Resources for Black History Month
February, Black History Month, is an opportunity for students to dig deeper into the experiences and contributions of Black Americans — to think like historians by asking questions about the individuals, groups, and events that have shaped our common past and continue to guide our future. Here are some resources for using the Question Formulation Technique with primary sources for Black History Month and beyond.
Free professional learning opportunities
There are some free online courses coming up that may interest you. They’re all about teaching with primary sources. Our course, Teaching Students to Ask Their Own Primary Source Questions, takes place from Feb. 1 to March 1, and registration is now open. You might also be interested in TPS Eastern Region Waynesburg University’s Professional Development Providers Institute, which is from Jan. 26 to March 2. K-5 educators may be interested to join a five-module online workshop from History’s Mysteries.
Find more opportunities in our events calendar
Teaching, inquiry, and questions
RQI’s Sarah Westbrook connected with Inquiry Partners’ Kimberly L. Mitchell for a thought provoking Q&A about inspirational teachers, what a “good question” is, what educators need right now, and other topics.
What we’re reading
Here are some stories that caught our attention.
- Why Your Local Library Might Be Hiring a Social Worker — KQED MindShift
- How Fifth Graders See the World in 20 Years — The Hechinger Report
- Postcards from the College Journey — Open Campus
- The Question Game: Creating Questions about Primary Sources — Teaching with the Library of Congress
Upcoming learning opportunities
Starting Jan. 19: Teaching Students to ASK Their Own Geo-Inquiry Questions. In partnership with National Geographic. Registration deadline is Jan. 23.
Starting Feb. 1: Teaching Students to Ask Their Own Primary Source Questions. Registration deadline is Jan. 27.
Feb. 1: Questions to Shape the Next 100 Years of Social Studies. Part of the National Council for the Social Studies 100th anniversary conference, taking place from Feb. 1-6.
Feb. 3, 10, and 24: Teaching Students to Ask & Use Their Own Questions with the Question Formulation Technique (QFT). Workshop series in partnership with Chapters International.
Feb. 20: Keynote Session on Reflective Questioning. Part of TPS Western Region’s Teacher Librarian Day(s) 2022: Creating a Learning Oasis.
March 3: Questioning: The Key to Unlocking the Power of Inquiry in Social Studies. One-hour webinar hosted by inquirED.
March 4: Spark Curiosity & Promote Media Literacy: Teach Students to Ask their Own Questions. Part of the Association of Independent School Librarians 2022 online conference.
March 6: Lawyers and Advocates as Catalysts for Client Agency: An Introduction to a Practical Strategy for Building Self-Advocacy Skills. Part of the annual conference of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates.
March 11, 18, and April 1: Teaching Students to Ask & Use Their Own Questions with the Question Formulation Technique (QFT). In partnership with Chapters International. Note, dates are March 12, 19, and April 2 in Pacific-region time zones.
Starting April 12: Teaching Students to Ask Their Own Questions: Best Practices in the Question Formulation Technique online course. Registration deadline April 21.
Your contributions make a difference
To all of you who supported our Legal Empowerment Program matching opportunity, thank you. There’s still time to double your impact and have donations matched.
Your support makes a difference. When you support the Right Question Institute, you help bring free resources to teachers and schools. You also help equip people with skills and strategies for participating in decisions and advocating for themselves, their families, and their communities.
Thank you for contributing to a more inclusive educational system, society, and democracy, where all people, even those furthest from power, can develop the skills and confidence to ask questions and make their voices heard about issues important to them.