History and Social Sciences

Resources for Teaching Indigenous Peoples History

California’s History-Social Science Framework calls for students to examine the history and culture of Native Californian peoples, including the Ramaytush (ra-MY-toosh) Ohlone people, who lived on the San Francisco Peninsula for thousands of years and to this day continue to live here as respectful stewards of the land. Below are culturally responsive resources to help educators teach about Indigenous peoples.

Classroom Ready Resources for Teachers (Teaching California): Find lessons that explore California Indian history and help students understand diverse perspectives, evaluate historical evidence, and unpack ethical considerations of the past.
Map of Original Native Tribes & Teacher’s Guide (Native Land): Search Indigenous territories and engage your classroom in the complexity and diversity of Indigenous peoples.
Bay Area Native History Resources (UC Berkeley History-Social Science Project): Access culturally responsive resources about settler colonialism and the ongoing history and presence of Ohlone people in the Bay Area.
Frameworks for Teaching History - Social Justice Standards, Teaching Hard History, Digital Literacy (Teaching Tolerance): Find frameworks for teaching social justice standards, American slavery, digital literacy, and civil rights.
Rethinking Columbus Teaching Resources (Zinn Education Project): Search through lessons, books, and films on how to teach the truth about Christopher Columbus and Indigenous peoples’ history.
California Indian Education Resources (California Indian Education for All): Access resources and professional development opportunities to learn about the diverse histories, cultures, and contributions of California Native peoples.
Indigenous People's Day Teaching Toolkit (San Diego County Office of Education): Find resources to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day, including a board resolution, lesson plans, and toolkits.
Native American History Month (Library of Congress): Search through articles, webpages, videos, and other media that provide information on Indigenous peoples.
Teaching about Native American Life Resources (California Teachers Association): Learn about Native American history and contemporary life and access ideas for class discussions, writing, research, and community involvement.

The San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) offers support for the History-Social Science Framework and Content Standards. Support services can be provided at site and district levels. SMCOE offers workshops, institutes, and events county-wide.

Support for schools and districts can include:

History-Social Sciences Framework Overviews for Sites or Districts
Site & District Alignment Sessions
Textbook Adoption Process and Implementation Support
Teacher Support & Training- Framework Shifts
TOSA/Coaches Community of Practice Network
Civics Education Training
Social Justice & Equity in Historical Practices Training
Teaching Planning & Support

Civics Award

The Civic Learning Award celebrates public schools' efforts to engage students in civic learning. The award program also identifies models that can be replicated in other schools. Co-sponsored by Chief Justice and California State Superintendent of Public Instruction, award winners are announced in February of each year. Learn more about the Civic Learning Award for California Public Schools.

Civics Learning Resources

Educators can use this Civics Learning Resources Padlet to teach students about civics engagement.

State Seal of Civic Engagement - History-Social Science (CA Dept of Education) Information and resources regarding the State Seal of Civic Engagement

National History Day

National History Day (NHD) is a non-profit education organization based in College Park, Maryland. NHD offers year-long academic programs that engage over half a million middle- and high-school students around the world annually in conducting original research on historical topics of interest. NHD motivates students to discover history by:

Cultivating interest: students research a topic of their choice;
Developing research skills: students act as historians discovering how to uncover primary sources, build historical context and form historical interpretations;
Becoming experts on their research topic: presenting their research to teachers, students, and historians; and
Achieving success: The shy student gains confidence when speaking about a topic he/she has researched, the apathetic student gains passion by choosing a topic of personal interest, and the high achieving student increases his/her ability to articulate learning through presentation.

Information for Teachers

National History Day (Padlet)

National History Day Delivers the New California HSS Framework

https://Mock Trial padlet.com/