Social Studies
Times
Volume 3,
Number 1
September, 2004
“What we want is to
see the child in pursuit
of knowledge, and not
knowledge in pursuit of
the child.”
George Bernard Shaw
Upcoming Conferences
 RACSS October 25
Holidome, Henrietta,
NY
 Strong Museum Open
House for
Educators,
September 23rd
 Student Learning
Preferences
September 28th
Strong Museum
263-2701 x 314
 NYS Council for the
Social Studies,
March 2005
Saratoga Springs,
NY
Welcome Back!
It’s the start of another year in the RCSD. We are off and running. We have
a grant for American History, new textbooks for 9th, 10th and 12th graders,
more resources on the department website, and two new lead teachers for
social studies.
Information on all of these items is available at
http://socialstudiestimes.tripod.com.
Lead Teachers
Earlier this year the department had the opportunity to hire two lead teachers.
Jennifer Tomm is our elementary lead teacher and Lee Dam is our secondary
lead teacher.
Lee has taught 7th and 8th grade American History at James Madison High
School of Excellence. He has mentored several student teachers and has
acted as the Area Team Leader for the IBMYP at Madison. Through these
experiences, Lee mentored new and veteran staff with implementing and
adapting new curriculum.
Jennifer has taught grades 2 through 7 at various elementary schools,
including #52, #5, #17, #35 and, most recently, Monroe Middle School. She
has mentored many colleagues throughout the district and is an adjunct
instructor for the Roberts Wesleyan College educational department.
5th Grade Exam Approaching
The 5th grade exam is scheduled for November 17th and 18th. You can help
prepare your students by giving sample questions from last year’s exam,
reviewing DBQ techniques, and visiting some of the websites for hands-on
ideas. Use and review the DBQ Booklets and the Instructional Strategies
Booklets distributed to the buildings last spring. The exams are scored during
the second week of December.
A primary focus this year will be on
vocabulary development. If you need additional ideas, email Jennifer Tomm
at jennifer.tomm@rcsdk12.org.
7th/8th Grade Textbook Adoption
The Social Studies department has been approved to adopt materials for 7 th
and 8th grade this year. The adoption decision will be implemented in
September of 2005. The materials will be selected during this school year. .
If you wish to participate, please call Ternisha McWilliams at 262-8255 by
October 15th.
RACSS Conference
On October 25th, the Rochester Area Council for the Social Studies will hold its
annual conference at the Holidome in Henrietta. The conference has a variety
of workshops and presentations on classroom issues and current trends in
social studies. It also has local, regional, and national vendors giving away
free samples of classroom materials.
Councils:
National Council for the
Social Studies
socialstudies.org
1-800-523-7666
New York State Council
for the Social Studies
nyscss.org
Rochester Area Council
for the Social Studies
585-889-4627
Susan Hustleby
Kevin Klein
Rochester City School District
131 W. Broad Street
Rochester, NY 14614
Phone:
585-262-8194
If you are not a member of the RACSS, you can sign up by completing the
enclosed form. It is inexpensive to join and well worth the money. Besides
the annual conference, they hold monthly workshops on a variety of topics
and offer mini grants. Membership is free for new teachers! So, sign up
today! You can also visit www.racss.org for more information.
Free Busing to GCM, Again!
Genesee Country Museum is offering funding to cover the full cost of bus
transportation to their museum for elementary and middle school students.
Last year a record number of schools participated in the program. The grant
is for the spring of 2004. If you are interested in receiving the application, call
Doug Poole at 538-6822 x 218. The museum also offers “Movable Museums”.
The Moveable Museum comes to your school and allows students to
participate in history by touching, using, and learning about objects from the
19th century. Museum instructors, in period clothing, provide a glimpse into
the past through a variety of programs. For a list of the programs available,
please call 538-6822. You can download the History Bus form from the Social
Studies website.
PD Opportunities!
 NCTA Seminar: East Asia; Then and Now: China, Japan, and Korea in New
York State Schools (see attached).
Fax:
585-262-8614
 Join 6th grade teachers and the Education staff at the Memorial Art Gallery
for your Passport to the Past on Thursday, October 28 from 4-5:30.
Please contact: Paulette Davis, Artists-in-Residence Program, 262-8314,
email: paulette.davis@rcsdk12.org.
E-mail:
kevin.klein@rcsdk12.org
 Teaching the Freedom Trail: NYS Historical Society and RMSC on October
7th . Contact Garet Livermore, 1-888-547-1450 x 410.
http://socialstudiestimes.tripod.com
Lee Dam
Secondary LT
Lee.dam@rcsdk12.org
463-4100 x2320
Jennifer Tomm
Elementary LT
Jennifer.tomm@rcsdk12.org
463-4100 x2320
Social Studies Council Meetings
Social Studies Council for the Rochester City School District meetings are held
on the first Tuesday each month. Each school should have representation at
the meeting. The list of dates are:
October 5
March 1
November 2
April 5
December 7
May 3
January 4
June 7
Central
Office
Our
meetings
will be held at
Central
Office,
room
3B starting
4:00 pm
at 4:05 pm.
3B
February 1
NCTA Seminar: East Asia Then and Now: China, Japan, and
Korea in New York State Schools
This free seminar will provide middle and high school teachers with both content and resources to teach about
East Asia as identified in the New York State standards and Core Curriculum. This seminar series will be
conducted at Nazareth College on the following Saturdays: November 13, 2004, December 11, 2004, January
15, 2005, February 5, 2005, and March 5, 2005.
Benefits: Each teacher will
 Receive $200 worth of teaching materials for each teacher attending the seminars, including a
subscription to Education About Asia.
 Receive $300 stipend upon completion of the seminar requirements
 Receive $300 mini-grant to school for purchasing curriculum materials related to East Asia
 Receive $200 follow-up stipend sent after an administrator verifies materials are in the school and the
curriculum is being taught
 Be eligible for field study in China or Japan
 Apply for graduate credit or receive professional development or in-service credit, depending on home
district’s policy.
Requirements for application:
 Currently teaching 6th grade social studies, Global History I or II, AP World History or a social studies,
art or literature course in which East Asia is an important part of the curriculum
 Committed to attending 30 hours of seminar classes and completing the readings
 Create a written implementation plan showing how you will use the information and resources from the
seminar in your curriculum
 Order curriculum materials for school or department use
 Implement your plan in the 2005-2006 academic year
 Report on your teaching about Asia at a follow up session held in 2006.
Content:
 Area professors and master teachers will provide in depth information and materials on East Asian
related topics such as Geography, Philosophy, Religion, History, Literature, and Art as identified in the
NY State Core Curriculum.
Who should apply and how should I apply?
 Public and private school 3rd, 6th grade, Global History I and II, AP World History or social studies or
art or literature teachers whose courses include East Asia should apply by completing the attached
application form.
 Send completed application form to Terry Noonan, 8 Trailwood Circle, Rochester, NY 14618 by
November 5, 2004. Early application is encouraged as enrollment is limited to the first 20 qualified
applicants. If you have any questions contact Terry at 585- 442-6296 or tcnoonan@aol.com.
NATIONAL CONSORTIUM for TEACHING about ASIA (NCTA)
SEMINAR PROGRAM
Sponsored by the Five College Center for East Asian Studies NCTA National Site
Funded by The Freeman Foundation
Hosted by Nazareth College
Facilitated by Terry Noonan
Application Form
To be completed by the applicant:
Name:
Home address:
Home phone #:
Email:
School name & address:
School phone #:
Subject(s) & grade level(s) taught:
Statement:
Please attach a one-page statement describing how the seminar topics fit into your teaching assignment and
what you hope to gain from participation in the seminar itself. (Please indicate whether you previously
participated in a NCTA seminar.)
Agreement:
If accepted, I agree to participate in a 30-hour seminar, prepare an implementation plan, complete a mini-grant
order form, and attend a follow-up session in 2006. I understand that the stipends and mini-grant are contingent
upon completion of program requirements.
Signature of Applicant_____________________________________ Date____________
************************************************************************
To be completed by school administrator:
I support the participation of __________________________________in the NCTA Seminar. This teacher
currently teaches a course in which significant time may be devoted to the study of East Asia. This course is
part of the school curriculum and it is our intention to retain East Asia as a topic in this course.
Signature__________________________________________________
Printed Name:___________________________________Position:______________________
Phone #:______________________________Email:_______________________________
Rochester Area Council for the Social Studies (RACSS)
Annual Social Studies Conference
Monday, October 25, 2004
7:45-3:00
Holidome, 1111 Jefferson Road in Henrietta
Schedule:
7:45-8:15
8:15-9:30
Registration with Coffee and Danish
RACSS Welcome
Keynote – SED Update from JoAnn Larson
9:30-10:00
Coffee Break with Exhibits
10:00-11:00 Session #1
11:15-12:15 Session #2
12:15-1:15
Lunch
1:30-2:30
Session #3A
1:30-3:00
Session #3B – Elementary Resource Guide with JoAnn Larson
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2004-05 CONFERENCE - ROCHESTER AREA COUNCIL FOR THE SOCIAL STUDIES
Conference Registration Deadline: Wednesday, October 13, 2004. Please note that numbers are limited.
SORRY----NO PURCHASE ORDERS AND NO REFUNDS
Conference Registration Fees:
_____ $ 55.00 for 2004-05 RACSS Members
_____ $ 65.00 for non-members (includes Membership for Sept. 2004-Sept 2005)
_____ $ 30.00 for full-time Students & Retirees (includes Membership)
NAME____________________________________________________
ADDRESS_______________________________________________________ ZIP ___________
SCHOOL DISTRICT ______________________
SCHOOL NAME _________________________
PHONE (HOME) ________________ (SCHOOL) __________________ FAX _________________
PRIMARY AREA: _____Elementary _____Middle/Jr. High _____High School
_____College
_____Supervisor
_____Other
EMAIL ADDRESS (please print clearly) __________________________________
Please mail to:
Steve Schockow
(no PO’s please)
180 Willowbend Road
Rochester, NY 14618-4049
If you have questions about membership, please contact Steve Schockow at 442-5873 (Home – before 8:00 PM)
or at 342-2140 (School – Dake Jr. High in West Irondequoit) or racssmembers@aol.com (and reference RACSS
in subject)
Please make checks payable to “RACSS.”