social studies education

May 25, 2023

Retired Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Terry Hennings ’15MAT Named 2023 Wake County Public School System Teacher of the Year

When Terry Hennings retired from the Air Force after serving for 25 years as a combat medic, he knew what he wanted to teach. Now, he has been named the Wake County Public County System 2023 Teacher of the Year 

Apr 27, 2023

Associate Professor Paula McAvoy Receives NC State’s 2022-23 Outstanding Teacher Award

For Associate Professor Paula McAvoy, teaching has always been creative work. Now, her creativity has been recognized with NC State University’s 2022-23 Outstanding Teacher Award, which recognizes creative and innovative teaching and learning practices. 

Jan 26, 2023

‘Teach and Model an Open-mindedness to Competing Points of View:’ Associate Professor Paula McAvoy Shares Advice for Discussing Political Issues in the Classroom

Educators often wonder how they can discuss controversial political issues in the classroom or if these issues should even be brought up at all. NC State College of Education Associate Professor Paula McAvoy helped teachers address this question through a recent workshop entitled “Political Neutrality in the Classroom: What is it and Should I Value it?” 

Dec 6, 2022

Visions of Education: Computational Thinking in the Social Studies

Professor Meghan Manfra discusses computational thinking in the social studies on this podcast. 

Oct 10, 2022

Commonwealth Club of California: Experiencing Democracy: Creating a Civic Culture in School

Associate Professor Paula McAvoy was an invited guest for this event focused on creating a civic culture in school. 

Oct 5, 2022

Colleges Competing in Pack the Polls’ Civic Education Challenge

Colleges across NC State University will compete to see who can gain the most students to pledge to vote in the 2022 U.S. midterm elections. 

May 10, 2022

The Action Research Podcast: Teaching Inquiry and Action Research with Dr. Meghan McGlinn Manfra

NC State College of Education Associate Professor Meghan Manfra discusses action research and the process of integrating with the teacher community. 

Apr 4, 2022

The New Republic: Why Teachers are Afraid to Teach History

Founded in 1971 initially to bring high school students on trips to Washington, D.C., Close Up encourages “deliberation” on heated policy questions as a way of helping students build consensus. A study of its model, published this past summer by professors at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina Greensboro, found that high school students felt more respected in classroom political discussions designed as deliberation rather than debate. 

Jan 13, 2022

K-12 Dive: Study: Analyzing Historical Data Can Promote Problem Solving in Social Studies

A study by Associate Professor Meghan Manfra, suggests students can develop problem-solving skills by analyzing historical data — enhancing not only their computational thinking, but also understanding of social studies concepts. 

Jan 6, 2022

This is How Students Can Learn Problem-Solving Skills in Social Studies

A new study led by Associate Professor Meghan Manfra offers lessons on how social studies teachers could use computational thinking and computer-based resources to analyze primary source data, such as economic information, maps or historical documents.