Social Studies is the part of a school's curriculum that examines social relationships and the functioning of society. Social Studies courses are comprised of anthropology, civics, economics, geography, government, history, and sociology.
Allegheny Intermediate Unit provides curriculum guidance and teacher professional development in these formats:
- Social Studies Network - face-to-face teacher professional development sessions are held at AIU's central office four times throughout the school year.
These full-day workshops are centered on a specific topic related to social studies. - Social Studies Symposium - a full-day conference style teacher professional development event that is held every other year at AIU's central office. This event consists of a vendor showcase and a variety of short break-out learning sessions held on a variety of topics related to K-12 social studies education.
- Social Studies Curriculum and Instruction - social studies curriculum development and instructional coaching is available and can be arranged on an individual basis. Contact Dr. Paul Cindric for details and scheduling.
Professional Development Opportunities for Social Studies Educators
Historical Thinking in the Middle Grades - registration is open for 2024!
This is a 3-workshop series. The fee for this workshop series is $300 to cover the cost of materials. Educators will earn a total of 15 Act 48 hours upon completion of all three workshops. All workshops will be held in-person from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Dewey room at Allegheny Intermediate Unit's central offices at 475 E. Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA 15120.
Geared toward teachers of history in the middle grades (5-8), this professional development series provides participants with in-depth experience in utilizing inquiry-based lessons. This sequence of workshops seeks to break the lecture/note-taking/testing cycle and guide teachers toward a more student-centered pedagogy.
The goals of Historical Thinking in the Middle Grades include:
- Delving into the concepts of historical thinking models backed by research and experience
- Practicing the design, planning and instructional techniques involved in historical thinking usage
- Experiencing a myriad of resources that support historical thinking in middle grade classrooms
- Aligning PA Content Standards and PA Core Standards to history instruction
- Creating and utilizing assessments that measure students' comprehension of historical thinking concepts
Dates for 2024: Click here to register.
- Session 1: January 18, 2024
- Session 2: February 20, 2024
- Session 3: March 19, 2024
- Session 4: April 16, 2024 (This date is for a make-up session, if needed)
Contact Information:
Dr. Paul Cindric, Program Director
paul.cindric@aiu3.net
412-394-4940