Access the 2021 Montana Content Standards for Social Studies (Official PDF).

Access the 2021 Montana Content Standards for Social Studies (Excel).

Webinar: New Standards for 2021: Overview and Planning for Implementation (February 8, 2021)

• View Slides
• View Recording (48:14)

Model curriculum guides, professional development, and resources will be added as time allows.

• Montana Content Standards for Social Studies (2000)

Of special interest to: Teachers interested in IEFA

Re: Short Films by Indigenous Filmmakers (with teaching guides)

 

The Big Sky Film Institute is once again partnering with the Montana Office of Public Instructions Indian Education Unit to share films made by and about Native people. According to their Facebook post in the Teaching Montana History Facebook group:

The 2023 season of the NFI Film Club [Native Filmmaker Initiative] presents "Celebrating Cultures & Honoring Traditional Practices," a triptych of films curated to engage Montana youth with unique and uplifting stories of Native and Indigenous individuals ... who are building strength through their communities and upholding traditional practices in the modern day. Our films are selected and ready for teacher registration, each one accompanied with an accompanied discussion guide, streaming link to view the film and an invitation to join our live filmmaker Q&A with film teams and OPI’s Indian Education Specialist, Mike Jetty.

Here's more from their website:

The Native Filmmaker Initiative Film Club is a virtual youth education outreach program that screens a curated selection of Indigenous-made documentary films in classrooms across Montana. Following the screenings, filmmakers visit classrooms virtually for a live Q&A and discussion activities rooted in Montana's Indian Education for All Essential Understandings. Film Club discussions are led by the Big Sky Film Institute in collaboration with Montana Office of Public Instruction’s Indian Education Specialists as well as participating filmmakers to talk in-depth about the process of filmmaking....

 

Running October through December, each Film Club event will focus on diverse Indigenous subjects and topics. Consult the discussion guides to help adapt the Film Club activities into social studies, science, history or other areas of study. Films are available to view in advance of Film Club discussions and each classroom will receive access to discussion guides and instructions on how to join the live Q&A.

 

 

Visit the Native Filmmaker Initiative website to register your classroom to view one or more of this year's films. Registration includes a screening link to the film with details to join a live filmmaker Q&A and accompanied discussion guides. Email Director of Education, Julia Sherman, at julia@bigskyfilmfest.org for more information, or to be added to their Youth Programs email list.

Looking for Guidance?

Need advice on how to incorporate Montana History or IEFA into your classroom or how to meet the new social studies standards? The Montana Historical Society’s Teacher Leaders in Montana History are here to help. These Montana educators have a passion for history, collaboration, and education, and they are eager to help you find resources. Each teacher leader is ready to work with individual teachers, schools, and districts and are available to consult, mentor, and present at PIR days. Learn more. 

Critical Race Theory

Someone asked me recently if our new fourth-grade textbook teaches Critical Race Theory (CRT). The answer is no--none of MTHS or OPI's Indian Education lessons teach Critical Race Theory. Some of them do teach about the history of discrimination. Confused about what you can and cannot teach? Here's an FAQ sheet. 

Have you had parents ask if you are teaching CRT? Consider using the question as an opportunity to open a dialog. Since CRT means different things to different people, consider kindly saying, "explain to me what you are worried about, and I'll tell you if I teach it" and then address their specific concerns. (H/T to Teacher Leader in Montana History Dylan Huisken for this excellent advice.)

Teaching Montana History Is on Facebook!

If you spend time on Facebook, I hope you'll join--and actively participate--in our closed Teaching Montana History Facebook group. It's a great way to connect to other teachers.

 

 

 

Upcoming Opportunities for Educators:

• Mann Gulch 75th Anniversary Commemoration Events 

          August 5, 2024, marks the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Mann Gulch fire, which resulted in the tragic deaths of thirteen firefighters. The fire had a                  lasting impact on the Forest Service and wildland firefighting.

          Organizations and individuals from around the state and the nation, led by staff from the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest, have come together to            commemorate this anniversary. The Montana Historical Society participated by producing, in collaboration with other members of the planning                            committee, this pop-up banner exhibit on the fire. You can currently view the display at Ten Mile Brewery or the Helena Airport, and it will be transported              to the different upcoming events:

  Sat., Aug. 3 ~ 5 to 8 p.m.

There will be a reception and screening of the PBS special "Higgins Ridge" at the Myrna Loy in Helena. Visit https://events.aarp.org/event/MannGulch75/summary [events.aarp.org] to reserve tickets.

Sun., Aug. 4 ~ 2 to 5 p.m.

Vendors and organizations will be set up along the Helena walking mall to pay tribute to the fallen smokejumpers and create wreaths that will be laid at the base of the crosses in Mann Gulch. Home of Peace Cemetery, Helena

Mon., Aug. 5 ~ 4 to 7 p.m.

A commemoration will be held on the west lawn of the Montana State Capitol building. The evening will include remarks from U.S. Forest Service leadership, a keynote by John N. Maclean, and a live performance of "Cold Missouri Waters" by James Keelaghan.

Garden Party at the Original Governor's Mansion

Sat., Aug. 10 ~ 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

304 N. Ewing St., Helena

• • The Montana Historical Society invites community members of all ages to attend a festive summer garden party at the Original Governor’s Mansion. Visitors will explore the historic house and grounds at their leisure while enjoying the beautiful tunes of local musicians including the Dearborn String Trio.

This house served Montana’s First Families from 1913 to 1959 and displays impressive Queen Anne-style architecture with furnishings and artifacts from the era. Brochures will be provided so that guests can discover the history of the house through a self-guided tour. Volunteers will be stationed on each floor to answer any questions that may arise.

The Mansion also has a lovely lawn where visitors will enjoy refreshments and admire the historic carriage house. Traditional lawn games such as ring toss and lawn bowling will keep the entire family entertained. Local musicians will be playing timeless music on the porch to complete the experience.

Please note that the Mansion is not ADA compliant. There are stairs to the front porch, with two flights of stairs inside the house.

• Free guided tours of the Montana State Capitol are offered Monday through Friday at 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m.; Saturdays at 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m., and 1:30 p.m.; and Sundays at 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m.
• Free guided tours of the Original Governor's Mansion are offered Tuesday through Saturday at 12, 1, 2, and 3 p.m.

Contact laura.marsh@mt.gov for more information about our public programs.

51^st Annual Montana History Conference: Central to History

September 26-28, 2024

Great Falls, Montana

• Registration is open
• Agenda
• Hotel Information

Join us for Central to History, the 51st annual Montana History Conference, September 26-28, 2024 at the Heritage Inn in Great Falls.

The three-day conference is jam-packed with six workshops, fifteen tours, thirty lecture sessions, three panel discussions, and five outstanding keynote presentations all aimed at illuminating the many facets of Central Montana history. 

Early bird registration costs $215 per person (July 15 through Aug. 26) and includes the opening reception with heavy appetizers on Thursday evening, light breakfast, breaks, lunch, and dinner on Friday, and light breakfast, morning break, and lunch on Saturday. Ticketed tours are extra. Registration cost increases to $265 (Aug. 27 to Sept. 19). Don't wait to register! Tours fill up fast.

 

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  Humanities Montana , has started their new grant openings!  Check it out and see if you could combine standards to meet those goals!
• GeoCivics Summer Academy - June 13-22, 2024|Washington, DC

​ALL EXPENSES PAID + $2,500 stipend + PD Hours!

During the summer of 2024 we will be hosting an exciting place-based educational experience in Washington, DC to learn how to include diverse perspectives in the education space through civic engagement and advocacy in your American history, geography, civics, and government instruction. During the Academy, we will celebrate Juneteenth in our Capital, and meet with educators, historians, experts, and advocacy groups. We will also visit historic locations such as the White House, Capital, and museums to deepen content knowledge of civic engagement and advocacy and strengthen pedagogical knowledge and skills.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScrPKlwdhhsUsrBNWmLUA1KQeQNOlXbqFnnkl7xTtjipyOdzw/viewform [docs.google.com]

 

• OPI INDIAN EDUCATION FOR ALL (IEFA) EVENTS & PD

Indian Education and Computing for All | 1 evening per month Sept 2023 - May 2024 | Zoom

• A curriculum and professional development project designed to bring together social studies, IEFA, and computing content standards for middle school students.

• 18 hours of online PD | $1000 stipend | Earn up to 40 PD Units

  • •  Flyer  

    •  Registration  

• MT PBS: Streaming now for a limited time, "The U.S. and the Holocaust," A Film by Ken Burns, Lynn Novick & Sarah Botstein
• Humanities Montana:

Winter in Montana is challenging for travel. During these months, Humanities Montana speakers can still visit your community — virtually — to present their humanities programs! Whether you are booking programs for the classroom, at a museum, or with a community center, speakers are available for virtual and in-person visits to provide free public humanities programming.

You can learn more about Montana Conversations or book Speakers in the Schools presenter on our website, you can learn about grant opportunities.

Subscribe to Humanities Montana.

 

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Check the OPI Professional Learning Opportunities Portal for courses and workshops.

Social Studies Resources

All K-12 Grade Levels:

•  

  Of special interest to: Government Teachers

  Re: Understanding Tribal Sovereignty

  Teacher Leader in Montana History Elysia Bain shared some useful resources for teaching about tribal sovereignty with me that I thought I would share with you!

  The first is this article, published in Indian Country Today in 2014: "Professor Breaks Down Sovereignty and Explains Its Significance," by Shaawano Chad Uran, professor of American Indian Studies at the University of Washington. 

  Elysia has her government students read the article and then answer some basic questions:

  • Define the term sovereignty. (Okay! This one isn't basic, but according to the article "Sovereignty is a type of political power, and it is exercised through some form of government." In addition, "The defining aspects of sovereignty are the international relationships carried out as sovereign nations.")
  • What are the three types of sovereigns in the United States? (Federal, state and tribal governments) 
  • What section of the U.S. Constitution recognizes tribal sovereignty? (Article VI, Clause 2) 
  • What are treaties and why are they important to understanding sovereignty? (Because "treaties are agreements made between sovereign entities...by signing a treaty, both sides are showing that they recognize the sovereignty of the other.")

      I think it is a really great article, and if I were teaching it, I might add some other "check for comprehension" questions, like

• Is the sovereignty of tribal nations the same as or different from the sovereignty enjoyed by individual states? (Different)
• According to Professor Uran, if tribes are "domestic dependent nations" (which is how the Supreme Court has defined them), how can they still be sovereign? (Absolute power, independence, and autonomy is not necessary for sovereignty to exist. and rights "not explicitly given up to the US Federal government are still held by the tribes.")
• Professor Uran does not think tribal nations should be blamed for their economic dependence on the United States. Why not? ("Tribal economies were based on access to land" and "lands were ceded to the U.S. by treaty in exchange for tribal economic security and other provisions."

     Elysia follows this activity by having her students watch the four-and-a-half-minute video "Sovereign Rights, Sovereign People." 

     Looking for more short videos? Check out the National Museum of the American Indian's four minute "Nation to Nation" and twelve-minute "The       'Indian Problem'," two other videos created as part of NMAI's "Nation to Nation" exhibit. 

     Do you have resources that work really well with your class that you'd like to share? Let me know!

• Aldrin Family Foundation Map Package Grant Application Aldrin Family Foundation has worked with donors to make Giant Mars and Moon Map packages available for distribution to individual schools, school districts, and informal education organizations throughout the country in areas where we believe they can do the most good, especially in under-served communities.
• Right Question Institute This is a method for teaching students to ask and develop questions--can be used in K-12 classrooms.
• TPS [Teaching with Primary Sources] Teachers Network (A place where teachers share with one another; free but registration is required. Teachers share ideas for K-12 primary source integration).
• Social Studies Central (A great aggregated list of sites by Martha Kohl's favorite social studies education blogger Glenn Wiebe--has material for K-12 but it’s not organized by grade level).
• Edsitement: The Best of the Humanities on the Web (National Endowment for the Humanities) K-12 lesson plans are searchable by grade level.
• National Geographic K-12 lesson plans are searchable by grade level.
• Indian Land Tenure Association Lessons of Our Land (K-12 lesson plans searchable by grade level. Free but requires registration).
• OPI Indian Education Social Studies Resources K-12 lesson plans are searchable by grade level.
  • Social Studies Standards (2021) Indian Education for All Connections
• Montana Historical Society Education and Events Mostly 4-12 lesson plans, although there are a few offerings suitable for K-3 as well.
• Native Knowledge 360 - Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian  K-12 lesson plans searchable by grade level.

3-12 Grade Levels:

• National Archives Educator Resources Lower elementary through high school

• History Labs  (“History Labs are research and investigative learning experiences that provide teachers with the necessary information, resources, and procedures to teach a full range of historical thinking skills by taking students through a process that is methodologically similar to that employed by historians.” The site includes a template for creating your own and History Labs made by other teachers--upper elementary through high school).

Elementary

• TeachingHistory.org National History Educational Clearinghouse

  • Elementary School

Middle School

• TeachingHistory.org National History Educational Clearinghouse

  • Middle School

• iCivics Free but requires registration--for middle and high school to teach civics.

• GeoQuest - free interactive project for MT middle and high school students.

Jr. High - High School

• For High School, the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) offers free, innovative classroom products. These online learning resources form the foundation of a global civics curriculum, empowering young people with the essential knowledge, skills, and perspective to be responsible citizens, take on the challenges of global competition, and steer through partisan rhetoric and disinformation.  Review their resources that could be used in a science classroom.  For more information contact Lori Matza, lmatza@cfr.org.

  • World101: An award-winning collection of multimedia explainers for students with little or no background knowledge of international relations and foreign policy. With accessible, jargon-free language and instructor-designed teaching resources, lessons on the World101 platform are non-partisan and developed in partnership with CFR experts.
    • *We are soliciting applications for our CFR Education Ambassador 2022-2023 program. A great opportunity for middle school and high school social studies teachers.  
  • Model Diplomacy: The Model Diplomacy simulation program invites high-school students to step into the shoes of decision-makers on the National Security Council or United Nations Security Council to debate the world’s most pressing issues with dozens of full-length case studies, an expanding library of short-form scenarios covering current and historical events, and exclusive video content featuring commentary from foreign policy experts.
  • Convene the Council: Developed in partnership with iCivics, one of the nation’s leading providers of educational games, Convene the Council empowers students to understand the basics of how U.S. foreign policy gets made and the ways in which countries and international organizations can influence foreign policy priorities. Twenty gameplay scenarios reveal how foreign and domestic policy are intertwined, and how decisions made in one corner of the world can affect us all. Spanish version available. 

 

• Stanford History Education Group (material is free but you must create an account to access some of it)
  • Reading Like a Historian History Lessons (includes both US history and world history for grades 7-12)
  • Beyond the Bubble History Assessments (includes both US history and world history for grades 7-12)
  • Civic Online Reasoning Curriculum (includes both US history and world history for grades 7-12)

High School

• TeachingHistory.org National History Educational Clearinghouse

  • High School

• iCivics Free but requires registration--for middle and high school to teach civics.

• U.S. Citizenship Naturalization Test high school government.

• GeoQuest - free interactive project for MT middle and high school students.

Councils

• Montana Council for History and Civics Education

• National Council for the Social Studies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Featured Hub Courses

Looking for free, online professional learning? Need more renewal units?  Take a look at the Teacher Learning Hub for a wide variety of learning opportunities.

• New Standards for 2021: Overview and Planning for Implementation (3)

• Supporting Readers with Informational Text (5 hrs)

• Using Writing to Teach Critical Thinking (1hr)

• Write From the Start, K-2 Writing Strategies (6 hrs)

• Writing to Learn, 3-6 Writing Strategies (6 hrs)

• Writing Across The Disciplines in Middle School (6 hrs)

• Writing Across The Disciplines in High School (6 hrs)