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This spring, Humanities Texas will hold free professional development webinars for secondary-level social studies and English language arts teachers on teaching The Great Gatsby and civic online reasoning.

Like all Humanities Texas teacher programs, these webinars will be content-based and teacher-centered, with an emphasis on teaching with primary sources and developing effective pedagogical strategies. All webinars will align with the TEKS standards, and participants will receive CPE credit.


Teaching The Great Gatsby

On March 28 and April 4, 2022, Humanities Texas will hold two 75-minute webinars for English language arts teachers on teaching F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby and several of his most frequently anthologized short stories.

The first webinar will focus on teaching The Great Gatsby in its historical, biographical, and cultural contexts. The second webinar on Gatsby will center on formal analysis of the novel itself, including close readings of several passages and scenes and a discussion of the novel’s structure, narration, and symbolism. Both webinars will highlight the most important takeaways for middle and high school students.

This two-part series will take place via Zoom from 5:00–6:15 p.m. CT on Monday, March 28 and April 4.


Civic Online Reasoning: Sorting Fact from Fiction on the Internet

In April 2022, Humanities Texas will partner with the Stanford History Education Group (SHEG) to hold three teacher professional development webinars for Texas teachers on using SHEG's Civic Online Reasoning curriculum.

The Stanford History Education Group will introduce teachers to their Civic Online Reasoning curriculum. The curriculum, based on research with fact checkers and tested in classrooms across the country, teaches students to effectively evaluate online information that affects them, their communities, and the world. During these interactive workshops, participants will consider the research behind the curriculum, review curricular materials, and discuss how these resources can be integrated into their own classrooms.

This three-part series will take place via Zoom from 5:00–6:15 p.m. CT on Tuesday, April 5, 12, and 19.


More information about each program is available on our website. Teachers interested in attending should complete the online application form as soon as possible.

Cover of the first edition of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, published in 1925.
Stanford History Education Group.