Elementary teachers understand the importance of building a strong literacy foundation at the early grades and may feel tempted to reduce or eliminate social studies instruction in favor of additional instruction in reading and writing. As we are building skills for literacy, we recognize that background knowledge is one of the strongest indicators for success with reading comprehension. A strong social studies curriculum at the elementary level not only provides opportunities for students to apply their literacy skills to a variety of texts but is critical for building a knowledge base that…

An annotated list of children's books that are high quality, unbiased, and non-stereotypical portrayals of Arabs. It is also a collection that brings the native voices of the MENA region to elementary readers

Geo-Inquiry is an exciting new integrated, project-based process that connects students to real-world questions, National Geographic explorers and components of civic action. Created in collaboration with the Buck Institute, The Center for Civic Education and ESRI these sessions will introduce participants to strategies that develop the critical thinking skills needed to: ask questions, collect information, use GIS to visualize data, create a compelling story using photography and videography tips, and ultimately become advocates for change in their local community.   Part 2 of 2

Geo-Inquiry is an exciting new integrated, project-based process that connects students to real-world questions, National Geographic explorers and components of civic action. Created in collaboration with the Buck Institute, The Center for Civic Education and ESRI these sessions will introduce participants to strategies that develop the critical thinking skills needed to: ask questions, collect information, use GIS to visualize data, create a compelling story using photography and videography tips, and ultimately become advocates for change in their local community. 

The authors provide the reader an opportunity to see how second-grade children can use a twelfth-century painting as historical evidence to identify transportation modes, economic activities, and cultural features of Bianjing, an ancient Chinese city. They compare Bianjing with their community using modern mapping technology. Through this approach, art, history, geography, economics, technology, and civics are integrated into an engaging inquiry lesson.

In this article, the author describes how an “I do, we do, you do” scaffolded approach for explicit instruction can be utilized to teach map skills to students in kindergarten through grade 2. She argues that classroom teachers who are familiar with explicit instruction may frequently use the model for reading and math instruction while overlooking its potential for teaching geography skills. Benefits of using explicit instruction to teach map skills include setting students up for success with ample opportunities to practice and supporting growth in spatial thinking.