Project Participants: Fifty-nine teachers are participating this year in two different Teaching American History grants throughout the OVEC region. These grants include teachers in fifth, eighth and 11th grades.

Field Experiences: Following their week long professional development in June, project teachers also had an opportunity to participate in one of three field experiences. A summary of these experiences is listed below:

Philadelphia: Twelve teachers from 5th and 8th grades who had completed their second year in TAH III went on this trip. Highlights included visiting Pennsbury Manor, Mercer Museum, Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and the National Constitution Center.

Washington D.C.: Fourteen High School techers completing their second year in TAH III went to Washington, D. C. Highlights were the Spy Museum and the Holocaust Museum, the Smithsonian, tours of the Lincoln, Jefferson, FDR, WW II and Vietnam memorials and monuments, and visits to Arlington Cemetery and the Supreme Court.

Summer Institutes:

The Gilder Lehrman Institute conducted the summer PD for both grants. Dr. Christian Ostermann, from the Center for Cold War Studies, led the three day high school session. Dr. Elliott West, from the University of Arkansas, led the three day elementary and middle schools session on westward expansion. Both grants also participated in a two-day History Alive training.

High School Training: Eighteen high school teachers participated in a deconstructing standards and assessment writing training. Teachers created open response items and rubrics around their core content. Two follow-up sessions are scheduled for the teachers to share their results.