Archive
Recent Newsletter Articles
EdTech Integration Strategy Toolkit
The EdTech Integration Strategy Toolkit is a searchable collection of instructional routines and strategies created and shared by adult educators. The routines integrate educational technologies and digital skill building into core content classroom instruction, either in-person or online. Read More
Digital Access & Resilience in Texas (DART)
Digital Access and Resilience in Texas (DART) is a foundational digital literacy curriculum for beginning English learners that incorporates digital literacy skills, foundational print literacy skills, and conceptual understanding of basic digital literacy topics, beginning with letter recognition and keyboard knowledge through going online, searching the internet, and using email. All 20 units and their instructional resources are available to download for free either separately or as a complete document. Read More
Ford’s Theater Education Resources
Ford's Theater provides free lessons and resources for students at multiple levels (grades 3-12). While Lincoln's life and legacy is the theme of the materials, there are also lessons that are related to many well-known plays that have appeared at the theater. For the U.S.'s 250th birthday, the site has new classroom resources for elementary, middle and high school students that explore how American leaders across eras understood the ideals of freedom and equality. The site also offers opportunities for teacher professional development, strategies for teaching oratory, and ideas for presenting Lincoln's assassination and legacy. Read More
Stossel in the Classroom
This free site offers a video library consisting of hundreds of civics, economic, and geographical related videos that can be streamed or downloaded, and browsed by category, subject, and theme. Many of the videos are paired with a comprehensive teacher’s guide that includes vocabulary, learning objectives, preview activities, viewing guide, discussion questions, post-viewing activities, worksheets, graphic organizers, quizzes, and more. In addition, the "Both Sides of the Issue" video series encourages critical thinking and open discussion among students. Read More
Facing History & Ourselves – World
Facing History & Ourselves includes a civics education curriculum collection that helps students build historical analysis and media literacy skills, and a U.S. History curriculum collection that includes flexible resources about the themes of democracy and freedom. In addition to social studies materials, the site includes ELA resources that integrate literacy skills development with civic education practices. The site also has numerous resources and lessons addressing the Holocaust and antisemitism. Registration for the site is required but the materials are free and are leveled for grades 6-12. Read More
Facing History & Ourselves – U.S.
Facing History & Ourselves includes a civics education curriculum collection that helps students build historical analysis and media literacy skills, and a U.S. History curriculum collection that includes flexible resources about the themes of democracy and freedom. In addition to social studies materials, the site includes ELA resources that integrate literacy skills development with civic education practices. The site also has numerous resources and lessons addressing the Holocaust and antisemitism. Registration for the site is required but the materials are free and are leveled for grades 6-12. Read More
The Right to Assembly and the Power of Protest in the United States
In this Teaching for Justice lesson, students focus on the First Amendment Right to peaceably assemble. Students will interpret what it means to assemble peacefully through a reader’s theater activity, assess and summarize various, major protest movements in the United States, investigate songs, art, and/or poetry as other ways to protest, and critique why the right to assembly is essential for a healthy democracy. To be most effective, the lesson should also be taught after lessons/discussions/an overview of the Constitution and its amendments. Read More
CILIA-T Curriculum: U.S. History & Civics
CILIA-T stands for Content-Integrated Language Instruction for Adults with Technology Support. It’s an open-access, 16-module, CCRS/ELP/Northstar-aligned curriculum that integrates knowledge-building in civics, U.S. history, and government with academic English language and digital skills instruction and critical thinking. CILIA-T cultivates a classroom environment where adult learners can share and build on their immense personal experience as global citizens in partnership with their classmates. The target audience includes intermediate-advanced ELLs, pre-GED, and GED learners. Read More
CILIA-T Curriculum: U.S. Civics & History
CILIA-T stands for Content-Integrated Language Instruction for Adults with Technology Support. It’s an open-access, 16-module, CCRS/ELP/Northstar-aligned curriculum that integrates knowledge-building in civics, U.S. history, and government with academic English language and digital skills instruction and critical thinking. CILIA-T cultivates a classroom environment where adult learners can share and build on their immense personal experience as global citizens in partnership with their classmates. The target audience includes intermediate-advanced ELLs, pre-GED, and GED learners. Read More
Beginning ESL Literacy Distance Learning / In-Class Units
These lessons for Beginning EL Literacy (NRS ESL Level 1, CASAS STEPS 160-183) can be used in class, or assigned out of class as proxy hours by a TVM-certified teacher. The lessons are paper-packet based, and each has a QR code link to a video for the lesson. Each unit contains 5 lessons. Each lesson introduces 6-8 new vocabulary words, and is meant to build knowledge based on previous lessons. Read More