbia, SC 29204. For more information, contact Dr. Horne at 803-733-6176 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (ET, Monday through Friday).

The National Digital Library Program (NDLP) of the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, is looking for middle and high school humanities teachers, librarians, and media specialists who have frequent access to and a high level of comfort using the World Wide Web, email, and other technologies. Those who believe they possess the technical skills and subject expertise that would make them good candidates for learning more about the National Digital Library Program and American Memory are encouraged to contact NDLP. Their names will be added to the program's mailing list. If you are interested, send an email to ndlpedu@loc.gov or write to the Library of Congress, National Digital Library Program, User Services, Washington, DC 20540-1320; http://learning.loc.gov/learn (World Wide Web). 
OPPORTUNITIES ABROAD

The Travel Seminar to Mexico explores how the global socio-political economy impacts family and community systems in countries like Mexico. There will be a special emphasis placed on push and pull forces that promote Latino/Hispanic immigration to the United States. A combination of seminar style classes, guest speakers and field visits are employed in the investigation of the effects of global macro forces over individual family systems in rural Mexico. The seminar concurrently looks at the impact of modernization of the Mexican economy on the poor and whether economic alternatives would foster greater social justice. The participants will have one-on-one contact with selective Mexican families, social service agencies, Mexican social workers, and research institutions. The course is offered in the summer and when staff is available to teach. The seminar will be conducted on site from August 7 through 21, 2002 (travel time not included).  For more information look at the website:
http://www.uiowa.edu/%7Enrcfcp/latino/mex.home/seminar.htm or call John-Paul at 319-335-4935.

Global Volunteers, a nonprofit, nonsectarian, international organization, coordinates service-learning programs that offer educators the opportunity to participate in short-term human and economic development projects in more than 15 countries worldwide, including China, Vietnam, Tanzania, Mexico, Poland, Russia, and Greece. The work projects include teaching conversational English, building community facilities, painting and repairing homes, providing health care services, and assisting in environmental projects. The programs last from one to three weeks and range in cost from. For more information and a catalog, contact Global Volunteers at 800-487-1074 (toll free) or 612-482-1074 (phone). 

· National Issues Forums: Deliberative Discussion in the Classroom
June 24-26, Hofstra University, Hempsted, NY
$65
· Social Studies in Action NCSS Summer Institute: Strategies and Materials for Planning Content, Instruction, Assesment, and Professional Development
June 26-28, WGBH, Boston, MA 
NCSS Members $275, Nonmembers $300
· Civic and Character Education: Renewing the Civic Mission of American Education
June 26-28, Fresno Pacific University, Fresno, CA
NCSS Members $215, Nonmembers $240
· Exploring Family Past and Present: Reading and Writing About History
July 16-20, Sturbridge, MA
NCSS Members $275, Nonmembers $300

The George Washington University Cold War Group (GWCW) and the Cold War International History Project (CWIHP) of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars jointly announce a two-week curriculum development Institute for secondary teachers on the new history of the Cold War. The Institute will be on The George Washington University campus, Washington, D.C., July 8-19, 2002. The purpose of the Institute is for Cold War experts and teachers to work collaboratively to assist in the creation of a new Online Teaching Resource on the Cold War.  Selection Criteria: secondary social studies teachers will be eligible to apply. Final selection will be made among applicants who are: experienced teachers of either or both U.S. History or Modern World History courses that include study of the Cold War period; have an interest in or already actively engage students in using online computer learning; have the official approval in writing for participation in the program from their school administration; have a serious interest in the Cold War Period and enthusiasm for developing teaching materials for online use by other teachers and students nationally.  Stipend and Facilities: Each participant will receive $ 500.00. Lodging, a travel allowance, meals or meal reimbursement, and basic readings and materials will be provided. Weekends will be free to explore the Washington area's unmatched educational resources.  Application Deadline, June 3, 2002.  If you have any questions or need additional information, please call Tom Collins at 202-994-7543. Please leave a telephone number where you may be reached and the best time to contact you. 

After the events of September 11, many Americans realized how little they know about the Middle East.  Educators in particular felt challenged about how to help their students understand this shocking incident and its international aftermath, especially events in Afghanistan and the deepening violence in Israel and Palestine.  In light of this, International Programs and the Center for Credit Programs/ Division of Continuing Education at The University of Iowa are again offering a popular summer institute for teachers with a special focus on the Middle East.

The workshop will meet June 17-21 with sessions from 9 a.m.–noon and 1:00-3:00 p.m. daily at the International Center Lounge.  University of Iowa Professor Rex Honey, a specialist in the Middle East, will conduct the workshop.  Dr. Jeremy Brigham will assist Professor Honey.  Guest lecturers will also share their insights.  Topics to be covered are the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, culture and Islam, Afghanistan and the war on terrorism, and the political economy of the region.  Throughout the week there will also be related activities, special events, and entertainment.

The Institute is offered for academic credit only, and you may register for 1, 2, or 3 semester hours of undergraduate or graduate credit.  Tuition is $154 per semester hour (undergraduate) and $244 per semester hour (graduate). Workshop requirements are specific to the number of hours for which you enroll.

The first ten teachers to enroll who live beyond a 25-mile radius of Iowa City will receive free lodging at the Heartland Inn Hotel.  Also, small grants to assist with tuition costs will be distributed among all registrants.  The amount of funding each receives will depend upon the number of participants and the credit hours for which each person registers.

The workshop is an excellent opportunity for all K-12 educators to gather information and perspectives that will be invaluable in helping your students understand this complex region of the world. 

For more information about housing and grants, contact:
Buffy Quintero, International Programs Outreach Coordinator
Phone toll-free at 800-272-6430 and ask to be transferred to Ms. Quintero at extension 5-0345. Phone direct at 319-335-0345  E-mail buffy-quintero@uiowa.edu.

To register:
Phone the Center for Credit Programs at 1-800-272-6430; press 1 for Enrollment Services.  E-mail: center-programs@uiowa.edu.

Want to access the latest scholarship and primary courses on Africa, East Asia, Latin America, The Middle East, and Russia and Eastern Europe? Take Ohio State’s course 727d28: Teaching World Cultures and Global Issues Venue: Taught totally over the Internet Dates: June 24-July 26th, 2002. Edu T&L 727d28 Teaching World Cultures and Global Issues is a 3 credit hour graduate level course that provides teachers with online, print, and video resources from Africa, East Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Slavic and Eastern Europe to strengthen their teaching about diverse cultures, histories, and issues in these regions. The course is special because: (1) The course is taught totally online so that teachers across North America and other world areas can enroll, interact, and learn in a web-based environment we call WebCT. There are no face to face meetings, no coming to campus, no driving or parking hassles. The course does require Internet connections, some skills in using the World Wide Web, and access to the Web for all assignments. (2) The course provides access to the latest scholarship and primary sources on Africa, East Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Slavic and Eastern Europe based upon the expertise of U.S. Federally-funded Title VI area studies centers. (3) A focus of the course is cross-cultural interaction with cultural consultants from the five world regions. (4) The course content emphasizes seeing other cultures, world history, and the global status quo through the knowledge, resources, and experiences of diverse people around the world. Many of the resources have been developed by people in the countries under study. For more information email merryfield.1@osu.edu or go to the website http://www.coe.ohio-state.edu/mmerryfield/ and click on the spinning globe. This course is a collaborative project of Ohio State’s five area studies centers and the College of Education’s Social Studies and Global Education program. 

A conference on one-room schools, "Country Schooling: Old Stories, New Lessons," will be held June 27-29, 2002 at The University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. Participants will be able to participate in research presentations, a tour of area one-room schools, and a festival demonstrating country school activities and life in historic rural America.

Currently the University of Iowa has put out a call for papers for histories, preservation, programming, memories, and artifacts relating to one-room schools. Also, they are looking for people to demonstrate old-fashioned activities at the school fair.

Although one-room schools played an important role in American culture for a very long time, they have not gotten a lot of focus in scholarly studies. This conference is reaching out to those interested in one room schools preservation, history, and lore.

To get the requirements for papers, to receive a registration form, or to get information about becoming part of a one-room school network, contact:

The University of Iowa Center for Conferences and Institutes
Attn: Kelly Flinn
100 Oakdale Campus, W310 OH
Iowa City, IA 52242-5000
Ph: 319-335-4105
Fax: 3190335-4039
Or find the information online at: http://www.uiowa.edu/~confinst

This institute will be held at The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from July 7 to 13, 2002.  Religions play an important role in shaping our response to all aspects of life. A knowledge of religious traditions helps us understand cultures and societies that otherwise seem exotic or puzzling. This institute offers teachers an opportunity to explore the values, worldviews, history, and practice of six world religious traditions.  Each day will focus on one religious tradition. A general introduction to each religious tradition will be followed by a session that focuses on its practice in a specific region. We will explore Buddhism in East Asia, Eastern Orthodox Christianity in Russia, Hinduism in India, Islam in Africa, Judaism in the United States, and Roman Catholicism in Latin America.  You will find more information about the institute and may register on line at: http://nautilus.outreach.uiuc.edu/conted/.

The Workable Peace Summer Teacher Training Institute will be held July 8th-10th, 2002, in Cambridge, MA.  The cost is $300 with discounts for school teams and limited scholarships available (includes lunch and curriculum materials).  PDP credits are available. Attend the Workable Peace interactive institute to learn to incorporate conflict management into your history and social studies curriculum, helping your students to gain a better understanding of history content and of inter-group conflict. 

The Workable Peace curriculum promotes academic achievement and civic skills by uniting the examination of conflict, the study of history, and the practice of conflict management.  Designed to be integrated into world history, U.S. history, and other social studies courses, the Workable Peace curriculum supports the Massachusetts History and Social Science curriculum framework and includes case study simulations on ancient Greece, the Middle East, Latin America, Africa, Northern Ireland, and selected American History topics.  Over the three-day period, participants will engage in role plays, teaching 
strategy discussions, and lesson planning sessions to facilitate the integration of the Workable Peace materials with their current teaching.  To register, please visit their web site http://www.workablepeace.org/. For additional information please contact Workable Peace project director Stacie Nicole Smith via phone (617-492-1414 x24) or email (stacie@workablepeace.org).

The American Historical Association, the Organization of American Historians, and the National Council for the Social Studies plan jointly to sponsor in June, 2003 a national history conference, “Innovations in Collaboration: A School-University Model to Enhance History Teaching, K-16.”  The sponsoring organizations seek to showcase collaborations that have promoted new ideas for professional development, dynamic curriculum designs, and instructional practices that engage students in the pursuit of a richer understanding of United States and world history.  All history educators are invited to submit a proposal that explains how their endeavors have resulted in more compelling teaching and learning that is reflected in multiple measures of higher student achievement.  Proposals are due July 15, 2002.  For more information write to: 2003 Teaching Conference Program Committee, Organization of American Historians, 112 N. Bryan Avenue, Bloomington, IN 47408-4199.

 The National Issues Forum (NIF) has announced a great opportunity for social studies teachers! Thanks to the generosity of the Kettering Foundation, NCSS is offering 10 scholarships to its summer workshops at Hofstra University OR another NIF Public Policy Institute (PPI) at locations around the country. Both the NCSS/Hofstra workshop and the NIF PPIs offer training on deliberation using the National Issues Forum discussion model. These scholarships are only available to social studies teachers. 

Scholarships include:
$ 300 toward registration (at Hofstra, others will vary), travel, and lodging. 
2 class sets of NIF issue books for conducting NIF discussions in their classroom. 
$ 400 stipend once the pre- and post-surveys are collected and a classroom report is provided by the teacher. 

The Hofstra workshop is listed with other summer professional development opportunities at http://www.socialstudies.org/profdev/workshops.html. Room and board at very reasonable rates are available in top-flight dormitories at Hofstra, a wonderful campus just a one-hour train ride from Manhattan and 15 minutes from Jones Beach. Hotels are also available in close proximity.  Information about other NIF PPIs is available on the National Issues Forum Website at www.nifi.org.  Don't miss a great professional development opportunity and the financial support to make it happen. Call 1-800-296-7840, ext. 107 for an application, or send an email message to mmcbee@ncss.org.

The University of Minnesota wishes to announce the Summer Institutes for Teachers at the University of Minnesota on global and international studies. Registration is now online! Detailed descriptions are online at http://igs.cla.umn.edu/outreach/si.htm. The institutes are designed to introduce K-12 and community college educators to issues in international and social studies and help you rework your social studies curriculum. Teachers will learn content related to the seminar themes, explore related curriculum materials, and learn new strategies and skills for incorporating global issues into their curriculum. The Summer Institutes are presented by the Institute for Global Studies and the European Studies Consortium and funded by a Title VI grant from the Department of Education. SCHOLARSHIPS: Access Scholarships are available to cover the cost of the workshop or tuition. Lodging Scholarship are available for participants traveling from out-state or outside Minnesota.

The 82nd NCSS Annual Conference will be held in Phoenix, Arizona at the Phoenix Civic Plaza.  This year's Conference will take place Friday-Sunday, November 22-24, 2002.  The NCSS Annual Conference is the world's largest gathering of social studies educators, bringing together teachers of history, geography, sociology, economics, government and civics, political science... more than a dozen subject areas, which combined, make up the social studies. Keynote speakers and special sessions--from educators to authors to actors--will speak on all facets of social studies education and offer ways to energize your students as they strive to become effective citizens. 

PBS would like to announce the www.jimcrowhistory.org web site! The PBS four-part series, The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow, is set to air this Fall.  This site is a work in progress, and will continue to be one until the airdate. We are fortunate to have a synopsis of each of the films written by the producer, Richard Wormser. The history themed overviews in the history section are at once comprehensive and accessible—teachers will definitely want to print out the pdf of these essays for use in their classroom. Also, many of the images in the Image Gallery have never before been published online, and they offer a look at Jim Crow that is not commonly seen, or known. The geography section offers a unique perspective of the United States, seen through various levels- Jim Crow lynchings, African-American colleges, and Jim Crow laws outside the South. We are continuing to hire teachers to build content on the site. There is a multitude of ways that you can contribute. Our most pressing needs are: Web Site Evaluations: Teachers offer their reviews of external web sites dealing with issues related to Jim Crow. We have over 25 individual topics already online, with several hundred web sites to recommend already, and we want to include more! Narratives: If you know a Jim Crow survivor who would like to share his/her story with us, let us know! You’ll get a fee for conducting the interview. If it’s your story you’d like to tell, all the better! Lesson Plans: As content goes up, we need teachers to develop lessons on how to use this unique content with students. A sampling of lessons are online now, but so much of the core material is in development that lesson plans will be needed throughout the process of developing this site. We are looking for teachers who can show others how to best utilize this information in creative ways. Please also note that we are offering an entire American literature section that will connect some of the best literature to the Jim Crow period.  Geography: Add to the map from your state, add a personal anecdote if you are an alum from one of 88 African-American Colleges, add lynching statistics to your state’s map, add Jim Crow laws in your state. We will also develop other layers of the map such as Jim Crow and Gender, Jim Crow People, Jim Crow Great Migration, and Jim Crow Court Cases. We need people to fill in the map with their research, so please contact us!  As always, teachers will be paid for all the work contributed.  Look for updates every month on new material on this site!  Please email Kathy Honda, Education Coordinator, at kshonda@pacbell.net

The Green Valley AEA has developed 4 Iowa History CD-ROMs. The latter two contain only pictures. All are fully searchable and printable and will run on PC or Mac.
1) Treasures from the Iowa Archives Vol. 2 includes ALL Iowa history material of a statewide nature printed between1863 and 1964. 212,000 pages. $40

2) Greyhounds and Hawkeyes - Iowa in the Civil War includes ALL Civil War material of a statewide nature printed between 1863 and 1964 including the full Roster and Records. 115,000 pages $40

3) Iowa Picture Disk includes 7500 Iowa pictures from fire engines to Indian chiefs. $15

4) Civil War picture disk with 3500 Civil War pictures. $15

Discounts for previous purchasers or on orders of two disks or more (mix and match).  If you want more details, please contact:  O. J. Fargo Director of Media and Educational Services Green Valley AEA 14 Creston, Iowa 50801

The University of Northern Iowa New Iowans Program has published some new multilingual materials. These materials are available to download as PDF files at the New Iowans website: www.bcs.uni.edu/idm/newiowans/ (Limited hard copies are also available at minimal cost.) The new materials include:
 --Spanish-English Tornado Safety Door Hanger
 --Spanish/English/Russian/Hebrew Tornado Safety Poster
 --Cedar Valley Resource List in Spanish
 --English/Spanish/Bosnian Pain Scale (used in labor and delivery rooms and other                               hospital facilities)

In addition, the handbook "Welcoming New Iowans: A Guide for Citizens and Communities" is also available as a PDF file. If you have other information or announcements for the New Iowans website, please contact Mark.Grey@uni.edu

Migration News summarizes the most important immigration and integration
developments of the preceding month.  Topics are grouped by region: North America, Europe, Asia, and Other.  There are two versions of Migration News. The paper
edition is about 8,000 words in length, and the email version about 18,000.  The purpose of Migration News is to provide a monthly summary of recent immigration developments that can be read in 60 minutes or less. Many issues also contain summaries and reviews of recent research publications. Distribution is by email. If you wish to subscribe, send your email address to: Migration News migrant@primal.ucdavis.edu  Current and back issues may be accessed via the Internet on the Migration News Home Page--http://migration.ucdavis.edu.  There is no charge for an email subscription to Migration News. A paper edition is available by mail for $30 domestic and $50 foreign for one year and $55 and $95 for a two-year subscription. Make checks payable to UC Regents and send to: Philip Martin, Department of Ag and Resource Economics, The University of California, Davis, California 95616 USA.  Migration News is produced with the support of the German Marshall Fund of the United States and the University of California Berkeley Center for German and European Studies.

http://oyez.nwu.edu/ includes over a thousand Supreme Court decisions, biographies of all the justices, and more than 900 hours of audio materials. It provides text, audio, and video of the Supreme Court at work. The site was created by Jerry Goldman at Northwestern University.

The NPCA (National Peace Corps Association) and iEarn (International Education and Resource Network) would like to give you this opportunity to join iEarn.  iEarn is an exciting global learning community designed to bring diverse cultures and global perspectives into your teaching using simple and easy-to-use technology resources.  You may connect with classrooms in the country in which you served or explore other global connections within the iEarn network.  iEarn is an organization of over 500,000 students and 5,000 teachers in 95 countries working together on local and national issues in a global forum.  Using collaborative online projects, teachers and students work with partner classrooms around the world.  These projects and are designed to increase awareness about global issues and meet specific curriculum needs.  Visit www.iearn.irg to learn about iEARN, participating countries, and curriculum specific projects you can join.  To enroll please visit the iEARN website or write to: globalteach@us.iearn.org or call: (212) 870-2693.

Free copies of “Landmines: The Hidden Crisis” are now available!  They are offered in three levels: high school, middle school, and elementary school.  The Center for Teaching International Relations also has many other publications relating to teaching global issues, human rights, area studies, geography, and more.  Visit their on-line catalog at www.du.edu/ctir or call 1-800-967-2847.  The website also has free sample lessons. 

Secondary classrooms from around the nation are invited to participate in a learning expedition to 1910. Progressive Era resources online provide national and global context for local studies units, and classrooms are invited to submit for online primary documents that tell local stories as well as original interpretive texts. This web site is sponsored by the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress in cooperation with the Montana Historical Society. Look them up at http://www.edheritage.org.

In cooperation with the Technology Student Association, the National Association of Secondary School Principals has recently launched the American Technology Honor Society, an organization that may contribute toward the progress of schools in adopting technology. ATHS, the sister organization to the 75-year-old National Honor Society, is dedicated to promoting and recognizing technological literacy in students, including the creative and responsible use of technology; scholarship; commitment to service; and leadership. For a brochure or more information on establishing a chapter of the American Technology Honor Society in your school, call 800-253-7746, ext. 323, or visit the ATHS web site at http://www.nassp.org