From the Chicago History Museum website:

"This two-part series delves into the history of Chicago's Great Migration through compelling historical-fiction short stories based on the Museum's collection.

"Tour the historic neighborhood of Bronzeville, the center of the Great Migration in Chicago."

NOTE: This entry is for part one of the seminar only. To view information on part two, refer to this entry. For more on the Chicago History Museum, refer to NHEC's Museums and Historic Sites listing.

From the North Carolina Museum of History website:

"The stock market rises and falls. A shaky economy means job losses, business closings, changed lives. Is it 1929 or 2009? Lessons from the past can help us cope with hard times today. How do government and businesses stimulate growth? How do people reshape their lives as they hope for returning prosperity? Topics include work, social programs, home life, food, entertainment, and recreation.

Join fellow educators for an engaging four-day program in Raleigh as we explore the Great Depression and the New Deal, the effect on North Carolina, and its comparison to the economic crisis of today. Take a variety of resources, including primary source material from this relevant period, back to your classroom. Interact with speakers, participate in discussions, and try new hands-on activities."

Participants will engage in a week of creating art and learning new teaching strategies for bringing enriching art experiences into the classroom. Using the uniquely beautiful photographs of Ansel Adams as a jumping off point, participants will use a combination of art techniques, poetry, and music to explore a sense of place through the lens of art, history, and culture. Artist studio visits and special events further enhance this learning experience.

Over the past five years, pre-service through first-year teachers have enriched their teaching and content knowledge by completing this program. Its goal is to expose beginning and future teachers at the elementary, middle, and high school levels to strategies and programs which will help them be better civic educators. The institute content includes discussions and practical application of concepts dealing with local, Texas, and national government and the U.S. Constitution. In addition, each level has special programs designed for that grade level. All materials distributed are correlated with the TEKS standards and the TAKS test. Lessons also include gifted and talented/advanced placement extensions.

The institute is divided into three levels, as follows:

101: This 40-hour training begins with an in-depth study of the Declaration of Independence. Participants will then be taken through the ancient and European origins of the U.S. Constitution, followed by the American origins. The training will continue with a famous Federalist debating a famous Anti-Federalist over whether a New York State convention should vote to ratify the Constitution in 1788.

Then attending teachers will be taken on a walk through the seven articles of the Constitution. The remainder of the time will be spent studying the First Amendment and famous Supreme Court cases on the First Amendment, including the current term cases.

The agenda is divided into blocks of time spent with scholars, followed by break-out sessions where activities are demonstrated on the curriculum covered in the scholar sessions.

201: Available to those teachers who have completed the 101 session, the advanced session begins with a look at the "Ladder of the Bill of Rights." The remainder of the three-day, 18-hour institute is spent studying Amendments Two through 10, along with Supreme Court cases decided under each of these amendments. Break-out sessions follow each scholar session with activities on the Bill of Rights.

301: The one-day, seven-hour Update Session is available to those teachers who have previously attended both 101 and 201. Participants will spend most of the time discussing Supreme Court cases that have been decided during the past few years with the scholars. They will also receive a new activity guide, which includes lessons on Federalism and writing.