Past Winners

2010
Wilbur Murra Award for Lifetime Achievement in Social Studies Education
Dr. Alexander White, M.D.

Isidore Starr Distinguished Social Studies Teacher Award  Diane Godfrey (Kyrene del Pueblo Middle School, Kyrene School District)

Susanne Shafer Award for Contributions to Women’s Studies –
Dr. Mary Melcher
(Arizona Women’s Heritage Trail, Arizona Historical Society)

2010 Great Moments in Social Studies Teaching Award

Carole Ambroziak (Doolen Middle School, Tucson Unified School District, Tucson)
Lesson: “Understanding ‘The Stans’”

 

Michelle Fahy (Centennial Middle School, Kyrene School District, Tempe)
Lesson: “World History Event Digital Storytelling Project”

Robert J. Stahl Student Teacher Scholarship Award – Stephanie R. Hall
(College of Education at the University of Arizona, Tucson)

2009
Wilbur Murra Award for Lifetime Achievement in Social Studies Education –
Barbara Soto (Tucson Unified School District)

Isidore Starr Distinguished Social Studies Teacher Award – Anna-Marie Davis (Orangewood Elementary School, Washington Elementary School District #6)

Susanne Shafer Award for Contributions to Women’s Studies – Dr. Karen Leong, (Asian-Pacific American Studies Program at Arizona State University, Tempe)

2009 Great Moments in Social Studies Teaching Awards

Danna Lagerquist (Kyrene del Pueblo Middle School, Kyrene School District)
Lesson: “Ancient Civilizations Theme Park”

 

Sharlyn Scott (Desert Vista High School, Tempe Union High School District)
Lesson: “China Today: Red, Yellow, and Blue ”

Robert J. Stahl Student Teacher Scholarship Award – Marisa Tualla (College of Education at the University of Arizona, Tucson)

2008
Wilbur Murra Award for Lifetime Achievement in Social Studies Education –
Gwen Russell Harvey ( Arizona Historical Society, Tucson)

Isidore Starr Distinguished Social Studies Teacher Award – Barbara Williams
(Buena High School, Sierra Vista Public Schools)

Susanne Shafer Award for Contributions to Women’s Studies –
Dr. Georganne Scheiner-Gillis
(Department of Women’s Studies at Arizona State University)

2008 Great Moments in Social Studies Teaching Awards

Jane Anderson and Diane Hyllested (Kyrene School District)
Lesson: “Ellis Island”

 

Beverly Giacobbe (Madison Meadows Middle School)
Lesson: “Cuban Missile Crisis”

 

Mary Melendez (North High School)
Lesson: “The Holocaust”

Robert J. Stahl Student Teacher Scholarship Award – Deborah Painter-Plimley
(Arizona State University at the West Campus)

2007
Wilbur Murra for Lifetime Achievement in Social Studies Education –
Honorable Harry Mitchell (U.S. Representative District 5, Arizona)

Isidore Starr Distinguished Social Studies Teacher Award – Barbara Hatch
(Cactus Shadows High School)

Susanne Shafer Award for Contributions to Women’s Studies – Donna Schell (Scottsdale Unified School District)

2007 Great Moments in Social Studies Teaching Awards

Donald H. Preston (South Mountain High School, Phoenix Union High School District)
Lesson:  “The Columbian Exchange”

 

Heather Kiser (Mountain Pointe High School, Tempe Unified High School District)
Lesson: “In Search of Aphrodite’s Rock: Storytelling from a Geographic Perspective”

2006
Wilbur Murra Award for Lifetime Achievement in Social Studies Education –
Gale Olp Ekiss (Arizona Geographic Alliance)

Isidore Starr Distinguished Social Studies Teacher Award – Dr. Nancy Haas
(Arizona State University at the West Campus)

2006 Great Moments in Social Studies Teaching Awards

Dr. Lynn Galvin (Phoenix Preparatory Academy)
Lesson:  “Faces of the Enemy – Investigating Japanese Internment as a Constitutional Violation.
This is a lesson for middles school students.  The lesson helps students understand how fear and racism during WW II created a situation where basic Constitutional rights were ignored.  Students will better understand the policy of Japanese-American internment and how it affected individual citizens.

 

Diane Godfrey (Kyrene Del Pueblo Middle School)
Lesson:  “GeoScrapbooking:  Photographing the 5 Themes of Geography”
This lesson can be used with grades 6 and 7.  This lesson uses photography to help teach the Five Themes of Geography while students are on a field assignment.  Diane uses this lesson when she takes her students to Red Rock State Park in Sedona.  The students record the five themes with their cameras and turn the results into a scrapbook

.

 

Barbara Hatch (Cactus Shadows High School)
Lesson:  “Arizona Heritage Project or Since you asked:  Arizona Veterans Share their Memories”
This is a lesson for high school students.  The students interview Veterans who share their first-hand accounts of American History.  The interviews are documented for the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress.

 

Anna-Marie Keenan (Madison #1 Middle School) and Melissa Carrington
(Liberty Elementary School)
Lesson:   “Africa”
This lesson for middle school students incorporates food, songs, history, art and folk tales of various countries in Africa.  Guests from the Los Boys of Sudan and the Glendale Bean Museum enrich this unit which connects the new learning of Africa to the Five Themes of Geography.

Kate Mahady (Booth –Fickett Magnet School)
Lesson:   “Questions of Culture and Human Connections”
This is a great tool for encouraging journaling in the middle school classroom.  This lesson includes photographs from around the world.  Each photograph has a prompt related to math, language, science and social studies.  The students are encouraged to connect these photos to something in their lives.

 

Dawn Schmidt (Desert Vista High School)
Lesson:  Indian Ocean Network Unit
This week long high school lesson covers all aspects of the Indian Ocean.  The students explore trade and geography and they compare old and new trade networks.

 

Carol Warren (Social Studies Specialist, Arizona Department of Education)
Lesson:  “Desert Views-First Impressions:  Travelers on the Gila Trail”
Fourth and fifth grade students are introduced to primary source material by reading descriptions written by overland traveler on the Gila Trail. They will come to understand the ways in which travelers viewed aspects of the desert environment

2005
Wilbur Murra Award for Lifetime Achievement in Social Studies Education –
Michael Ostapuk (Arizona Education Association)

Isidore Starr Distinguished Social Studies Teacher Award – Kathy Williams
(Dobson High, Mesa Unified School District)

2005 Great Moments in Social Studies Teaching Awards

John Halverson (Desert Sands Middle School)

 

Sheila Nice (Kyrene Elementary School District)

2004
Wilbur Murra Award for Lifetime Achievement in Social Studies Education –
Dr. Tom McGowan (University of Nebraska at Lincoln, formerly at Arizona State University, Tempe)

Isidore Starr Distinguished Social Studies Teacher Award – Abby Dupke
(Dobson High, Mesa Unified School District)

2004 Great Moments in Social Studies Teaching Awards

2003
Wilbur Murra Award for Lifetime Achievement in Social Studies Education –
John S. Morton (National Council on Economic Education)

Isidore Starr Distinguished Social Studies Teacher Award – Jeannine Kuropatkin
(Rhodes Junior High, Mesa Unified School District)

2003 Great Moments in Social Studies Teaching Awards

Carol Warren (Sacaton Elementary)

 

Cheryl Wiens (Madison #1 in Madison Elementary District #38)
Lesson: Marvelous Moroccan Mosaics: Patterns in Zillij
A GeoMath lesson that aligns with Grades 6 and 7 in which students learn about the centuries-old beauty and craft of Moroccan tile and use zillij patterns and shapes to perform elementary tessellations (geometric shapes). Since ancient times, Morocco’s mystiques of landscape and culture have been enticing visitors. Among Morocco’s unique cultural customs and art forms is the tile work called zillij (pronounced zah-LEEGE). Zillij mosaics decorate buildings, walls, floors, and much more throughout Morocco. Its repeating patterns and richness of colors create an intriguing image of this northwest African country.

 

2002
Wilbur Murra Award for Lifetime Achievement in Social Studies Education

Isidore Starr Distinguished Social Studies Teacher Award

2002 Great Moments in Social Studies Teaching Awards

2001
Wilbur Murra Award for Lifetime Achievement in Social Studies Education –
Dr. Paul Robinson (University of Arizona)

Isidore Starr Distinguished Social Studies Teacher Award – Eric LaDue
(Coronado del Sol HS, Tempe)

2001 Great Moments in Social Studies Teaching Awards

Maryann Watkins (Alhambra HS, Phoenix Union HSD)

 

Patty Sepp (Young Scholars Home School)

 

Karen Williams (Brimhall JHS, Mesa)

2000
Wilbur Murra Award for Lifetime Achievement in Social Studies Education –
Dr. L. C. “Chris” Smith (Department of History at Arizona State University)

Isidore Starr Distinguished Social Studies Teacher Award – Dennis Rees
(Peoria Unified School District)

Susanne Shafer Award for Contributions to Women’s Studies – Dr. Janice Monk (University of Arizona)

2000 Great Moments in Social Studies Teaching Awards

Charles Ott (Green Fields Country Day School, Tuscon)

 

Jeannine Kuropatkin (Rhodes JHS, Mesa)

 

Michael Steiner (Rhodes JHS, Mesa)

1999
Wilbur Murra Award for Lifetime Achievement in Social Studies Education –
Dr. Bob Mings and Dr. Malcolm Comeaux
(Department of Geography at Arizona State University, Tempe)

Isidore Starr Distinguished Social Studies Teacher Award – Michael Ostapuk
(Estrella Middle School)

Susanne Shafer Award for Contributions to Women’s Studies –
Dr. Mary Logan Rothschild (Arizona State University, Tempe)

1999 Great Moments in Social Studies Teaching Awards

David Thatcher (Canyon Del Oro)

 

Rebecca Green (Altadena MS, Kyrene)

 

Carol Cribb-Bell and Patricia Flores (Carillo Magnet School)

 

Marty Sheppard (Sierra Vista MS)

 

Teruni de Silva (Madison Heights ES)

 

Min ii Norton (Solano)

 

Barbara Soto (Humphrey ES)

1997
Wilbur Murra Award for Lifetime Achievement in Social Studies Education –
Ken Reid (Mountain Pointe High School, Tempe)

Isidore Starr Distinguished Social Studies Teacher Award – Bob Perry
(Chaparral, Scottsdale)

1997 Great Moments in Social Studies Teaching Awards

Gretchen Bathgate (Rose Lane Elementary School)

 

Rob Christopher (Desert Mountain High School, Scottsdale)

 

Gale Olp Ekiss (Powell JHS, Mesa Unified School District)

 

Ann Johnston (Humphrey E. S.)

 

Ken Reid (Mountain Pointe High School)

 

Peggy Ryan, Jimmi Lou Stack, Penny Bums, and Lisa Salinas (Mountain Pointe High School)

 

Heather Eppley (Clarendon Elementary School, Osborn District)

1995
Wilbur Murra Award for Lifetime Achievement in Social Studies Education

Isidore Starr Distinguished Social Studies Teacher Award

1995 Great Moments in Social Studies Teaching Awards

Tim Brown, Lela Borrmann, Michele Dunham, and Donna Johnson (Chandler)

 

Diane Freeman and Diane Ball (Pendergast)

 

Robert W. Koehler (Tucson Unified School District)

 

1992
Wilbur Murra Award for Lifetime Achievement in Social Studies Education –
Dr. Susanne Shafer (Arizona State University)

Isidore Starr Distinguished Social Studies Teacher Award – Janine Stanford

1992 NCSS Program of Excellence – Knox Elementary School

1991
Wilbur Murra Award for Lifetime Achievement in Social Studies Education –
Dr. Bill Phillips (Arizona State University)

Isidore Starr Distinguished Social Studies Teacher Award – Dr. Susan Scott Wilson (Knox Elementary School, Chandler)

1991 Great Moments in Social Studies Teaching Awards

Lori Stoll (Peralta Elementary School, Phoenix)

 

Patricia Wilson (Cartwright Elementary School, Phoenix)

 

Mary Guenther (Jacobson Elementary, Chandler)

 

Ricardo Alvarez (Landmark Middle School, Glendale)

 

Paul Wieser and Colleagues (Desert Horizon School, Phoenix)

 

Maureen O’Reilly and Margaret Wilkinson (Rhodes Jr. High, Mesa)

 

R.G. Jones (McClintock High School, Tempe)

 

Dr. John H. Hosmer (University High School, Tucson)