About the Grant
Our Place in History is a collaboration between ESD 113, The Evergreen
State College (TESC), and Washington State University (WSU) and local historical
organizations. Twenty-two middle and high school history teachers from 15
school districts in the ESD 113 region will participate in the three-year
grant program.
Our Place in History will develop and implement professional development
for participating teachers that strengthens teachers’ ability to teach
traditional American history as a separate subject. The Our Place in
History project’s goals are:
Goal 1: Increase teacher and student subject knowledge, and
Goal 2: Improve teacher and student “knowing and thinking” about
U.S. history.
Professional development will focus on four historical themes and two ways
of knowing and thinking about U.S. history. The four historical themes are
intended to cover all major branches of U.S. historical study:
Year 1: Change and continuity in American democracy: ideas, institutions,
practices, and controversies;
Year 2: The gathering and interactions of peoples, cultures, and ideas;
Year 3: Economic and technological changes and their relation to society,
ideas, and the environment;
and The changing role of America in the world.
To make history come alive, a variety of pedagogical methods will be embedded
into the presentation of the American history content. Our Place in
History will also focus on knowing and thinking about history (historical
knowledge and perspective and analysis and interpretation) and doing history
(active learning techniques, higher learning thinking skills, how historians
conduct research, working with primary sources, and integration of civic
engagement opportunities). We will use a blended approach to professional
development that will effectively connect the teachers to the content, the
partners, and each other. In practical terms, Our Place in History’s
blended study consists of five tightly integrated strands of instruction
and support: (1) seminar-style workshops with experiential learning field
trips, (2) communities of practice, (3) mentoring, (4) online workspace,
and (5) media-based technology and other instructional resources.
Additionally, a Development Team, comprised of district teachers and project staff, meet regularly to guide the curricula, schedule, and evaluation.
Message from Dana Anderson, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, ESD 113
