Minnesota Council for the Social Studies

Breakout session resources from past conferences

Only current MCSS members have access to resources from breakout sessions.

2020 Registration opens in October!

Conference prices are the same as last year:

  • $180/attendee
  • $160/attendee if five or more register from your school
  • $90/presenter
  • $30/student
  • Social Studies Social (ticketed event, Sun., March 1): $45

MCSS Annual Conference: March 1-2, 2020
Mankato Convention Center, Mankato

95% of 2019 attendees said they received valuable resources, ideas, and strategies at the MCSS conference in Duluth.

Comments from 2019 MCSS Conference attendees:

"I left feeling like my job is important and the work that I do will make a difference."

"I received access to countless new and useful resources, got some great tips on pedagogy, and was able to meet social studies educators from across the state."

"I appreciated the options I had as an elementary teacher."

"I wish that more teachers/administrators/school districts realized how important it is for social studies teachers to attend this conference!"

The 2020 MCSS Annual Conference will take place in Mankato, Minnesota. The theme is "Keeping Civil Discourse in Focus."

Please check back for registration information, conference details, and hotel information.

Sunday, March 1, 2020: Social Studies Social (5:30-8:30 p.m.)

Monday, March 2, 2020: Conference

 

Conference Presentations

Schedule of Sessions

2019 Conference schedule:

7:30-8:00 Breakfast and speaker

8:00-8:50 Session 1

9:00-9:50 Session 2

10:00-10:50 Session 3

10:50-11:30 Exhibitor time

11:30-12:30 Lunch (including Annual Meeting and Deer River Drum and Dance)

12:30-1:10 Exhibitor time

1:10-2:00 Session 4

2:10-3:00 Session 5

Local and National Exhibitors

Each year, MCSS welcomes a variety of fantastic exhibitors!

Thanks to our generous publisher sponsors, teachers will get to choose two free books (one Macmillan, one Random House). If you bring a sock or underwear donation, you get to choose a third!

  • More Deadly Than War, Kenneth C. Davis (Macmillan)
  • Betty Before X, Ilyasah Shabazz and Renee Watson (Macmillan)
  • The Sun Does Shine, Anthony Ray Hinton (Macmillan)
  • Future Face, Alex Wagner (Random House)
  • Tales of Two Americas, edited by John Freeman (Random House)

Keynote Speakers

2019 Social Studies Social Speaker

Kenneth C. Davis, author of Don't Know Much About series, In the Shadow of Liberty, and More Deadly Than War

2019 Breakfast Speaker

Emily Larson, Mayor of Duluth

2019 Lunch Presentation

Deer River Drum and Dance students

Also in attendance...

Ida Rukavina, Sen. Amy Klobuchar's office
Hannah Alstead, Sen. Tina Smith's office

What is new in 2019?

Sunday Afternoon Clinic with Minnesota Civic Youth

You're coming to Duluth, anyway! Come early on Sunday afternoon for a FREE clinic with Minnesota Civic Youth, focused on their new program, "Respectful Conversations in Schools." This program provides teachers and students with a model for discussing controversial issues. It is designed to increase students' civic knowledge, participation skills, and dispositions while improving classroom climate.

In addition to the clinic, participants can apply for FREE ongoing support including:

  1. Training student facilitators at your school to lead the Respectful Conversations

  2. Coaching and feedback to teachers who host at least two Respectful Conversations during the school year.  

Anyone who registers and pays in full for the Monday conference can attend this clinic. Teams of teachers strongly encouraged. Contact Jessica Ellison for more information.

Sunday, March 3, 2019: 1-4 p.m., Duluth Entertainment Convention Center.

Deer River Drum and Dance

During the lunch hour on Monday, we are pleased to welcome students from Deer River Drum and Dance. Many of the students are Anishinaabe from Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, but the group will also include students from around Minnesota and some students with Alaska Native heritage.

Drive for Shelters

MCSS is once again sponsoring a drive for a local homeless shelter; this year, we are supporting Life House. Please bring new, unopened packages of socks or underwear (for youth ages 14-24) to the registration table at the conference. You'll receive another free book with your donation, and help your fellow Minnesotans during these cold months.

B.Y.O.B. (Bring Your Own Bag)

In an effort to help the environment, MCSS will not be producing conference bags again this year. We have found that teachers have a stash of these bags already and more often than not, extra conference bags go right in the trash. Please Bring Your Own Bag, and at the registration table we will provide you with all your conference goodies!

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