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Welcome to WCSS 25 - MAKING SOCIAL STUDIES MATTER! We are excited to host a powerful two day conference in our state capital, sharing countless ideas and methods to continue making social studies relevant to our students.  Get ready to learn, grow, and have some fun in the process!
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Audience: 60 minute General Presentation clear filter
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Saturday, March 15
 

9:15am CDT

Bring Current Events Alive!
Saturday March 15, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
CONF 3
Feedback Survey
How do we bring current events to life? Move beyond the traditional and engage in active, thoughtful deliberation of events that shape our students lives.
Speakers
DV

Dean Vesperman

Dean Vesperman
CB

Chase Brown

UW-LaCrosse
TC

Terra Clark

UW-LaCrosse
AL
ZP

Zach Powley

UW-LaCrosse
SS

Shelby Schultz

UW-LaCrosse
YZ

Youssef Zahid

UW-LaCrosse
Saturday March 15, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
CONF 3
  Civics/Government, High School 9-12

9:15am CDT

Unlocking the Bill of Rights Using QR Codes
Saturday March 15, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
UNIV AB
Feedback Survey
Join us as we share our unique approach to bring the Bill of Rights to life for today’s students. From engaging infographics to captivating lessons, along with interactive poster puzzles and beyond, we’ve got all the tools to make the Bill of Rights unforgettable.
Speakers
PC
Saturday March 15, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
UNIV AB
  Civics/Government, Middle School 6-8

9:15am CDT

Hands-on Econ: Bringing the Dismal Science to Life
Saturday March 15, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
CONF 4
Feedback Survey
Economics doesn’t have to be the dismal science! Participate in hands-on lessons and activities on key economic concepts of unemployment, inflation, GDP and trade and learn about free resources, from infographics and online courses to videos and podcasts, designed to engage students and spark learning in your economics classroom.
Speakers
LM

Lesley Mace

Economic Education Specialist, Federal Reserve Bank
.
Saturday March 15, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
CONF 4
  Economics, High School 9-12

9:15am CDT

The Pizza Impact – Cross-curricular connections through the context of food, fiber and fuel.
Saturday March 15, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
CONF 1
Feedback Survey
Discover how frozen pizza can unlock conversations around communities, jobs, food security, and economies. Join us for real-life examples and lessons that utilize the rich context of food, fiber, and fuel. Leave with classroom-tested and student-approved lessons and activities that will put some pizazz in your social studies curriculum while building upon ELA, science, and EE standards.
Speakers
avatar for Beth Schaefer

Beth Schaefer

Coordinator, Wisconsin Agriculture in the Classroom - Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation
I am passionate about food, farming, and people. For the past 22 years I have worked in both formal and informal roles related to agriculture literacy and education. I spent five years as an Agriculture Educator and Biology teacher in both rural and urban schools and for the past... Read More →
Saturday March 15, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
CONF 1
  Elementary, Elementary K-5

9:15am CDT

Bringing AAPI and Hmong Stories to Life: A Teacher's Guide to Implementing Act 266
Saturday March 15, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
UNIV CD
Feedback Survey
Join Wisconsin Historical Society's workshop led by AAPI and Hmong educators! Learn effective strategies for implementing Act 266 through interactive demos and primary sources. Discover ways to integrate AAPI and Hmong histories into your curriculum. Includes hands-on activities and Q&A to help you confidently bring these important stories to your classroom.
Speakers
avatar for Kate Van Haren

Kate Van Haren

Kate Van Haren teaches upper elementary school in Pittsville Wisconsin. She teaches social studies and reading. Kate is a board member of the Wisconsin Council for the Social Studies and has worked on curriculum development for the Wisconsin Historical Society, Minnesota Historical... Read More →
Saturday March 15, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
UNIV CD
  General Social Studies, All Social Studies Educators

9:15am CDT

Tools for Teaching Responsible and Engaging Holocaust and Genocide Studies
Saturday March 15, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
CONF 2
Feedback Survey
This session will explore the myriad resources offered by the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center and the Nathan and Esther Pelz Holocaust Resource Center. Educators at this session will have the opportunity to preview pre-made lesson plans and primary sources as well as learn about field trip opportunities, traveling trunks, and professional development workshops.

Speakers
SG

Sam Goldberg

Holocaust Education Resource Center
EP
Saturday March 15, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
CONF 2
  General Social Studies, High School 9-12

9:30am CDT

Teaching Civil Discourse: building skills and attitudes for civility
Saturday March 15, 2025 9:30am - 10:30am CDT
UNIV AB
Feedback Survey
Civil discourse is a core skill to support civic engagement and democratic decision making. It also helps create a classroom environment where students feel comfortable sharing their ideas, and can productively navigate disagreement. We will dig into how to define civil discourse, and how teachers in all subject areas and grade levels can teach the skills for civility.
Speakers
AT
Saturday March 15, 2025 9:30am - 10:30am CDT
UNIV AB
  Civics/Government, All Social Studies Educators

10:30am CDT

Citizen Nation: Civics Resources for Dialogue and Inquiry
Saturday March 15, 2025 10:30am - 10:30am CDT
UNIV AB
Feedback Survey
How can students be a model for civil dialogue? How can teachers build student capacity through inquiry and discussion? The new PBS show Citizen Nation takes a behind the scenes look through the eyes of students participating in the “We The People” program to help build civic knowledge and skills.
Speakers
avatar for David Olson

David Olson

Director of Education, Retro Report
Saturday March 15, 2025 10:30am - 10:30am CDT
UNIV AB
  General Pedagogy, All Social Studies Educators

10:30am CDT

Bringing Local History and Civics to Life with Beacon, a new Game for Place-Based Learning
Saturday March 15, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
CONF 4
Feedback Survey
Dive into the power of place-based learning with Beacon, a location-based game currently in development that makes civics and history education engaging, accessible, and relevant for students... all with a low lift for teachers! Participants will give feedback on the game and collaboratively brainstorm modules to address critical gaps in local civics curriculum in Wisconsin.
Speakers
avatar for Libby Falck

Libby Falck

Curriculum & Game Designer, Forward Games
Saturday March 15, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
CONF 4
  Civics/Government, MS and HS

10:30am CDT

The Bill of Rights in the Digital Age: Protecting Liberties in a Modern World
Saturday March 15, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
SENATE B
Feedback Survey
As technology evolves, so do the challenges of applying the Bill of Rights to new contexts. This session will explore how founding-era protections of freedom of speech and privacy translate into modern debates over surveillance, digital privacy, and freedom of expression online. Educators will learn strategies to help students apply the first ten amendments to modern issues.
Speakers
avatar for Emilee McHorney

Emilee McHorney

Teacher Programs Manager - Midwest, Jack Miller Center
Saturday March 15, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
SENATE B
  Civics/Government, High School 9-12

10:30am CDT

Your Own Backyard: Using Place-Based Learning and Field Trips to Meet Standards and Increase Student Civic Engagement
Saturday March 15, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
UNIV CD
Feedback Survey
Emphasize student-led inquiry and civic engagement through place-based learning! Learn how educators from organizations around the state built a template for teachers and historic sites to use field trips to meet social studies standards. How could you use this customizable template to increase student inquiry in your own backyard?
Speakers
avatar for Kris McDaniel

Kris McDaniel

Social Studies Consultant, WI Dept of Public Instruction
I am the DPI Social Studies Consultant. My main work is to provide quality PD and resources to teachers and to connect organizations and districts. My main focus and passion, though, is helping social studies teachers in whatever they may need to provide amazing, rockstar instruc... Read More →
Saturday March 15, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
UNIV CD
  Civics/Government, All Social Studies Educators

10:30am CDT

Creating History Labs for Elementary Social Studies
Saturday March 15, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
CONF 2
Feedback Survey
History Labs are powerful tools for engaging students in meaningful historical inquiry and developing critical thinking skills using primary sources. With careful planning and implementation, they can transform social studies instruction at the elementary level. Learn to curate inquiry boxes to make elementary social studies matter.
Speakers
KP
Saturday March 15, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
CONF 2
  Elementary, Elementary K-5

10:30am CDT

Wisconsin Act 31 - What Is Your District Doing to Incorporate American Indian Studies into the Curriculum?
Saturday March 15, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
CONF 3
Feedback Survey

This presentation will provide an in-depth discussion about WI Act 31. WI Act 31 is a state law requiring all public school districts and pre-service educator programs to provide instruction on the history, culture, and tribal sovereignty of the American Indian nations and tribal communities in Wisconsin. The focus is to help educators and other stakeholders understand and implement WI Act 31.
Speakers
avatar for David O'Connor

David O'Connor

American Indian Studies Consultant, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
David J. O'Connor  is originally from and is a citizen of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa ( Anishinaabe or Ojibwe) in northern Wisconsin. In January 2012, he became the American Indian Studies Consultant at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI). In Da... Read More →
Saturday March 15, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
CONF 3
  General Social Studies, All Social Studies Educators

1:15pm CDT

Contemporary Antisemitism
Saturday March 15, 2025 1:15pm - 2:15pm CDT
CONF 2
Feedback Survey
Join HERC as we discuss the impact that rising antisemitism is having on students and school culture. Using Echoes & Reflections materials and data from Wisconsin, this session will provide educators with the tools they need to identify and respond to antisemitism in a classroom setting.
Speakers
SG

Sam Goldberg

Holocaust Education Resource Center
Saturday March 15, 2025 1:15pm - 2:15pm CDT
CONF 2
  General Social Studies, All Social Studies Educators

1:15pm CDT

Human Impacts on Land and Sea: Hands-on Geography Activities
Saturday March 15, 2025 1:15pm - 2:15pm CDT
SENATE A
Feedback Survey
Discover hands-on approaches to teaching the dynamic interrelationships between people, places, and the environment. Themes include global population trends, natural resource use, and how human activities have changed our landscapes and oceans over time. Engage in modeling, simulations, and lively debate that make course topics come alive.
Speakers
avatar for Kaela Swanson

Kaela Swanson

Social Studies Teacher, School District of Ashland
I am a 8thgrade Social Studies teacher in Ashland, WI. By utilizing my adaptive teaching style, I connect lessons to the local area to help convey my learning objective. Incorporating local history into my lessons also helps educate my students about the original cultures and communities... Read More →
Saturday March 15, 2025 1:15pm - 2:15pm CDT
SENATE A
  Geography, Middle School 6-8

1:15pm CDT

Elevating Civil Rights Movement Voices from Past to Present
Saturday March 15, 2025 1:15pm - 2:15pm CDT
UNIV CD
Feedback Survey
Explore teaching the impact of the Civil Rights Movement’s milestones and their influence on social dynamics and justice efforts. Leave with resources to foster meaningful civil discourse and critical thinking on historical reform and current challenges, like the role of AI in perpetuating biases. Empower students to connect the fight for civil rights to better engage in today’s social issues.
Speakers
avatar for Allan Carey

Allan Carey

Allan Carey is the Director of Sphere Education Initiatives at the Cato Institute where he leads the organization’s efforts to engage grades 5-12 educators, including the annual Sphere Summit, on civic education, civil discourse, and the institutions of civic culture. Prior to his... Read More →
Saturday March 15, 2025 1:15pm - 2:15pm CDT
UNIV CD
  US History, High School 9-12

1:15pm CDT

Getting Nast-y with Political Cartoons in your classroom!
Saturday March 15, 2025 1:15pm - 2:15pm CDT
SENATE B
Feedback Survey
Help students understand history through political cartoons. Explore techniques for interpretation and analysis, opening a new world of primary documents. Empower students to grasp historical concepts effectively.
Speakers
LR
Saturday March 15, 2025 1:15pm - 2:15pm CDT
SENATE B
  US History, All Social Studies Educators

2:30pm CDT

From Parchment to Practice: Why the Constitution Still Matters
Saturday March 15, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm CDT
SENATE A
Feedback Survey
This session will explore how the U.S. Constitution, written more than 200 years ago, continues to shape modern-day politics and society. Educators will learn how to help students connect constitutional principles—such as separation of powers, federalism, and checks and balances—to contemporary debates on governance, justice, and civil rights.
Speakers
avatar for Emilee McHorney

Emilee McHorney

Teacher Programs Manager - Midwest, Jack Miller Center
Saturday March 15, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm CDT
SENATE A
  Civics/Government, High School 9-12

2:30pm CDT

Bridging Divides Through Civil Discourse: Empowering Students to Find Common Ground
Saturday March 15, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm CDT
CONF 2
Feedback Survey
Discover practical tools and strategies to foster meaningful civil discourse in your classroom. This session explores methods to help students engage with diverse perspectives, navigate controversial topics, and build skills for constructive dialogue. Empower your students to bridge divides and cultivate understanding in history and social sciences education.
Speakers
avatar for Shawn McCusker

Shawn McCusker

Senior Director of Professional Development, EdTechTeacher
Shawn McCusker is an author and Senior Director of Professional Learning at EdTechTeacher. He has 25 years of experience as a teacher and leader in public, private and alternative schools. Shawn is the author of Becoming Active Citizens, winner of the 2022 Foreword INDIES Gold Award... Read More →
Saturday March 15, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm CDT
CONF 2
  General Pedagogy, All Social Studies Educators

2:30pm CDT

Use AI Now!
Saturday March 15, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm CDT
SENATE B
Feedback Survey
Embrace AI and learn simple ways to use this powerful technology in your classroom now. This interactive session will demonstrate introductory ways you can use AI to create unique lessons, modify resources for special education students, and strategies to save you time. The time to use AI is NOW!!
Speakers
avatar for Dan Hoppe
Saturday March 15, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm CDT
SENATE B
  General Pedagogy, High School 9-12

2:30pm CDT

Using Digital Literacy Skills to Teach and Learn about the Armenian Genocide
Saturday March 15, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm CDT
CONF 3
Feedback Survey
Explore digital literacy skills to empower students to analyze historical and contemporary narratives about the Armenian Genocide and genocide in Nagorno-Karabakh. Participants in this session will examine tools to empower students to critically evaluate news, social media, and academic sources, identify biases, and foster informed discussions on propaganda, denial, genocide, and human rights.
Speakers
GD
Saturday March 15, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm CDT
CONF 3
  General Pedagogy, Middle & High School

2:30pm CDT

Visual Literacy: Democratic Principles Matter
Saturday March 15, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm CDT
CONF 4
Feedback Survey
Images project the stories histories (of past and present) related to civic virtues and democratic principles. This session employs an interactive, three-step process for students to de-familiarize images from a single meaning and address the complexities of visual narratives. No art experience needed.
Speakers
DN
Saturday March 15, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm CDT
CONF 4
  General Social Studies, All Social Studies Educators

2:30pm CDT

Using Everyday Surroundings to Teach Geography
Saturday March 15, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm CDT
UNIV AB
Feedback Survey
Students need to learn the beauty of the natural world before they become interested in saving it, and teachers can help students learn the basis for geographic knowledge in everyday experiences. Participants will explore concrete suggestions and interesting activities including connections for both the classroom and to share with families at home.
Speakers
LO
Saturday March 15, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm CDT
UNIV AB
  Geography, K-8 Social Studies

3:00pm CDT

Empowering Young Learners to Access Difficult Histories: Lessons From a Collaborative, Interdisciplinary Fourth Grade Holocaust Unit
Saturday March 15, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
CONF 3
Feedback Survey
This session will take elementary educators through two teachers’ collaboration around an interdisciplinary fourth grade Holocaust unit, addressing co-planning, social-emotional learning, content accessibility, and text accessibility as necessary pedagogical components. We will also offer teachers resources and time for reflection about how they might teach difficult histories to young learners.
Speakers
EG
IA
Saturday March 15, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
CONF 3
  Elementary, Elementary K-5
 
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