The #sschat network has become a go-to forum for social studies educators — a place to talk shop and make connections with colleagues around the country. What started in 2010 as a conversation among enthusiasts on Twitter has grown into something with an even larger digital presence and an “unconference” at the National Council for the Social Studies annual meetup.
As the hashtag implies, Twitter conversations remain an important part of #sschat. Every Monday, social studies educators hop onto the social media platform to discuss topics of professional interest. On February 13, the Right Question Institute co-hosted the day’s chat to explore connections between questions, primary sources, and social studies.
Some of the questions participants discussed were:
- What skills and dispositions are important for students to engage with primary sources in social studies?
- How do you promote student inquiry about primary sources?
- What are some barriers to student questioning and how do you address them?
- In what ways do you use primary sources to engage students with difficult historical topics?
- What are some benefits of and opportunities for using students’ questions in primary source and social studies learning?
If you missed the discussion on February 13, you can read an archived version of the chat below. And make sure to visit sschat.org to learn more.