Monument Maker Goes to DC!

So excited to share this! 🏛️

I’ll be heading to Washington, DC this December to present at the 105th National Council for the Social Studies conference—together with the incredible teacher-librarian Dr. Melaney Sanchez.

🇺🇸 This year’s theme—BECAUSE DEMOCRACY DEPENDS ON IT—gets to the heart of why we teach social studies in public schools. (Quick history dip here: In the late 1800s and early 1900s, America was undergoing massive industrialization, urbanization, and immigration. There was growing concern about national unity, civic responsibility, and how to prepare children to participate in a diverse, democratic society. Social studies emerged in response—bringing together history, civics, geography, and more to help students make sense of the world and shape it for the better.)

📕 The opening line of MONUMENT MAKER (illustrated by @ifiwere_apainter) reads:

“History shapes our lives. And what we do with our lives shapes history.”

💙That belief is at the heart of our session. Melaney and I are going share how picture books and school-community partnerships can empower young people to shape the world around them—and democracy itself.

If you’re planning to be at NCSS this year, let me know. I’d love to meet you!

Opening line from MONUMENT MAKER posted over the library door at Mount Harmony Elementary in Maryland.