The CHSSP has developed a number of core programs for professional development which are offered periodically at different sites across the state. Below are descriptions of core programs we are prepared to offer on a regular basis. Look under the "Program" tab to see what specific program events are being offered in your region. Email us at chssp.ucdavis.edu to inquire about hosting a program for your school, district or county.
Program: Building Academic Literacy through History (BAL) Summer Institute or School-Year Workshop Series
BAL is offered in summer both as a stand-alone institute and integrated with content institutes offered around the state. This program is designed for HSS teachers, 4 -12 and is, in general, aligned with the California HSS Analysis Skill Standards for grades K-12. Specific BAL offerings at local CHSSP sites can also be tailored to a particular era, region, or grade level. The Building Academic Literacy through History program is a discipline-specific approach to history instruction to help develop reading comprehension and expository writing ability, based upon the theory of systemic functional linguistics. Because the program incorporates much of our work designed to develop historical thinking, the course also offers teachers specific methods to promote a healthy critique of both primary and secondary sources, identify patterns and trends in both historical content and writing, and develop a student’s ability to seek answers to questions relevant to a particular course of study. This initiative, which has demonstrated its effectiveness through a number of experimental and quasi-experimental evaluations, provides teachers with a grade-level specific approach to curriculum development and instruction.
California History - Social Science Project