The National Council for the Social Studies and the Children’s Book Council are pleased to present this year’s selection of outstanding books for teaching primary, intermediate, and high school social studies.

National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) and National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) conducted this Media Literacy Education Town Hall, October 29, 2020 in celebration of Media Literacy Week. The webinar delved deep into the vital impact of media literacy in social studies, and presented recommendations for incorporating media literacy skills. 

Former President Barack Obama has touched hearts by sharing his inspiring book, Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters, with the children of the world. Together, with the breathtaking illustrations of Loren Long, Obama presents 13 historical figures that have each had a profound impact on America. In a very different book, Calling the Doves/ El Canto de las Palomas, award-winning Mexican American poet Juan Felipe Herrera beautifully illustrates his childhood as the son of Mexican migrant farmworkers. Herrera vividly describes his family’s journey through the mountains and valleys of…

Children’s literature can play a powerful role in young children’s lives to learn, inspire and transform. The images and words convey a compelling story and message that has the potential to leave lasting impressions. In recent years, there’s been an explosion of children’s books that go beyond social and emotional learning. Books for young children about historical topics like enslavement, the Holocaust, Japanese-American internment, voting rights, segregation, and genocide are presenting them with both sensitivity and insight. When it comes to current event topics there are many excellent…

Teaching media literacy helps students interpret media messages accurately and supports their informed civic participation.

Encouraging students to investigate competing perspectives on societal issues helps them deepen the skills of working through disagreements.

Investigating heritage symbols in the classroom can ignite constructive discussions on the kinds of values a statue communicated at the time of its creation.

Social studies narratives that portray individuals as either heroes or villains not only stifle students’ feelings of civic agency, but they minimize the role of community in creating social change  

A high school history teacher describes her experience on a humanitarian mission in Ukraine and offers a lesson plan for teaching about the war and the experiences of refugees.