History and Social Sciences

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 Delivers the New California HSS Framework

Resources

History-Social Studies Framework 

Upcoming Professional Opportunities

Region 4 History-Social Science Professional Learning Series

In order to help K-12 History-Social Science teachers deepen their pedagogical content knowledge, and build relationships with fellow H-SS teachers across across the Bay Area, the Region 4 History-Social Science Network will be hosting a series of Professional Learning Workshops in 2022-23. These no cost, robust, interactive, and practical sessions will focus on the four key elements of the History-Social Science framework--Content, Literacy, Inquiry and Civics (CLIC).

To Register for the free sessions, click here

Ethnic Studies Professional Learning Series

Ethnic Studies has been adopted as a graduation requirement at high schools in California. The purpose of this series is to introduce Ethnic Studies approaches and content to secondary teachers, as well as site and district leaders.

To Register for the learning series, click here