In this lesson, students use primary sources to understand how a climate of fear influenced the president to sign the order that forced the incarceration of Japanese Americans.

The two featured lesson plans offer student interviewers the opportunity to evaluate multiple perspectives, interpret information, and draw historical conclusions.

It is difficult to overstate the power of visual images, particularly historical primary source photos, to provide a window into the past. Here, the authors outline how educators can utilize historic photos to provide students with a deeper understanding of the past. When students do not see their heritage and culture represented in images, the development of their historical understanding can be incomplete or fragmented. Historical understanding can be enhanced, however, when students “see themselves” in the primary sources presented to them.

In the article “Inspiring Americans: Creating a Community of Engaged Citizens” (pp. 12–16), the authors suggest that children can study biographies of less-known citizens that are diverse in many ways. In this Pullout, we offer an extension activity that brings the topic close to home and school.

The study of famous Americans has been a long-accepted approach in teaching elementary students about the history of the United States. The first grade unit we describe here, Inspiring Americans, supports the four dimensions of the College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework,

Pre-service teachers in a social studies methods course designed to address issues of inequity and privilege, engaged elementary students in a ten-week inquiry project. Based on this project, this article shares insights about the processes involved in enacting justice-focused pedagogy.

While guest teaching in a third-grade classroom as part of her doctoral studies, the author became interested in how students think about female pioneers and what it means to be first in a historical sense. This article explores the potential of interactive read-aloud books to teach women’s history with young students.