Articles
This spring, Humanities Texas will conduct in-person and online professional development programs for social studies and English language arts teachers. In-person workshops include "Teaching the Civil War" in San Antonio (February 26) and Dallas (February 27), "Teaching the Literature of American Wars" in College Station (March 7), "Teaching Twentieth-Century Texas History" in Austin (April 8), and "Teaching Contemporary Popular Literature at the Secondary Level" in Dallas (April 24).
Webinars include "Experiencing the Harlem Renaissance" (January 14), "Uncovering History: Humanities Resources for Teaching the Holocaust" (January 22), "Texas Originals in the Classroom" (January 28), "Reading Like a Historian with the Digital Inquiry Group" (February 5 and 12), "Teaching Civil War Photography with the National Gallery of Art" (February 10), and "AI in the Humanities Classroom" (February 20).
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.
Experiencing the Harlem Renaissance (Webinar)
"Experiencing the Harlem Renaissance" will take place on Zoom from 5:00–6:15 p.m. CT on January 14. This webinar will provide actionable strategies for enhancing classroom learning about the Harlem Renaissance era through the use of digital resources, augmented and virtual reality, and artificial intelligence. The session will introduce educators to powerful tools and applications, demonstrating how to engage students with the period and its key figures through immersive experiences relating to Harlem, New York. Bryan Carter of the University of Arizona will lead the webinar.
Uncovering History: Humanities Resources for Teaching the Holocaust (Webinar)
"Uncovering History: Humanities Resources for Teaching the Holocaust" will take place on Zoom from 5:00–6:30 p.m. CT on January 22. In this webinar, Latricia Davis and Charlotte Decoster of the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum will explore educational resources for teaching the Holocaust in humanities courses. Participants will be introduced to the museum's K–12 TEKS-aligned lessons and activities that educators can access through a free online database. Participants will also learn about resources to bring into the classroom in preparation for Holocaust Remembrance Week.
Texas Originals in the Classroom (Webinar)
"Texas Originals in the Classroom" will take place on Zoom from 5:00–6:15 p.m. CT on January 28. The webinar will introduce teachers to our Texas Originals curriculum. Texas Originals, developed by Humanities Texas and Houston Public Media, is a radio series profiling individuals who have had a profound influence on Texas history and culture, many of whom are featured in the seventh-grade Texas history TEKS. The curriculum provides activities and lessons to integrate Texas Originals into the classroom with expectations for reading, writing, and using accepted social studies conventions and practices. Signe Fourmy of The University of Texas at Austin will lead the webinar.
Reading Like a Historian with the Digital Inquiry Group (Webinar Series)
"Reading Like a Historian with the Digital Inquiry Group" will take place on Zoom from 5:00–6:30 p.m. CT on February 5 and 12. The webinars will introduce participants to the Digital Inquiry Group's Reading Like a Historian curriculum, which teaches students how to investigate historical questions by employing reading strategies such as sourcing, contextualizing, corroborating, and close reading. Instead of memorizing historical facts, students evaluate the trustworthiness of multiple perspectives on historical issues and learn to make historical claims backed by documentary evidence. Joel Breakstone, cofounder and executive director of the Digital Inquiry Group, will lead the webinars.
Teaching Civil War Photography with the National Gallery of Art (Webinar)
"Teaching Civil War Photography with the National Gallery of Art" will take place on Zoom from 5:00–6:30 p.m. CT on February 10. This interactive session on teaching Civil War photography will help students develop visual literacy, historical thinking, and analysis skills in the humanities classroom. Julie Carmean and Heidi Hinish of the National Gallery will lead the webinar.
AI in the Humanities Classroom (Webinar)
"AI in the Humanities Classroom" will take place on Zoom from 5:00–6:15 p.m. CT on February 20. The program for social studies and English language arts teachers will provide strategies to help teachers and students navigate new AI technologies. The webinar will support students' development in the skills of digital and media literacy, critical thinking and analysis, and research and writing. Casey Boyle of The University of Texas at Austin will lead the webinar.
Teaching the Civil War (In-Person Workshop)
"Teaching the Civil War" will take place in San Antonio on February 26 and Dallas on February 27. Topics to be addressed include approaches to teaching slavery in U.S. history, the road to the Civil War, and turning points of the Civil War. Workshop faculty includes Leslie Alexander (Rutgers University), Richard Bell (University of Maryland), Michelle Kuhl (University of Wisconsin Oshkosh), and Sarah Purcell (Grinnell College).
Teaching the Literature of American Wars (In-Person Workshop)
"Teaching the Literature of American Wars" will take place in College Station on March 7. The workshop will focus on the literature of major American wars, including the Civil War, World Wars I and II, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and the War on Terror. Workshop faculty includes Marian Eide (Texas A&M University), Coleman Hutchison (The University of Texas at Austin), Steven Trout (The University of Alabama), and Alex Vernon (Hendrix College).
Teaching Twentieth-Century Texas History (In-Person Workshop)
"Teaching Twentieth-Century Texas History" will take place in Austin on April 8. Topics to be addressed include women's suffrage in Texas, the Chicano Movement, African American civil rights, and the emergence of a two-party Texas. Workshop faculty includes Jessica Brannon-Wranosky (East Texas A&M University), Sean Cunningham (Texas Tech University), Michael L. Gillette (former executive director of Humanities Texas), and Monica Muñoz Martinez (The University of Texas at Austin).
Teaching Contemporary Popular Literature at the Secondary Level (In-Person Workshop)
"Teaching Contemporary Popular Literature at the Secondary Level" will take place in Dallas on April 24. Topics to be addressed include teaching dystopian literature, graphic novels, and young adult (YA) literature. Workshop faculty will be announced soon.
These 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-level U.S. history, Texas history, and English 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 online 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.
The Digital Inquiry Group's Reading Like a Historian video.