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History by Design: NYC Edition: Home

HBD:NYC is a Spring 2021 offshoot program of History by Design.

Apply to History by Design: NYC Edition!

History by Design: NYC Edition (HBD:NYC) is a program for grades 3-8 teachers and their students who are interested in diving deeper into social studies, history, and the arts in an experiential learning environment that explores multiple perspectives and encourages student voice. In HBD:NYC, students will become Curator Crews, working together to brainstorm, research, plan, and create a museum exhibit based on a historical figure from the Hidden Voices project and inspired by what they have learned during three live virtual field trips to NYC museums. They will gain experience in working as a group on a long-term project designed to make social studies, the arts, and history come to life by making it accessible and relevant to their day-to-day lives. At the end of this school year, students will have the opportunity to present their work as a team and view the work of other Curator Crews at the virtual Culminating Exhibition.

 Have questions? Email clewkow@schools.nyc.gov.

HBD:NYC Overview

History by Design: NYC Edition (HBD:NYC) is a FREE program for grades 3-8 teachers to engage their students in investigating New York City history and the hidden voices that helped shape it. Students will become Curator Crews and create a museum exhibit centered around a lesser-known figure in New York City history selected from the NYC DOE's Hidden Voices project. Hidden Voices features the stories of 16 lesser-known New Yorkers whose stories have been unheralded, unrecorded, or forgotten over time.

The structure of the HBD:NYC supports both remote and blended learning. Throughout the program, teachers will learn how to engage local cultural institutions in a meaningful way, facilitate experiential learning opportunities for their students, and cultivate critical thinking and individual voice within their students. Curator Crews will participate in three live virtual field trips, and teachers will attend four virtual professional learning and two virtual professional collaboration sessions. Student Curator Crews will:

  • learn to see themselves, and insert themselves into history; 
  • learn about history from experts in the field through primary sources, art, and artifacts;
  • use critical thinking skills to illuminate lesser known narratives, investigate history from multiple perspectives, and gain exposure to a wide variety of cultural institutions;
  • brainstorm, research, plan, and create a museum exhibit, inspired by virtual field trips;
  • gain experience working as a group on a long-term research and design project; and
  • present their exhibit and view the work of other Curator Crews at the virtual Culminating Exhibition at the end of this school year.

HBD:NYC Features

Classroom, social studies, English, and art teachers who teach students in grades 3-8, including D75 teachers, are invited to be part of the FREE History by Design: NYC Edition (HBD:NYC) program. As part of HBD:NYC, teachers will create a Curator Crew.

  • Each Curator Crew will select a figure highlighted in the Hidden Voices project. Crews will research that individual and the surrounding historical context. 
  • In addition to meeting weekly from February 8 through June 7, Curator Crews will participate in three live virtual field trips that will inspire the creation of their culminating project, designing a museum exhibit.
  • Curator Crews will create their exhibit based on their research topic and present their exhibit at the virtual Culminating Exhibition that will take place at the end of this school year. 

Participating teachers will attend four virtual professional learning sessions and two professional collaboration sessions.

  • During these sessions, teachers will explore topics in social studies, history, and the arts through the social studies practices, the process of creating a museum exhibit, and how to leverage cultural institutions to support their Curator Crew’s project.
  • Professional learning and collaboration sessions will take place virtually on school days and will be 60-90 minutes long. 
  • At the conclusion of the program, teachers will be eligible to receive up to 12 hours of CTLE credit for participation in the HBD:NYC professional learning sessions and associated work.

HBD:NYC FAQ

What is History by Design: NYC Edition?

  • History by Design: NYC Edition is a weekly program for teachers and their students in grades 3-8 interested in social studies, history, and the arts. The program consists of 15-18 weekly synchronous sessions facilitated by the participating teachers to lead students through research, live virtual field trips, and the creation of a museum exhibit. As a Curator Crew, the students will also complete asynchronous activities to build background knowledge on their research topic and work on their contributions to the Crew's exhibit. All participating schools will present their exhibits at a virtual Culminating Exhibition at the end of this school year.

Who is eligible to participate in History by Design: NYC Edition?

  • The program is open to classroom, social studies, English, and art teachers who teach students in grades 3-8, including D75 teachers.

Will there be field trips associated with the program this year?

  • Yes! Each Curator Crew will participate in three live virtual field trips related to their exhibit topic. In addition, Curator Crews in need of a little extra help with their research, can "Phone An Expert" where Crews can book Zoom calls with research experts from the National Archives at NYC and/or New York Public Library. 

What is expected of teachers participating in the program? 

  • Participating teachers are expected to hold 15-18 weekly face-to-face synchronous sessions with students between the weeks of February 8 and June 7. These sessions may be in-person, remote, or blended. Additionally, teachers will participate in four 90-minute professional learning sessions (during the weeks of February 1, March 8, April 12, and May 10) that will highlight the social studies practices and historical thinking skills, promising practices for blended and remote experiential learning, resources and opportunities for engaging with local cultural institutions, and strategies for online engagement. Teachers will also participate in two 60-minute professional collaboration sessions to share student progress and collaborate with a small group of colleagues on promising practices for engaging students completing a long-term creative project. Participating teachers are eligible to earn up to 12 hours of CTLE credit for participation in the professional learning sessions and associated work. Lastly, participating teachers will guide their Curator Crew through the completion of a museum exhibit that the students will present as a group at the virtual Culminating Exhibition at the end of this school year. 

How can teachers implement History by Design: NYC Edition? 

  • The synchronous weekly sessions should be held on a consistent schedule and in as consistent a format as is possible. Participants are encouraged to hold sessions during one academic period each week (in-person, remote, or blended). Other options include holding sessions during weekly advisory or social-emotional class periods. Please note that there is no per session offered as part of the program. If you have questions about how History by Design: NYC Edition could work with your teaching schedule, email clewkow@schools.nyc.gov with three times you are available for a call.

Can two teachers work together on History by Design: NYC Edition? 

  • Yes! If you have questions about options and expectations for colleague collaboration in the History by Design: NYC Design program, email clewkow@schools.nyc.gov.

What are the benefits of participating in the History by Design: NYC Edition program? 

  • For students, the program offers the opportunity to engage in a fun, creative, student-driven project. Curator Crews will spend time researching a person highlighted in the Hidden Voices project as well as the history surrounding that person, go on cool live virtual field trips, and design an exhibit, all while adhering to public health guidelines. The structure and content of weekly sessions allow for social emotional learning and high levels of peer engagement in remote or blended settings. The virtual Culminating Exhibition will give students the opportunity to showcase their learning as well as an opportunity to connect with students from other schools. 
  • For teachers, the History by Design: NYC Edition program offers a supportive learning community for history, social studies, and art enthusiasts, access to digital resources to structure weekly synchronous and asynchronous sessions, opportunities to incorporate experiential learning into remote or blended instruction, and personalized support from the History by Design program manager.

What role should the principal play in History by Design: NYC Edition?

  • Principal support for the History by Design: NYC Edition program is important for ensuring teachers and their students are able to successfully research and develop a museum exhibit, attend virtual field trips, and present at the virtual Culminating Exhibition.
  • While a principal is not involved in the day-to-day operations of the program, it is expected that they will support the teacher(s) in the successful launch and implementation of the Curator Crew.
  • Additionally, principals and other school leaders are encouraged to attend the virtual Culminating Exhibition where students will present their exhibit.