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This fall, Humanities Texas will conduct in-person teacher professional development programs throughout the state as well as a number of webinars. In-person programs include one-day workshops in Fort Worth and Dallas on the U.S. Constitution (October 4–5), in San Antonio on civic leaders in Texas history (October 12), and in Austin on teaching media literacy (October 20). We will also offer online programs on the making of Mexican Texas (September 26, October 3, and October 10), teaching slavery and Reconstruction (September 28), and the speeches of Abraham Lincoln (November 9) and Martin Luther King Jr. (November 30).

All programs will emphasize close interaction with scholars, the examination of primary sources and texts, and the development of effective pedagogical strategies and engaging assignments and activities.

The Making of Mexican Texas, 1820–1830 (Webinar Series)

"The Making of Mexican Texas, 1820–1830" will take place via Zoom from 5–6:30 p.m. CT on the following Mondays: September 26, October 3, and October 10. Teachers who register will receive information for each webinar in the series. Attendance for every weekly session is encouraged but not required.

This webinar series will offer teachers insight into the profound changes that remade Texas during the collapse of the Spanish Empire and the creation of the Mexican nation. Team-taught by a historian and two master teachers (Andrew Torget, University of North Texas; Jay Ferguson, Round Rock ISD; and Michelle Phillips, College Station ISD), the sessions will provide a collection of curriculum materials geared toward bringing innovative perspectives into the classroom.

Teaching Slavery and Reconstruction with the Last Seen Project (Webinar)

"Teaching Slavery and Reconstruction with the Last Seen Project" will take place over Zoom from 5–6:15 p.m. on Wednesday, September 28. Last Seen: Finding Family After Slavery aims to identify, digitize, transcribe, and publish ads placed in newspapers across the United States (and beyond) by formerly enslaved people searching for family members and loved ones after emancipation. This webinar will introduce teachers to the project and accompanying resources available for classroom use.

Teaching the U.S. Constitution (In-Person Workshops)

"Teaching the U.S. Constitution" will take place in Fort Worth on October 4 and in Dallas on October 5. Topics to be addressed include the Articles of Confederation, compromises made in adopting the Constitution, the Federalist and Anti-Federalist debates on the Constitution's ratification, and the Bill of Rights. Workshop faculty includes Denver Brunsman (George Washington University), Lorri Glover (Saint Louis University), and Joseph F. Kobylka (Southern Methodist University).

Civic Leaders in Texas History (In-Person Workshop)

"Civic Leaders in Texas History" will take place in San Antonio on October 12. The workshop will focus on the following individuals: José Antonio Navarro, Sam Houston, Alonso Perales, and Barbara Jordan. Presentations will examine the contributions of these important leaders in Texas history, demonstrating how each serves as a unique model of civic responsibility and civic engagement. Workshop faculty includes Jesús F. de la Teja (former Texas State Historian), Cynthia Orozoco (ENMU–Ruidoso), Andrew Torget (University of North Texas), and Cary Wintz (Texas Southern University).

Teaching Media Literacy (In-Person Workshop)

"Teaching Media Literacy" will take place in Austin on October 20. The workshop will provide resources and strategies to help middle and high school students become informed citizens and critical consumers of news in multiple media. Workshop faculty includes Gwynne Ash (Texas State University), Meghan Manfra (North Carolina State University), David Ryfe (The University of Texas at Austin), and Evan Smith (The Texas Tribune).

Teaching the Speeches of Abraham Lincoln (Webinar)

"Teaching the Speeches of Abraham Lincoln" will take place over Zoom from 5–6:15 p.m. on Wednesday, November 9. The webinar will offer specific suggestions for teaching Lincoln's most significant oratorical works—including his first and second inaugural addresses and the Gettysburg Address—focusing on their historical context and the rhetorical strategies deployed. The program will consider these speeches' role in Lincoln's legacy and highlight the most important takeaways for middle and high school students. Randall Fuller (University of Kansas) will lead the webinar.

Teaching the Speeches of Martin Luther King Jr. (Webinar)

"Teaching the Speeches of Martin Luther King Jr." will take place over Zoom from 5–6:15 p.m. on Wednesday, November 30. The webinar will offer specific suggestions for teaching King's most significant oratorical works—including his "I Have a Dream" speech—focusing on their historical context and the rhetorical strategies deployed. The program will consider these speeches' role in King's legacy and highlight the most important takeaways for middle and high school students. Aram Goudsouzian (University of Memphis) will lead the webinar.

The one-day workshops and webinars are open to all middle and high school social studies, language arts, and humanities teachers but will focus on topics and skills central to the state's secondary U.S. history, Texas history, and language arts curricula. Priority consideration will be given to early-career teachers in low-performing schools and districts.

More information about each program is available in the Education section of the Humanities Texas website. Teachers interested in attending should submit an application as soon as possible, as admissions are rolling and space is limited.

Participants will receive CPE credit and a wealth of curricular materials. CPE hours will be based on attendance and adjusted if a participant misses any portion of the program.

Please note that due to space limitations, you must be a registered participant to attend any of the in-person workshops.

These programs are made possible with major funding from the State of Texas with ongoing support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. "Civic Leaders in Texas History" is also made possible with major funding from the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation. "Teaching Media Literacy" is made possible with funding from the "Democracy and the Informed Citizen" initiative, sponsored by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Federation of State Humanities Councils.

Denver Brunsman (George Washington University) discusses George Washington's presidency during the "Founding a New Nation" institute at the LBJ Library.
Emancipation by King & Baird, c. 1865. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.
Scene at the Signing of the Constitution, 1940. Architect of the Capitol, Washington, DC.
Meeting with civil rights leaders, February 13, 1967. (From l to r:) Andy Biemillier (Legislative Director, AFL-CIO); Texas State Senator Barbara Jordan; and John Doar (Civil Rights Division, Department of Justice). LBJ Presidential Library photo by Yoichi Okamoto.
Inauguration of President Lincoln, 1861. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.
Interior of dome in the Main Reading Room of the Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, DC. Photograph by Carol M. Highsmith. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.