With grant funding from the One8 Foundation, the Pioneer Valley Regional School District and the Greater Commonwealth Virtual School (GCVS) will expand their “Investigating History” curriculum to encourage students to think critically when studying history.
Though both already have teachers who are using the curriculum, the grants of $34,000 to Pioneer and $32,500 to GCVS will allow them to train more teachers and broaden the reach of the program. The One8 Foundation identifies, supports and scales high-impact programs and approaches that help schools and teachers prepare students for success.
Investigating History is a curriculum for grades three through seven that was developed by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to encourage inquiry-based learning. Students are encouraged to not just accept information presented in textbooks, but ask follow-up questions and review primary sources, such as newspaper clippings from the time period or diaries and letters written by people during that time.
“It emphasizes multiple perspectives on history. It emphasizes inquiry, and kids using maps and timelines, and asking questions about primary source documents,” explained Zevey Steinitz, director of teaching and learning at Pioneer.
“And asking questions about what might have happened during the Boston Tea Party, or why settlers and Native Americans might have fought, resulting in the [Great Falls Massacre],” Steinitz continued, “so the questions are being asked in a very deep and student-centered way.”
At the Greenfield-based virtual school, Investigating History is already being used in fifth through seventh grades. The grant will allow additional teachers to be trained and the curriculum to be implemented in grades three and four.
“We are so excited to partner with Investigating History to implement a social studies curriculum that is engaging, aligns with state standards and is student-centered,” third grade teacher Samantha Houston said. “The funding and support will help us strengthen our commitment to teaching accurate, inclusive history while encouraging students to think critically about the world around them.”
“Securing this grant is a milestone for our district’s commitment to academic excellence,” added Sue Powers, elementary principal with GCVS. “By introducing a high-quality, inquiry-based curriculum for grades three through seven, we are empowering our students to become the critical thinkers needed in today’s world. This initiative not only streamlines instruction between grade levels but also maximizes instructional time in the classroom. We are eager to see the academic growth this grant allows for our GCVS school community.”
In the Pioneer district, Steinitz said that some teachers across the Bernardston and Northfield elementary schools have been trained in Investigating History, and this three-year grant from the One8 Foundation will allow more teachers to be trained and take part. Specifically, they will be training teachers in grades three through six.
“To teach this curriculum, a teacher needs strong content knowledge, and they need to know the teaching strategies necessary to facilitate inquiry-based learning,” Steinitz said. “We are completely delighted that the One8 Foundation has given us the funds for three years to train teachers. The curriculum itself is free, it’s open-source, but to train our teachers thoroughly in this content and in facilitating this curriculum” costs money.
Steinitz said the training of teachers across the Bernardston and Northfield elementary schools would allow the district to better align the curriculum being taught at both schools, so students have an equal foundation for continuing their education when they reach the middle school and high school levels.
“I think it’s just going to be a total game-changer for our district, because all of our elementary students in both schools will have access to this high-quality instructional material,” Steinitz said. “It’s not that they haven’t had a good program; it’s just that the programs at the different schools have not been in sync. The classrooms just aren’t giving a consistent experience to the students because different teachers have different skills and passions. … It’s just gonna put kids in a good position for middle school.”
