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Professional Development

Professional development workshops at the Connecticut Historical Society provide teachers with practical information, materials, and classroom strategies for integrating hands-on history teaching in their schools. Workshops take advantage of our acclaimed exhibitions and extensive collection. The Connecticut Historical Society is an accredited provider of Connecticut Continuing Education Units.

Workshops for Individuals

Contact us at (860) 236-5621 x232 or at education_assistant@chs.org for more information or to register for one of the following workshops at the Connecticut Historical Society.

History Day in Connecticut:
Revolution, Reaction, and Reform in History

This year's History Day theme is "Revolution, Reaction, and Reform in History." Whether you are a History Day teacher or not, join us for an afternoon exploring the CHS's rich collections related to revolution, reaction, and reform that changed history in Connecticut and beyond. Go behind-the-scenes to see photographs, documents, letters, and objects from Connecticut's colonial era to the 20th-century. Participating teachers will receive materials for use in their classrooms. Refreshments will be served.

Date:  Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Time: 4:00 - 7:00 pm (.3 CEUs)
Price: $30 per person

Using Primary Sources in Your Elementary Classroom

Are you unsure how to integrate primary sources in your classroom?  Come to the CHS to learn about different types of primary source materials available for use in your classroom including historic photographs, maps, documents, and artifacts. Discover where to find age-appropriate primary sources (both originals and reproductions) and practice teaching techniques for using original materials in your classroom, including close observation, Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS), and the SOAPS technique for reading and analyzing a document. Lunch will be served.

Date:  TBA
Time: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm (.5 CEUs)
Price: $75 per person | $60 for members | includes lunch

Changing Technology & Women's Lives

This full-day workshop will look at how technology has affected women's lives at home, at work, and in leisure activities. Teachers will tour our Making Connecticut exhibit, travel behind-the-scenes into collections storage areas of the CHS, examine original documents in the research center, and participate in hands-on activities. Teachers will learn techniques to recreate at school and receive materials for use in their classrooms.

Date: Friday, April 27, 2012
Time: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm (.5 CEUs)
Price: $75 per person | $60 for members | includes lunch

Workshops for Groups

For groups of 10 or more, let us customize a professional development workshop to meet your needs. Programs can take place at your school or at the Connecticut Historical Society. Popular topics include:

• Teaching local history
• Visual literacy and artifact analysis for the classroom
• Teaching change over time
• Integrating history across the curriculum

Program lengths are flexible and CEUs are available. Please contact our Head of Education Programs for more information.