February 2021 Newsletter

Gilder Lehrman National History Teacher of the Year Award

From the Gilder Lehrman website:

Nominations and applications for the Gilder Lehrman 2021 National History Teacher of the Year Award are now open. The 2021 award will honor exceptional elementary and secondary school teachers. Eligible generalist and specialist teachers in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense schools, and US Territories are encouraged to apply.

Any full-time educator of grades K–12 who teaches American history (including state and local history) is eligible for consideration. American history may be taught as an individual subject or as part of other subjects, such as social studies, reading, or language arts.

  • The nominated teacher must have at least three years of classroom teaching experience.
  • Nominees must be planning to teach for at least one year following the award year.
  • Past state and national winners are not eligible.
  • Self-nominations are not accepted.

Deadline for 2021 nominations: April 30, 2021

Deadline for 2021 nominees to submit supporting materials: May 30, 2021

Black History Month Resources

Happy Black History Month! If you are looking for resources and lesson plans to commemorate Black history in your classroom, check out the links below!

We The Student Scholarship Contest

From the Bill of Rights Institute website:

What better time is there than now to reflect on the meaning of equality and justice in our world today? Encourage your students to enter this year’s We the Students essay contest.

Essay Prompt: What is the relationship between Equality and Justice?

Answering this question requires considering each of these principles and analyzing the relationship between them. To truly explore this question in an essay that is between 500 -800 words, you’ll need to go beyond “dictionary definitions,” and express your understanding and reasoning about the connection between these two principles. This reasoning involves a combination of observation, experience, and some pretty “big ideas.” What does it take to understand them? To build toward and maintain them? To see them with regard to each other? Why is this relationship important?

We encourage you to bring emotion, creativity, specific examples, and well-researched facts into what you write. A good essay will demonstrate how equality and justice are not just abstract ideas but are part of the actions and choices of people every day. We genuinely want to know how you would answer the question – what is the relationship between Equality and Justice?

Deadline for entry is April 15, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Native Indigenous Centered Education Program Virtual Storytelling

EVERFI and NEST

How are your teachers meeting the Nebraska Economic Standards? EVERFI and NEST are offering schools the opportunity to host a virtual workshop where EVERFI will present an economic lesson and will help your students get signed up to use Vault. With this being an updated course and key initiative for EVERFI, we’re offering a $10 Amazon Gift Card incentive for opening your classroom to us. Vault is for grades 4-6 and is offered at no-cost through the NEST sponsorship.

Bonus:

Four lucky teachers will receive a DonorsChoose gift card for their class. To be eligible you must use one of the five online lessons within Vault with students on or before March 15. Winners will be announced during Financial Literacy Month!

Contact Heather Miller, hmiller@everfi.com or Erica Hart, ehart@everfi.com for more information or to schedule your classroom virtual lesson.

Civics in Real Life

From Civics in Real Life’s website:

The Florida Joint Center for Citizenship, in partnership with Civics Renewal Network and Teaching for Democracy Alliance have created “Civics in Real Life”. Civics is all around us. There is a lot to know about the government and how “We the People” interact with the government and each other. Let’s help each other expand our civic literacy. Concise resources to explore civics concepts connected to current events. Click, Download, and Go—Updated weekly!

TheFire.Org

From TheFire.Org website:

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education’s mission is to defend and sustain the individual rights of students and faculty members at America’s colleges and universities. These rights include freedom of speech, freedom of association, due process, legal equality, religious liberty, and sanctity of conscience—the essential qualities of liberty. FIRE educates students, faculty, alumni, trustees, and the public about the threats to these rights on our campuses, and provides the means to preserve them.

Reach the World

From the Reach the World website:

All youth need a global network to help them activate their own global journeys through work and life. All schools need to prepare students for a world where global collaboration and cooperation is the norm. Combating the ignorance that breeds fear and intolerance begins with young people. Reach the World transforms the energy of travelers into a learning resource for K-12 classrooms. Our programs use the web, messaging and video conferencing to connect youth with travelers in one-on-one global, virtual exchanges. Our nationwide network of educators, travelers and volunteers are building a more thoughtful and welcoming society by sharing the eye-opening benefits of travel with the youth of today, who will be the decision-makers of tomorrow.

Holocaust by Bullets in the Occupied Soviet Territories

World Food Prize Nebraska Youth Institute

British History Online

From the British History Online website:

British History Online is a collection of nearly 1300 volumes of primary and secondary content relating to British and Irish history, and histories of empire and the British world. BHO also provides access to 40,000 images and 10,000 tiles of historic maps of the British Isles.

We are making all of our transcribed content free until 30 April. This is a contribution to the work of researchers, teachers and students while library and archive access is difficult or impossible.

American Alliance of Museums – Distance Learning Repository

From the American Alliance of Museums website:

With children and learners out of school, learning hybrid and in other unexpected situations, museums across the continent have come together to share their distance learning with you. Use the pull-down filters to find the best programs and resources for your needs.

As of October 1, 2020, there are more than 1,000 resources or experiences listed in this repository, representing sites across the United States and in Canada, Argentina and Mexico, including eight languages and American Sign Language.

Digital Citizenship Contest

The Nebraska ESUs are excited to announce a Digital Citizenship Contest:  Belong, Be Safe, Be Kind, Be a Digi Smart Citizen. Students have the option to create a poster or PSA (public service announcement) that showcases how to Belong, Be Safe, Be Kind, Be a Digi Smart Citizen. All entries must be original creations and must be compliant with the established guidelines. Deadline will be mid-March, 2021.

History of Valentine’s Day

From the History Channel website:

“Valentine’s Day occurs every February 14. Across the United States and in other places around the world, candy, flowers and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and where did these traditions come from? Find out about the history of Valentine’s Day, from the ancient Roman ritual of Lupercalia that welcomed spring to the card-giving customs of Victorian England.” Select the link above to read and find out more!

Valentine’s Day Fun Facts! from the good people at Good Housekeeping. You see what I did there?!