About The US History Toolkit
Public Act 119 of 2023 established funds for the development of a comprehensive US History Toolkit.
This legislation allocated funds for the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) to cover necessary costs to develop a toolkit to provide professional development regarding the teaching of the full and complex American history across subject areas including the histories of communities of color and other marginalized communities.
2023-2024 Project Goals:
- Creation of and learning from a toolkit guidance committee.
- Identify existing resources for review and approval* by the guidance committee.
- Create a user-friendly online platform to house resources to aid teachers in learning and teaching toolkit content.
2024-2025 Project Goals:
- Continue online platform development.
- Continue adding and developing further resource supports.
- Publicize and provide professional development as related to this toolkit.
*Approval note: Members of the committee reviewed resources through an agreed upon rubric to evaluate each suggested resource. In short, the committee selected resources that met the intent of Public Act 119 of 2023 which includes that each resource:
- Assist in teaching "full and complex American history."
- Centers the history/ies of marginalized peoples including Communities of Color
- Centers justice-oriented teaching, and/or
- is culturally responsive (Paris and Alim, 2016).
Further questions about around the US History Toolkit may be directed to Toolkit Project Lead - Hannah Franklin Grisham, Ph. D., GrishamH1@michigan.gov or Social Studies Consultant - Scott Koenig, KoenigS1@michigan.gov.
