When: July 21st, 2025, from 9 am to 3 pm (registration and breakfast starts at 8 am)
Where: Ohio History Center (800 E 17th Ave. Columbus, Ohio)
The Ohio History Connection and the School & Teacher Support team invite you to our Annual Professional Development Institute. The goal of this workshop is to bring social studies educators together and provide them with the opportunity to learn and discuss new ideas and resources that can be implemented in their classroom in the coming school year and beyond.
Throughout this day, educators will participate in various sessions focused on teaching social studies content. This year, we are happy to have sessions tailored to social studies standards for elementary grade bands and middle/high school grade bands. To provide a unique and engaging program, we have collaborated with experts in research, archaeology and social studies content from the Ohio History Connection.
Fee: $120.00, includes breakfast and lunch
*Free for Ohio as America multiyear subscribers. Email [email protected] for code.
For all other inquiries, contact us at [email protected]
Introductory Remarks on the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks
Presenter: Brad Lepper (Senior Archaeologist at the Ohio History Connection)
Learn about the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ohio’s first World Heritage site includes eight monumental earthen enclosures scattered across central and southern Ohio built by the ancient American Indian culture we know as the Hopewell. Discover the mathematical and astronomical genius that went into building this Indigenous earthen architecture. These amazing sites can inspire cross-curricular inquiries into history, geometry, astronomy, art and architecture.
Session A: Youth History Day 101
Presenter: Ellen Simon (Program Coordinator at the Ohio History Connection)
Explore Youth History Day (YHD) and why diving into history through project-based learning is so effective for young learners! In this session, you’ll learn the basics of the YHD program and how project-based learning fosters critical thinking, research skills and historical empathy. You’ll come away with strategies for fitting YHD into your curriculum and aligning it with standards, as well as how to develop a simple, yearly plan. Plus, we’ll share resources and lessons designed specifically with 4th and 5th graders in mind.
Session B: Ribbonwork to Teach about the Myaamia Culture
Presenter: Ellen Simon (Program Coordinator at the Ohio History Connection)
Explore an activity created in collaboration with Ohio as America and the Myaamia Center and professors at Miami University to teach students about the Myaamia culture. Ribbonwork is an art form that helps us learn about the history of the Myaamia and is being revitalized today. Each participant will have the opportunity to create their own bookmark that shows an appreciation for ribbonwork.
Session C: Trash Can Archaeology
Presenter: Linda Pansing (Archaeology Curator at the Ohio History Connection)
Ever wonder how archaeologists get glimpses into the past? In this session, you’ll put your critical thinking skills to work, evaluate different ‘site’ types, see the artifacts and then come to conclusions based on the evidence presented to you. We’ll also share resources that you can use to create your own version of “Trash Can Archaeology”!
Session D: What Happens If I Push This Button?
Presenter: Becky Sicking (Ohio as America Digital Curricula Manager at the Ohio History Connection)
This is your chance to take a deeper look into our award-winning digital curriculum, Ohio as America. We will discuss how to integrate the curriculum with Google classroom, highlight favorite content and activities within the program and showcase the latest updates. Additionally, this is your chance to get information directly from the manager of the curriculum, so a Q&A session will complete the presentation, allowing you to get the most out of Ohio as America for your classroom.
OR
Guided Look at the Ohio History Center
Presenter: Morgan McQueen (Education Coordinator at the Ohio History Connection)
Explore the different exhibits in the Ohio History Center and consider how they connect to your social studies standards. Learn more about the other supports the Ohio History Center can offer to bring the museum into your own classroom!
Introductory Remarks on the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks
Presenter: Brad Lepper (Senior Archaeologist at the Ohio History Connection)
Learn about the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ohio’s first World Heritage site includes eight monumental earthen enclosures scattered across central and southern Ohio built by the ancient American Indian culture we know as the Hopewell. Discover the mathematical and astronomical genius that went into building this Indigenous earthen architecture. These amazing sites can inspire cross-curricular inquiries into history, geometry, astronomy, art and architecture.
Session A: Unlocking the Power of Newspapers in Education
Presenter: Lauren Kennedy (Digital Projects Coordinator at the Ohio History Connection)
Discover how newspapers can transform your classroom experience! In this session, you'll master the art of searching both the legacy and beta sites of Chronicling America. These skills are not only applicable to Chronicling America but can also be transferred to other online archives. You'll leave equipped with effective strategies to uncover valuable primary and secondary sources for your lesson plans. Additionally, you'll gain the confidence to teach your students how to utilize these resources impactfully, enhancing their research skills and historical understanding.
Session B: Doing More with Less: How to Incorporate Native American History into your Curriculum
Presenter: Carla Mello (Department Manager, School and Teacher Support at the Ohio History Connection)
Ohio History Connection has worked with Tribal representatives to understand and highlight Native American history, focused specifically on what students should understand about them and the past. In this session, we will share the resulting pedagogy document that includes best practices, definitions, standards and sources that you can use in your middle and high school classes. This session will be an opportunity to reflect, discuss and brainstorm how to incorporate this history into your classroom, as part of the Ohio Social Studies Standards. Come prepare to share and engage with fellow teachers.
Session C: Core Conversations
Presenter: Trevor Rhodes (Content Coordinator at the Ohio History Connection)
The field of social studies is swinging towards civics and connecting the past to the present-day. How can teachers make these connections without inciting controversy? Ohio History Connection brings you Core Conversations—a series of activities that are designed to help teach current events through a historical lens. In this session, you will learn what Core Conversations are, how this model approaches teaching controversial issues and how to create versions for your own classroom!
Session D: Reconstruction: History or Foreshadowing?
Presenter: Valerie Boyer (Program Coordinator at the Ohio History Connection)
The way we approach the Reconstruction Era is in the process of deconstructing and reconstructing, and it's about as messy as the Reconstruction period is supposed to be. And that's okay! How can we tell the truth, add choreography to the chaos, meaning to messiness and ultimately lead scholars into a future and a present that makes sense? Ohio History Connection brings you Reconstruction: History or Foreshadowing? a session designed to help teach the Reconstruction Era by making cultural and sociological connections to the present day. You will learn how to not run from the controversy of that period's more under-discussed topics, but rather make them a friend, an ally and a tool for learning.
Inquiry is an active learning process that allows students to investigate questions linked to curriculum standards and specific teaching objectives. When an inquiry process is enhanced by using objects, we can cover specific concepts while supporting students' curiosity through observation and reflection. Participants will be exposed to three lesson plans that focus on specific ODE social studies, SEL and ELA learning standards, and that use objects as the main inspiration for inquiry. Together we will discuss the effectiveness of this approach.
This is your chance to take a deeper look into our award-winning digital curriculum. If you have questions about managing assessments, grading, and additional features of our online curriculum, this is your chance to get information directly from our new content coordinator.
Inclusive history includes multiple perspectives and highlight the voices, experiences and stories that have been left out of traditional textbooks and other educational resources. In this workshop we will provide practical ideas and inclusive history best practices that you can utilize in your classroom and in your curriculum.
How does the Science of Reading support Social Studies instruction and vice-versa? In this session we will learn about the connection between these two subjects and discuss actionable strategies that you can use in your classroom to support comprehension in both ELA and social studies. This session is tailored by grade-level band and offers practical examples of how to intentionally incorporate the Science of Reading with Social Studies.
Integrating science and social studies curricula is easier than you think. With these engaging, and hands-on lesson plans you can combine social studies content with STEM education. We'll share ideas to show step-by-step how to create and implement interdisciplinarity to your classroom. We will share information about useful and free STEM resources that can help social studies teachers to incorporate hands-on activities that go well with social studies content standards. Additionally we will discuss the benefits and challenges of interdisciplinary approaches.
Project-based learning can be a powerful tool to upgrade student inquiries to be more authentic and focused on taking action. Teachers will discover how PBL doesn’t just engage students in inquiry, but gives them the tools to identify and nurture their passions and unique interests. During the session’s accompanying activity, teachers will get a hands-on lesson to get them thinking and talking about PBL –as well as ways to incorporate PBL into their classroom.
Whether it’s a simulation in the classroom, a family night of board games, or a video game at home, the medium of games is essential to learning through experience. How can teachers bring this medium to the classroom? The curriculum creators at Ohio History Connection will connect teachers to resources through this workshop! Teachers will learn about game-learning theory and play with a myriad of tabletop games, board games, video games, and simulations that can be applied to the classroom. Whether you are a kindergarten teacher looking for a way to roleplay social-emotional learning or an APUSH teacher wanting to simulate the American Revolution, this workshop will equip teachers to instruct through the most entertaining medium possible.
