Governor and Preserve America Awards 2007

GOVERNOR’S AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING OF HISTORY

and

THE INDIANA PRESERVE AMERICA HISTORY TEACHER OF THE YEAR AWARD

For 2009
(K-6 grade levels)

Background:

Annually, the Indiana Council for History Education in cooperation with the Indiana Association of Historians and the Indiana Historical Society invites nominations for the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Teaching of History. The purpose of the award is to recognize and honor those teachers “in the trenches” who are doing wonderful work with our Indiana students. The recipient of the Governor's Award will be honored on Indiana's birthday, December 11, 2009.

Additionally, beginning in 2004 and in cooperation with the Gilder/Lerhman Institute of American History, the Indiana Preserve America History Teacher of the Year Award will also be presented. The Governor's Award includes all areas of history instruction whereas the Preserve America Award is for teachers of American History which includes local and state history. The teacher who is awarded the Preserve America Award from Indiana will compete with the 50 Preserve America state winners with the National Preserve America Award being presented in October or November of 2009. Nominees are eligible for either or both awards. It is conceivable, but not necessary, that one individual may be the recipient of both awards.

This year the awards will be for teachers in the K-6th grade levels. In 2010, the awards will be for teachers in the 7-12th grade level.

Qualifying Criteria
• At least three years of classroom experience in teaching history ( American History for the Preserve America-- any history for the Governor's Award.) (7-12 in even years --K-6 in odd years)
• A deep career commitment to teaching American history, which includes local and state history.
• Evidence of creativity and imagination in the classroom that address literacy and content beyond state standards.
• Close attention to primary documents, artifacts, historic sites, and other primary materials of history, including oral history.
• Evidence of thoughtful assessment of student achievement.

Eligibility
• Any full-time teacher may be nominated who teaches American history (including local and state history) for the Preserve America Award or any other history for the Governor's award as his or her primary subject, or one of the subjects they are responsible for in the classroom.

Procedure

First Round: Nominations
Submit the following:
• The nominee’s resume.
• A full letter of nomination that addresses the award criteria. Nominations can be made by a department or division head, a school curriculum director, social studies director, history professional, university supervisor of student teaching, or superintendent.
• A letter of support from a colleague, immediate supervisor such as a principal or teaching team leader.

Second Round: Additional Materials for Consideration
From this pool of nominations, the awards committee will select up to five finalists who will be asked to submit additional materials that include:

o A one-page statement of the nominee’s philosophy of teaching American history.
o A sample lesson plan, no longer than 3 pages. Primary document attachments are not included in the page limitation.
o A sample extended project assigned to students, demonstrating use of primary documents, artifacts, historic sites, etc. Nominees can include up to ten pages of student work in this category.
o An 8-10 minute video, which is not a class session, but a segment during which the nominee demonstrates class projects, and discusses his or her most effective teaching practices, and how student achievement is assessed. Students are not present in the video.

Please submit an original and three copies of all written materials.

Deadlines:

The First Round nominations will be due and post marked by April 3rd (Extended to April 10)(postmarked)
Finalists will be notified by April 10th.(Extended to April 17th)
Second Round materials will be due by May 8th (Extended to May 15)(postmarked)
Recipient(s) will be notified by May 25th.

Awards
The Governor’s Award winner will be honored with a plaque and $1000 on December 11th, 2009. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History also honors each state winner of the Indiana Preserve America Teacher of the Year with an award of $1,000 and a “History Teacher of the Year” plaque in a ceremony in their respective school. The Institute also presents their school with an archive of primary historical materials, named in honor of that teacher, for use in the school library or resource center.

The National History Teacher of the Year is selected from the 50+ state winners, (including the District of Columbia, Department of Defense and U.S. Territories) by a panel of prominent historians. The 2009 national winner will be honored in early fall in New York City. The winner, together with the nominating supervisor, will travel to the national recognition ceremony with expenses paid by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Mrs. Laura Bush will present the award; a task she has done for the past several years.

Submitting Nominations:
Please send nominations to:

Don Adams
11899 North Bethel Road, Mooresville, IN 46158

If you have any questions regarding the awards, please call at 317.831.3927 or e-mail at him at adamsdon@indiana.edu. He serves as the Governor's Award coordinator for the Indiana Council of History Education.