About the Project

The History Educators Project: Teaching American History through the Lens of Indiana is a robust, innovative three-year professional development model that will provide preparation in traditional American history for Monroe County Community School Corporation (MCCSC) teachers of grades 4–12. The project is funded as a Teaching American History grant through the U.S. Department of Education. Any MCCSC teacher who teaches U.S. history as part of their social studies curriculum may apply to participate—and 30 participants will be selected.

The project has three goals:

  1. to deepen teachers’ knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of traditional American history;
  2. to improve teachers’ delivery of history content as a separate academic subject; and
  3. to raise student achievement in history.

Teachers who are selected to participate in this project will benefit from robust professional development provided by scholars at the very top of the discipline of history. The varied professional development activities throughout the three-year project integrate four dimensions of instruction into the teaching and learning of history: thinking historically, utilizing primary resources, teaching big ideas, and posing multiple perspectives. America’s struggles and achievements will be studied from a perspective that enables teachers to focus on Indiana case studies as a basis for understanding American history.

Additionally, the project provides the expertise of an Historian-in-Residence, along with Master Teachers, to assist teachers in their development of powerful lessons in American history. Overall, this is a multi-dimensional, integrated, coherent whole that develops exemplary history teaching and learning by presenting deep, rich, case studies of U.S. history; exemplifying innovative ways to learn, do, and examine history; and identifying regional examples for national themes.

Over the three-year project, seminars, retreats, field trips, book discussions, and lesson planning will focus on these U.S. history themes. View a schedule of Year One activities and events.

See participant requirements in the Frequently Asked Questions. To apply for the project, complete and submit the online application by September 1, 2009. Applicants will be notified of their status after September 1st.

The History Educators Project: Teaching American History through the Lens of Indiana TAH project represents a partnership between MCCSC and the Indiana University School of Education, Indiana University Department of History, the Monroe County Historical Society, and the Agency for Instructional Technology.

For more information, contact Connie Ables.