Institutes and Inquiry Communities

National Writing Project + Teaching with Primary Sources (NWP + TPS) Inquiry Group [online]. (January-May, 2025). Co-facilitators L. Lapina, J. Ross, A. Schear, J. F. Smith, & partners from Boston Writing Project, Gateway Writing Project, & West Chester Writing Project.

Invitational summer institute on writing and literacy: Supporting civically engaged argument writing with primary sources. (2024, June). Co-facilitators J. Freed, B. Rosser, A. Schear, & partners from Independence National Historical Park, The Colored Girls Museum, Asian Arts Initiative, and the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History. Philadelphia Writing Project, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, PA. (Resources)

National Writing Project (NWP) Teacher Studio Deeper Dive: Teaching Argument with Primary Sources [online]. (November, 2023). Co-facilitators J. Ross, J. F. Smith, & partners from National Writing Project.

Invitational summer institute on writing and literacy: Supporting civically engaged argument writing with primary sources. (2023, June). Co-facilitators J. Ross, B. Rosser, J. F. Smith, & partners from Independence National Historical Park, the African American Museum in Philadelphia, and the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History. Philadelphia Writing Project, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, PA. (Resources)

Invitational summer institute on writing and literacy. (2022, June). Co-facilitators J. Ross, J. F. Smith, & partners from Independence National Historical Park and the African American Museum in Philadelphia. Philadelphia Writing Project, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. (Resources)

Advanced summer institute on writing, learning, and leading [online]. (2020, July). Co-facilitators D. Portnoy, S. Reed, and J. F. Smith. Philadelphia Writing Project, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. (Resources)

Invitational summer institute on writing and literacy. (2020, July). Co-facilitators R. Rivera-Amezola, B. Rosser, & J. F. Smith. Philadelphia Writing Project, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. (Resources)

Invitational summer institute on writing and literacy. (2019, July). Co-facilitators B. Patten, J. F. Smith, & L. Whitfield. Philadelphia Writing Project, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. (Resources)

Invitational summer institute on writing and literacy. (2018, July). Co-facilitators M. Mannix, J. F. Smith, & L. Whitfield. Philadelphia Writing Project, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. (Resources)

Workshops and Webinars

Voting, past and present: Teaching civic argument writing with primary sources. (2025, June). Co-facilitators D. Miller, L. Lapina, J. Ross & A. Schear. Pennsbury Manor, Morrisville, PA. (Resources)

Embracing joy, justice, and argument writing in our classrooms by drawing upon models from historical Black literary societies. (2025, April). Co-facilitators J. Ross & J. F. Smith. School District of Philadelphia Educator Symposium, Philadelphia, PA.

Teaching labor history with primary sources. (2024, November). Co-facilitators J. Ross, J. F. Smith, & R. Krasner. Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, Philadelphia, PA. (Resources)

Supporting civically engaged argument writing workshop series. (2024, April-May). Co-facilitators J. Ross & J. F. Smith. School District of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. (Resources)

Creating a literacy curriculum to support civically engaged argument writing. (2023, October). Co-facilitators J. Ross & J. F. Smith. Mid-Career Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.

PBL2: Project- and place-based learning summer institute. (2023, July). Co-facilitator J. F. Smith. Belle Isle Aquarium and Central Michigan University, Detroit, MI.

Four Freedoms revisited: Supporting civically engaged argument writing. (2023, March). Co-facilitators J. Ross, J. F. Smith, & R. Krasner. Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, Philadelphia, PA. (Resources)

Creating a literacy curriculum to support civically engaged argument writing. (2022, October). Co-facilitators J. Ross & J. F. Smith. Mid-Career Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.

Creating text sets to support civically engaged argument writing. (2022, September). Co-facilitators  J. Ross & J. F. Smith. Philadelphia Writing Project, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. (Resources)

PBL2: Project- and place-based learning summer institute. (2022, July). Co-facilitator J. F. Smith. Belle Isle Aquarium and Central Michigan University, Detroit, MI.

Searching for digitized historical primary sources about Black women leaders in Philadelphia. (2022, May). Co-facilitators J. Ross & J. F. Smith. Philadelphia Writing Project, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.

Technology's impact on American history: Technology and innovation in America's auto industry. (2022, April). Co-facilitator J. F. Smith with M. Daley, L. Doornbos, P. Grumm, & O. Marsh. National Council for History Education (NCHE)-Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) program. Hosted by The Henry Ford Museum, Dearborn, MI. (Resources)

Connecting past and present with primary sources and civically engaged argument writing. (2022, February). Co-facilitators J. Ross, J. F. Smith, & L Yau. Philadelphia Writing Project, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. (Resources)

Creating a literacy curriculum to support civically engaged argument writing. (2021, October). Co-facilitators J. Ross & J. F. Smith. Mid-Career Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.

Reading and (re)writing historical markers, monuments, murals, and other public texts: Teaching with primary sources. (2020, September). With E. Darken, J. Freifelder, A. Goldstein, G. Molinaro, J. Ross, & L. Yau. Philadelphia Writing Project, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. (Resources)

Introduction to Philadelphia Writing Project's Invitational Summer Institute for principals and teachers in School District of Philadelphia Learning Networks 2 and 11. (2020, February). Middle Years Alternative School, Philadelphia, PA.

Conference Presentations

Dibinga, M., Fraser, S., Hallisey, J., Schear, A., Smith, J. F., Steinschriber, R., & Virgin, K. (2025, November). Reflections from four National Writing Project sites: Using primary sources in text sets to support civically engaged argument writing. National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention, Denver, CO.

Schear, A. (2025, March). Using historical primary sources to support civic argument writing [poster]. National Council for History Education (NCHE) Annual Conference, St. Louis, MO. (Resources)

Lapina, L., Ross, J., & Smith, J. F. (2025, March). Supporting civically engaged argument writing in science classrooms. National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) National Conference, Philadelphia, PA. (Resources)

Lapina, L., Ross, J., & Smith, J. F. (2024, December). Supporting civically engaged argument writing with historical primary sources. National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention, Boston, MA. (Resources)

Lapina, L., Ross, J., & Smith, J. F. (2024, March). Using primary sources to strengthen civic argument writing [poster]. National Council for History Education (NCHE) Annual Conference, Cleveland, OH. (Resources)

Lapina, L., Ross, J., & Smith, J. F. (2023, December). Integrating historical primary sources into text sets to support civic argument writing [poster]. National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Annual Conference, Nashville, TN. (Resources)

Freed, J., Patten, B., Ross, J., Smith, J. F., & Yau, L. (2022, December). Supporting civically engaged and culturally responsive argument writing with primary sources. National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Annual Conference, Philadelphia, PA.

Smith, J. F. (2022, July). Supporting civically engaged argument writing in science and technology classrooms. National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) Conference, Chicago, IL.

Freed, J., Patten, B., Ross, J., Savage, P., Smith, J. F., & Yau, L. (2022, March). Supporting civically engaged argument writing with primary sources. National Council for History Education (NCHE) Conference. (Poster)

Smith, J. F. (2021, November). Supporting student agency using multidisciplinary projects in the elementary classroom. National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) Area Conference, National Harbor, MD.

Smith, J. F. (2021, November). Sustaining an inquiry community with a Teaching with Primary Sources grant. In L. Roop (Chair), Forming “beloved community” in the face of insurrection. National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention.

Smith, J. F., & Yau, L. (2021, June). Supporting teachers teaching with primary sources beyond the grant. Library of Congress TPS Eastern Region Conference.

Darken, E., Smith, J. F., & Yau, L. (2021, April). Using digital mapping tools to connect primary sources with communities and opportunities for writing. National Council for History Education (NCHE) Conference. (Poster)

Darken, E., Freifelder, J., Goldstein, A., Molinaro, G., Ross, J., Smith, J. F., & Yau, L. (2020, December). Classroom inquiries with markers, monuments, murals, and other public texts. National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Annual Conference. (Resources)

Smith, J. F., & Ryan, D. (2020, June). Co-authoring Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) professional development with partners. Library of Congress TPS Eastern Region Conference. (Recording)

Smith, J. F. (2020, February). Supporting teachers’ inquiries into teaching with primary sources: Hope, healing, and the historical record. In D. Waff (Chair), Sharing practitioner inquiry in community: The promise and possibility. 41st Annual Ethnography in Education Research Forum, Philadelphia, PA.

Freed, J., Freifelder, J., Patten, B., Primo, S Rosales, A., Smith, J. F., & Whitfield, L. (2019, November). Inquiries into teaching with historical primary sources: Resistance, resilience, and healing. National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention, Baltimore, MD. (Resources)