Iowa social studies teachers will be able to enhance their teaching because of Clair Keller and the Iowa Council for Social Studies (ICSS).

The ICSS has named a new award, the Clair Keller Developmental Instructional Project Grant, in honor of Keller, Iowa State professor of history.

“This award is designed for teachers, those who are teaching in K-12, for them to develop a project for teaching materials,” he said. “In other words, teachers out there who have an idea for a project they can use for teaching, they can submit a proposal and get a grant to develop it.”

The grant will give $250 to several educators each year. With the money, they can travel or purchase materials for projects that are “innovative and useful in the classroom,” Keller said.

Carol Brown, executive secretary of ICSS, gave several examples of ways teachers could use the money.

“Some teachers have wanted to set up sort of a pen-pal project with students in another country or students in another state, and they need money for postage or printing,” she said. “Or, if they want to take a field trip, they could get money for that.”

Another way Brown said the money could be used was to create a trunk of historical artifacts to use in teaching about American history and building a teepee in the school’s lawn, she said.

Brown said ICSS created the grant because the organization wants to support teachers. It then decided the award should be named after a leading Iowa teacher. ICSS came up with Keller.

“He is truly an exemplary example of social studies educators, not only around Iowa, but nationwide,” she said.

George McJimsey, professor and chairman of the history department, said he is pleased the award was named for Keller.

“This is a very welcome and well-deserved recognition of Professor Keller’s service to the quality of secondary education instruction that he has provided over the years, and I want to express the congratulations to him and the pride that we in the history department take in this recognition,” he said.

Keller received a bachelor’s degree in education with an emphasis in history and a master’s degree and doctorate in history at University of Washington. Before coming to ISU in 1969, he taught high school in Washington.

He said the award is recognizing three decades of work with ICSS, teachers and students.

“I spent the last 30 years as a member of the organization, presenting materials not only in the state but regionally and nationally,” he said. “I’ve been involved in teacher education for 15 years.

“I was the director of Iowa history day — I got it started in Iowa. I’ve been involved also in the schools, giving over 300 presentations as George Washington.”

Keller said he travels to different schools dressed as Washington to teach students and adults about historic events. He gives the presentations for free, charging only for travel costs.

“I go into schools and I hold historic press conferences,” he said. “What I want the students to do is act as reporters and act like they are at a press conference given by George Washington at historic times in history, such as the American Revolution or after the Constitutional Convention or when he’s becoming president or after he’s retired from president.”

Since 1970, he has portrayed other historic people in his history classes, such as former British Prime Minister Sir Lord Grenville; Richard Henry Lee, a Virginian who opposed the Constitution; and Rev. Andrew Burnaby, who wrote travel logs about the early colonies.

However, Keller chose to take on Washington’s persona in the schools for several reasons.

“It started in 1987 with the bicentennial of the writing and ratification of the Constitution, and I thought since he was probably the most important person in that event, he would be the best to teach about it … and honestly, I look like him,” he said.

This is not the first time Keller has been honored by the ICSS. In 1993, the council named him “Super Teacher of the Year.” He was the first university professor to receive this award.