Despite some drawbacks, such as overuse in classrooms, lack of student engagement, and historical inaccuracies, research has suggested that Hollywood movies can be an effective tool in the teaching and learning of social studies. This article describes a strategy for using film in the upper elementary classroom. The authors outline their strategy and delineate how the strategy incorporates each dimension of the NCSS C3 Framework.

In this article, the authors suggest that prop boxes can make more time in the school day for social studies learning and play. The authors share suggestions for designing and implementing prop boxes with young children. Several examples of social studies prop boxes for kindergarten and first grade are investigated.  

The article focuses on making and makerspaces in the elementary classroom. The authors argue that making in the elementary classroom offers a creative opportunity to capitalize on students’ natural sense of wondering and curiosity. They provide a brief background on making and makerspaces and share rich classroom examples of making. Finally, the authors share additional resources and suggestions to get started with making.

This article was inspired by the first article in the March/April 2021 issue of Social Studies and the Young Learner. NCSS editor Steve Lapham collaborated with teachers Amanda Wilburn and Lori Dodson to obtain a small collection of student-created artwork. The results are presented in “Sharing Myself through Self-Portraits.” One of those pictures is featured on the cover of this issue.

“The Fresh Market: Connecting Content, Children, Families, and the Community,” outlines the “fresh market project” and lays out an argument for a cross-curricular approach to teach social studies in a preschool classroom. The authors outline a process in which teachers met weekly to think of ways to embed content in science, technology, reading, engineering, art, math, and social studies in an effective and engaging manner. Their narrative highlights the power of interdisciplinary work with young children, with an emphasis on social studies as the connecting thread.

An earlier article (by W. Toledo and others) in Social Studies and the Young Learner examined how young students engaged with locally-relevant civics curriculum focused on civic perspective-taking, a process wherein students examine multiple perspectives on public issues and form their own stances on these issues using fact-based reasons with a consideration for the public good. Here, the authors present additional key skills in civic thinking and important strategies for teachers hoping to engage young students in civic perspective-taking.

The authors outline the basic ideas behind the stock market along with its ties to consumer economics and how world events impact us all. They argue that this approach is an engaging way to teach elementary students (in grades 4–6) economic responsibility, and they detail some basic steps needed to get started.