SS743: Seminar in the Social Sciences is designed to support the efforts of the KSDE’s Standards Academy offered in Kansas City at Harmony Middle School during July 29-August 1, 2002. The program will aid teachers in understanding how standards can be used as a tool to bring about program, curricular, and instructional change in Civics-Government, Economics, Geography, and History. Likewise, the academy will help the participants in developing lesson plans, selecting texts, software, and other support materials that will facilitate teachers in establishing standards and assessments. Participants will also, as a result of the academy, establish networking techniques and other strategies that will assist in furthering their professional development in their classrooms, their buildings, their districts, and on the state level. All this will be accomplished during the four day, intense, on site training provided by the KSDE, the Kansas State Historical Society, Kansas Geographic Alliance, and the Council on Economic Education.

Assignments: SS743XA: Seminar in the Social Sciences (1 hr): Attending and participating in the academy is worth one hour of credit.

SS743XB: Seminar in the Social Sciences (2 hr): Write an essay concerning how the academy will improve your teaching, your classroom performance, and your curriculum development in your district. Your essay should be no less than five double spaced pages and can be e-mailed to the instructor on or before December 2, 2002. If you loose this form, go to my personal web page and check the buttons for the KSDE Summer Academy for a copy of these requirements.

 Submitting Assignments: You may submit your materials via e-mail as an attachment to either one of the e-mail addresses listed above.

Degree Programs and Information about ESU: For information about the Department of Social Sciences teachers are encouraged to go to the department web page and degree programs offered in Social Sciences. Emporia State is only one of a handful of universities that offers the Masters of Teaching (MAT) degree, a degree for teachers by teachers. For more information about the MAT program and opportunities for educational enrichment at ESU, please contact Dr. Chris Lovett at your convenience.

For Great Links for Social Science Teachers go to Teaching History: A Journal of Methods and for historical materials for the KSDE Academy can be found on the Populist and Progressive Links Site.