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In spring 2026, Humanities Texas will offer online and in-person professional development programs for Texas social studies and English language arts teachers.

Webinars include "Teaching with Film in the Social Studies Classroom" (January 20), "The American Revolutionary War: Part I" (January 27), "Teaching Dystopian Literature" (February 4), "The American Revolutionary War: Part II" (February 10), "Teaching The Odyssey" (February 11 and 18), and "America After the American Revolution" (March 30).

In-person workshops include "The New Nation: 1800–1860" in Austin (February 24), "Teaching Poetry" in Waco (March 6), "The Great Depression" in Dallas (March 24), "Teaching Shakespeare with The Bard in the Borderlands" in San Antonio (April 28), and "American Indians in Texas: From the Spanish Era through the Red River War" in San Antonio (April 29).

All programs will emphasize close interaction with scholars, the examination of primary sources and texts, and the development of effective pedagogical strategies and engaging assignments and activities.

Teaching with Film in the Social Studies Classroom (Webinar)

"Teaching with Film in the Social Studies Classroom" will take place on Zoom from 5:00–6:15 p.m. on January 20, 2026.

Led by Justin Hart (Texas Tech University), this webinar will cover effective strategies for discussing and incorporating film in the secondary-level social studies classroom.

The American Revolutionary War: Part I (Webinar)

"The American Revolutionary War: Part I" will take place on Zoom from 5:00–6:15 p.m. CT on January 27, 2026.

This session will examine the Revolutionary War from its beginnings in 1775 through the Battle of Saratoga in 1777 to show how fighting an international war fundamentally shaped the character of the American Revolution in its first years. The webinar will consider important questions about how the war both confirmed and challenged ideas about power in society that were at the heart of the Revolution. Sarah Purcell (Grinnell College) will lead the webinar.

This is the fourth in a series of webinars during 2025–2026 commemorating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.

Teaching Dystopian Literature (Webinar)

"Teaching Dystopian Literature" will take place over Zoom from 5:00–6:15 p.m. on February 4, 2026.

Led by Sean Connors (The University of Arkansas), this webinar will explore major, commonly taught works of dystopian fiction and offer strategies for teaching them at the secondary level. 

The American Revolutionary War: Part II (Webinar)

"The American Revolutionary War: Part II" will take place on Zoom from 5:00–6:15 p.m. CT on January 27, 2026.

This session examines the American Revolutionary War in its American and global perspectives, from late 1777, following the Battle of Saratoga, through its conclusion in 1784. The webinar will consider questions about political and military strategy and the impact of war on society. Ricardo A. Herrera (U.S. Army War College) will lead the webinar.

This is the fifth in a series of webinars during 2025–2026 commemorating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.

Teaching The Odyssey (Webinar Series)

"Teaching The Odyssey" will take place over Zoom from 5:00–6:15 p.m. CT on February 11 and 18, 2026.

Led by Deborah Beck (The University of Texas at Austin), the interactive sessions will introduce strategies and resources to engage students in reading The Odyssey.

The New Nation: 1800–1860 (In-Person Workshop)

"The New Nation: 1800–1860" will take place at the Joe C. Thompson Conference Center on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin on February 24, 2026.

Topics to be covered include challenges faced by the Early Republic, the Age of Jackson, westward expansion, Manifest Destiny, the Mexican-American War, and rising sectionalism before the Civil War. Program faculty includes Richard Bell (University of Maryland) and Signe Fourmy (The University of Texas at Austin).

Teaching Poetry (In-Person Workshop)

"Teaching Poetry" will take place at Baylor University's Armstrong Browning Library in Waco on March 6, 2026.

The workshop will provide multiple approaches for generating student interest in and understanding of poetry. Program faculty includes Coleman Hutchison (The University of Texas at Austin) and Ryan Sharp (Baylor University).

The Great Depression (In-Person Workshop)

"The Great Depression" will take place in Dallas at the Region 10 Education Service Center on March 24, 2026.

Topics to be covered include causes of the Great Depression, the Great Depression in Texas, photography documenting the Great Depression, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal. Program faculty includes Michael Brandl (The University of Texas at Austin), Sean P. Cunningham (Texas Tech University), Jason Scott Smith (University of New Mexico), and James Swensen (Brigham Young University).

America After the American Revolution (Webinar)

"America After the American Revolution" will take place on Zoom from 5:00–6:15 p.m. CT on March 30, 2026.

Led by Denver Brunsman (George Washington University), this concluding session of the America250 series will explore the immediate impact and long-term legacies of the American Revolution both in the United States and abroad.

This is the sixth and final webinar in a series held during 2025–2026 commemorating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.

Teaching Shakespeare with The Bard in the Borderlands (In-Person Workshop)

"Teaching Shakespeare with The Bard in the Borderlands" will take place in San Antonio at the Region 20 Education Service Center on April 28, 2026.

In partnership with the Borderlands Shakespeare Colectiva, this workshop will feature Shakespeare's works from Borderlands perspectives. The workshop will draw on the open-access anthology The Bard in the Borderlands: An Anthology of Shakespeare Appropriations en La Frontera.

The workshop will be team-taught by the cofounders of the Borderlands Shakespeare Colectiva: Katherine Gillen and Adrianna M. Santos of Texas A&M University–San Antonio and Kathryn Vomero Santos of Trinity University.

American Indians in Texas: From the Spanish Era through the Red River War (In-Person Workshop)

"American Indians in Texas: From the Spanish Era through the Red River War" will take place at The University of Texas at San Antonio's Coates Chapel on April 29, 2026.

Team-taught by a historian and master teacher, the workshop will offer new assessments of the era and provide a collection of curriculum materials geared toward bringing innovative perspectives into the classroom. Program faculty includes Andrew Torget (University of North Texas) and Courtney Abubakar (Texas History For Teachers).

These workshops and webinars are open to all middle and high school social studies, language arts, and humanities teachers but will focus on topics and skills central to the state's secondary-level U.S. history, Texas history, and English language arts curricula. Priority consideration will be given to early-career teachers in low-performing schools and districts.

More information about each program is available in the Education section of the Humanities Texas website. Teachers interested in attending should complete the online application form as soon as possible.

You must be a registered participant to attend any of the programs.

Participants will receive CPE credit and a wealth of curricular materials. CPE hours will be based on attendance and adjusted if a participant misses any portion of the program. Registration for multi-day program series will remain open even after each series has already begun.

These programs are made possible with support from the State of Texas and the National Endowment for the Humanities.