Prof. Dev. Workshops

The Maryland Historical Society is pleased to offer teacher professional development opportunities tailored to meet the needs of social studies coordinators and their teachers. At each workshop, the MdHS provides in-depth, topic based discussion, primary sources from our archives, and curriculum-based lesson plans and activities.

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Teacher Workshop Themes Include:

Overviews and Skills-Based Workshops:

  • Teaching with Primary Sources An introduction to using primary sources in the classroom, includes lesson activities and strategies for using sources with students of varying interest and reading ability.
  • Overview of Maryland Historical Society Resources An introduction to the educational offerings of the Maryland Historical Society, including demonstrations of lessons and activities from both onsite and outreach programs.
  • Locating Primary Sources at the Maryland Historical Society An open workshop in the Student Research Center for History, offered each school year. Teachers are provided a set of materials on a given topic, and are welcome to make copies for use in their classroom; includes a short introduction to using primary sources in the classroom.
  • Preparing Your Students for History Day An introduction to the History Day theme with sources at the Maryland Historical Society, with an overview of research facilities and strategies.
  • Conducting Oral Histories A lesson introducing teachers to methods for conducting oral history interviews with middle or high school students, includes samples from the Maryland Historical Society's oral history projects completed in partnership with Doris M. Johnson High School in Baltimore City.

Topic-Based Workshops:

  • Teaching Colonial and Revolutionary Maryland with Primary Sources Teachers take on the identity of a character from the colonial and Revolutionary War eras to learn about a variety of topics including the experiences of indentured servants, slaves, and a Revolutionary War soldier.
  • Economics of the Stamp Act Teachers learn the effects of the Stamp Act on publishers and average citizens in this interactive primary source based lesson activity.
  • African Americans in Antebellum Maryland A lecture-style workshop that provides a detailed examination of the experiences of African Americans in early Maryland, includes hands-on object readings and lesson activities for use in the classroom.
  • Post-Emancipation Maryland Teachers learn about life in Reconstruction-era Maryland by examining a variety of documents, including the diary of a former plantation owner, letters to Judge Hugh Lennox Bond, and newspaper clippings.
  • Teaching World War I with Primary Sources An introduction to World War I through primary sources, includes discussion of incorporating economics, psychology, and government courses into history courses. Includes a special primary source kit of documents for use in the classroom.
  • Maryland During the Cold War An in-depth look at Maryland during the Cold War, this program includes a lesson on the Alger Hiss spy case, an introduction to Cold War era propaganda, and a mock civil defense class. Teachers receive the three lessons described above with documents for use in their classroom.
  • Customized Teacher Workshop A primary source based lesson on a topic of your choice, using the resources from the Maryland Historical Society's archive. *Requires significant advance notice*

For more information on these or other MdHS School Programs, email darmenti@mdhs.org or call 410-685-3750 ext. 324.