001This is an asynchronous recording of the August 2025 social studies stakeholder engagement sessions on celebrate freedom week. This presentation was originally given on August 25 and 26 of 2025. This stakeholder engagement session comes from the curriculum standards and student support division of TEA and more specifically the social studies and reading language arts team. The members of the team are led by Jim Doris and include Gina Gona, Tamar Robert, Jim Rarah and myself Tim Bryant. You'll see that where my name is usually listed is reads vacant position. I have moved to the open education resources division of TEA where I serve as a social studies content lead. The agenda for this presentation began with an overview of the protocols and goals of stakeholder engagement sessions. The main focus of the presentation was celebrate freedom week. First,
002we reviewed the statutes and TICS introduction requirements related to celebrate freedom week. Next, they reviewed sample tees from social studies and reading language arts related to the week. Then the presentation noted the resources available on the tea web page dedicated to celebrate freedom week before sharing sample primary resources with te's connections that support the spirit and goals of the week. Our final celebrate freedom week slide provided links to the national and state websites related to the upcoming 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. During the live presentation, we took time for questions and discussion. If you have questions, you may contact us through the email addresses included in the presentation or later on the link to the help desk will be provided for submitting questions. At the end of the live presentation, we collected feedback
003on our stakeholder engagement program. We began with an overview of stakeholder sessions in general. We hold these sessions because TEA is committed to enhancing opportunities for stakeholder engagement. In these sessions, we share information related to social studies, provide opportunities for general questions, facilitate discussions, collect feedback in order to build relationships with stakeholders such as yourself. Now, we are ready to begin with the statutory antiques requirements for Celebrate freedom week conso coincides with constitution day and citizenship day established by the US congress which occurs on September 17th to commemorate the day the constitutional convention closed with the signing of the decump document and releasing of it for ratification. Our celebrate freedom week in Texas follows the encouragement in the US statute for state and local civil and educational authorities to make plans for the proper observance
004of the day and for the complete instruction of citizens in their responsibilities and opportunities. The US Senate maintains a Constitution Day web page that reminds us the US Constitution is a longest surviving written charter of government and that it is grounded in service to we the people. The Senate web page notes the wisdom of the framers to separate and balance governmental powers to safeguard the interests of majority rule and minority rights of liberty and equality people. Since his final ratification and implementation in 1789, Celebrate Freedom Week in Texas is designated to fall during the week containing September 17th. It is meant to be a time to educate students about the sacrifices made for freedom in the founding of this country and the values on which the country was founded. Instructional requirements for Celebrate Freedom Week
005are found in the introductions of the social studies TEICSS in each of the grades and courses listed here. Notice that Celebrate Freedom Week begins with grade three and runs through high school. The Celebrate Freedom Week instructional requirements are the same for each grade level and course listed on the previous slide. First, the social studies classes are to include appropriate instruction concerning the intent, meaning, and importance of the following documents within their historical context. The Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Study of the Declaration of Independence must include the relationship of the ideas expressed in that document to subsequent American history, including the relationship of its ideas to the rich diversity of our people as a nation of immigrants, the American Revolution, the formulation of the US Constitution, the abolitionist abolitionist
006movement which led to the Emancipation Proclamation, and the women's suffrage movement. And finally, celebrate freedom week is to include study and recitation of what is probably the most recognized portion of the declaration independ independence seen here. Now let's take a look at how celebrate freedom week can be connected to teaks based instruction. Various social studies tiS directly address the spirit and goals of celebrate freedom week but reading language arts teaches can also align with celebrate freedom week. The links seen on this slide go to landing pages from which the social studies or reading language arts ti for any grade or course can be accessed. This slide holds a sampling of elementary taks that connect to the spirit and goals of celebrate freedom week. For example, a grade three teacher might use a short book about
007George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, or another historical figure to combine reading language arts 6F social studies 9A. The reader language arts student expectation calls for making inferences and using evidence to support understanding. While reading the book on Washington, Franklin, Lincoln or another person, students can be directed to identify the characteristics of good citizenship listed in social studies 9A. Students would then listen for actions or events in their lives that show truthfulness, responsibility, or one of the other characteristics listed and then give evidence according to reading language arts 6F. Similar lessons can be used in middle school. For instance, in grade 6, 12B calls for students explain relationships among rights, responsibilities, and duties, and societies with representative governments. Students could listen to recording of Martin Luther King's I have a dream speech, and then use
008the skills from reading reading language arts 1A to interpret the message, ask clarifying questions, and respond appropriately. In high school, let's consider the connections between world history and English, too. I realize not all students take these courses simultaneously, but it is common. English 27A says to read and analyze world literature across literary periods. I recall that my own children read a tale of two cities, which takes place during the French Revolution, their sophomore years when they took these classes. It ties in with world history 21f to identify examples of American ideals that have advanced human rights and democratic ideas throughout the world. The French Declaration of the Rights of Man is a good comparison to the Declaration of Independence where the US Declaration states all men are created equal. The French declaration says men are
009born and remain free and equal in rights. Now we will see some instructional resources for celebrate freedom week. The TEA social studies web page for celebrate freedom week provides links to Teakpace primary resources for celebrate freedom week. The web page was recently revamped, so please take a look to see the revisions. It is links to the documents named in celebrate freedom week requirements and some of the resources you may have seen in the past are on this page as well. Next, we will consider a sampling of primary sources that may be connected to celebrate. These takas primary sources are listed in the social studies ti introductions or in the student expectations themselves. Either way they can be connected to the spirit and goals of celebrate freedom week. This slide lists some primary sources in their
010in their locations in the in the social studies ti. We see of course the three main documents for celebrate freedom week the declaration of independence constitution the bill of rights along with Mayflower compact in which the pilgrims came together in a civil body politic as they called it and agreed to live under the rules they made for themselves. The Star Spangled Banners banner certainly addresses the spirit of celebrate freedom week as it reminds us we are the home of the brave in the land of the free. In grade four, Travis's letter may seem out of place, but he calls upon everyone in the name of liberty, of patriotism, and everything dear to the American character. Celebrate Freedom Week is all about everything dear to the American character. And the Texas Declaration of Independence is modeled
011after the US Declaration of Independence and makes a great compare contrast study. For grades six through 8, the three main documents are listed. Again, many of you are wondering about the connections to grade six because the grade six social studies teach not make mention of any of any specific primary sources. That is correct, but grade six participates in celebrate freedom week. So, we thought it would be good to show a sample of primary sources that connect to grade six. The student expectation for 612B calls for students to explain relationships among rights, responsibilities, and duties and societies with representative government, which connects the Mayflower Compact and the three main documents for Celebrate Freedom Week for 8th grade. You may recall from an earlier slide to celebrate freedom reconstruction requirements mentioned the emancipation proclamation is part of
012the subsequent American history of the ideas expressed in the declaration of independence. Lincoln Gettysburg address connects the spirit and goals of celebrate freedom week with this reference to government of the people by the people and for the people. The Texas documents are listed again as grade seven learns about Texas history as in grade four. In the high school courses, we see some European documents entering the picture. The Magna Carta and English Bill of Rights influenced the ideas, the three main documents for celebrate freedom, which are also listed here. Federalist papers 1051 help us understand the ideas put into the constitution and Martin Luther King's I have a dream speech captures the spirit of the documents playing out in the lives of American citizens. Now for some information on the semi. The semiquincentennial or 250th anniversary
013of the declaration of independence comes up next July. So this year presents some opportunities to tie into the spirit and goals to celebrate freedom week. Some things we do not normally have. These websites share resources for the celebration and calendars of special events going on around the country and in Texas. During the live event, we took time to conduct a question and discussion period. If you have a question, an upcoming slide will include the email addresses for the social studies team and the link to the help desk for the division of curriculum and student. Currently, the stakeholder engagement calendar for 2025 and 26 is under development. Look for dates, times, and topics on the TEA social studies web page in the social studies newsletter. Or if you happen to be attending either the Texas Social
014Studies Leaders Association or Texas Council for Social Studies events this fall, there will be more stakeholder engagement information shared at that time. Our TEA contact information appears on the next slide. The email addresses to the team can be seen here as well as the social studies webpage link. As I mentioned at the beginning of the recording, I have moved over to the open education resources division, so my position is currently vacant. It's been my pleasure to work with this team the past two years, and I know you can depend on them to keep stakeholders informed in the future. If you have questions, you may use the curriculum help desk link to send them in and the QR code to subscribe to the social studies newsletter. Please visit the instructional materials web page for up-to-date information.
015Their help desk link is also seen here. You may submit questions to the assessment help desk using the QR code on the screen. Thank you for accessing this asynchronous recording of the Celebrate Freedom Week stakeholder engagement sessions originally presented August 25th and 26th of 2025.