Teaching American History Programs

The Choices Program has worked with a variety of school districts across the country to provide professional development for their teachers as part of Teaching American History grants. The goals of the program are to strengthen secondary level instruction in U.S. history and to increase the international content in the core U.S. history curriculum. Some collaborations involve professional development taking place over an extended period of time. Others involve shorter professional development programs that fits into a district's longer term programs.

As a core program of the Watson Institute at Brown University, the program has developed a strong track record of ongoing work with a community of scholars from the University as well as those at other institutions. Choices routinely engages institute and university scholars in professional development programs for high school teachers, including programs funded under the Teaching American History Program.

Below is a sampling of programs that have taken place or are currently planned. Contact the Choices Program at choices@brown.edu or 401-863-3155 to discuss possibilities for future programming.

Extended Mulit-Year Collaborations

A History of America's Changing Relationship to the World
From 2005-2007, the Choices Program is working with the Omaha Public Schools to provide professional development for teachers at the secondary level.

Turning Points in the History of American Foreign Policy
From 2002-2006, the Choices Program led a Teaching American History initiative that engaged teachers at the secondary level in eleven districts in eight states in professional development focused on increasing the international content in the core U.S. history curriculum.

Multi-year collaborations typically involve residential summer teaching institutes. A sample agenda is available.

Shorter Programs

Riverside Unified School District - Riversde, California
 The Choices Approach to History: Teaching about American Entry into the Age of Imperialism was a one-day institute for teachers in the Riverside Unified District. Funded through their Teach American Grant this one-day program is part of a larger, year-long initiative on U.S, history for district middle and high school social studies teachers.  Using lessons from Beyond Manifest Destiny: America Enters the Age of Imperialism, teachers explore various pedagogical approaches to help bring to life and make meaning out of this important era in American history. The workshop focused on the relationship between industrialization and imperialism and will also examine the changing perceptions about American national identity its and role in the world.

Slavery in New England - Providence, RI

Slavery in New England was a three-day institute for Rhode Island teachers. The program explored the history of slavery in New England, its ramifications for today's society, and ideas about how to bring this topic to the high school classroom. The institute was sponsored by the Choices Program, Brown University's Committee on Slavery and Justice, Rhode Island Historical Society, and Rhode Island Department of Education. An agenda is available online.

EastConn—Willimantic, Connecticut
 America Between Two World World Wars was a one-day institute for Connecticut teachers sponsored by EastConn and funded through their Teach American History Grant.  Using lessons from the Choices’ League of Nations and Age of Isolationism units, teachers explore various pedagogical techniques for helping students understand this important period in American and world history. The workshop focused on global reaction to the Treaty of Versailles, and on the rise of the U.S as a world power and our nation’s contradictory and shifting tendencies in foreign policy between engagement and isolationism.  

Natrona School District—Casper, Wyoming
Using Choices to Compare Iraq to Vietnam was a one-day teaching institute for middle and high school teachers in Natrona School District. Using lessons from the Choices' Vietnam and Iraq units, participants examine how comparisons can be made between the two conflicts.

Southeastern Regional Educational Service Center—Bedford, New Hampshire
Teaching about the Cold War from Multiple Perspectives was a one-day teaching institute for middle and high school teachers from school districts in southern New Hampshire. Combining scholarship with pedagogy, participants explored the origins of the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis, taking into consideration American, Soviet, and Cuban perspectives.

Northfield, Minnesota
Teaching about Immigration was a half-day program that is part of a Teaching American History summer institute sponsored by the Northfield School District in Northfield, Minnesota. The program was led by a Choices Program Teaching Fellow.

Brown University—New England Teachers
Slavery in New England: Historical Memory was a one-day institute. The program was offered by the Choices Program and the Brown University Steering Committee on Slavery & Justice. The program included a scholar presentation and classroom activities addressing various topics.

The Professional Development Calendar provides information on all Choices Program workshops and teaching institutes. Institutes and Seminars provides information on recent and upcoming institutes.