GADOE Social Studies

Looking for an activity that engages students in collecting oral history?
Check out the Great Listen from Story Corps! (Great Thanksgiving Listen in November)
The Great Listen encourages people of all ages to create an oral history of our times by recording an interview with an elder, mentor, friend, or someone they admire. We invite you to participate in the annual Great Thanksgiving Listen — an initiative that encourages people to honor someone in their lives by recording their story for future generations. Participants can record an interview with someone in the same room using the free StoryCorps App or record with someone in a different location using StoryCorps Connect.
https://storycorps.org/discover/the-great-thanksgiving-listen/

Did you know that you can book a virtual field trip with Jimmy Carter National Historical Park? A ranger or education team member will guide your tour through the Boyhood Farm, Plains High School and Museum, or the Plains Depot. When you book a day, you reserve the whole day, so we can accommodate multiple classes within your booking. To get started, visit: https://www.nps.gov/jica/learn/education/planafieldtrip.htm

Are you getting ready to study Christopher Columbus? Do your students need to know more about maps and globes? Check out GaDOE Social Studies’ Inquiring Minds Video "What would you like to explore?" https://url.gadoe.org/1noq
Don’t forget the companion lesson to support the video full of activities and resources to use before, during, and after watching the video.
https://inspire.gadoe.org/lesson/16858

Check out the set of General Map Terms Vocabulary Flashcards Velocity Activity and Vocabulary Picture Dictionary to help support your students (especially English Learners) as you teach the Map and Globe Skills. They can be found under the “Course-Wide Resources” tab for every grade level or course (see image above).

This set is specifically intended for English Learners to build map terminology: they have Text-To-Speech support, are illustrated, have short, easy to understand definitions, and can easily be adapted and differentiated for all students; however, the definitions may need to be adjusted in terms of complexity, commensurate with student reading levels.
https://inspire.gadoe.org/courses/Social_Studies

Are you working on breaking down the standards with your team/department/district? Introducing a new feature in our digital standards application SuitCASE which is now embedded in GaDOE Inspire! 🎉 Logged in, you can create groups to foster collaboration and share ideas with your colleagues. The comments feature makes it easier than ever to respond and engage in meaningful standards-based discussions.
https://inspire.gadoe.org/

What’s GROWing on in Georgia???

The Georgia Department of Education is excited to launch a new annual initiative to map active school gardens across Georgia. We are interested in learning more about garden locations, types of gardens, and what is growing in different parts of the state. This project brings together different subjects like geography, nutrition, science, computer science, and more to visualize how where you live affects how you live.

Check out the live map to see what is GROWing on in Georgia. https://bit.ly/GaDOEgrowMap

Looking for resources on important court cases throughout history?
The State Bar of Georgia’s Law-Related Education (LRE) Program offers lesson plans, videos, and other resources in their Virtual Museum of Law that teachers can use to support learning in grades 8-12.
https://www.thelawmuseum.org/

America’s Field Trip Student Contest 2025
America250 just launched America’s Field Trip for the 2024–2025 school year! America’s Field Trip is a nationwide scholastic contest that invites students in grades 3–12 to share their perspectives on what America means to them through artwork or essays — with the opportunity to earn an unforgettable field trip experience at some of the nation’s most iconic historical and cultural landmarks. It is an opportunity for young people to get involved and ensure their voices are heard. The deadline for submissions is 5 p.m. ET on April 16, 2025.
For more information, visit https://america250.org/fieldtrip/

2025 National History Teacher of the Year.
Do you know an outstanding educator? The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is seeking nominations for 2025 National History Teacher of the Year. Each year we recognize first-rate K–12 teachers—from rural and urban districts, public and independent schools, teaching a wide variety of subjects—who find creative ways to bring history to life in their classrooms.
The nomination process is fast, easy, and free. Learn more and nominate a teacher at gilderlehrman.org/nhtoy
The nomination deadline for this year's award is April 30, 2025.

Did you know that GaDOE Social Studies has Professional Learning Communities for every grade and course as well as a PLC for innovative ideas AND teacher leaders? These PLCs are the perfect place to share and learn with your colleagues, be first to hear about resources, information, supports and upcoming professional learning opportunities near Y-O-U! Grab a friend and click herehttps://inspire.gadoe.org/user-files/859c02f5-c8fa-425a-bc81-a931cbb5308d.pdf for links to join a PLC that is sure to be a just right fit for you!