“Fútbol is Life!”
Led by Sarah Trembanis, Professor of History
Overview:
This interdisciplinary seminar, led by Sarah Trembanis (Professor of History, Associate Director, Associate in Arts Program, CT) invites K-12 educators to engage with sports through a number of subject area frameworks. Sports touch every aspect of our world and provide a fantastic way to connect students with a variety of topics. We will spend each week looking at a different aspect of sports– both in the past and the present– and discuss the ways in which sports provide a sometimes underappreciated framework for understanding the world. This seminar will also extend beyond the seminar classroom to facilitate participants in applying their knowledge to live sporting events and interpretive exhibits. As such, it may include a trip to a Philadelphia 76ers game, a visit to the Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame, as well as a number of expert guest speakers.
Topics of Discussion:
- History and Sports
- Politics and Sports
- Safety and Health in Sports
- Labor and the Business of Sports
- Media, Communication, and Sports
- Civil rights and protest in Sports
- Data and Statistics in Sport
- Fields of Play, Travel, and the Environment
- Amateurism, Higher Ed, and the Rights of Athletes
Applying This To Your Classroom:
- Elementary – Mini-Olympics; students design flags, learn about participating countries, measure/quantify performances, read about past Olympians like Wilma Rudolph, among many other options.
- Secondary – Develop a sports league; everything from the rules of the game, statistics that would be utilized, advertisement, building/retrofitting a competition space, safety considerations, even uniforms. Students could consume curated modern and historical sports media and discuss the messages it is sending to its audiences. They then could make their own podcasts or video about a sport they are interested in. A post-project reflection/discussion can connect to many of the topics we will cover in this seminar.
“Sports are so much more than diversions. They reveal what countries, communities, and individuals value and frequently serve as a space through which people build community and develop identity. Sports ask us to push our bodies as participants, to contemplate acts of great achievement, to collectively celebrate and to commiserate as spectators. I’m excited to have the opportunity to build a learning community with K-12 teachers that will allow us to engage with the vast implications of sports in society.” – Sarah Trembanis
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“Organizing for Justice”
Led by Eric Rise, Professor of Sociology & Criminal Justice
Overview:
This seminar explores movements for civil rights and social justice beyond the dominant narratives, which tend to focus on the 1950s and 1960s and emphasize a few key leaders. We will examine the forgotten years of “the long civil rights movement,” stretching from Reconstruction to Black Lives Matter; and include movements for the rights of labor, women, immigrants, Native Americans, and many others. We’ll also learn about less frequently studied activists and study the role of Delawareans in social movements. With its focus on liberation movements, the seminar shows the vital role of social activism in fighting injustice and highlights the resilience of grassroots activists. Relatedly, the seminar aims to help teachers develop engaging and meaningful content to implement Delaware’s HB 198 (2021), which requires schools to feature Black history in the K-12 curriculum, and SB 297 (2024), requiring schools to include all racial and ethnic groups in the curriculum.
Topics Include:
- Ida B. Wells and the Anti-Lynching Movement
- The NAACP and Criminal Justice
- Louis Redding and Delaware’s Role in Brown v. Board of Education
- Beyond Rosa Parks: Claudette Colvin and the Montgomery Bus Boycott
- Civil Unrest and National Guard Occupation in Wilmington, DE, 1968
- The American Indian Movement
- The United Farm Workers Union
- Feminist and LGBTQ Movements
Applying This To Your Classroom:
- Use historical examples to explore questions such as, “What is justice?”; “How does one change what is not just?” ; “Who has the power to make change?”
- Learn the importance of grass roots activism in creating social change, moving beyond national narratives to understand the everyday experiences of activism
- Connect earlier social movements to contemporary issues
- Explain the role of women, students, etc. in the civil rights movement
- Explore the music, art, and literature produced by social movements
- Evaluate the role of social and racial justice related to environmentalism and sustainability
- Analyze scientific revolutions as social movements
- Use a case study, such as The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, to explore scientific topics such as health disparities, research ethics, and the marginalization of people of color in scientific research
- Explore social movements in other parts of the world
“I’ve been involved with DTI for nearly 15 years, and my interaction with the Fellows has undoubtedly made me a better teacher. My hope for this seminar is that by exploring lesser-known social movements and the diverse individuals who shaped them, you can inspire your students to use their unique talents to make a difference in their communities and the world.” – Eric Rise
“Fashion & Hope”
Led by Kelly Cobb, Professor of Fashion and Apparel Studies
Overview:
This seminar, lead by Kelly Cobb (Associate Professor of Fashion & Apparel Studies) invites K-12 educators to explore clothing and textiles as living archives of TIME, tools of SURVIVAL, acts of RESILIENCE, vehicles for REVOLUTION, symbols of RESISTANCE and catalysts for HOPE.
Rooted in science (fiber ecology, dye chemistry, biodegradability), social studies (fashion history, labor systems, cultural storytelling), and art (design thinking, material culture, creative prototyping), this seminar blends hands-on making with systems thinking to deepen teachers’ content knowledge. Using natural dye labs, wardrobe studies, mending circles, speculative design, and fieldwork at museums and community sites, fellows will learn to connect fashion’s past and present to reimagine its future. The seminar equips educators with the expertise to design transformative, cross- curricular classroom experiences through the lens of Textiles and Fashion.
What to Expect:
- A deepened content knowledge in science, social studies, and art through the lens of fashion and textile systems.
- Curriculum-ready, grade-specific activities adaptable across K–12.
- Hands-on lab protocols for fiber testing, dyeing, mending, and upcycling.
- Field-tested strategies for integrating sustainability, identity, and creative problem-solving into diverse classrooms.
- A cross-disciplinary framework that aligns with the DTI themes of Time, Survival, Resilience, Revolution, Resistance, and Hope.
Applying This To Your Classroom:
- Color & Nature – Connect plant observation to color vocabulary in art and science.
- Fibers – Identify natural vs. synthetic fibers; label reading, stretch testing, and life cycles.
- Cultural – Clothing journal; Closet Museum; link personal stories to garment origins.
- Eco – Reuse textile waste; deconstruct and redesign garments; explore sustainability.
- Chemistry – Natural dye labs; create sustainable colors through pH reactions and history.
- Activism – Merge art, advocacy, and sustainability policy.
“As the granddaughter of a textile mill weaver, I carry forward a deep respect for making and material memory. As a twin, I’ve always been a connector—drawn to collaboration and the generative potential of shared experience. Throughout my career, I’ve worked with engineers, artists, and educators to reimagine how we teach systems, sustainability, and material culture. I believe education is a form of material activism, where small acts like mending or storytelling become tools for resilience and systems change. As the Mother of a 12 year old, working with K–12 teachers offers a meaningful opportunity for me to bring that work to life earlier —empowering students to see the world not as something to consume, but something they can reshape with care, creativity, and hope. ” – Kelly Cobb
“Predictably Irrational!”
Led by Adam Foley, Director – Diversity Education, Assessment & Outreach. Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies, Human Development & Family Sciences
Overview:
This seminar, led by Adam Foley (Director – Diversity Education, Assessment & Outreach / Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies, Human Development & Family Sciences)
Ever wondered why smart people throughout history made devastating decisions? This seminar reveals the psychological patterns that drove America’s darkest chapters — and that still shape our world today. Using the lens of behavioral economics, we’ll explore how cognitive biases like loss aversion, overconfidence, and social proof influenced not only individual choices but also systemic oppression throughout U.S. history.
Participants will examine case studies ranging from Jamestown colonists’ persistence in failure to the endurance of “scientific” racism, while also considering modern parallels in social and political life. Educators will gain both content knowledge and practical teaching tools: primary sources, role-playing exercises, and collaborative workshops that make behavioral science and historical inquiry accessible for K–12 students.
Topics of Discussion:
- Behavioral Economics Foundations: System 1 vs. System 2 thinking, heuristics and biases, predictable irrationality, real-world decision-making examples.
- Colonialism and Oppression: How biases influenced decisions in early American colonization and perpetuated systemic inequities.
- Social Proof and Herding Behavior: How conformity and collective decision-making shaped settlement, expansion, and economic patterns.
- Historical Document Analysis: Exploring Columbus’s Letter to Santangel and the Virginia Company Charter for assumptions, evidence, and influence.
- Case Studies & Simulations: From Gold Rush decision-making to observing school board dynamics, participants apply psychological concepts to historical and contemporary contexts.
- Teaching Difficult Histories: Frameworks for framing age-appropriate lessons across elementary, middle, and high school levels.
- Contemporary Connections: Recognizing social proof, peer pressure, and systemic bias in today’s classrooms, schools, and society.
Applying This To Your Classroom:
Elementary Classrooms:
- Choices & Consequences: Link classroom decisions (fairness, sharing, rule-making) to historical examples.
- Story-Based Exploration: Present colonization as narratives about people making decisions and reflect on outcomes.
- Sample Activities:
- “What would you choose?” role-plays with simplified historical dilemmas.
- Sorting exercises (good/bad decisions, fair/unfair outcomes).
- Group projects creating classroom “laws” and reflecting on their effectiveness.
Secondary Classrooms:
- Multiple Perspectives & Systems: Examine how choices connected to power, oppression, and larger social structures.
- Source Analysis: Engage with primary documents to evaluate assumptions and decision-making.
- Sample Activities:
- DBQs connecting behavioral economics to U.S. history units.
- Conformity and peer pressure simulations (e.g., Asch experiment, Gold Rush decision-making).
- Comparative discussions: colonists’ risk-taking vs. modern social media influence.
“We all know students don’t always make rational decisions about their learning or behavior — and the same is true throughout history. The consequences have been significant. This course lets us unpack the behavioral science behind colonialism and oppression, while also giving us tools for teaching, classroom management, and lesson design. Let’s dig in together and use what we learn to support our students and each other.” – Adam Foley