All resources in Washington Social Studies

Grade 5 Inquiry: Plight of the Honey Bees

(View Complete Item Description)

This inquiry by Karen Morley-Smith, Evergreen Public Schools, is based on the C3 Framework inquiry arc. Through shared reading, videos, articles, class discussions, reflections, and the study of natural rights and common good, students develop a rich understanding of the honey bee's role in the survival of life.

Material Type: Lesson, Lesson Plan, Teaching/Learning Strategy, Unit of Study

Authors: Barbara Soots, Washington OSPI OER Project, Jerry Price, Karen Morley-Smith

Grade 5 Inquiry: Representation in Congress

(View Complete Item Description)

This inquiry by Melissa M. Kunert, Evergreen Public Schools, is based on the C3 Framework inquiry arc. This inquiry provides an opportunity for students to analyze the constitution as it pertains to life today. Becoming a responsible citizen in society is an important role that also requires education about how our constitution was first written and that changes can always be made in our world

Material Type: Lesson, Lesson Plan, Teaching/Learning Strategy, Unit of Study

Authors: Barbara Soots, Washington OSPI OER Project, Jerry Price, Melissa Kunert

Grade 5 Inquiry: The Boston Massacre. What Really Happened?

(View Complete Item Description)

This inquiry by Amy Johnson, Longview Public Schools, is based on the C3 Framework inquiry arc. The students will highlight the two primary sources then reflect. They will then do the Open Mind activity illustrating both points of view they learned from the primary sources, develop a three-event timeline and create a newspaper front page describing “What really happened March 5, 1770.”

Material Type: Lesson, Lesson Plan, Primary Source, Teaching/Learning Strategy

Authors: Barbara Soots, Washington OSPI OER Project, Jerry Price

Holocaust Center for Humanity - Website Guidance

(View Complete Item Description)

Holocaust education is history, literature, social studies, psychology, art, and so much more. By studying the Holocaust we learn the importance of speaking out against bigotry and indifference, promoting equity, and taking action. Studies show that Holocaust education both improves students' critical thinking skills and encourages "upstander" behavior: willingness to act upon civic awareness and confront hatred in all its forms. On this site you're going to find lessons that adhere to the requisite guidelines for teaching about the Holocaust and Genocide, with options for in-person and remote instruction. Each Overview Lesson includes:Historical summarySurvivor video clipsDiscussion questionsCommon Core State Standards addressed in that lesson

Material Type: Primary Source, Teaching/Learning Strategy

Authors: Kari Tally, Washington OSPI OER Project, OSPI Social Studies

State We're In: Washington (3-5 Edition) Teacher Guide

(View Complete Item Description)

These Teacher Guides were developed by Washington educators to accompany the League of Women Voters of Washington's book The State We're In: Washington (Grade 3-5 Edition). Each chapter guide is  aligned with Washington Social Studies Learning Standards and includes a launch activity, focused notes, text-dependent questions, and an inquiry lesson developed using the C3 Framework. 

Material Type: Lesson, Lesson Plan, Unit of Study

Authors: Barbara Soots, Washington OSPI OER Project, Jerry Price, OSPI Social Studies

Living in Washington: Geography, Resources, and Economy

(View Complete Item Description)

The unit from Central Valley School District in Washington, is focused on the examination of geography in terms of “place.” Students dive into inquiry to answer the compelling question, What is unique about living in Washington? Through this question students will understand where and why people live in Washington State. Students will dive into the regions of Washington State and define it through many characteristics. Students will ultimately choose a region to become an expert on and communicate what makes that region unique. Each student’s performance task product will reflect choice and build upon student strengths according to their skill set.

Material Type: Lesson, Lesson Plan, Teaching/Learning Strategy, Unit of Study

Authors: Washington OSPI OER Project, Leslie Heffernan

Pacific Northwest: Tribes, Exploration, and Expansion

(View Complete Item Description)

In this unit from Central Valley School District in Washington, students dive into inquiry, engaging with compelling questions to help learn about the culture of some of their tribal neighbors and the forces that brought change to the northwest: fur trade era and exploration. The module includes detailed teaching notes for planning and executing instruction, emphasizing close reading of complex texts and specific strategies for supporting students' evidence-based reading and writing. It provides clear requirements for student work, along with summative assessments, central texts, key resources, and protocols to facilitate learning.

Material Type: Lesson, Lesson Plan, Module, Teaching/Learning Strategy, Unit of Study

Authors: Washington OSPI OER Project, Leslie Heffernan

Teaching Elections in Washington State: Lesson Plans and Classroom Activities

(View Complete Item Description)

Educators need civics curriculum that informs and engages students. Teaching Elections in Washington State is written in partnership with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and Washington teachers to do just that. For more resources visit: Civics Education | Washington Office of Secretary of State - https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/civics/ Elections and Voting Teaching Resources Toolkit | Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

Material Type: Lesson, Lesson Plan, Module, Unit of Study

Authors: Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, Washington Secretary of State

How is being a citizen online like being one in real life?

(View Complete Item Description)

The inquiry helps students examine the responsibility of  being a citizen both in the real world and the online world. In answering the compelling question “How is being a citizen online the same as being one in real life?” students will identify the attitudes and actions necessary to be a good citizen. The unit offers 12 lessons with formative performance tasks for educators to choose from depending on the age and needs of their students. Each provides students with opportunities to collect evidence and an understanding of how online behavior and boundaries are comparable to those necessary in the real world. At the end of the inquiry, students create an explanation and identify examples of the correlation between online and real life communities.  Unit created by NCESD teachers: Sara Bedient, Sasha Dart, Brittany Jones, Krystina Nelson, Julia Spanjer, Keirstin Stansbury, Brittney Therriault   

Material Type: Unit of Study

Authors: Anne Stewart, Sasha Dart, Sara Bedient, Krystina Nelson, Julie Spanjer, Brittney Therriault, Keirstin Stansbury

Conference for Social Studies 2022

(View Complete Item Description)

These 10-15 minute videos from the 2022 Conference for Social Studies provide inspiration and practical ideas for improving teaching practice. Talks are organized into the following tracks: * Assessing Historical Thinking * Bringing Context to World Events * Crafting Inquiry * Literacy * Taking Informed Action These videos are free for online viewing.

Material Type: Teaching/Learning Strategy

Author: Big History Project

3rd Grade History Unit: Geography & Cultures of North America

(View Complete Item Description)

The unit is focused on the examination of geography in terms of “place.” Students dive into inquiry to answer the compelling questions, “Where are we?” and “Who are we?” Through these two questions students will understand where they live and where people around the world live. Students will also dive into the term “culture” and define it through many characteristics. Students will examine and reflect upon their own culture and research different cultures of North America.

Material Type: Unit of Study

Authors: Leslie Heffernan, Morgen Larsen

BlackPast.org - Online Reference Center Resources

(View Complete Item Description)

BlackPast.org provides free access to documents, transcripts, timelines, videos, and lesson suggestions. With over 6,000 pages of information, BlackPast.org is the single largest free and unrestricted resource on African American and African history on the Internet today. Through this knowledge, the site aims to promote greater understanding to generate constructive change in our society.This resource highlights teacher-developed lessons for using BlackPast.org in the classroom and links to different sections of the BlackPast.org website.

Material Type: Lesson, Primary Source, Reading

Authors: Barbara Soots, Jerry Price, Washington OSPI OER Project, Jerry Price

3rd Grade History Unit Design: Native Americans of North America

(View Complete Item Description)

This unit on American Indians: By studying the regions of the United States and the cultures that live in each region, students are able to compare/contrast within regions and across regions how tribes used their environments, and their cultural and other contributions to American life. Note that the emphasis here is on broader groups of tribes for each region with some instruction on specific tribes representing each region. In no way is this case study approach to learning about one tribe meant to be generalized to all tribes of that region. We understand that each tribe was and continues to be unique in its culture, practices, lifeways, and traditions.

Material Type: Unit of Study

Author: Leslie Heffernan

Best Practices in Fair Use for Open Educational Resources - Webinar Series

(View Complete Item Description)

As educators begin to develop OER, one component of that process is navigating concerns around copyright when finding digital teaching materials. This webinar series addresses that and is divided into two tracks: K-12 and Higher Education. There are also two stand-alone webinar options that can be attended by both the K-12 and Higher Education community. All of the webinars will also be available on YouTube and linked to this page after the live event has ended.

Material Type: Teaching/Learning Strategy

Author: American University Washington College of Law