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Central New York Council for the Social Studies

2024 Annual Conference

Empowering Tomorrow 

Social Studies Education has Never Been More

Timely, Relevant, or Crucial in Empowering Informed Global Citizens

Thursday, October 24, 2024

7:30am - 2:20pm

Marriot Syracuse Downtown

100 E Onondaga St, Syracuse, NY

Keynote Address

How do average people think about politics and policy in the modern polarized age? Myth busting the textbook view of citizenship and democracy. 

Chris Faricy Director, Syracuse University, Campbell Public Affairs Institute, Hicker Professor of Renewing Democratic Community

The CNYCSS is both grateful and excited to have Chris Faricy returning to our PD Day to address the issue on the heart and minds of social studies educators, that of the election and our political system. Dr. Faricy has worked extensively with our council and our membership in the past, and continues to help provide educators with an increased level of historical context and a greater degree of perspective when both analyzing and teaching U.S. politics. Dr. Faricy will discuss the latest research on public opinion and democracy with ideas that challenge the conventional wisdom and media portrayal of the average voter in America. The material presented will help teachers augment their lesson plans and activities with new information and research about how citizens think about politics, policy and democracy. Chris will also offer some useful book suggestions.

Schedule

7:30 a.m. to 8:25 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:35 a.m. to 9:40 a.m. Keynote Address

9:40 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Please Visit Community Connections Row

10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Session A Presentations

11:10 a.m. to 12:10 p.m Session B Presentations

12:10 p.m. to 1:10 p.m.  Lunch

1:20 p.m. to 2:20 p.m.  Session C Presentations

Presentation Descriptions

Session A Presentations - 10:00 AM to 11:00 a.m.

A1:  Let’s Talk About the Middle East Conflict: Addressing Language and Its Impact

Dave Reckess - Executive Director of 3GNY Descendants of Holocaust Survivors 

Andrea Jacobs - Manager for youth & school-based programs at InterFaith Works of CNY

In this interactive session from 3GNY and Interfaith Works, participants will increase their comfort level in discussing the current crisis in the Middle East. Grounded in the dialogic method, participants will discuss the impact of the language used to describe the ongoing Middle East conflict on individuals and communities. Participants will use dialogue techniques to uncover personal and communal bias, and consider ways to bridge divides that arise in schools as a result of the conflict.

*Participants are encouraged to also attend “Let’s Talk About the Middle East Conflict: Personal Testimony and Finding Common Ground”

A2: Roots of the Revolution: Women, Social Movements, and the Seneca Falls Convention

Molly Jessup, PhD - Education Specialist at the Women's Rights National Historical Park

 The 1848 Women's Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, New York ignited a social movement that expanded understandings of American citizenship. With roots in abolitionist  activism, the convention created a framework for what would become the formal women’s rights movement in the United States. This presentation will help participants make the connection between the political condition of women in the nineteenth century, grassroots  activism, and the long campaign to achieve equal rights. The session will provide information and context for the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention. The  session will also share National Park Service resource information with the participants (free  field trips, virtual programs, Ranger in the Classroom, and the NPS Educator's Portal). This  session is best suited for those teaching US History, particularly middle school and high school educators (7, 11). However they do offer 4th grade field trip programs and lesson  plans, so that information may be of interest to elementary educators as well.

A3: More Light than Heat: Teaching Politics and the Presidency in Contentious Times

Margaret Susan Thompson - Professor of History and Political Science at the Maxwell School - Syracuse University

Teaching about politics and government at a time of passion and polarization is not easy. This session will suggest ways to emphasize substance over emotion, and to help students understand the realities inner workings of federal elections and government.With plenty of time for Q&A and sharing strategies, participants will come away with new ideas about how to teach about difficult and often controversial--but also very important--matters.This session is best suited for high school teachers, particularly at the 11th and 12th grades, as students approach their own engagement as voters and active citizens.

A4: Elementary Education Strand | Hands on Geography: Exploring Geographic Reasoning in the Education Classroom 

Donna Merlau - Education Consultant 

Come explore geographic reasoning, one of the six practices included in the NYS K-8 Social Studies Framework. Engage in spatial thinking, defining and applying the vocabulary of geographic reasoning, and investigating ways to operationalize these ideas using hands-on-activities in the elementary classroom.  Participants will discuss how to integrate geography skills with content in NYS K-8 Framework. Takeaways include lesson ideas, resources, and materials that can be used in the classroom or for turn-key training. Best suited for grades K-5.

Session B Presentations - 11:10 a.m. to 12:10 p.m.

B1: Let’s Talk About the Middle East Conflict: Personal Testimony and Finding Common Ground

Dave Reckess - Executive Director of 3GNY Descendants of Holocaust Survivors 

Andrea Jacobs - Manager for youth & school-based programs at InterFaith Works of CNY

In this interactive session from 3GNY and Interfaith Works, participants will increase their comfort level in discussing the current crisis in the Middle East. Participants will hear and discuss first-person testimony from diverse members of our local community who have been directly impacted by the conflict. Participants will build a deeper understanding of the human impacts of the conflict on local communities, and explore how to create inclusive and affirming classrooms for all students. 

*Participants are encouraged to also attend “Let’s Talk About the Middle East Conflict: Addressing Language and Its Impact”

B2. Scramble for Africa and its Post-Colonial Ripple Effects

Godriver Odhiambo, PhD - Associate Professor of History at Le Moyne 

This session will discuss the "Professed motives" such as the need to spread Christianity and Stop Slave trade vs., the real motives for Scramble- i,e., ' Africa as an El Dorado'-  Africa as a source of untold wealth/resources needed for Industrial Revolution such as rubber. Additionally, the talk will juxtapose the 19th Century Scramble for Africa with the Modern Scramble, whereby Multinational Companies have replaced the Imperialists and the looting of African resources continues unabated.

B3: Hands on Geography: Exploring Geographic Reasoning Grades 6-12

Donna Merlau - Education Consultant

Come explore geographic reasoning, one of the six practices included in the NYS K-12 Social Studies Framework. Engage in spatial thinking, defining and applying the vocabulary of geographic reasoning, and investigating ways to operationalize these ideas using hands-on-activities in the classroom.  Participants will discuss how to integrate geography skills with content in NYS K-12 Framework. Takeaways include lesson ideas, resources, and materials that can be used in the classroom or for turn-key training.

B4: Elementary Education Strand | The Science of Reading and Social Studies Instruction    

Ellie Leach, Social Studies Instructional Coach - Syracuse City School District        

Laura Jackson, Humanities Coach - Syracuse City School District

How can the science of reading support Social Studies instruction? Join our SCSD Instructional coaches and delve into three classroom strategies that can be utilized to simultaneously improve students’ reading comprehension and knowledge of social studies. 

Session C Presentations - 1:20 p.m. to 2:20 p.m.

C1: Black in the Archive: Black Archival Praxis in the Salt City

Jessica Terry-Elliott- PHD Candidate Syracuse University

Understanding how the process and action of preservation shapes narrative of people and place is an analysis of history.  Syracuse, New York is a place that has a rich and complex history and searching through what has been preserved allows historians and educators, students and policy makers to grapple with the tale of the Salt City.

C2: Engage Students with Interactive Lessons in Social Studies

Lynette Avery- Adjunct at SUNY Oswego and retired Liverpool High School social studies teacher.

Do you want your students to participate more in class? If so, this is the session for you! Participants will walk away with high interest lessons that embed social studies practices with evidence-based writing strategies. As a result of incorporating the practices and strategies into lessons, students will be able to make deeper connections and enhance their critical thinking skills. Lesson topics are a mixture of Global History and US History including the Haitian Revolution, FDR's New Deal, the Civil Rights Movement, Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam War, Collapse of the USSR, etc.

C3: The Ukrainian 2014 Revolution of Dignity: Civil Society, Social Justice and the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

Zenon Wasyliw, Professor of History, Ithaca College (and former Social Studies Education Program Coordinator) wasyliw@ithaca.edu

C4: Elementary Education Strand | Voting and the Election in the Elementary Classroom

Nick Stamoulacatos, Director of Social Studies - Syracuse City School District

Colleen Mayberry, Elementary Social Studies Integration Coach - Syracuse City School District     

The increasing complexity, various mediums, and overall volume of discourse surrounding the election and politics requires educators at the elementary level teach and model civic dialogue. Join our SCSD instructional coaches to discuss strategies to increase students civic literacy skills at the Elementary level as outlined in the C-3 and NYS K-12 Frameworks. 

Parking Information

Upon entering garage you will be provided a parking slip (ticket). Please bring this to our registration desk so that we can add a sticker (barcode) so that your parking is validated.