Teaching Historical Thinking Through Indigenous Histories
These free workshops are intended for grades 6-12 social studies educators in North Dakota and Montana. Educators will explore tribal histories of the upper Great Plains using primary sources aligned with the North Dakota Native American Essential Understandings standards and Montana’s Indian Education for All standards. Additionally, educators will learn strategies and opportunities for student-led historical research.
These workshops are a collaboration between Montana Historical Society and the State Historical Society of North Dakota. These workshops are sponsored in part by the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Great Plains Region, coordinated by the National Council for History Education.
Option 1: In person, Oct. 16, Sidney High School, 1012 Fourth Ave. SE, Sidney, Montana
Option 2: Virtual, Dec. 12
For North Dakota educators: A certificate for 5 professional development hours will be offered.
For Montana educators: 5 Office of Public Instruction renewal units will be offered.
Lunch and a travel stipend are included.
Capacity is limited. Applications for priority consideration are due by Sept. 26.
For more information, contact Madison Milbrath, education outreach supervisor, mrmilbrath@nd.gov.
Objectives
- Teachers will understand the complex nature of Native American history in the upper Great Plains from 1880 to the present.
- Teachers will understand the importance of primary sources and where to access them.
- Teachers will come away with knowledge and activities to bring to their classrooms that promote historical thinking skills.
Presenters
Madison Milbrath, education outreach supervisor, State Historical Society of North Dakota
Melissa Hibbard, interpretive historian, Montana Historical Society
Recommended/Required Materials
Bring your own device (tablet or laptop).
Cost
Workshop attendance is free.
A travel stipend will be awarded.
Where to Stay
A block of rooms will be reserved until Oct. 5 at the Best Western Golden Prairie Inn & Suites, 820 S. Central Ave., Sidney, Montana. Call 406.433.4560 to book a room.
Agenda
| Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| 8:30-9 a.m. | Arrival and opening activity (on own, as you arrive) |
| 9 a.m. | Introduction to National History Day |
| 9:15 a.m. | Primary Versus Secondary Sources and the Stakes for Telling Indigenous History |
| 10:15 a.m. | Hearing Native Voices: Close Reading, Agency, and Tracing Change Over Time |
| 11:15 a.m. | Rosebud Battlefield or “Where the Girl Saved Her Brother”: Art, Oral Tradition, and Multiple Perspectives |
| Noon | Working lunch (catered) |
| 12:45 p.m. | How To Read a Treaty: Literacy for Teaching Complex Texts |
| 1:45 p.m. | Evaluating Historic Photographs With Indigenous Subjects |
| 2:45 p.m. | Landless Indians in the Assimilation Era: A Historic Newspaper Investigation |
| 3:30-4 p.m. | Takeaways, questions, and wrap-up |