Using a modified ethnographic approach, this presentation takes social studies inquiry to another level of engagement by creating opportunities for students to connect the past directly to their lives. This next level of student engagement is created by introducing the participant to the methods for using anthropological concepts within a unit of study that explores connections in culture and social changes as they occurred in the past and how these same concepts are being affected in the present. The presentation is based on the Inquiry Design Model framework by creating a subset of…

When teachers create lessons that include historical sources, it’s important to pay attention to source choice and source attribution. 

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.

The latest Septima Clark Book Award recipients shine a light on the stories of Frances Perkins, the first woman to serve in a U.S. presidential cabinet; Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman in Congress; and numerous female athletes who shattered stereotypes.

This year’s Carter G. Woodson book picks include stories about Black heroes of the Old West, groundbreaking journalist Ethel Payne, and William Still, the “Father of the Underground Railroad.” 

The Educating for American Democracy initiative introduces an inquiry framework, or roadmap, organized around themes and questions to advance excellence in civic and history education. 

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.