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Darren Minarik

@captminarika.bsky.social
1.8K followers 1.6K following 205 posts

Civic Education and Disability Rights Advocate, DRA Advisory Board Member, SIM Professional Developer, Speaker, Radford University Teacher Educator #EduSky #ITeachSocialStudies #SSChat #SpecialEducation #DisabilityInclusion #EduCoach

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Reposted by Darren Minarik
historypod.bsky.social @historypod.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
#OTD 12th June 1987: Ronald Reagan calls on Mikhail Gorbachev to ‘Tear down this wall!’ www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8i5T4NvQgM #historyteacher #sschat
historypod.net
HistoryPod
The daily history podcast
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Darren Minarik @captminarika.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
I am a proud Auburn alum. This is horrible and I hope action is taken against this action. This is a blatant atrack on faculty shared governance and it should alarm all accreditors. www.al.com/news/2026/06...
al.com
Auburn professors say university dissolving faculty senate is an ‘attack on our voices’
Auburn also created a syllabus database and new civics courses for undergraduates.
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Reposted by Darren Minarik
Joanne Fuchs 🗺🍎 @geojo22.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Thanks, Larry. #sschat #iteachsocialstudies
larryferlazzo.edublogs.org
The Tulsa Race Massacre Happened 106 Years Today – Here Are Teaching & Learning Resources
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture   The terrible Tulsa Race Massacre happened 106 years ago today. You might be interested in MAY 31ST &…
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Darren Minarik @captminarika.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
The current administration is attempting to rewrite the historical record of January 6, 2021. It needs to be kept alive through social media so that future generations can be educated about this attack on our democracy. Here is an archive kept by NPR. apps.npr.org/jan-6-archiv... #SSChat
apps.npr.org
Jan. 6 Archive: The Capitol Charges
NPR tracked 1,575 criminal cases stemming from the events of Jan. 6, 2021. The database also provides publicly accessible — and searchable — information, including, in hundreds of cases, video evidenc...
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Reposted by Darren Minarik
Elizabeth C. Hamblet, LD Advisory @echamblet.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
When some students see colleges' lists of disability accommodations, they see them as "shopping lists" from which they can choose what they want. That's not how things work. I explain here: bit.ly/LDBlog142x #LearningDisabilities #ADHD #dyslexia, #SpecialEd #IEP #EduSky
 "...[understand] that these accommodations are widely approved, but that doesn’t guarantee that every student who requests them will be approved for each one." Don’t Make Assumptions From Online College Accommodation Lists for LD and ADHD. @ld_advisory.Post title is "Don’t Make Assumptions From Online College Accommodation Lists for LD and ADHD." Read it on Ldadvisory.com
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Darren Minarik @captminarika.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Please consider donating to Disability Rights Advocates to support their important work. I serve as a member of their advisory board and my goal is to raise at least $1000 for DRA. dralegal.org/campaign/fue... #SpecialEducation #DisabilityInclusion #DisabilityRights
dralegal.org
Blog - Disability Rights Advocates
Create your own fundraising page on behalf of DRA!
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Reposted by Darren Minarik
Cheryl Jindeel @cheryljindeel.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
❤️ Love seeing social studies teachers get this kind of recognition. Stories like this remind people our classrooms go beyond content. We’re building critical thinking, empathy, and civic understanding daily. We may not always get the spotlight, but this work matters. #sschat
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Darren Minarik @captminarika.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
radfordnewsjournal.com/radford-stud...
radfordnewsjournal.com
Radford students head to state history competition after Radford U event
RADFORD - A group of students from Radford City Public Schools are heading to a state history competition after their performance at the recent regional event held at Radford University. Since 1996, R...
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Reposted by Darren Minarik
The History & Civics Project @ UC Santa Cruz @hcp-ucsc.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
Good clear explanation starting w Constitutional text and including primary & secondary evidence-help your students understand the 14th Amendment & #birthrightcitizenship From @marthasjones.bsky.social and @katemasur.bsky.social 🎁 #sschat #civics #teachinghistory www.nytimes.com/2026/03/30/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Trump Says Birthright Citizenship Was Only for the Children of Slaves. He’s Wrong.
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Reposted by Darren Minarik
Joanne Fuchs 🗺🍎 @geojo22.bsky.social · 22/03/2026
#sschat #edusky
larryferlazzo.edublogs.org
March 25th Is “International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade” – Here Are Teaching Resources
The United Nations has declared March 25th to be the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. You might be interested in USEFUL RESOURCES…
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Reposted by Darren Minarik
PBS News Classroom @pbsnewsclassroom.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
NEW @pbsnews.org Classroom Short — Hear why the U.S.'s top counter-terrorism official resigned and discuss public opinion on the Trump administration's strategy in Iran. #sschat #EDUSky loom.ly/xJZmD88
pbs.org
Trump’s top counterterrorism official resigns over Iran
Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned Tuesday, saying he “cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran.”
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Reposted by Darren Minarik
Diana Laufenberg @dlaufenberg.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
I was just thinking about this the other day... #sschat
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Darren Minarik @captminarika.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
Would love to do this!
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Darren Minarik @captminarika.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
Yeah, it’s a brilliant idea to teach about the legislative process in the context of the standards that state legislatures and the departments of education require teachers to follow and students to learn in K-12 social studies.
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Darren Minarik @captminarika.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
The framework is from the SIM Content Enhancement series. www.kucrl.org Before you get into the specific steps, you would teach students about sources and give them strategies for analyzing sources. They are expected to consider evidence to both support and refute the claim within the framework.
kucrl.org
KUCRL
Creating Solutions to Educational Challenges
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Darren Minarik @captminarika.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
When civics and government teachers have legislation like this in their state news, it’s an opportunity to teach valuable critical thinking skills in the context of current and historical events. Thank you again for sparking this discussion. #SSChat 7/7
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Darren Minarik @captminarika.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
•Clarify the claim with any qualifier and define key terms. •List the evidence. •Analyze the reasoning. •Identify other arguments for or against the claim. •Make a judgement about quality of evidence, reasoning, and other arguments. •State why you accept or reject the claim. #SSChat 6/7
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Darren Minarik @captminarika.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
Ultimately, we need to prepare teachers with tools to facilitate higher order thinking and reasoning to help students examine historical and political narratives. I posted a thread about a tool called Cross-Curricular Argumentation to give students explicit guidance for examining claims. #SSChat 5/7
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Darren Minarik @captminarika.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
I question whether Jan. 6 is brought up in units of study. It might be addressed in the context of an “On this day” activity or current event (like discussion of this legislation in a government class), but a U.S. History class is lucky to get into the early 2000s before the year is up! #SSChat 4/7
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Darren Minarik @captminarika.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
I understand concerns raised about passing legislation that specifically addresses how to teach a particular historical event, and it is important to discuss these concerns. Honestly one of my criticisms is that we never get to recent history in our middle and secondary history courses. 3/7 #SSChat
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Darren Minarik @captminarika.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
Other states (like Oklahoma) have overtly politicized their standards by requiring teachers to teach particular topics through a particular lens. 2/7 #SSChat
Screenshot of Oklahoma standard requiring teachers to teach about ”discrepancies” in the 2020 election.
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Darren Minarik @captminarika.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
I want to say that I appreciate this thread with @civilwarmemory.bsky.social and the points addressed. There is no mention of of Jan. 6 in Virginia standards and I think it’s fair to claim this Virginia law is a political response to other narratives about Jan 6 and “stolen elections” 1/7 #SSChat
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National Council for the Social Studies @socialstudies.org · 05/03/2026
Get ready for #CivicLearningWeek March 9–13! This page houses open-access, ready-to-use NCSS resources on civil discourse, constitutional inquiry, political polarization, and culturally responsive civic engagement: hubs.li/Q0431ByK0 #edusky
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Reposted by Darren Minarik
PBS News Classroom @pbsnewsclassroom.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
Join us for #CivicLearningWeek!💫 Plus a chance for a copy of Tim Smyth's @historycomics.bsky.social book "Teaching w/ Comics & Graphic Novels" ---> in this case, the Constitution!!📜 RSVP: bit.ly/PBS-CivicLearningWeek | #apgov #apush #civics
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PBS News Classroom @pbsnewsclassroom.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
PBS News @pbsnews.org Classroom Daily News Lesson: As America turns 250, historian Joseph Ellis examines the founders’ promise & their failures Ask students: What does it mean to be an American / live in America today? #sschat #America250 loom.ly/FTdHxj4
pbs.org
As America turns 250, historian Joseph Ellis examines the founders’ promise and their failures
Learn more why Ellis describes slavery and the treatment of Native Americans as great contradictions in American history
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Darren Minarik @captminarika.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
We need to do a better job teaching media literacy and helping students understand media ethics in our social studies classrooms. #SSChat
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Reposted by Darren Minarik
Christopher Martell @chrismartell.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
Social studies teachers: How are you approaching U.S. authoritarianism in your classrooms? Are there discussions about ways to save democracy? What are the reactions of your students? Here is an article with some recent international examples that may be helpful for your students. #sschat #edusky
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Darren Minarik @captminarika.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
A great story to share with students during Black History Month on President’s Day. youtu.be/VAxx5UzKqPA #SSChat #EduSky
youtu.be
Black and Blue Trailer
YouTube video by Brian Kruger
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Reposted by Darren Minarik
historypod.bsky.social @historypod.bsky.social · 01/02/2026
#OnThisDay 1st February 1960: Start of the Greensboro sit-ins to protest segregation youtu.be/tjeVqNcN5yI #history#OTD 1st February 1960: Start of the Greensboro sit-ins to protest segregation youtu.be/tjeVqNcN5yI #historyteacher #sschat
historypod.net
HistoryPod
The daily history podcast
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Reposted by Darren Minarik
Wendy Rouse @wendylrouse.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
Teach critical analysis of propaganda. #sschat
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Reposted by Darren Minarik
The History & Civics Project @ UC Santa Cruz @hcp-ucsc.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
This looks so good! Saturday, Jan 31. #sschat
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Reposted by Darren Minarik
Victoria Crooks @victoriacrooks.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
🚨NEW BLOG🚨 #EduSky #UKEd #Teacher uonhistoryteachertraining.school.blog/2026/01/13/a...
uonhistoryteachertraining.school.blog
A little bit of a panic: keeping calm to make in-lesson adaptations in the classroom
Photo by Anna Tarazevich on Pexels.com Yesterday, I had a little bit of a crisis while I was on a tight deadline leaving work to make the school run.  It had just started to rain and there I was, s…
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Reposted by Darren Minarik
David Cutler @teachercutler.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
I just published Mainstream Media Mourns the Post-Gazette, but Looks Away as Student Journalists are Silenced medium.com/age-of-aware... #media #journalism @bostonglobe.com @washingtonpost.com @columjournreview.bsky.social #edchat #sschat #studentvoice
medium.com
Mainstream Media Mourns the Post-Gazette, but Looks Away as Student Journalists are Silenced
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which traces its roots to 1786, will close May 3, 2026. That news lands like a gut punch. A once-venerable…
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Reposted by Darren Minarik
Wendy Rouse @wendylrouse.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
Educators: This is a useful news story for teaching about the Trump administration's use of White supremacist propaganda. #sschat 🗺️ 🍎 🗃️ www.pbs.org/newshour/sho...
pbs.org
Trump administration's posts echo rhetoric linked to extremist groups
Just weeks into the new year, the Trump administration has rolled out a campaign across departments that draws on images and ideas borrowed from right-wing and white nationalist circles. Liz Landers r...
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Reposted by Darren Minarik
mattneil.bsky.social @mattneil.bsky.social · 11/01/2026
Re-upping this on the Legislative Branch #sschat Contributions from: @cdabvt.bsky.social @reallymrst.bsky.social @swanversations.bsky.social @mapm8ker.bsky.social @gplastrik.bsky.social @samulmschneider.bsky.social @mrnfhaines.bsky.social @altairamorbius.bsky.social @miladyfirestorm.bsky.social
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PBS News Classroom @pbsnewsclassroom.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
PBS News Hour Classroom Educator Voice: Teachers, if we don’t teach Maduro’s capture in Venezuela, TikTok will. Here’s my plan. "If you teach any subject touching on power and law, this is your curriculum. Not next week. Tomorrow." by David Cutler, teacher #sschat #EduSky loom.ly/hUkl28E
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PBS News Classroom @pbsnewsclassroom.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
PBS News Hour Classroom Daily News Lesson: Trump says U.S. will ‘run’ Venezuela after capturing Maduro in surprise military attack Ask students: Why did the U.S. attacked Venezuela? Do you think one country has the right to attack another sovereign nation? Explain. #sschat loom.ly/8NYxhaw
pbs.org
Trump says U.S. will ‘run’ Venezuela after capturing Maduro in surprise military attack
Discuss the strike and implications for Venezuelans and global security
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Reposted by Darren Minarik
Christopher Martell @chrismartell.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
It has been five years since the January 6th Insurrection. Here is a post that I wrote years ago on how to teach it. Even more important to teach today, especially when the current administration is attempting to erase this history. #sschat #edusky christophermartell.blogspot.com/2021/07/teac...
christophermartell.blogspot.com
Teaching About the Capitol Insurrection
Above: Images from January 6, 2021, when a group of people participated in an organized insurrection of the U.S. Capitol with the goal of o...
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Peter Pappas @pappas.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
Trump’s Venezuela stunt feels like the kind of “easy victory” thinking that turns into a long mess. Here's a classroom-safe lesson using LOC political cartoons on U.S. imperialism. Students compare the arguments to today. peterpappas.com/2026/01/the-... #EduSky #history #sschat
Color political cartoon from Judge titled "A Thing Well Begun Is Half Done." A caricature of President William McKinley stands on a map of North and Central America, using a shovel like a spade to dig a canal across the isthmus between the Atlantic and the Pacific. U.S.-flagged ships crowd both coasts, and American flags mark places like Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. In the background, Uncle Sam stands near the U.S. Capitol carrying tools and a flag, implying Washington is backing the project as part of national expansion.
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Darren Minarik @captminarika.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
A great resource for teaching about January 6, 2021. #SSChat #EduSky apps.npr.org/jan-6-archive/
apps.npr.org
Jan. 6, 2021: A visual archive of the Capitol attack
NPR’s Jan. 6 archive brings together reporting, video, documents and testimony to show what really happened during the Capitol riot. Explore the timeline, cases and evidence behind the attack.
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Darren Minarik @captminarika.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
NCSS just came out with a great new book for early career teachers called A Classroom with Purpose: A Guide to Teaching Social Studies Today edited by Kristi Fragnoli and Timothy Potts #SSChat
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Darren Minarik @captminarika.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
When they begin wrapping up their student teaching experience, I have them take their notes and use AI to create a checklist and list of goals for their first year. They modify the checklist into something that can fit on one page, double-sided. #SSChat
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Darren Minarik @captminarika.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
I have them consider classroom management and what daily routines work best and why some behavior challenges repeat themselves. From this reflection, I encourage them to explicitly teach expectations and routines they want to establish. #SSChat
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Darren Minarik @captminarika.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
I have them ask questions during student teaching like: Which strategies generated the most student engagement and learning? When did your students think, talk, and write the most? What strategies helped students learn complex ideas? How did pacing impact your teaching and student learning? #SSChat
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Darren Minarik @captminarika.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
I have my students write down moments when they feel comfortable or uncomfortable as a teacher to establish their teacher identity. #SSChat
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Darren Minarik @captminarika.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
I encourage my students in social studies teacher preparation to create a journal of ideas to prepare themselves for their first year of teaching. I find that they learn so much in field experience and methods, but do not prioritize what is needed to get a good start to the year. #SSChat
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mattneil.bsky.social @mattneil.bsky.social · 20/12/2025
Here’s the first question for our slow chat. This will go through next week.As we head into the new year, many student teachers are beginning their teaching journeys. What advice would you give to a pre-service teacher for their student teaching experience? #sschat
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Wendy Rouse @wendylrouse.bsky.social · 29/12/2025
I'm curious history educators, what's your course GenAI policy? Please specify the level you are teaching (high school or university). 🗺️🍎 🗃️ #sschat
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L.McFarren @lauramcfarren.bsky.social · 24/11/2025
Who isn’t signed up yet ? #sschat #elachat 🍎🗺️
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Edutopia @edutopia.org · 03/12/2025
If your students need a boost, try these movement-based activities to help bring history to life! 📜🏃 #sschat #ITeachSocialStudies #HistoryEducation #EduSky
edut.to
5 Movement-Based Social Studies Activities
Introducing movement into lessons can help students maintain focus and attention and boost engagement in learning.
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