Deanna McDaniel, a media specialist at Genoa Middle School, is one of 30 educators in the country selected to participate in Revolutionary Ideals, a unique opportunity this summer to study the American Revolution and Founding Era in Providence, Rhode Island.
“Besides getting to meet people from all over the country, it is always amazing to actually be in the place where major events happened historically,” McDaniel said. “My hope is that I will be able to bring back contacts and information not just for our History Day students, but also for our teachers. The National History Day people always do a great job of providing those kinds of opportunities for educators.”
National History Day (NHD) is working with the Rhode Island Historical Society — which is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year — on the summer institute. Teachers will travel to Rhode Island and engage in site-specific learning coordinated by the historical society from July 10-17.
They will work over the course of six months to learn about and research the context of the ideals behind the American Revolution and Early Republic. After the institute, teachers will work in pairs to create lesson plans relating to the founding ideals of the revolutionary era.
Revolutionary Ideals is one aspect of National History Day’s programming under the larger initiative, A More Perfect Union.