Session A

A1: "What Should We Teach About the Treaty of Versailles?"

Professor John Langdon, LeMoyne College

It’s been 100 years since the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.  It forms an important part of the 20th century portions of both 10th and 11th grade courses. The conventional wisdom that the Treaty was a major contributor to the outbreak of the Second World War needs to be revisited.  Let's look at the situation in which the Treaty was written and then examine its achievements and its shortcomings.

A2: "Geography: Don’t Teach History Without It"

Timothy McDonnell, NY Geographic Alliance

Geography is an important piece of the Social Studies Framework, but it often doesn't get the emphasis required for student success. During this presentation, we will try out lessons on New York, U.S. and World History from a geographic perspective. We will try to answer questions like, "What does the growing season have to do with the Civil War?" and "How is the availability of natural resources related to the Industrial Revolution in Europe?" Teachers from all grade levels are welcome to attend.

A3: "Refugees, Immigrants, Executive Orders, Oh My!"

Beth A. Broadway and Olive Sephuma, The Center for New Americans

After a very brief history of the US Refugee Resettlement program, we will look at the current situation for refugees and immigrants in light of new federal policies and orders, then consider the impact on our communities, schools, and human suffering.

A4: "Root Systems, Hurricanes and Land Cultivation: Using Ecological Metaphors for Helping Students Navigate Mis- and

Dis-Information Online"

Whitney Phillips, The SI Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University

As we witness with our students, the “open terrain” of the digital age is grounds for both peril and promise for young thinkers.  Drawing from the ecological metaphors featured in her forthcoming book You Are Here: A Field Guide for Navigating Network Pollution,  Dr. Phillips will discuss strategies for addressing mis- and disinformation with students. She will also provide a set of practical tips instructors can use to encourage ethical self-reflection online.   

Session B

B1: "What Should We Teach About Islam and the Islamic World?"

Professor John Langdon, LeMoyne College

For 6th, 9th and 10th grade teachers, Islam is a topic that is both enormously important and enormously controversial.  This presentation suggests three areas of Islam that all world history courses should cover: The Islamic view of war and conquest, Islamic ethics and human rights, and Islam's attitudes toward other religions.

B2: "Turning Slacktivism into Activism in the Age of Social Media"

Dr. Nicole Waid, SUNY Oneonta

Young people have grown into one of the largest voting blocks in the US electorate. Students can passively share posts on social media about issues they personally care about, or they can expand the conversation through informal writing tasks. In this presentation, we will examine the importance of young people getting involved in causes they care about in the age of social media. The presentation will explore the importance of cultivating persuasive arguments that can be shared in order to increase civic engagement. There will be pre-writing strategies presented to illustrate how students can use graphic organizers and Padlet to express their thoughts in an informal matter.

B3: "Teaching Politics in the Age of Trump"

Chris Faricy, Associate Professor, Syracuse University

Back by popular demand!  For educators, it can feel at times that our political environment has never been more contentious or volatile, making our work more challenging than ever.  Together, we will explore how the Trump Presidency has changed and not changed teaching the basic tenets of American government.

B4: "Upper Elementary Social Studies"

Eleanor Leach, Syracuse City School District

We at CNYCSS are thrilled to bring teachers together to share best practices and support each other’s instruction.  In this session, classroom veteran Ellie Leach will share the ideas, philosophies and process used to create a complete and abridged curriculum for the 3rd, 4th and 5th grades in the Syracuse City School District. She states, “our goals were to create a curriculum that facilitated the best possible instruction in the likely limited time dedicated to elementary social studies.” Ms. Leach will also share complete units with student worksheets, teacher instructions and power points that can be used in any New York State classroom for each grade level.