Teaching American History

As part of a national program to promote the teaching of United States history in primary and secondary public schools, the U.S. Department of Education has made $1.6 million, in the form of two grants, available to BSU over the next six years. The first grant, awarded in 2002, was one of the largest competitive grants in Bridgewater State University’s 143-year history. The second grant, awarded in 2004, will allow the program to continue and expand its partnership with local schools and its successful program of professional development .

The awards will be used to offer a variety of professional development experiences for teachers, to develop an interactive multimedia Web portal and to sponsor regional events. The college’s plan calls for greater collaboration between key faculty members and local public school teachers. Though the official applicant for the first grant was the Plymouth School District and the second grant the was the Brockton School District, both grants will be administered at BSU. In all, 120-140 teachers in school districts in Southeastern Massachusetts will benefit directly from the award. 

Under the first grant, thematic topics were selected that would be integrated into the classroom in accordance with state and national curriculum guidelines. During the 2002-2003 school year, the consortium completed two modules on aviation and immigration.  Modules for 2003-2004 covered the industrial revolution, foreign policy from Kennedy to Carter, and local history and museums.  The 2004 summer institute will focus on the United States Constitution.

In 2004-2005, the consortium will be participating in modules on  women's and gender history and the Civil War.  The 2005 summer institute will focus on the Civil Rights movement.

By posting teaching materials on the college’s Web site, the potential of reaching more teachers is increased considerably. 

Under the second grant, entitled Teaching American History Through Discovery, Investigation, and Participation, the program will explore the U.S. Constitution as both a historic and living document and use it as a lens for the study of traditional American history. Each of the three years of this grant will focus on a key theme. In year one, we will examine the "Founding Ideas and Documents: The Origins of the United States Constitution;" in year two, "The Document Itself: The Creation and Ratification, and Impact of the United States Constitution;" and in year three, "Interpretation through the Centuries: The Lived Meaning of the United States Constitution."

The professional development program under this grant will consist of three spring and fall modules, all of which will begin with a nationally renown keynote speaker. A half day workshop will follow in which the keynote speaker and regional scholars will guide participants through an intensive primary source document study related to the module topic. Additionally, a district-based workshop for each module will  allow for dissemination of materials and ideas generated during the module. These workshops will allow teacher participants to work cooperatively to create materials and activities for classroom use.

The final phase of each year's program will be a Summer Institute, comprised of 15 Teaching American History Fellowships. The institutes will consist of a one-week field study held in historic locations related to the development, ratification, and implementation of the Constitution. Upon completion of the institutes, fellows will be required to complete a research project, disseminate their findings and design and implement a civic engagement activity for their students.

Last Modified: May 24, 2011

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