In episode 223, Dan and Michael chat with Sara Evers about her new TRSE article titled, “Whose historical thinking? Representation of women in the Digital Inquiry Group’s Reading Like a Historian world history curriculum.”

Transcript 

Books, Articles and Other Amazing Resources

1. Evers, S., Hicks, D., & Shelburne, S. (2025). Whose historical thinking? Representation of women in the Digital Inquiry Group’s Reading Like a Historian world history curriculum. Theory & Research in Social Education, 53(3), 403-438.
2. Here are some of our past lessons that focus on gender, sexuality, and women:
   1. Episode 221: Embracing Queer Social Studies with Sandra Schmidt
   2. Episode 146: (Un)restricting Feminism in Social Studies with Lauren Colley
   3. Episode 110: Connecting to Local Women’s History using Storytelling with Tina Ellsworth, Janelle Stigall, & Amy Walker
   4. Episode 93: Ona Judge, George Washington, & the Histories of African American Women with Erica Armstrong Dunbar
   5. Episode 69: The Complexity of Citizenship for Black Women Social Studies Teachers with Amanda E. Vickery
   6. Episode 46: Women in Education History with Jenn Binis
3. Wineburg, S. (2001). Historical thinking and other unnatural acts: Charting the future of teaching the past. Temple University Press. 
4. Digital Inquiry Group website: https://www.inquirygroup.org/
   1. Sara’s recommended lesson: La Malinche and the Conquest of Mexico
   2. Another Sara recommend lesson (provided off air): Women’s War in Colonial Nigeria
   3. Cleopatra lesson
5. “Njinga of Ndongo and Matamba” episode of the You’re Dead to Me podcast that Michael mentioned
6. Episode 154: Black Historical Consciousness with LaGarrett King
7. Dan mentioned two MLK biographies: Bearing the Cross: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference by David Garrow and King of the North: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Life of Struggle Outside the South by Jeanne Theoharis
8. Check out Dr. Evers website: https://saraevers.carrd.co/
9. Dr. Evers’ exploration into developing curriculum that develops students’ understanding of historiography and engagement in the historical read: Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Teacher’s Network Album
10. Negotiating Gender in Innovative Digital History Projects presentation at the Making Histories Conference, November 2025

Biography

Sara Evers, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Teacher Education & CAEP Coordinator and Program Support Specialist at Ferrum College. She also works as an Educational Consultant for the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources program and is president of the Virginia Council for History Education.

Her research interests include:

• historical thinking and historical consciousness

• pedagogical decision making

• curriculum studies

• technology use for teaching and learning history

Sara’s current projects include a content analysis of student-generated historical inquiry questions and curriculum building around student engagement in the historical read.

Sara graduated with a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction for History and Social Science Education from Virginia Tech. Before pursuing her doctorate, she taught secondary level history in Virginia public schools.