A detailed curricular loop that enables students to regularly engage in an inquiry presents a meaningful way of teaching hard history. 

This article outlines a project-based learning approach developed by one of the authors, a veteran Seattle teacher, for a high school government course.

Three key discussion options offer social studies teachers a choice of approaches for navigating controversial issues in the classroom.

Properly constructed simulations enable teachers to practice pedagogical skills for leading classroom discussions on politically fraught issues.

English learners are among the fastest growing groups in classrooms and schools in states across the country.  Thus, the success of schools to achieve their civic mission increasingly means reaching our English learners and providing space so that their story is shared within the broader American story. Come learn strategies from leaders in this community to discuss how schools can realize the potential of the Educating for American Democracy Roadmap for all students, including English learners.

Preparing students to navigate the shifts—opportunities and challenges—in our democracy isn’t about a single lesson, but a new way to approach the civic mission of schooling all together. The Pedagogy Companion that accompanies the Educating for American Democracy Roadmap can provide the concrete actions that can help you get there.  Join some of the lead authors of the companion to learn how. Presenters Shannon Salter Burghardt Community Partnership coordinator, Social Studies Teacher Building 21 High School Kimberly Eckert Oxford Teachers College Oxford Teachers College at Reach…

How many times have we teachers thrown up our arms in exasperation and wanted to inquire of a student or a group of students, “What were you thinking?” How many times a day do we advise our students to “make good choices” and then cringe when they don’t? All too often, students don’t, or can’t, simply because they don’t know how. Although we know that our students are constantly involved in a thinking process, we tend to take that process for granted, rationalizing that thinking is simply something that everybody does. The term thinking skills is itself broad and ambiguous. Turner refers to…

This article and accompanying pullout describes a process for developing inquiry projects, based on the Inquiry Design Model (IDM), for students in grades K-2. In this article, he provides examples from preservice teachers that show that the process can lead to high-quality social studies teaching in primary grades. 

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.