Webinar Series To Assist Teachers With Comprehensive History Instruction

“Our children deserve to learn about the full breadth of U.S. and world history,” said State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice. “As educators, we have the responsibility to teach them this full breadth of history, including race, racism, sexism, and other difficult and challenging subjects.”

MDE is collaborating with professional organizations and higher education institutions that support teachers of social studies.

"As John Dewey famously said, 'Democracy has to be born anew every generation, and education is its midwife.' Providing these opportunities for delivering factual and timely instruction in an engaging manner is critical to maintaining our republic," said State Board of Education President Dr. Casandra Ulbrich. "These presentations will provide Michigan educators with additional tools to teach relevant content to our youngest citizens."

This webinar series will help educators learn more about historical movements, events, and peoples that are part of the rich, diverse history of our country and world. 

“A solid understanding of the historical movements of our nation is an invaluable tool, which helps us understand people and the societies in which they lived,” said Rebecca Bush, president of the Michigan Council for the Social Studies. “Multiple perspectives provide a kaleidoscopic view of a collection of cultural histories from which to examine change and continuity across time and place. This series aims to equip teachers with vast content knowledge necessary for effective citizenship and a firm grasp of how the world works today.”

"I applaud the Michigan Department of Education for highlighting these important historical movements that represent not only an important place in Michigan's history but in our nation, as well,” said Nick Orlowski, president of the Michigan Council for History Education. “Further, Dr. Rice's leadership in protecting and celebrating the work of history teachers and historians in a time when other states have them under attack makes me a proud Michigander. Neither our state, nor our nation, is perfect, which makes it all the more vital to tell the stories of those who have strived to make our country a more perfect union even if it shines an unfavorable light on the past."

Registration is now open to all educators for the free virtual webinar series, with the understanding that the content may be more useful for teachers of particular grade levels than others.

• Remembering the Holocaust: Never Forget to Never Repeat

Wednesday, April 13, 20, 27: 4-5 p.m. on April 13 and 27; 3:30-4:30 p.m. on April 20.

• Maawndoonganan: Using the Indigenous-Developed Social Studies Resource Guide to Teach “To and About First Peoples”

Wednesday, June 29: 4-5:30 p.m.

Additional webinars on other topics will be announced in the coming months.

Each webinar session will feature a unique presentation on a given subject. Educators interested in a given topic are encouraged to attend all sessions associated with the topic. Presenters will help educators learn more about movements in and aspects of history about which educators may have had little if any background.

Michigan educators can register for the webinar series by visiting the conference registration pages:

• Register by April 11, 2022: Remembering the Holocaust: Never Forget to Never Repeat

• Register by June 27, 2022:  Maawndoonganan: Using the Indigenous-Developed Social Studies Resource Guide to Teach To and About First Peoples

The webinar series has the support of: Michigan Education Association, AFT Michigan, Michigan Council for the Social Studies, Michigan Council for History Education, Michigan Association for Media in Education, Library of Michigan, Michigan Academic Library Association.