#sschat Archive
#sschat is a network of educators, resources, and ideas that started on Twitter, but has expanded to Facebook, an annual NCSS unconference, and more. Join us to chat asynchronously on Twitter or Facebook, or chat with us live on Mondays from 7-8pm EST.
Monday August 1, 2016
Good evening, , from State College, PA!! As we get ready to begin, please introduce yourselves. I'll post Q1 in approximately 5 min.
Hi Brittany, ancient city & Amer hist teacher from NJ (originally from PA-lts of relatives in Nittany Lion country)
Mary from CO here for . Teaching with primary sources is my thing. Indigenous studies? Not a strength.
Hello Judy, mostly US History from North NJ
Hello , Grant from Cincinnati area here. Heard good things about the chat and wanted to check it out.
WOOHOOO - I forgot about - I just made it. Ladonna from South Dakota!
Hi , this is Bill Chapman, a retired secondary social studies teacher, checking in from Berkeley, CA.
Hi , Michael from northern NJ. Former teacher, current supervisor.
Bruce 8th grade SS from NC
- I'll be in and out of chat, have a former colleague stopping by!
Q1: What does your state &/or district explicitly include about Indigenous Peoples & Nations (past/present) in curriculum?
Ken from Western Oregon Univ (via FL this week). Going to be in & out as I juggle mullt items including visiting family
Joanne from Missouri visiting Illinois. 7th grade world history and 11th modern global issues.
A1 Nothing but I believe it's included in the 4th grade curric when they study American Indians....
Nat. Ams, are in both the state standards and district curr, but any sense of depth is up to the Ts
I'm participating on behalf my content area as well as my family. I teach HS ELA
A1 I don't have much in my 6th and 7th grade curriculum, but it is touched on in KY's 8th grade study, at least a bit
https://t.co/N8QB63984D
A1: Reason I ask, get a baseline for next questions! I find state standards are horrible in presentation of Indigenous Peoples & Nations.
A1: Some in 8th grade NC / US essential standards.
My name is Matt, student at Concordia. Trying to learn to use Twitter as a SS resource
A1: When I taught OK History there were *opportunities* to explore lots of Indigenous histories, but quality was teacher dependent.
A1: Creation myths mostly for ELA. Earth on Turtles Back always popular. Need more!
Andrew (gr.8 Soc.St. incl US History 1750s-1860s) checking in to from Massachusetts
A1 it's not good! 4th, 5th grade standards look at indigenous peoples as if past tense. That's it. There's a but & hope though...
A1: Unfortunately, U.S. curricula always seem to start at 1492… with the arrival of white explorers.
Have you looked at the recently adopted no CA Social Studies Framework?
A1B The but & hope is we are currently discussing the new standards, so I'm hoping that shallow past tense treatment will be changed
A1: I found approx. 87% of K-12 US hist standards present Indigenous peoples ONLY as living before 1900 ... THIS IS A PROBLEM!
A1: State standards have some, but it is almost all history. We are trying to add more present in our elementary curric
A1 very little explicit reference in Massachusetts
Not the new ones, looked for my 2013-2014 study. Need to check this out!
A1 8th grade US covers conflicts. 4th grade (I think) has a unit on indigenous peoples.
Oregon's standards fall squarely in that 87%! Some of us are trying to change it
This seems typical. Indigenous peoples only exist as part of story of US progress, rarely on own terms. https://t.co/7MsHZnUxCe
A1 8th grade US covers conflicts. 4th grade (I think) has a unit on indigenous peoples.
On the road for so will miss - but already looking forward to unconference at - planning an informal monument tour as well
not super-surprising, but still horrible
Interesting standard DOESN'T include Ind. Peo. of "Massachusetts" ..how often do we question the standards?
Interesting standard DOESN'T include Ind. Peo. of "Massachusetts" ..how often do we question the standards?
well, personally I ignore them in this respect. My colleague & I try to focus frequently on Native people's influence
Q2: What historical/current topics do you teach that include Indigenous Peoples & Nations beyond state/district requirements?
just checked with my friend who teaches 8th grade history, and the focus is all pre-1900 in KY Middle School
I remember sitting in my college history class, seeing my family tribal name listed as "extinct". Weurd feeling. "Cayou"
A2: I’ve been working to integrate Indigenous perspectives/histories into my pre-service teacher classes to understand schools.
A2 Thanks to a workshop, we apply resources about Cherokees (pre & post Trail of Tears) in Westward Expansion unit
I hate history classes K-college are complicit in American Manifest Destiny narrative to erase Indigenous Peoples
A2 I include throughout US I, teaching US II for first time in years, so looking for areas of inclusion before late 1960s
Assimilation through Education primary source set goes deeper than many historical sources. https://t.co/OyVdJ7ayK8
A2 recently educated on water rights, which's big here. Indigenous peoples have important &interesting role that should be taught
In thinking about Q2: Anyone include AIM as part of Civil Rights Movement?
A2 we also work to include Native Ams as a significant force/factor in the American Revolution
A2: Not enough. My area has a strong Native American tribe and I have a good article on place names that relates to geog standard
A2: I’ve started ed classes w 1st chapter of Seven Arrows & creating medicine wheels to explore self/others: https://t.co/AHxSU5aGpi
A2: Starting at new school. Hope to do more. Suggestions? Journals, contemporary lit?
. I have in the past. Plan to this year.
Am wondering how, if at all, creating medicine wheels could be seen as appropriation of Indigenous ways of being?
A2 I teach ancient world focused on east. hem. Early civ, yes. We do address as it comes up in current events. Would like 2 do more.
A2: In some world courses Ss look at indigenous status around the world to see how often it is similar to USA
I wonder though how solid is the Ss understanding of Native Americans?
Related. Q3: Names are important, so what terms do you use when teaching about Indigenous Peoples & Nations?
YES! Agree, Meredith. Also recommend everyone see WA's new Indigenous-centered curriculum
Excellent Q. My preservice teachers have no working knowledge of Indigenous histories or current issues
A3 [crickets because everyone is nervous about how to answer correctly]
Do Indigenous Peoples & Nations agree on terms?
Honestly, it isn't great, but it hopefully starts to open a discussion that it is a global issue
No, there is no agreement. Very personal. Important for teachers to think about names we use.
thanks for sharing. That looks like a great resource! #
I totally understand this nervousness!
A3: Native American culture. If possible, I make tribal & nation distinctions. Tribes differ as states & countries & cultures
Q3 When I taught middle school SS, I had students learn to pronounce the tribes' names in the tribes' languages. 1/2
A3 Okay, I say "Indians" in my class, b/c that's the term whites used at the time. "Native American" had diff meaning, esp in 1800s.
A3 We use "Native American" for general. We use specific nation names in the specific. Try to talk about names when using prim docs
- Please don't create medicine wheels. That trivializes their significance.
Q3 Even though some of the pronunciations were hard for some students, we talked about using the right name as a sign of respect 2/2
A3. I struggle with this. Usually Native American or use tribal names.
Even today, maybe especially today, we use Native American to refer to citizens born in US & immigrants for others.
A3 Maybe I'll read this book before answering this Q!?
Excellent! I love shattering myths!!
A3: "Indian" is problematic as it comes from Columbus. Do teachers challenge the way names are created?
Sarah, can you recommend a resource for Missouri? Our local founders committee was lacking in this regard.
A3 depend on what teaching and focused on. Prefer to focus on tribes to avoid stereotype but if general disc then it's indigenous
I'm glad you're here! This is the kind of help I'm sure we hoped to gain from tonight's !
. The idea that the "winner gets to name stuff" is an ongoing theme in my classes.
I no longer use Indian, American Indian, or Native American because I consider them oppressive, counterfeit identities. -Yellow Bird
Forgot it was Monday evening. Important topic on
Well, yeah, nativism has reared its ugly head lately. Not just a vocabulary word anymore!!
A3: Tough one for me too. Regardless, seems important to discuss what we don't know, what is lost regarding identity and language.
A3: Also think it is important we use Indigenous Nations preferred names, not colonized names... We lots to learn and undo
Let's build on previous discussion. Q4: How do you challenge “American” history to include Indigenous voices to teach students?
I named my site "American Indian." When we established student services 4 Native students at UIUC we used Native American.
Probably have few or zero K-5 tchrs on tonight, but I must say I think the process starts with shallow elementary lessons
Thank you for this. My husband is Cado. Neither of us were raised with our histories. We were "white".
When we were forming a prof academic assoc, we used Native American and Indigenous Studies.
New book for 2017 release will include multiple chpt. 4 doing better job busting stereotypes & myths 4 elementary!
A4 Primary sources. Include indigenous current voices. Really been liking using this book I shared earlier https://t.co/RophR8RnnC
A4 We do a "real-life" Oregon Trail sim. When there is a "threat" of Mandan or other tribes nearby, most overreact. Then we discuss.
Pls ALWAYS stop when you read "First Americans." We were here before America was America. We do not say we were "First" Americans.
A4: Can I be honest & say, idk. I take it a moment at a time. I'm still learning
A4 Would think it should be the first thing taught in American history class for obvious reasons.
Seems we are @ loss for words, is this a sign social studies has failed in honoring Indigenous Peoples & Nations in curriculum?
What's the title of the 2017 book that you reference?
A4: It's about including multiple voices/ perspectives in every issue.
A4: Last RT was partial answer to Q4. So many textbks label Indigenous ppl as "First Americans." That undermines our standing.
All the schooling on social studies I absorbed was based on myth & falsehood. Would have been better to absorb nothing.
unfortunately social studies has failed in many ways. This is another huge failure!
A4 also we use chiefs' own words as primary sources to show various reactions to white expansion -- lawsuits, violence, acceptance
Also problem textbooks teach land brige myth "how people came to American" when "America" is colonization
A4: History textbooks and historical fiction glorify Gold Rush and obscure/hide violence done to Native ppls. Point it out!
. One of the many reasons I am glad my district no longer provides textbooks
A4: I’ve used Zinn’s Columbus chapter to challenge Eurocentric historical narratives & start exploration: https://t.co/td6GN9gi5O
What should we call the continent before European colonization?
(However, I’m worried about any of my sources now! I have some research/learning to do.)
. I rely on this book for so many topics.
We have a lot more questions than answers. How do we keep challenging each other & curriculum? Social studies, we have a problem!
A4: Amer. Indian resistance must be included in 20th century story. Often swept aside by that point in school year.
well, we have many problems....
In attempt to skirt around mandated textbook,&without guidance or the knowledge I needed,started year with look at 1491 "unlearning"
zinn offers excellent perspective and gets kids questioning ... Everything
further TB problem is continued implication colonizing = "improvements, further trivializing indigenous peoples
Not just Social Studies. Literature courses too
A discussion with Ss about why we want to hide it and the implications if we do recognize it could be very sobering
Circle of Viewpoints (Visible Thinking Routine) effective for teaching POV & empathy around events such as Gold Rush.
Thank you for joining us. This group is always ready to learn.
Love this ! But, have to run and spend some time w/ family.
Goodnight Ken. Great to read your tweets as always.
Unlearning, questioning, searching. I don't have answers. Still untangling.
and others. Thanks for sharing resources
I try my best to use tribal name ... In Florida I call them Calusa ... Timucua and later Seminole
"We Shall Remain" has been on my wishlist for a year. Thanks for reminding me, will definitely purchase!
Thank you for this! showed a documentary "Run Hopi" that had me riveted yesterday. Still some appalling conditions
Usually lurk as this is witching hour for my family but thanks to all for great resources and ideas. Have to run.
I've been looking for this type of resource highlighting litigation, thanks!
, we have only a few minutes left, let's share questions, hopes, dreams... and I hope this conversation continues & we keep in touch!
Good night all. Gotta go. Thanks again
Thanks 2 all 4 sharing & pushing social studies to do better! And a special thanks to for joining, you are an inspiration.
Thank you Sarah. My hope is to continue this conversation and continue to learn. https://t.co/BetE45coyh
, we have only a few minutes left, let's share questions, hopes, dreams... and I hope this conversation continues & we keep in touch!
Twitter is first strong, multilayered access I've had to present day facts on communities of indigenous people.MSM biased,inc.
Yes, thank you both immensely. Very glad arranged this week's session, and hope it's not the last on this topic!
Thanks to for moderating and also for her recommendations. I learned a lot… and that I have a lot to learn.
plz keep in touch via twitter or email (sbs5180@psu.edu). We're in this together! We must push our field to break colonial teaching.
It is clear that teachers in are eager to improve teaching of indigenous cultures & experiences. This chat was a start. Thank you!
Still hoping to find out what to call the continent prior to European colonization.
Thanks to and for inviting me. Let's all talk about these issues again soon... and as often as we can!
