Professional Development Center for Educators

Social Studies

Students doing an interactive map activity

“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.”

Our team of experienced social studies educators builds their work around content area standards, standards for professional learning, and adaptive coaching models to support K-12 educators in identifying, facilitating, and sustaining high quality learning.  We work with educators in partner institutions to prepare students for effective participation in college, career and civic life while also helping them acquire the knowledge, skills and dispositions to make well informed and reasoned decisions.

When partnering with PDCE, social studies educators will be supported in areas such as

  • Aligning curriculum and assessments to Social Studies standards
  • Cultivating skills associated with SAT, SBAC, and state assessments
  • Integrating content and disciplinary literacy into Social Studies
  • Designing opportunities for students to engage in higher order thinking
  • Increasing student engagement

Our Involvement

Our social studies team remains engaged with those who lead education reform at state and national levels.  This involvement ensures that the guidance we offer partners aligns closely with the most current reforms and policies. Currently, our team provides leadership for the

  • Social Studies Coalition of Delaware: Executive Secretary
  • Council of Chief State School Officers’ Social Studies Assessment, Curriculum and Instruction (SSACI) workgroup: National Advisor
  • Delaware Law Related Education Center: Executive Board

Interested in learning more about how to become a partner?
Contact us!

Engagement with partners

DE Governor Carney with Social Studies teachers

Our team has worked with the Democracy Project Summer Institute for Teachers to help develop instructional practices.

Our team worked closely with the Department of Education and Pearson to review state social studies assessments.

US Constitution

With support from the Library of Congress, our team collaborated with Delaware educators to develop lessons using primary sources.

Expertise

Our team brings knowledge from years of teaching, coaching, and experience with professional learning to support social studies education.  The opportunities that we provide focus on curriculum theory and approaches, aligning curriculum and assessments to standards, guiding partners in the development of standards-based learning progressions, pacing guides, units, lessons, and assessments.  Our range of expertise can help partners meet their individual goals.

Meet the team

Michael Feldman
Instructional Specialist, Social Studies