Building Media-Rich Supplemental Resources for the U.S. History Classroom

• In Event: Sign of the Times: Public Education in an Era for Racial Justice

Abstract

This proposal highlights a years-long research-based approach to the development of an innovative, timely, culturally responsive digital learning initiative for the high school U.S. History classroom utilizing digital media. Methods included curriculum landscape reviews, surveys with over 1,000 educators, interviews, observations, focus groups, and pre-post assessment to better understand digital learning platform users, gaps in general K-12 education and history/civics-specific educational initiatives and sites, and the needs, preferences, and behaviors of social studies educators, as well as opportunities for leveraging youth media toward developing historical thinking skills and civic engagement among students. Through sharing our formative work and resulting implementation we hope to provide useful information for others who develop primary and supplementary curriculum resources.

Authors

• Susan Wilkins

• Alysha Butler

• Pegeen Wright

• April Wang, WGBH

• Elizabeth R. Myers, Bright Horizons